EDITOR’S NOTE: South King Media Founder/Publisher Scott Schaefer serves on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce.

Business, civic and nonprofit leaders gathered July 10 at Highline College in Des Moines for the Seattle Southside Chamber and Success Foundation’s 2026 Leadership Conference, where speakers focused on South King County’s economy, workforce needs, small business pressures and regional collaboration.

The conference brought together local business owners, nonprofit leaders, educators, elected officials, public servants, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders.

Attendance was estimated at 250 guests in the packed Student Union building, a record crowd.

Panels covered economic outlook, regulation and policy, capital and cash flow, strategic leadership and an ending fireside chat with King County Executive Girmay Zahilay and Tukwila Mayor Thomas McLeod.

Samantha Le, president and CEO of the Seattle Southside Chamber and Executive Director of the Success Foundation, said the conference was intended to spotlight the region’s leadership and challenges.

“While headlines often focus elsewhere, we know that innovation, resilience, and leadership happening right here in South King County deserves the spotlight,” Le said.

During an economic outlook panel, participants pointed to rising operating costs, workforce turnover, transportation, tariffs, regulatory uncertainty and affordability as key pressures facing South King County businesses.

Crystal Leatherwood, director of policy and government affairs for the Washington Retail Association, said customer-facing businesses such as retailers, hotels and restaurants are watching the gap between what it costs to stay open and how cautiously customers are spending.

Sen. Tina Orwall, who represents the 33rd Legislative District, said she is focused on “that gap between economic growth and economic affordability” and how policies can support both families and businesses.

Panelists also emphasized the region’s strengths, including its diverse workforce, proximity to Sea-Tac Airport, distribution corridors, aerospace, construction, maritime and green jobs.

“This is one of the most diverse, both economically and industry, as well as demographically regions in our state,” Leatherwood said, adding that immigrant and refugee-owned businesses are a major part of Washington’s economy.

In a panel on capital and business resilience, speakers discussed cash flow challenges for small businesses and nonprofits. BECU representative Harris Anwar said cash flow is often simple in concept but difficult in practice, describing it as the day-to-day movement of money coming in and going out.

A strategy panel focused on leading organizations through uncertainty. Kirsten York, CEO of Multi-Service Center, said organizations serving the community must keep their mission clear during volatile times.

“When things get really big and overwhelming and the sense of urgency kind of can swallow you, just considering who are we centering and why,” York said.

In the closing fireside chat, Zahilay spoke about growing up as the child of refugees in South Seattle, public housing and Skyway, and said those experiences shaped his approach to leadership and public policy.

“I always want to shape policy based on what the people at the very bottom are experiencing,” Zahilay said. “To me, that’s what equity means.”

Zahilay also encouraged emerging leaders to focus less on titles and more on their own skills and purpose.

“I think leadership is finding what your gift is and then finding a problem to solve with that gift,” Zahilay said. “To me, when a gift finds a problem to solve, that’s when you find purpose.”

Learn more about the chamber here: https://www.seattlesouthsidechamber.com