My fingers tapped the familiar pattern, G-O-O, into my keyboard as my mind hunted for answers. “Alright Google, now what exactly is a Chamber of Commerce?” The answer I found solidified my decision to apply for a position helping our very own Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce, and is one which I’ve since repeated to many people who’ve subsequently asked my original question back to me when they hear of what I do.
A Chamber of Commerce exists in communities to assist in promoting participating local businesses (members) and stimulating local economy. The Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce has over 700 members, representing more than 10,000 employees. By hosting a variety of business related events in the area, the Chamber offers opportunities for local businesses to assist one another.
The project I have been working on in my time at the Chamber is an online shop local website. In collaboration with a media company in town, my supervisor Steve and I have been brainstorming ways to increase the ease with which people living in town and visiting can choose to shop locally. Even small shifts in spending habits can make huge impacts on the local economy, and I’m excited to be a part of a team working to enact some of these changes. The project I am helping with includes a vision for spotlighting local businesses and their successes, encouraging participation in local events and streamlining the process of pairing the right person with the right business to suit their needs.
My role has involved creative problem solving and brainstorming, investigating similar existing websites, researching and compiling data about Walla Walla specific retail offerings, and meeting with the design team to act as a bridge between the design side and the business side. It has been a valuable learning experience to tackle a project that began quite broadly, with a lot of creative flexibility, and to help steer a big idea into something tangible that will help the community which has so graciously housed me during my time at Whitman. I’m excited to see this project through to the end, and look forward to hearing about all of its successes in the future.