O c to b e r I, 2014 Minority & Small Business Week Spa Owner Proves Herself O livia O livia T he P ortland O bserver by on the corner o f Southw est Morrison and 12th Avenue. For Ashley Appel started her busi­ m o re in fo rm a tio n , v isit ness, Comma Vino Spa in 2011. commavinospa.com. In the midst of the recession she pursued her passion and opened a spa in the bustling downtown /4s a female, minority Portland that would offer a place business owner Ashley for locals and travelers to pause Appel had to work extra and take a breath. hard to prove herself As a female, minority busi­ ness owner Appel had to work photo by C asey C ole extra hard to prove herself. She and her husband worked end­ less hours after their day jobs to build out the spa. Comma is a Vino-therapy Spa that offers creme de la creme luxury for wine lovers and ardent spa goers. Wine and grape based prod­ ucts are incorporated into the hair, nails, skincare and mas­ sage treatments. Comma Vino Spa is unique in that it offers a great selection of wine, beer and sake for guests to enjoy. A rota­ tion o f local art is displayed throughout the store. The spa is a testimony that there are great opportunities for a female, minority entrepreneur i to make her dream come true. Comma Vino Spa is located I Were in the business of providing hope, access and potentia Join us. Trades Center Partners with Industry c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 9 president of Vigor. "The opening of this new facility is the continuation of PCC executing on its vision and strategy to provide the opportuni­ ties for people to build successful lives by matching their educational programs with the needs of employ­ ers." Swan Island will also be a re­ source for continuing education, training, retraining and professional development in trades and industry programs. "We happen to live at a time when the economy is really expand­ ing rapidly and that's certainly the case for us," said Bill Wyatt, execu­ tive director of the Port of Portland. "There is a great fear about whether or not we're going to have a quali- j Tied workforce to construct all of the j facilities we see in our line of sight, I This facility will be immensely help- j ful to us. I'm so grateful to PCC for I the vision and the will to create this." LJ ■ om e F orw ard (formerly the Housing Authority of ■ Portland) provides shelter and support for our neighbors Contact Home Forward for more information or to learn about specific in need. Because with the essentials of a home, individuals can move forward in life. Today, we are more committed than ever to serving our community of Multnomah County by providing hope, a cce ss, and th e p o te n tia l fo r a b e tte r to m o rro w . opportunities, or for information about resources such as free trainir technical assistance, and workforce hiring and training programs. To achieve our goals, however, requires the help of our business partners. We frequently have contract opportunities—particularly for m inority, w om en-ow ned and em erging small b u sin e s s e s - in the following areas: • Professional Services • C onstruction Services • Social Services hom eforw ard.org home orwa hope, access, potential. For more information, contact: Cinna’Mon Williams, CPPO, CPPB, MCA Procurement & Contracts Manager • 503.802.8533 Cinnamon.Williams@homeforward.org Page 13