Alexis McLaughlin
Business Services & Communications Associate
Grounded, Empathetic, Collaborative
Alexis McLaughlin was born and raised in Spokane, where she attended Eastern Washington University and earned a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies. Alexis has worked for various local businesses in the Spokane area, managing social media, marketing, events, and daily small-business operations. In her role as the Business Services and Communications Associate, Alexis offers her expertise in social media and marketing to locally-owned businesses around Spokane. Alexis is dedicated to bolstering local economies that stem from a belief in the unique character and value small businesses bring to neighborhoods. She is deeply committed to supporting communities that contribute to what makes Spokane and Eastern Washington a special place to live.
Her favorite local spot is Magic Lantern, thanks to her love for movies both new and old. If you want to share your favorite local business with her, you can reach her directly at alexis@spokaneindependent.org.
Emily Phelps
Business District Liaison (she/her)
Dynamic, Purposeful, Connected
Emily brings a focused, community-driven energy to her role as SIMBA’s Business District Liaison. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Gonzaga University, with minors in Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The discipline, teamwork, and resilience she developed as a Division I track and cross-country athlete continue to shape her intentional, people-first approach to supporting Spokane’s local business community.
Since establishing permanent roots in Spokane, Emily has dedicated herself to strengthening the small businesses and neighborhood districts that define the city’s character. She is passionate about building relationships, uplifting local entrepreneurs, and helping create a more connected and resilient local economy. Whether facilitating district conversations, championing new ideas, or supporting on-the-ground initiatives, Emily brings purpose, momentum, and genuine enthusiasm to every partnership she engages with.
Outside of work, Emily enjoys taking Barre classes, running through Spokane’s neighborhoods, and exploring the city’s rich coffee scene—Indaba’s oat milk latte is a frequent favorite. She’s also an avid thrifter and can often be found searching for her next great secondhand treasure at Global Neighborhood Thrift. On weekends, she’s known to stop by Perry Street Brewing for a pint or venture into new local shops and makers across the city.
A fun fact: Emily has a talent for spotting standout thrift-store finds—if something unique pops up in her office or on a Zoom call, she most likely thrifted it.
Tell her your favorite Spokane small business by reaching out at emily@spokaneindependent.org
Robin Haynes
Executive Director
Generous, Adventurous, Resilient
Robin brings to SIMBA almost two decades of small business assistance experience with an emphasis on startups and entrepreneurs. She is passionate about making the “business” of business ownership simpler – allowing owners to focus on the things they do best. Robin joined SIMBA in April as the canvassing Field Manager for the 2023 SBIF grant project, helping over 800 independent, locally-owned businesses join SIMBA’s flagship, no-cost Live Local INW directory and marketplace. She has helped streamline, organize, and strengthen SIMBA’s foundation as we head into our 6th year. Robin is particularly passionate about helping those often forced into being entrepreneurs, including immigrants, people without advanced educations, recovering addicts, and justice-involved persons. She believes strongly in second chances, career shifts, and new beginnings and knows that the prosperous, equitable, and local economy SIMBA strives to build can only exist if everyone in the community can participate.
Robin loves a cortado, a second-hand shop, and a Washington State wine. When she’s not helping local business owners navigate our challenging economy, she’s usually upside down, suspended in the air on an aerial arts apparatus or cross country skiing at Mt. Spokane.
Her favorite local business is Durkin’s, as it was where she and her partner had their first date, and where she enjoys steak tartare and the best brussels sprouts in town. Tell her your favorite local business, by reaching out to her directly: robin@spokaneindependent.org.
Alexis McLaughlin (she/her)
Business Services & Communications Associate
Robin Haynes (she/her)
Executive Director
Emily Phelps (she/her)
Business District Liaison (she/her)
The Board
SIMBA’s board serves as a vital conduit for our organizational direction and purpose.
Juan A. Mas
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Juan A Mas is a Colombian/Cuban Producer and Director entrenched in the indie world. He worked as an AD and UPM in Los Angeles; then, job opportunities allowed him to work as a producer and director for several years abroad. Juan has also worked all over the United States in varied budget sizes as a member of the DGA for features, mini-series, and television. He is a passionate storyteller who loves to combine a kinetic visual style with vibrant characters and the gritty truth of real life. When not on set, Juan directs and produces theater in Spokane and Seattle. He also volunteers on boards that focus on the growth of the art community and creative economy locally and across the state of Washington. But he is most proud of being a dad of 3 amazing young adults.
Chrystal Gonzalez
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Chrystal currently works as a public health Registered Dental Hygienist and has 18 years of experience in Dentistry. As a community advocate, she is committed to the improvement of oral & systemic health and the promotion of diversity and inclusion. Her experience as an oral health advocate includes: community outreach, promotion of oral health, curriculum development of oral health programs for indigenous populations, and community outreach within the BIPOC and LatinX communities. She has a commitment to supporting engagement with the local community.
Flor Castañeda
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Flor Castañeda is a bilingual (English/Spanish) equity and fundraising leader with deep experience at the intersection of community, philanthropy, and systems change. Her work centers on building trust-based partnerships, leading strategic grantmaking, and advancing DEI-informed storytelling to strengthen mission-driven organizations across the nonprofit and public sectors.
Throughout her career, Flor has helped align philanthropic investments with community-defined priorities, supported operational equity initiatives, and guided cross-sector collaborations to address systemic challenges. She also serves on several local boards dedicated to housing, cultural development, and economic opportunity.
Passionate about local economies, community wealth-building, and inclusive development, Flor is proud to support SIMBA’s mission to uplift Spokane’s independent small business community through advocacy, collaboration, and shared prosperity.
David Borrelli
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David was born and raised in Rhode Island before moving to Spokane in 2021 with his partner. David and his partner opened and operate Mountain Top Mentality out of Spokane where they both currently reside. Their mission with Mountain Top Mentality is to help others reach their full potential, which is why they pride themselves on using local vendors as much as possible to create their branded products.
Throughout most of his professional career, David has had the opportunity to work with some of the most diverse, knowledgeable, and skilled individuals who helped teach him how to be an effective leader, entrepreneur, and small business owner. These leaders and mentors helped David find his love and passion for operations, system processes, training & development, sales/financial among other professional skills.
Beyond his business endeavors, David ingratiates himself into the community by trying new restaurants, checking out other small businesses, working in as many markets as possible, attending local events, being out in nature, traveling, and meeting new people with a great back story to share.
Joshua Thomas
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Joshua Thomas is the Owner/Creative Director at Lejit Creative. Lejit Creative is a full-service branding agency that helps companies in tech, entertainment, and sports launch and elevate their brands. Lejit Creative brings together a diverse team of talented professionals who are passionate about creating authentic, impactful brands that resonate with audiences and drive business growth. Joshua's unique perspective and creative flair set the tone for Lejit Creative's approach to brand building and design. In his free time he spends time with his wife and kids, coaches high school basketball, plays video games, and reads.
Kathy Thamm
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Kathy is the retired Executive Director of Community-Minded Enterprises. Her passion is improving the quality of child care in Eastern Washington and bringing focus to the child care industry as a business. She was one of several leaders who built the statewide Early Achievers program that uses a star rating so parents know if the center or family child care is engaged in continuous quality improvement validated by the University of Washington. She helped the family child care providers join together under SEIU to make sure they were receiving fair reimbursements for low income children enrolled in their care from the State of Washington. She also helped to form the statewide Child Care Center Association to pool resources for better health care and reimbursement rates.
Kathy believes in the power of the entrepreneur and the power of art. She currently manages Shotgun Studios Spokane which features area artists whose work speaks to contemporary issues. Her background is in photography. She studied at the School for Visual Arts and Portraiture under Philippe Halsman. She operated a photo business in Key West Florida before moving out to Idaho with her husband. Kathy is married to local artist, John Thamm, and started several art galleries including the Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene. They have one daughter who resides in Seward, Alaska.
About the Founders
SIMBA was founded in 2018 by Mariah McKay co-founder of Haystack Heights and a talented initial Board Members including, Joel Williamson of the Spokane Workers Cooperative and The Grain Shed; Maria Cullooyah, the Director of Public Works & Utilities with the Spokane Tribe of Indians; Brad Ferris from Craft3, and Jason Williams, owner of many local businesses over the years, including the beloved The Shop in Perry. Mariah served as SIMBA’s Executive Director and Director of Dynamism from 2018 through November 2023.