DH

We joined the Downtown Spokane Partnership at its annual meeting last week to celebrate the people and businesses who invest in Spokane every day. DH is a business with a downtown Spokane office, glad to be part of a community that supports local companies and a thriving city center. And we add our thanks to DSP’s Clean Team and Ambassadors for helping to create a friendly, vibrant downtown.

African Americans have made significant contributions to the labor force, driving innovation and economic growth. Despite systemic barriers, Black communities have continually shaped industries and advanced economic progress. Community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, support this legacy by providing equitable access to financial resources. Denkyem Co-op is one of our CDFI partners helping to create economic mobility in Black communities, providing affordable lending and support services to Black-owned small businesses. This year’s Black History Month theme of "African Americans and Labor" celebrates the pivotal role of Black workers and entrepreneurs in building the nation’s economy. It also highlights the important efforts by Denkyem and other CDFIs to foster long-term economic success — a key part of broader social justice.

DEI is more than a concept to us. Diversity, equity and inclusion live at the core of our approach to communication and social impact marketing. Michelle Hege talked about the importance of DEI to businesses in a recent The Spokesman-Review article, along with other leaders: https://lnkd.in/gDn5D_dr

Thank you Association of Washington Business for leading this effort to continue building up Washington's communities. Michelle Hege and Marc Berger took part in important conversations about shaping the future of business in Washington at #AWBday25

DH's Melissa Hedwall and Ian Hanson joined civic and business leaders at the Bellevue Downtown Association Annual Celebration last week to celebrate Bellevue's ongoing growth and commitment to placemaking through community-centered public spaces. Keynote speaker Joy Shigaki put a spotlight on Seattle's new Waterfront Park to show how public-private investments can bring these transformative projects to life. The park is steps away from DH's Seattle office, so we see the project's positive impact on the downtown community firsthand.

Wishing our partners at Friends of Little Saigon and across Seattle's Chinatown-International District a happy Lunar New Year! We attended last year's festivities to spread awareness about fraud prevention. We were delighted to experience the traditions of the day. Thank you to our community partners and the many organizations who share their cultural traditions and bring people together during this special celebration. From left, Sarah Peterson from the Office of Refugee & Immigrant Assistance (DSHS) is pictured with DH's Paj Nandi.

Is planning ahead fun? Maybe not, but these spots we launched with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission definitely are. DH's Mark Fox presented about this DUI prevention campaign at the Pacific Northwest Social Marketing Association SPARKS Conference in December, alongside Erica Stineman. The campaign reframes DUI prevention messaging by focusing on behavior change at an earlier stage, encouraging people ages 21 to 35 (the highest-risk group) to plan their sober rides home before going out. Along with the English- and Spanish-language PSAs, we produced radio spots in six languages, short social media videos, and out-of-home creative for bars, restaurants and gas stations throughout Washington. Thanks to our production partner, Offbeat Films!

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy calls for continuous and dedicated action. Despite headlines about cutting DEI efforts, most companies, including DH, are doubling down on our commitments to equity and inclusion, not only because it's good for business, but because leaders like Dr. King remind us that standing up for what's right inevitably comes with some pushback. Read more about why DEI matters now more than ever in our latest blog by DH partner, Nico Archer. https://lnkd.in/gujTuCVR

DH’s Paj Nandi and Christine Varela connected with health care and public health leaders to talk about health care access and delivery last Thursday at the 2025 State of Reform Health Policy Conference. We’re glad to be part of these compelling conversations. And we’re energized for the year ahead as we keep working with DOH and other partners to improve the health of communities across Washington. From left to right, Paj and Christine are pictured here with Michele Roberts, the Assistant Secretary of Prevention & Community Health at the Washington State Department of Health.

Nico, Paj and Christine celebrated alongside leaders committed to creating positive change for Washington. Here's to driving meaningful impact together in the year ahead!