With over 10,000 members, this community was established during COVID to support and empower local businesses by providing a platform for promotion and connection. Maria Howell shared the inspiring story of how she maintains the platform Ryan McKenzie created to support Tri-Cities BC businesses and events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cathy Cena – Local Journalism Initiative

Recognizing the challenges local businesses faced, she established a centralized space for promotion and connection, which has since grown to over 10,000 members. Initially focused on helping businesses survive, the platform has evolved into a hub for networking, community building, and resource sharing.

Ryan's vision was to help local businesses during COVID times. Maria highlighted the strong community impact, including fostering local partnerships and encouraging residents to support one another. Looking to the future, she plans to expand the platform’s reach through live events, workshops, and additional resources for entrepreneurs. Maria advised aspiring community leaders to lead with passion and purpose, listen to the needs of their community, and prioritize authenticity and consistency.

While she does not take credit in creating the group she does the day to day maintenance of the group. This initiative has strengthened the Tri-Cities community, showcasing the power of unity and local support. Tri Cities Community TV is a group of volunteers in the region who are looking to support community video media and independent community news stories and sources.