Downtown Walla Walla Foundation Receives $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant

The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation has been awarded a $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant to support Walla Walla Launchpad, a new downtown initiative designed to support local entrepreneurs, strengthen downtown vitality, and create opportunities for community connection.

Walla Walla Launchpad will help create a more accessible starting point for entrepreneurs while bringing new activity into downtown spaces. The initiative is focused on reducing barriers to business ownership, supporting locally owned businesses, and helping address storefront vacancy as part of a broader effort to strengthen the long-term vitality of downtown Walla Walla.

The project has been developed through the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation’s Economic Vitality Committee, made up of board members and community volunteers who bring experience in business development, entrepreneurship, real estate, local investment, downtown revitalization, and partnerships with local higher education institutions. Their work has focused on understanding downtown’s available spaces, strengthening relationships across the district, and identifying practical ways to support locally owned businesses.

“This investment allows us to take a practical step toward expanding entrepreneurship in downtown Walla Walla,” said Mallory Nash, Executive Director of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation. “For the past two years, we have been listening, building relationships, and looking closely at what our downtown spaces need. Walla Walla Launchpad builds on that work by creating a more accessible starting point for entrepreneurs while bringing new activity into downtown storefronts and supporting the long-term vitality of downtown Walla Walla.”

The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation was selected in the final round of T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants program, which received more than 2,000 applications from small towns and rural communities nationwide. Since launching in April 2021, the program has invested more than $22.8 million to help fund 500 community development projects across 49 states and Puerto Rico.

More details about Walla Walla Launchpad, including project updates and opportunities for entrepreneurs and community partners to get involved, will be shared in the weeks leading up to the public celebration on July 11.

Join us as we celebrate this exciting milestone during the opening day of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation’s Summer Concert Series.

Event Details:

Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 4:00pm
Heritage Square, 116 E Main Street