When we started Credential Network, we initially operated without a physical headquarters. Our team collaborated remotely, connected through screens and occasional meetups. While this arrangement offered flexibility, we quickly recognized something was missing – that spark of creativity and camaraderie that happens when passionate people share a physical space.
We faced a crucial decision: continue as a fully remote company, adopt a hybrid model, or establish a true headquarters while maintaining some remote flexibility. As we explored options, one city kept drawing us back, almost magnetically. That city was Spokane.
At Credential Network, we're tackling one of healthcare's most persistent challenges: the slow, manual credentialing process that keeps qualified professionals waiting months before they can treat patients. Our secure digital platform streamlines this process by creating a verified, portable credential wallet that follows providers throughout their careers.
By reducing credentialing time from months to days, we help healthcare organizations onboard providers faster, professionals start work sooner, and ultimately improve patient access to care. This mission drives everything we do - from our technical architecture to our choice of headquarters.
My personal connection to Spokane began four years ago, when my family and I moved here. In December, when we founded Credential Network, I set up a bunch of desks at my house, turning it into an impromptu startup incubator. Those early gatherings around my dining room table laid the foundation for what Credential Network would become.
As we grew, we kept an open mind about where to establish our permanent headquarters. We were considering Spokane while experimenting with alternatives, but something about Spokane just felt right.
We began immersing ourselves in the local tech scene, meeting with VCs, investment groups, incubators, and established tech companies throughout the Northwest. With each conversation, each connection, it became increasingly clear: Spokane wasn't just a convenient option – it was the perfect fit.
What makes Spokane so ideal? It's the perfect mid-sized city – large enough to offer all the resources a growing company needs, yet small enough to maintain a strong sense of community and connection.
The city boasts a half-dozen colleges and universities, providing access to talented graduates and opportunities for academic collaboration. Its tech scene is low-key but prominent right in the heart of Spokane – not overwhelmingly competitive or impersonal like some major tech hubs.
For our team members, Spokane offers an exceptional quality of life. You have easy access to the outdoors if you're a fan of recreation, and four really solid seasons – good, moderate summers and cold but reasonable winters. The perfect blend of locally-owned businesses and familiar chains creates an environment where people genuinely want to live.
Unlike the overwhelming pace and cost of San Francisco, Seattle, or New York, Spokane provides that rare equilibrium – urban amenities surrounded by natural beauty, creating an environment where both our business and our team members can flourish.
One of Spokane’s best-kept secrets is its remarkably supportive tech community. What may appear modest at first glance is, in fact, a thriving and deeply connected ecosystem that welcomed us with open arms.
What stood out immediately was the authenticity of every interaction. There is a refreshing absence of ego here, which is both rare and powerful. While major tech hubs like San Francisco, Seattle, or New York operate at incredible velocity and scale, they often carry the weight of competition and gatekeeping. Spokane offers a different kind of value: a community-first approach rooted in shared purpose and mutual support.
Without the gravitational pull of massive corporations like Amazon or Google, Spokane’s entrepreneurs have cultivated something uniquely valuable—a culture of genuine collaboration.
It is an environment where people understand that building something meaningful takes intention, hard work, and support, not just ambition.
From the moment we arrived, local founders offered to grab coffee and share hard-earned lessons. Mentors stepped forward with guidance. Every introduction led to five more. There were no hidden agendas, only consistent and reliable support. In a smaller ecosystem like this, people treat each other like neighbors. That is not just good ethics. It is good business and the foundation for something lasting.
For a healthcare technology company like ours, Spokane provides fertile ground to grow. It is the kind of place where trust matters, where innovation is relationship-driven, and where community success is celebrated as much as individual wins. We are not turning away from the advantages of larger hubs. We are drawing from them while building something equally ambitious here. Spokane is part of our strategy because of its values, not in spite of its size.
The Credential Network team attended the inaugural Brew.AI at FUEL co-working space in downtown Spokane
Spokane provides an ideal foundation for healthcare-focused companies. Nearly 20% of the local workforce is employed in healthcare, anchored by major systems like Providence, MultiCare, Kaiser Permanente, and the VA. Just as vital are smaller, community-focused organizations such as Chas and U-District Physical Therapy, which play key roles in delivering care and driving innovation on the ground.
The city is also home to an impressive academic ecosystem, including Gonzaga University, Whitworth University, Eastern Washington University, and Washington State University’s College of Medicine. These institutions not only provide a steady pipeline of clinical and research talent, but also house robust computer science and emerging AI programs. This intersection of healthcare expertise and technical innovation makes Spokane uniquely positioned to support startups at the crossroads of digital health and data-driven solutions.
We’re especially grateful to be advised by Brian Cronin — owner of U-District, lecturer in Whitworth’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, and a respected leader in Spokane’s healthcare community. His dual role in both education and care delivery provides invaluable perspective as we shape our platform.
Our decision to establish headquarters in Spokane was further validated when we discovered the Health Sciences & Services Authority (HSSA) grant program. The alignment between HSSA's mission and our work at Credential Network was immediately apparent and exciting.
As a bootstrapped company with limited initial investment, the opportunity for up to $250,000 in matching funding was transformative. We hustled to secure the additional investment needed to maximize the match, and we’re immensely grateful to be named recipients of the grant.
It's rare to find a program so perfectly aligned with healthcare innovation – particularly one in your own backyard. The HSSA grant represents money brought together by large successful institutions specifically for economic development in Spokane, particularly in healthcare technology. This close-to-home support is incredibly exciting and not only provides crucial financial resources but validates our mission and approach.
Credential Network began as a project of passion, grounded in gratitude and a desire to give back to healthcare. We're applying that same spirit to our relationship with Spokane and the Northwest.
While our product will serve healthcare providers nationwide, we're excited to help drive economic growth and development within Spokane. That means:
Our mission is to expedite the credentialing process securely for healthcare professionals across the country, but we have a special commitment to our home community. Spokane's support deserves nothing less than our full dedication to its economic and healthcare advancement.
As I prepare to speak on upcoming panels for Launchpad Inland Northwest and Greater Spokane about why our city is such a wonderful place for innovation, I'm continually inspired by the people I have the opportunity to meet, spend time with, and learn from in this community. The support we receive isn't just professional – it's personal, genuine, and transformative.
Spokane emerged as the perfect headquarters location for Credential Network thanks to its combination of factors that simply couldn't be matched elsewhere: a collaborative community built on mutual support rather than competition, a supportive tech community, exceptional quality of life, the HSSA grant opportunity, and that intangible feeling of finding the right fit.
We're immensely grateful to HSSA and the entire Spokane community for embracing our vision. Special thanks to Tom Simpson, Ignite Northwest, Launchpad Inland Northwest, New Venture Labs, Cowles Foundation, Fuel Coworking Space, Greater Spokane Inc, and Spokane Angel Alliance for their support.
While Spokane provides our foundation and headquarters, we're building Credential Network with national ambitions and reach. We're fortunate to have advisors like Governor Jeff Colyer and Jake Weatherly (founder of SheerID) guiding our strategy, and we're leveraging resources and partnerships across the United States to ensure our solution can scale nationwide. This combination of deep local roots and expansive national perspective positions us to deliver maximum impact both for our home community and the healthcare industry at large.
The heart behind our hustle at Credential Network aligns perfectly with Spokane's supportive, growth-oriented community. Together, we're building something special – a healthcare credentialing solution that will serve providers nationwide while keeping its roots firmly planted in the heart of the Inland Northwest.
If you're a healthcare organization in Spokane, we invite you to reach out to us directly to learn how our solution can streamline your credentialing processes. We're committed to ensuring our local healthcare community is among the first to benefit from the technology we're developing right here at home.
We couldn't imagine a better home for our company, and we look forward to growing alongside this remarkable community for years to come.
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