Bellingham Herald

Seattle-area Gen Z entrepreneurs launch businesses despite barriers; Luke Jun’s Hearth expands to three stores with Marshawn Lynch partnership

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton highlights Gen Z and Alpha entrepreneurs in the Seattle area who are launching small businesses despite obstacles like red tape, taxes and limited funds; the piece profiles 23-year-old Luke Jun, co-founder of Hearth, which now has three storefronts including a partnership with Marshawn Lynch. Census data show 28,500 Washington business owners under 25 (about 5% of non-employer firms), slightly below the national rate and down from a 2021 peak.