This week’s highlight was visiting the memorable Menno Hall site for its topping-off ceremony. After months of working on spreadsheets and pro formas, processing construction loan draws with colleagues at Montage Development Consultants, and watching the numbers come together, standing on-site and seeing the building rise from vision to reality felt deeply personal. Beneath the timber frame — surrounded by the many partners who worked tirelessly to bring this dream to life —

I’ve been reflecting on why the news about Starbucks closing its Reserve Roastery in Seattle hit me harder than I expected. When I was studying at the University of Washington, Starbucks was my favorite place to go — not just for the coffee, but for the experience and the inspiration of ideas too. The smell of freshly roasted beans, the sound of espresso being pulled, the rhythm of conversations — it was a space that invited you to slow down, belong, and be inspired to write.