Meet Janet Lightner. She’s the General Manager/Co-Owner of Bellingham’s first ever microbrewery that sparked the local craft beer scene, Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro. In this episode, Leo and Janet travel through 30 years of Boundary Bay history. Janet tells us about how Ed Lightner got the brewery started in 1995 and how they’ve gotten to watch not only downtown, but the local brewery scene grow around them. They also talk about the importance of community, having the right people on your team to further your growth, and how sometimes taking risks is the way to go. We’re incredibly honored to have gotten to sit down with Janet and hear the story of Boundary Bay before they close the doors to their Railroad Ave brewery and bistro this fall.

 

Save the date; the Boundary Bay 30th Anniversary & Community Block Party is all day long on Saturday, September 20th at Boundary.

 

Enjoy the episode!

 

Learn more about Boundary Bay:

🌐 Website: https://www.bbaybrewery.com/

🌐 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbaybrewery/

🌐 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbaybrewery 

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Building Bellingham is a community podcast produced by the Bellingham Real Estate Co.

Our Crew:

• Co-Producers & Audio Editors | Tiffany Holden & Taylor Beal
• Video Production | Cooper Hansley
• Host | Leo Cohen

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/ 

A huge thank you to our friends at Doc Swinson's for being this season's community partner. 

Meet Adam Nelson and Dayna Penney; two business owners who saw an opportunity to bring a local business to the primarily residential-filled Silver Beach Neighborhood. In this episode, Adam and Dayna talk about what the journey of their new business has been like in the first year, the importance of hands-on teaching and working alongside their staff and their mindset on sustainable growth with events and menu offerings. Plus, they share a little about the history of the Silver Beach Neighborhood and how that inspired their branding and story as a business. 

 

Learn more about Lakeline: https://www.lakelinebellingham.com/ 

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Building Bellingham is a community podcast produced by the Bellingham Real Estate Co.

Our Crew:

• Co-Producers & Audio Editors | Tiffany Holden & Taylor Beal
• Video Production | Cooper Hansley
• Host | Leo Cohen

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/ 

A huge thank you to our friends at Doc Swinson's for being this season's community partner. 

Meet Katie Hinton. What started off as 5 pounds of pasta made a day in 2007 has slowly but sustainably grown into a much larger, 2,500 pounds of pasta made daily-kind of company here and now in 2025. Throughout this episode, Katie talks about the process behind creating Bellingham Pasta Company’s delicious fresh pasta, the importance of branding for businesses, and having a strong connection to your distributer and the businesses you sell to. Plus, we learn how much she not only loves working with people, but how she additionally loves to bring a high quality food product to the dinner tables of families in Whatcom County and beyond.

Learn more about Bellingham Pasta Company: https://bellinghampasta.com/

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Building Bellingham is a community podcast produced by the Bellingham Real Estate Co.

Our Crew:

• Co-Producers & Audio Editors | Tiffany Holden & Taylor Beal
• Video Production | Cooper Hansley
• Host | Leo Cohen

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/ 

A huge thank you to our friends at Doc Swinson's for being this season's community partner. 

Meet Guy Occhiogrosso. A professional with almost 20 years of Whatcom County Chamber experience who lives and breathes community. Having been with the Bellingham Chamber since 2014, and in the Chamber world itself since 2006, Guy has navigated a volley of changes of what business looks like through technological evolutions and the looming effects of business in a post-pandemic world. In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to advocate for the business community to local government, Guy's hopes for abundant housing in Whatcom County, and the importance of in-person connections amongst members of the community.

 

Enjoy!

 

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Building Bellingham is a community podcast produced by the Bellingham Real Estate Co.

Our Crew:

• Co-Producers & Audio Editors | Tiffany Holden & Taylor Beal
• Video Production | Cooper Hansley
• Host | Leo Cohen

 

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

 

A huge thank you to our friends at Doc Swinson's for being this season's community partner. 

Meet Mike Hammes. A titan in the construction space who believes in the power of connecting with those in your company and those in your community. With a background in both firefighting and construction, Mike founded RAM back in 1995, starting out with smaller construction jobs like digging out garages that eventually led to the company it is today that works on civil projects like the Padden Creek Fish Barrier Removal and building projects like Alderwood Elementary. In this episode, Mike talks about the importance of giving back to your staff, the balance of family and work when intertwined, and what social good means in the world of RAM Construction.

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Building Bellingham is a community podcast produced by the Bellingham Real Estate Co.

Our Crew:

• Co-Producers & Audio Editors | Tiffany Holden & Taylor Beal
• Video Production | Cooper Hansley
• Host | Leo Cohen

 

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

 

A huge thank you to our friends at Doc Swinson's for being this season's community partner. 

Meet Logan McQuaig. He's a down-to-earth, humble kind of guy who calls himself the "maintenance boy" around Redlight Kitchen & Bar, his popular establishment on Grand Ave. Logan grew up in hospitality, from delivering pizza all around Bellingham to serving up pints at Uisce. Today, he's the owner of one of Bellingham's hotspots, known for its extensive drink menu, Asian-fusion dishes, and a warm atmosphere. In this episode, he talks all things restaurant management, the importance of key leaders, and the future of their old space on State Street.

 

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Meet Andrea Evans. She's an avid knitter, a knows-her-numbers business woman, and has one of those warm souls that make you feel welcome the moment you meet her. Andrea developed her yarn sales and subscription box business through interpersonal connection at their storefront, nonprofit support projects, and online educational and community-building livestreams. Apple Yarns is a staunch supporter of several nonprofit organizations, including Knitted Knockers, which ships thousands of free handmade breast prosthetics nationally each month.

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Meet Brad Barron. Fourth generation Barron and current CEO, he's a community-minded leader dedicated to the development of trades in Whatcom County. In this episode, he talks about generational leadership and imposter syndrome, why to document systems in a growing company, and the importance of taking care of coworkers first and foremost.

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Join Leo (host) and Tiffany (producer) in the studio as we reflect on five seasons and 40 episodes of the Building Bellingham Podcast. We talk growth, failure, balancing our entrepreneurial and administrative energies, and our goals for this local business podcast. 

Thanks to all who've joined in along the way, and we'll see you all in Season 6!

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Meet Chas Kubis. Serial entrepreneur and iconic Bellingham restaurateur, he's the driving force behind Black Sheep's fried chicken tacos and the guy that bar staff call on when an oven breaks at 7:30 on a Friday night. In this episode, he talks hard conversations, the incubation space of multiple restaurant concepts, the early days of breweries & food trucks in Bellingham, and the vibe of Restaurant Row on Holly St.

Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/