Have a job and a good income, but unable to win the bidding wars? How to compete?

New to Seattle? Tired of renting and throwing money away month after month?

The Polish-American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest (PACCPNW) invites you to the first meeting in a series of discussion about the realities of living in the USA. The next meeting will introduce you to the secrets of the local real estate market, the realities of buying homes today, and the best ways to go about it.

Mirka Nakovski, Real Estate Broker from Windermere Real Estate, and Christopher Babcock, Loan Officer of Caliber Mortgage, will talk to you about the challenges facing home buyers today and how to compete in the marketplace to achieve your goals.

During this informal presentation, followed by Q&A and a general discussion, we’ll be serving hors d’oeuvres, compliments of PACCPNW. There will be no host bar.

Due to the current health situation, wearing masks and keeping distance is mandatory. Hope to see you there!

Where:    Polish Home Association in Seattle, 1714 18th Ave., Seattle WA 98122
When:   Saturday, March 12, 2022
Time:    4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

* Please RSVP to help us plan our catering service: [email protected]

Shred those unwanted documents safely and securely – while supporting a great cause!!

Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest (PACCPNW) and Polish Home Association invite you to

Parking Lot Shredding Event

Polish Home, 1714 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122

Saturday, October 2, 2021, 11 am – 2 pm

Clean out your old files & bring your documents to be securely shredded on the premises by a shredding truck between 11 am – 2pm.

Suggested Donation:

$5 Banker’s box or grocery bag

$10 oversized bag/box

All proceeds benefit PACCPNW programs

PACCPNW is a proud sponsor of Seattle Polish Foundation and Polish Home Association in Seattle. We pledged $5,000 to match any donations to the Polish Home Association during the 2021 GiveBIG fundraiser. Join us in supporting the Polish community in Seattle. Any donation is welcome.

One of the most anticipated games in the world, Cyberpunk 2077, will have its premiere in a few days. The game was developed by CD Projekt Red, a Warsaw studio. Before that, however, we invite you to the Poland & Friends festival on the Steam platform. There you will find announcements of new games, demos and discounts on games that have already won the recognition of players. It presents games from the biggest events organized in Poland: Central & Eastern European Game Awards, Game Industry Conference, Poznań Game Arena and Pixel Heaven. Please visit: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/polandandfriends

We were very happy to help our guests organize this fantastic event where a Polish game “Liberated” received a prestigious award “Best in Show” from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers.

Here is an article in the Polish media covering this event

Riverdi is a manufacturer and seller of high-quality customizable displays. The company was founded in 2012. Riverdi headquarters are located in Gdansk, Poland.

Riverdi’s display solutions are designed and manufactured in Poland with cutting-edge technology and a dedicated team of experts. Thanks to Riverdi’s unique modular system, customers around the world are able to have the same display size in different configurations. This allows them to adapt to any project and easily upgrade the display without changing the product design. Riverdi offers a range of displays from intelligent displays to simple RGB modules. Intelligent display customization is Riverdi’s specialty. As a customization option, Riverdi offers protective glass screens for heavy industrial environments, enhanced brightness options, special touch controllers, and more. Riverdi has introduced its own display connector standard – the RiBUS. One connector for all Riverdi intelligent displays. It can run with any size or type of Riverdi intelligent display. The EVE displays are Riverdi’s most popular product line. The EVE displays are run by Bridgetek’s family of advanced graphics controllers. All video processing is serviced by Bridgetek’s EVE (Embedded Video Engine), which combines display, touch, and audio into a single chip. As of 2019 Riverdi has introduced Python programmable IoT displays.

You can find more about Riverdi at their website https://riverdi.com.

Riverdi is looking for a partner that can help them set up or rent a distribution center in the US. If you are interested or know someone who has a warehouse space and is willing to share it, please contact us at (425) 891-6954.

Over last two years our activity decreased substantially due to lack of resources. We lost a number of directors and few corporate members and were not able to recruit replacement directors.

In 2018, we hosted again the Indie Games Poland Foundation delegation to PAC West Seattle in September. This was the third visit of IGPF in Seattle. IGPF was extremely pleased with our collaboration and already confirmed their participation in the 2019 PAX West.

Our relationships with the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, the Consulate of Poland in LA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw stagnated. We were not able to rebuild the relationship after Consul Mariusz Brymora left his post. I hope it will change this year.

We renewed our membership with the World Trade Center Seattle and negotiated a special rate for two members. However, we did not renew the membership with the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle as lack of activity didn’t justify the expense.

Throughout the year, we stayed in touch with other chambers of commerce and represented PACCPNW at business events in Poland.

We continue providing up-to-date information to our members on our site, in our newsletter and through mailing campaigns that are now reaching almost 1200 subscribers.

Best Regards,

Bohdan Raciborski

President

2018 Board of Directors:

• Bohdan Raciborski, President
• Teresa Indelak Vice President
• Mirka Nakovski, Treasurer
• Andy Okinczyc, Secretary

2018: A Year in Review

• April – Spring Polish Bazaar
• April – Annual PACCPNW meeting
• July – Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• September –PAC-West Seattle game show
• November – Fall Polish Bazaar
• Ongoing Marketing and Communications:
  • Blogs and updates on www.paccpnw.org website
  • Newsletter and mailing campaigns
  • Social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
  • Represented PACCPNW at numerous events organized by WTC
  • Member of: World Trade Center Seattle  

At the official gala in the historical Mirror Hall in the old town of Tarnów, hosts and organizers handed bronze statuettes, created by the famous Polish artist Jacek Guzera.

In the category “organization”, the main prize was received by the Chamber of Commerce Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest from Washington state (Seattle). The award in this category was awarded to the International Association of Polish Entrepreneurs in Ukraine. Awards appreciated the work and high efficiency of these organizations in supporting Polish entrepreneurs.

In the category “Company”, the main prize was received by Cyclone MFG, Inc. from Canada (Aerospace industry). A special award went to ARVATO from Ireland (IT industry and environmental protection). Cyclone MFG, a global brand, is one of the leaders in the Aerospace industry in the world. In its marketing strategy, Cyclone emphasizes the quality, history and traditions of the Polish aerospace industry. ARVATO took first place in the ranking of Startup Of the Year, won the main prize sponsored by the Bank of Ireland, and obtained the highest rating in the Polish product of the Year competition organized by the Ministry of Economy. 

In the category “Personality” the highest recognition was given to Mrs. Maria Olsson from Sweden, the Chairman of the Council of the Polish Polonia Foundation and the Polish Innovation Foundation. The award was received by Anita Wojtkowiak from the United Arab Emirates, President Pal Fusion EZE, board member of the Polish Business Group UAE. Both award winners are respected and recognized Polonia activists, who for more than 20 years have been active in the integration of Polonia in the business area. The participate in all major international conventions, conferences, forums linked to Polonia and those involved in the promotion of Poland in the world and are recognized as active ambassadors of the Polish brand.

Another edition of the Polish economic Forum will take place in August 25-27, 2019, when “Polish Eagle Business 2019” will be awarded. You can now submit candidates for nominations in these three categories and report your participation in the Forum.

All information, registrations and notifications are available at www.Polonia4um.com

We were quite busy in 2017 but not as much as in 2016, mainly due to lack of resources. However, we still achieved excellent results.

The highlight of 2017 was the Indie Games Poland Foundation delegation to PAC West Seattle in September. This was the second visit of IGPF in Seattle. We hosted more than 60 Polish game developers. Our chamber was instrumental in organizing the trade show and building the Polish Games pavilion. The show was a big success. It was culminated by an epic party at the Polish Community Center. IGPF was so happy with our collaboration that they already confirmed the 2018 PAX West show.

Our relationships with the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, the Consulate of Poland in LA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw continue to flourish. We were sad to see Consul Mariusz Brymora leave his post but we are now in the process of rebuilding our relationships with the new team at the Polish Consulate in LA.

We renewed our membership with the Trade Development Alliance of Seattle and World Trade Center Seattle. Throughout the year, we stayed in touch with other chambers of commerce, state and federal departments of commerce, state and city government officials, Washington Business Week and others. We also represented PACCPNW at business events in Poland.

We continue providing up-to-date information to our members on our site, in our newsletter and through mailing campaigns that are now reaching almost 1200 subscribers.

Best Regards,

Bohdan Raciborski
President

2017 Board of Directors:

• Bohdan Raciborski, President
• Mirka Nakovski, Vice President
• Teresa Indelak Davis, Secretary
• Lena Lipiec, Treasurer
• Andy Okinczyc

2017: A Year in Review

• April – Spring Polish Bazaar
• April – Annual PACCPNW meeting
• July – Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• September –PAC-West Seattle game show
• November – Fall Polish Bazaar
• Ongoing Marketing and Communications:
  • Blogs and updates on www.paccpnw.org website
  • Newsletter and mailing campaigns
  • Social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
  • Represented PACCPNW at numerous events organized by WTC, TDA and Seattle Chamber of Commerce 
  • Member of: World Trade Center Seattle, Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle  

We were extremely busy in 2016 and achieved remarkable results, actually, best results ever.

We started the year by co-sponsoring the Startup Weekend EuroSeattle, and followed by releasing our new streamlined and responsive website https://paccpnw.org .

The highlights of 2016 were the trade mission from Poland to the Aerospace and Defense Suppliers Summit in April, Polish Gamedev delegation to PAC West Seattle in September, visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Witold Waszczykowski in September and the Innovative Factory Tour Seattle also in September. PACCPNW organized and hosted most of these events. Members of the Board and volunteers did a fantastic job organizing these events and hosting guests from Poland. The testimonials and details of these events are available on our website.

Our relationships with the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, the Consulate of Poland in LA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw continue to flourish. We were instrumental in organizing diplomatic and consular visits to Seattle and were rewarded with significant grants.

We renewed our membership with the Trade Development Alliance of Seattle and World Trade Center Seattle. Throughout the year, we stayed in touch with other chambers of commerce, state and federal departments of commerce, state and city government officials, Washington Business Week and others. We also represented PACCPNW at business events in Poland.

We continue providing up-to-date information to our members on our site, in our newsletter and through mailing campaigns that are now reaching almost 1200 subscribers.

As a result of all these activities

• we are well established and recognized in the Seattle business community,
• we have now contacts not only with Polish chambers in the US but around the world,
• we are finally financially stable and ready for even greater projects.

Best Regards,

Bohdan Raciborski

President

2016 Executive Officers:

• Bohdan Raciborski, President and Treasurer
• Mirka Nakovski, Vice President
• Paul Perz, Secretary

2016 Board of Directors:

• Teresa Indelak Davis
• Mirka Nakovski
• Zbigniew Bochniarz
• Bohdan Raciborski
• Paul Perz
• Lena

2016: A Year in Review

• January – co-sponsored the Startup Weekend EuroSeattle
• March – released the new PACCPNW.ORG website
• April – Spring Polish Bazaar
• April – Annual PACCPNW meeting
• April – Organized and hosted trade mission from Poland for the Aerospace Defense Suppliers Summit (A&DSS) trade show and conference
• April – Organized and hosted business conference “Poland – Washington State Trade Opportunities in the Aerospace Industry” at Seattle WTC
• July – Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• July – participated in the first Polish-American Business Forum in Tarnow, Poland
• July – participated in the Polish-American Forum in Rzeszow, Poland
• July – Participated in the Washington Business Week
• September – Helped organize the Polish mission for the PAC-West Seattle game show
• September – Organized the visit of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Witold Waszczykowski
• September – Organized and hosted the Luncheon Roundtable with Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs
• October- Organized, together with the Langas Group from Poland, the Innovative Factory Tour Seattle for the group of Polish businessmen and entrepreneurs
• November – Fall Polish Bazaar
• November -Met with the Polish delegation and PACC Nevada in Las Vegas
• Ongoing Marketing and Communications:
  • Blogs and updates on paccpnw.org website
  • Newsletter and mailing campaigns
  • Social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
  • Represented PACCPNW at numerous events organized by WTC, TDA and Seattle Chamber of Commerce
  • Member of: World Trade Center Seattle, Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle

During his one day visit to Seattle, Minister WitoldWaszczykowski met with business leaders, politicians and Polish community. The strengthening of economic and political ties between Poland and the United States was the main topic of a visit to Seattle by the chief of Polish diplomacy. In a meeting with the Mayor of Seattle Ed Murray, Minister WitoldWaszczykowski noted that security and the economy are top priorities of bilateral relations.

Minister Waszczykowski met with representatives from Microsoft and Boeing and their Polish employees. He also participated in a business luncheon hosted by the Polish-American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest at the World Trade Center in Seattle. At a meeting with Polish community members hosted by the Polish Home Association in Seattle, the foreign minister stressed that maintaining close ties with Poles living abroad continues to be a priority for Polish diplomacy. At the same time, he underscored that economic cooperation is another major objective of collaboration with the Polish diaspora, emphasizing that Seattle and Pacific Northwest play an important role in the economic relations with Poland.

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Poland’s game industry made a strong appearance at PAX West conference taking place at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle on September 2-5, 2016.  Over twenty titles and companies from Poland were introduced at the conference to consumer audiences and potential industry partners.

The trade mission was organized by the Foundation Indie Games Poland, 11 bit Studios and a publisher Klabater, jointly with the Trade and Investment Section at the Embassy of Poland in  Washington DC, Polish Cultural Institute in New York, Polish-American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest and the Polish Consulate in Seattle. The organizers also hosted a networking event promoting Polish game industry, attended by over 100 industry connections, at the Polish Cultural Center in Seattle. Additionally, the delegation of game developers from Poland, visited Microsoft and Valve Software Corporation in Bellevue.
The Polish booth at PAX West presented new games and popular titles recently published. Among them were:

11 bit Studios – Frostpunk / PC – premiere: 2017.

Anshar Studios – Detached / PC VR – premiere: Q1 2017.

Awesome Games Studio – Badass Hero / PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One – premiere: 2017.

Carbon Studio – Alice VR / PC, PC VR – premiere: October 2016r.

CD Projekt RED – Gwint: Wiedźmińska Gra Karciana / PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One – premiere: TBD

Flying Wild Hog – Shadow Warrior 2 / PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One – premiere: Q3 2016. & Q1 2017.

The House Of Fables – Wrath of Loki: VR Adventure / PC VR

iFun4all – Serial Cleaner / PC – premiere: 2016.

Jutsu Games – 911 Operator / PC – premiere: November 2016.

Lichthund – Lichtspeer / PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita – premiere: September 2016.

Monster Couch – Die for Valhalla! / PC – premiere: TBD

My Next Games – The Soulblight / PC – premiere: TBD

Nitreal Games – Titan Charge / PC, iOS, Android – premiere: TBD

Pixel Crow – Beat Cop / PC – premiere: October 2016.

Pixelated Milk – Regalia: Of Men And Monarchs / PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, 3DS – premiera: 2017 r.

Robot Gentleman – 60 Seconds! / PC

Telehorse – Steampunker i Steamkraft / iOS, Android

Thing Trunk – Book of Demons / PC, Xbox One – premiera: pełnej i na XO – kiedy zrobią ?

Transhuman Design – Butcher / PC – premiera: Q4 2016 r.

Vile Monarch – Oh…Sir!! The Insult Simulator / PC – premiera: lato 2016 r.

Wastelands Interactive – Planar Conquest / PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS

As in 2014, our main objective was to increase our membership and budget. Our membership stayed flat and we need to continue working even harder to increase it. The operational savings in 2014 paid off and in 2015 our operational expenses were lower. This allowed us to balance the budget even though our membership dues dropped by almost 50%.

We continued to maintain relationships and cooperation with local, national and international networks and participated in the PACC workshop in Las Vegas.

Our relationship with the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, the Consulate of Poland in LA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw is flourishing. As in past two years, we were awarded another $500 grant.

We renewed our membership with the Development Alliance of Seattle and World Trade Center Seattle. Throughout the year we stayed in touch with other chambers of commerce, state and federal departments of commerce, state and city government officials, Washington Business Week and others. We also entered into partnership agreement with PEGAZ PUH in Kielce managed by Zdzislaw Wojtasik.

We continue providing up-to-date information to our members on our site, in our newsletter and through mailing campaigns that are now reaching almost 1200 subscribers.

2015 was a year of preparation for everything that is going to happen in 2016 and I must say that we entered 2016 fully prepared and will have fantastic news in the next annual report.

Best Regards,

Bohdan Raciborski

President

2015 Executive Officers:

• Bohdan Raciborski, President
• Mirka Nakovski, Vice President
• Paul Perz, Secretary
• Janusz Wisniewski, Treasurer

 2015 Board of Directors:

• Teresa Indelak Davis
• Mirka Nakovski
• Zbigniew Bochniarz
• Janusz Wisniewski
• Bohdan Raciborski
• Paul Perz
• Malgosia Mazany
• Ryszard Gawronski

2015: A Year in Review

• January – Meeting with the Washington Department of Commerce
• January – EuroStartup
• February – Meeting with AWB in preparation for the Washington Business Week
• April – Spring Polish Bazaar
• April – Annual PACCPNW meeting
• July – Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• October – Germany-Washington Civil Aviation Conference
• November – Fall Polish Bazaar
• November – Partnership agreement with PEGAZ PUH in Kielce
• November – Meeting of Polish Chambers of Commerce in Las Vegas
• December – European Christmas Market at Wallingford Center
• December – Christmas Party at Sebi’s
• December – organized internship for Damian Lubocki
• Ongoing Marketing and Communications:
  • Blogs and updates on www.paccpnw.org website
  • Newsletter and mailing campaigns
  • Social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
  • Member of: World Trade Center Seattle, Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle

This chamber would not have existed without our members and their contributions. My sincere thanks to all our members for being part of this organization and supporting our community.

As was the previous year, 2014 was filled with many activities facilitating cooperation within local, national and international networks and most importantly building our operational capacities.

Our main objective for the last year was to increase our membership and budget. Even though, the numbers are still relatively low and below our original goals, we can be proud of our achievements. Membership dues increased by 68% and total revenue by 53% while expenses decreased by 56%. With the overhaul of our website and the member onboarding process we significantly reduced our operating expenses and simplified the new member signing process.

We actively maintained relationships and cooperation with local, national and international networks and participated in a number of high profile events like the PACC workshop in Chicago and Polish Innovation Week in LA.

Throughout the year, we continued to maintain relationships with the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, Consulate of Poland in LA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. We hosted the Consul General during his visits in Seattle, we contributed our ideas and provided feedback regarding a number of recent campaigns. I can say that we became a trusted, go to partner for the Consulate. Our collaboration was rewarded with grants for 3 consecutive years.

We also continued to maintain close relationships with local trade and commerce organizations; Trade Development Alliance of Seattle, World Trade Center Seattle, other chambers of commerce, state and federal departments of commerce, state and city government officials, Washington Business Week and others.

Throughout the year we stayed in touch with our members by providing up to date information on our site, our newsletter and mailing campaigns that were reaching almost 800 subscribers.

As we continue executing on our mission, we need to stay focused on expanding our organization’s membership and operating capital. By executing very well on a variety of projects in the past, we proved that we have the talent and leadership needed to continue supporting our community. The opportunities they lay ahead of us are limitless but our resources are not. By increasing our membership and budget we will be in a much better position to deliver on our vision and have an even more significant impact on our community.

In conclusion, I wish you all another productive and successful year!

Bohdan Raciborski

President

2014: A Year in Review

• January – Networking event at Seattle Metropolitan Chamber
• April – Participated in the Spring Polish Bazaar, produced new marketing flyers, launched new recruiting campaign
• April – Annual PACCPNW meeting
• June – Networking event at Sebi’s with the participation of a guest from KPMG
• July – Participated in the Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• July – Hosted Consul General M. Brymora from the Polish Consulate in LA, visited Boeing and Microsoft
• August – Co-promoted First Annual European Golf Tournament organized by British and French chambers of commerce
• September – Received the 501c 6 status
• September – Hosted Consul General M. Brymora from the Polish Consulate in LA
• September – Attended the 3nd Polish American Business Workshop in Chicago
• September – Inauguration of the Honorary Consulate of Poland in Seattle
• October – Meeting with Andrzej Mikosz, former Minister Of The Treasury Of The REPUBLIC Of POLAND
• November – Attended the Euro Seattle Startup Weekend event
• November – Participated in the Fall Polish Bazaar
• November – Attended the Polish Innovation Week in LA
• Ongoing Marketing and Communications:
  • Blogs and updates on www.paccpnw.org website
  • Newsletter and mailing campaigns
  • Maintained social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter

During the week of November 17, 2014, Polish and American partners met in Los Angeles at an Innovation Forum inaugurating the Poland-US Innovation Week in California. The agenda focused on developing partnerships, mutual cooperation and business opportunities for Polish-American investments in innovative industries.

Parallel to the Innovation Forum, the Poland-US Innovation Council has come together for the first time. The mission of this intergovernmental body is to deepen Polish-American innovation cooperation. The council was set up during President Barack Obama’s visit to Poland last June (2014). It supports companies, universities and research institutes which invest in R&D projects in the technology, defense, energy and health sectors. The meeting culminated in the signing of a statement of intent, which lays he grounds of innovation collaboration.

The Undersecretary of State Katarzyna Kacperczyk headed the Polish delegation to the United States. . Poland’s Ambassador to the United States, Ryszard Schnepf also took part in the inauguration ceremony, with the signing of a statement of intent for a US-Poland Innovation Program. The program will supplement the already extensive spectrum of cooperation between Poland and the United States in the field of science and technology. Also present was the US Ambassador to Poland, Stephen Mull and many distinguished guests from US and Polish organizations.

Consul General of Poland in Los Angeles Mariusz Brymora opened the conference and moderated throughout the day. During the plenary sessions, the participants were warmly welcomed by a member of the Los Angeles City Council, Tom LaBonge, the Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland, Katarzyna Kacperczyk, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs, US Department of State, Scott Nathan and the Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland, Włodzisław Duch.

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”10815″ align=”left” size=”large” fitMobile=”true”] During the breakout sessions the participants discussed innovation in health and bio sector, ecosystem of creativity and innovation, smart energy and green solutions, creative industries & IT. Polish companies presented their products, technologies and ideas to potential partners. At the end of the first day, a special evening Arts Festival with Włodek Pawlik Trio and Arturo Sandoval’s concert was organized to celebrate Polish Independence Day.

On Wednesday, during the Polish-American Innovation Week, the activities moved to the San Francisco area. The events were attended by Grażyna Henclewska, the Deputy Minister of Economy, as well as Bożena Lublinska-Kasprzak, President of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, who opened a new project in San Francisco titled Polish Silicon Bridge. The event’s program included seminars at Berkeley and Stanford universities as well as workshops on fostering cooperation among start-ups held at Rocket Space in San Francisco. Over 25 study visits were scheduled for the Polish companies who were hosted by American institutions already successfully implementing innovations and modern technologies. Additionally, a discussion about women’s role in innovation took place at Stanford University, while the San Francisco Design Centre hosted an event promoting the latest technological solutions developed in Poland.

PAIW’s success was unprecedented from the perspective of being the biggest promotional initiative of this kind in Polish-American relations history. More than 150 Polish companies came to California to talk about opportunities of developing Polish-American cooperation in innovation to benefit both countries via joint ventures and R&D projects in the area of ICT/Creative industries, Biotech, Engineering, Green Energy and innovative technologies.

The Poland-US Innovation Week was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of the Economy, Ministry of the Environment, and a number of agencies promoting innovative solutions in the Polish economy, such as the National Centre for Research and Development, Industrial Development Agency, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, and Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency. The project’s strategic partners were numerous Polish and American private sector entities and non-governmental organizations.

The Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest is a proud supporter contributing efforts in promoting attendance and awareness of the initiative. Representatives from Seattle, Teresa Indelak Davis and Marian Strutynski attended the activities in Los Angeles with a gala concert commemorating the anniversary of Poland’s Independence. Congratulations to all organizers who made it all possible.

The Workshop proved again that Poland’s solid economic performance had a significant impact on the network of Polish-American business organizations and demonstrated that the initiatives started at the first workshop in 2012 are on the right track.  The event was co-hosted by PACC Chicago together with the PAC/PNA and the Trade & Investment Section of Poland’s Embassy in DC and was attended by representatives of the Polish Ministry of Economy, The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, Embassy of the Republic of Poland (Washington, D.C.) and a number of delegates from Polish municipal governments and business organizations.

As in past years, members of the PACCPNW board of directors participated in the workshop. The workshop main objectives are to implement the Chicago declaration signed at the 2012 workshop where most of PACCs committed to work together to improve communication, collaboration and coordinate efforts between our organizations. We are pleased to inform you that PACCPNW is actively participating and contributing to this effort.

The jurisdiction of consulate covers the State of Washington and includes:

• Facilitation of cultural exchange and relations between Washington State and PolandTourism and business investment promotion
• Consular Services for Polish Citizens visiting and residing in Washington State
• Legalization of documents for use in Poland
• Emergency assistance for Polish travelers
• Coordination of consular outreach for passport applications in Seattle

Contact information:

email: [email protected]

tel: 1-206 948 8064

Polish and US chiefs of diplomacy Minister Radosław Sikorski and US Secretary of State John Kerry signed in Warsaw a Polish-US Innovation Program, which aims to foster R&D cooperation between the two countries.

Press release

This new brown-field space is ready for investment and transformation into modern technology industries, including Research and Development. The area is well connected with other European countries, in proximity to beautiful city of Cracow, with access to academia, researchers, engineering tradition and skilled workforce.

Thank you to Mirek Proppe, a quest speaker who presented this opportunity to our members. With permission, we are sharing his presentation broadly. We would also like to expresses our sincere appreciation to Sebi’s Bistro for providing a venue for this networking event. For additional questions about the event, please email [email protected].

Please see the presentation here: nh2

Written by Teresa Indelak Davis

Dated: April 10, 2014

As PACCPNW marks a three year anniversary this year, we celebrate many accomplishments and reflect on past challenges. The year 2013 was filled with many activities facilitating cooperation within local, national and international networks. It was also focused on building operational capacities and increasing value to the members. To this end, the organization adopted a long term membership plan and created new interest groups for Young Professionals, Women’s Network and Small Businesses.

The goal moving forward is to increase the membership reach and deliver high value to our members. Participation and input by all members is extremely valuable in achieving this aim and enhancing opportunities for promoting business connections between Poland and the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to our regular meetings and programs, we are looking to stage business development and networking events in the coming months. We’ll also continue participating in a national and international network of trade organizations, while strengthening our internal operational capacity.

My sincere appreciation to our Board Officers and Advisors for their leadership and dedicated work on behalf of the Chamber in 2013 and to all our members for all you do for the organization and community.

Teresa Indelak Davis
President

2013: A Year in Review

• January – Translated the TDA brochure into Polish language for the TDA website
• March – Participated at a Spring Polish Bazaar, produced new marketing flyers and presentation
• April – Attended 2nd Polish American Business Workshop in Chicago, a collaboration initiative with Polish American Chambers network in the US and Poland
• May – Conducted International Marketing Webinar for members
• June – Meet with Polish Delegation from International Visitors Program at World’s Affairs Council
• June – Organized Member Networking event at Wine Tea Chocolate with a guest speaker from Washington State Department of Commerce
• July – Hosted VIP’s and helped organize Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• August – Attended joint meeting with EDC and City of Lacey to discuss mutual opportunities
• September – Hosted a reception for City Mayors, a delegation from Poland lead by Camas Sister City Association
• November – Attended a Seminar “What Nonprofit Directors Need to Know: Legal Responsibilities and Best Practices”
• December – Holiday Dinner celebration
• Ongoing Communications and Memberships:
• Blogs and updates on www.paccpnw.org website
• Activated LinkedIn group discussion
• Continued social media presence on Facebook and Twitter
• Member of: World Trade Center Seattle and Trade Development Alliance of Seattle

On September 20, 2013, Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest hosted a reception for a delegation of city mayors from Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic, visiting Washington State at the invitation of Camas Sister City Association.  

The overall goal of the trip was exploratory in the areas of business, cultural and academic exchanges. The extensive itinerary included visits to Microsoft, Boeing, Washington State Coast Guard and the Polish Festival in Portland.  PACCPNW was pleased to support the mission and help facilitate international cooperation.

At the reception honoring the delegation, PACCPNW members and local community leaders welcomed special guests to Seattle, engaged in networking and shared experiences of international exchange.  In a short official ceremony, mayors of towns Krapkowice, Zabierzow, Morawica in Poland; Wissen, Germany and Lipova Lazne from Czech Republic, introduced their regions, highlighted their achievements and potential for future cooperation.

By Teresa Indelak-Davis 

Mayors of towns Krapkowice, Zabierzow, Morawica in Poland; Wissen, Germany and Lipova Lazne from Czech Republic.

Visiting at Boeing factory.

Lloyd Halverson with Teresa & Ted Davis.

PACCPNW Board at the reception. From the left: Zbigniew Bochniarz, Jacek Filutowski, Mirka Nakovski, Malgorzata Mazany, Janusz Wisniewski, Teresa Davis, Danuta Moc, Bohdan Raciborski

Teresa Davis with the distinctive guests.

For over a century, the Polish-American community of the Pacific Northwest has been contributing to the local fabric of society while supporting the homeland throughout its turbulent history. Over 125,000 residents of Washington State claim Polish ancestry; around 5,000 Poles live in the Seattle area. It may not sound like a lot, but their level of energy and initiative compensate for the numbers.

The first Polish immigrants arrived in Seattle in 1870 and by 1890 Polish organizations sprouted in several places in Washington State, from Pe Ell and Aberdeen through Tacoma and Seattle, to mining communities in the Mt. Rainier foothills and Cle Elum. The oldest local organization, the Polish National Alliance Lodge 156 in Tacoma, was established in 1890 and is still going strong. Other notable organizations from that period were the PNA lodge in Wilkeson and in Seattle, founded in 1899, and the first Polish parish established in Tacoma in 1890. In Seattle, the Polish parish began to form in the 1980s and was eventually established in 1992.

The first Polish Hall opened in today’s Ballard neighborhood in 1906 and quickly proved too small for the growing community. In 1918, the Polish Home Association was created to procure a larger hall, which after fundraising and a remodel, opened in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in 1920. The hall, named “Dom Polski” (Polish Home), has been a cornerstone of Polish life in Seattle ever since.  After a recent expansion to modernize the facility, the Polish Cultural Center, serves, as it has been for almost a century, as a place for meetings, celebrations, dances and festivals for Poles and their multicultural friends.

The center provides a home to a choir, a library, Polish Scouts, as well as a book, poetry, and dance clubs. The stage and ballroom welcome local performance groups and famous Polish visiting guest artists and officials. The school has been offering evening Polish language classes to children and adults since 1951. To accommodate the growing number of families living on the east side of Lake Washington, another Polish school opened in Bellevue.

For half a century, the Ladies Auxiliary has been organizing the popular Fall and Spring bazaars that bring multi-ethnic visitors to the Polish Cultural Center. In addition to financing many of the improvements at the center, the group supports initiatives and community events with contributions to the Salvation Army and Emergency Shelters for Women, orphanages in Poland, and many other local Polish organizations. With the Ladies Auxiliary’s initial funding of the “Project Sybiracy”, the film “A Trip to Nowhere” became a reality.  The project shed light on the tragic history of those who survived the Gulag, including several members of Ladies Auxiliary and the Polish Community in the Seattle area.

The Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association (SGSCA), committed to sharing and promoting business, cultural, and academic exchanges between the two cities, has been cooperating with the city of Gdynia for over 25 years. The organization has been awarded many honors for its achievements, the Best Overall Program, 2006 and 2011, as well as Best Single Project, 2010  with Gdynia Business Week.  SGSCA is the organizer and sponsor of the Seattle Polish Film Festival, which became an important cultural event in Seattle.

Polish language has been taught at the University of Washington for over 60 years. To ensure that this tradition continues, a group of volunteers established the UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee (UWPSEC).  The organization is raising funds to establish the Chair of Polish Studies, sponsors a Distinguished Polish Speakers Series, provides student scholarships, sponsors Fulbright scholars to the UW, and builds partnership with community organizations.

The Polish Home Foundation (PHF) is a non-profit organization that promotes Polish heritage in the Pacific Northwest by sponsoring local events involving Polish culture and arts and by assisting Polish-American organizations in the area. During the last decade, it raised funds for improvements to the 100-year-old building of the Polish Cultural Center, and has provided financial and organizational assistance to cultural and art events. The annual Pierogi Fest became one of the most awaited events in the spring. In 2012 the PHF produced and sponsored the first Polish Festival at Seattle Center and is staging the second Festival this year.

The Polish-American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest (PACCPNW) promotes Polish-American trade cooperation, entrepreneurship and innovation. With the mission to facilitate exchange between Polish and American businesses, it promotes economic development, hosts trade delegations, and holds seminars related to business opportunities between Poland and the Pacific Northwest. The Chamber builds partnerships with local organizations and raises support for important issues, such as the visa waiver program for Poland.

To keep the community and public informed about current events in the local Polish community, Seattle Polish News reaches its recipients via internet every week. The Polish Home Association publishes a quarterly magazine, Nasz Dom, and internet podcast Radio Wisła keeps subscribers informed about news and events.

The local Polish-American community is well represented among the ranks of Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, and other companies. Polish scientists and professors teach at local universities and work in the medical industry. Many small businesses owned by Poles contribute to the economy across the region. For some, Seattle has been home for decades and for others only a few years. No matter how long we have lived here, we carry on our traditions and participate in the evolving Polish and American culture. We love our city of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest – the climate, the majestic nature, the appreciation of education, science, technology, music and art – which remind us so much of our home country.

The Polish American Chamber of Commerce representatives discussed how the Polish American Chamber of Commerce promotes and fosters a relationship between Poland and the Pacific Northwest.  Topics Included in the discussion were directly related to the role of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest in the recent Boeing 787 delivery to Polish Airlines LOT, business climate in Washington State and other Pacific Northwest states.  Discussion focused on successful Pacific Northwest companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks, Chateau St. Michelle, Expedia, Nike, and the exposure to the Asian International trade as well as how Washington State has grown in the last three decades. This meeting was an excellent opportunity to promote stronger US-Polish economic and democratic relations.  It was mentioned that Polish companies active in the U.S. market and U.S. investors, in addition to Polish students participating in internships with US companies, are becoming the foundation for building a good relationship between people, between nations and between states.

Polish Festival is looking for volunteers! Whether you are greeting the public, serving food or assisting with Polish arts or crafts, YOU are the essential part of this festival!

Based on an overwhelming success of last year’s festival, the vibrant Polish-American community is proud to present their second annual festival at Seattle Center. This summer’s event on July 13, 2013 will celebrate Polish cultural traditions and contemporary achievements with audiences of the Pacific Northwest.

The program features live performances of Polish folk groups, piano and jazz artists, modern dance, poster art exhibit, cultural workshops, food demos, children’s activities and participatory dance. Presented this year again will be Folk Fashion Show with regionally inspired costumes from Poland. Booths will showcase Polish glass art, hand-crafted pottery from Boleslawiec, crystal, jewelry, and paper cut-out folk art, as well as information about local Polish-American community organizations and travel to Poland for business and pleasure. The beer garden will be well stocked with a variety of imported Polish beer. Food vendors will serve plenty of authentic delicious Polish food.

For nearly a century, the lively Polish-American community of the Pacific Northwest has organized events at their cultural center in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. This summer all Seattleites are invited to explore and enjoy Polish cultural traditions at the Seattle Center.     

WHAT:            Polish Festival Seattle

WHEN:             Saturday, July 13, 2013, 11am- 9pm

WHERE:           Seattle Center (Armory & Fisher Rooftop) 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109

WHO:               Polish-American community in the Pacific Northwest

COST:             Free Admission

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Polish Festival is organized by local Polish American community in collaboration with Seattle Center and produced by Polish Home Foundation (PHF), a nonprofit 501 (c)3 organization. For more information please contact [email protected] and write to 1714 18th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122.

Representing the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest, Teresa Indelak Davis and Bohdan Raciborski, participated in the 2nd Polish American Business Workshop, held in Chicago on April 22, 2013. The event co-hosted by the Polish American Congress and the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Chicago, was co- sponsored by the Trade & Investment Section of the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC and attended by representatives from business and trade associations active in commercial relations between Poland and North America.

Special guests included Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik, Undersecretary of State in the Polish Ministry of Economy; Ryszard Schnepf, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the US; Longin Komolowski, President of the Wspolnota Polska Association; William Czajkowski, Head of the US Commercial Service at the US Embassy in Warsaw; Pawel Pietrasienski, Head of the Trade & Investment Section of Poland’s Embassy in Washington, DC; and Jaroslaw Narkiewicz, Deputy Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament.

The conference served as a platform to review progress of Chicago Declaration adopted by the Polish-American business community a year earlier and to discuss continuation of promotional activities, particularly with regard to building a strong brand of Poland in international market.

In addition to plenary sessions with keynotes by distinguished speakers, two panel discussions and break-out sessions were held, concluding with resolutions of continued development of Polish-American business cooperation. The event closed with a highly successful, well-attended networking reception hosted by the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Chicago, at the Copernicus Center Annex.

The Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest is pleased to have been included in the workshop and activities contributing to further development of business cooperation and exchange among the Polish and American businesses.

Conference participants including Polish American Chambers from Seattle, Chicago, Miami, NY, Nevada and Toronto.

]]> https://www.paccpnw.org/2013/04/26/2nd-polish-american-business-workshop-in-chicago-promotes-strong-brand-of-poland/feed/ 1 10417 https://www.paccpnw.org/2013/04/16/year-in-review-2012/ Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:06:10 +0000 https://www.paccpnw.org/?p=10399 Year in Review – 2012

As we close 2012, we celebrate many accomplishments and reflect on past challenges. We thank our dedicated board members and advisors for guiding our success. The past year was filled with many activities promoting business exchange between Polish and American organizations and facilitating cooperation within local, national and international networks.

A few highlights that stand out include series of conferences from promoting trade opportunities with Poland with guest speaker, Dr. Henryka Bochniarz in January, through Aviation conference in March attended by a delegation from Poland, to first Boeing Dreamliner delivery to LOT Polish Airlines in November.  Our participation in inaugural business workshops in Chicago and meeting with Poland’s President in New York City, were a testimony to the contribution into a broader Polish American dialog and cooperation within international commerce.

Throughout the year, our members built numerous relationships and collaboration networks, including the Embassy of Poland Trade and Investment Section, Invest in Poland (PAIiIZ), Invest in Gdansk and Invest in Pomerania.  Our organization became a member of Association of Washington Business, World Trade Center Seattle, Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, and participated in activities lead by Washington State Department of Commerce as well as local economic development authorities.

As we plan for the remainder of 2013 and pursue a multi-year strategic plan, we will focus on delivering a high value to our members and mission driven results in facilitating cooperation and exchange between Polish and American businesses for economic success.  We wish all our members and partners a prosperous year and successful business endeavors in the future.

2012: A Year in Review

• January – Dr. Henryka Bochniarz presentation on Growth Potential in Poland /breakfast networking seminar at World Trade Center in Seattle

• February – Participation in International Washington Day reception at a Governor’s mansion in Olympia

• March – Business Development Seminar at World Trade Center for aviation delegation from Poland led by PAIiIZ under auspices of Eastern Poland program

• May – Workshop in Chicago on Enhancing Poland – US collaboration initiatives with Polish American chambers network in US and Poland

  • June – Meeting with delegation from Poland led by Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza at Trade Development Alliance of Seattle

  • September – Next 50/Polish Festival Seattle – booth display and volunteer support for City of Seattle Next 50 ethnic celebration

  • September – Business conference and meeting with President Komorowski in New York City, Consulate of Poland.  Continuation of Polish American dialog on joint initiatives.

  • October – Hosting trade delegation from Gdansk and Pomerania at World Trade Center in Seattle and business meetings coordination with Seattle Port Commission, Association of Washington Business and Microsoft.

• November – Collaboration with Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Boeing Central Eastern Europe on Dreamliner events in Seattle commemorating Polish American cooperation in the aerospace sector.

The Honorable Beata Stelmach, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and Ryszard Schnepf, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States, presented the economic strength of Poland and potential as to why American companies may consider Poland as an attractive business destination.

Representing the US, Todd P. Schwartz, Deputy Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and Eric Stewart, President US-Poland Business Council spoke about resources, lesson’s learned and opportunities for future cooperation in US-Poland trade development.

During the panel discussion, distinguished speakers from the Polish Aviation Valley located in the Podkarpackie region, the management of Bumar – the largest defense group in Poland, the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modeling at the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Economic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and from the Katowice Special Economic Zone, discussed best practices and insights into successful investment and development projects undertaken by Polish and American businesses, showcasing various examples of Poland’s potential in the aerospace industry and the R&D field.

Celebrating the milestone of first European airline to operate a 787 Dreamliner, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines, Marcin Piróg shared the overview of airlines position in the market and plans for the future.  LOT will operate the 787 on short-haul flights across Europe in December, and will introduce the Dreamliner on its long-haul passenger service from Warsaw to Chicago in January 2013.  LOT will also use the 787 to operate routes from Warsaw to New York, Toronto and Beijing.  This delivery is the first of eight Dreamliner’s that LOT has on order from Boeing.

During a lunch reception hosted by Boeing Central and Eastern Europe, participants had an opportunity to hear from Nicole Piasecki, Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Integration for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, speaking about partnership and achievements of the Polish-American innovations, opening of the “Frank Piasecki and others” exhibit in Seattle and celebrated milestone of delivering first Boeing 787 to LOT Polish Airlines.

The seminar “The Polish-American Cooperation in the Aerospace Sector – Partnership Through Innovation”, was moderated by Dr. Henryka Bochniarz, President of Boeing Central & Eastern Europe overseeing Boeing Co.’s business strategy and activities in 12 CEE countries, including Poland.

Coinciding with the first Dreamliner delivery to LOT Polish Airlines a new exhibit opened on November 11, 2012 at the the Museum of Flight in Seattle honoring Frank Piasecki & other Polish aviation designers.   The exhibit will be available until the end of February 2013.

On November 14, senior LOT and Boeing executives, as well as Polish and US government officials, and local community representatives, celebrated the historic delivery at the Future of Flight Aviation Center in Mukilteo, Washington, near Boeing’s 787 assembly plant in Everett.  The aircraft was officially welcomed upon landing in Warsaw on November 15, by First Lady Anna Komorowska together with other Polish officials and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull.

Photo: Henryka Bochniarz, President of Boeing Central & Eastern Europe and Marcin Pirog CEO of Polish Airlines LOT