TAPCO Credit Union Creating Space for Financial Confidence

Conversations about money can carry a quiet weight. Questions about credit, investing, business financing, and long-term stability are deeply personal, yet many people have never been given a comfortable place to ask them. Financial confidence does not begin with having every answer. It begins when someone feels safe enough to ask the first question and knows the person across from them is prepared to listen without judgment.

On July 31, TAPCO Credit Union had the privilege of presenting at Elevate Women: Money. Choices. Freedom., an event presented by United Way of Pierce County at Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma, WA. The gathering brought financial education, mental wellness, professional development, and practical resources together in an experience designed to support women as they considered what they wanted next.

The event opened with a welcome from Annie Frisbie, Chief Development Officer at United Way of Pierce County, followed by a keynote from Audree Bobinger, founder of Audree B Financial. Audree Bobinger spoke about the importance of accepting help while navigating financial challenges, reminding attendees that seeking guidance can be a meaningful step toward greater clarity and confidence.

TAPCO team members continued the conversation through breakout sessions focused on building wealth and financial confidence, personal credit and consumer lending, investment strategies, and an introduction to business lending. The sessions gave participants an opportunity to learn how credit decisions are made, what lenders consider during an application, how everyday financial habits contribute to a stronger foundation, and what business owners may encounter when exploring financing.

Some of the most meaningful moments emerged as attendees began asking questions and sharing what they hoped to accomplish. These conversations gave our team an opportunity to understand their goals, talk through the uncertainty that often accompanies financial decisions, and offer guidance that made the path forward feel more approachable.

That experience reflected TAPCO’s mission of bringing humanity to financial services. Financial education becomes more useful when it is shared with patience, understanding, and respect for the experiences each person brings into the room.

Supporting the Whole Person

Financial wellbeing is connected to many parts of life, including our careers, health, families, goals, and sense of possibility. Elevate Women recognized those connections by pairing financial education with resources that supported the whole person.

Mental health conversations led by Dawn Williams, LMFT, and Vicki Grimes, PMHNP-BC, created space for attendees to consider how emotional wellness and financial stress can intersect. Participants also received resources related to financial coaching, taxes, housing, career readiness, skills training, and mental wellness.

One of our team’s favorite parts of the event was the Suit Her Up Boutique, where attendees could select professional clothing and accessories donated by community members. Each item had the potential to become part of someone’s next chapter, including an upcoming interview, a new position, a business meeting, or a career transition.

Complimentary headshots provided by Sage & Soul Photography gave attendees another opportunity to invest in their professional presence. Together, the workshops, resources, boutique, and headshots created a full-circle experience centered on helping women feel informed, supported, and prepared for what comes next.

Throughout the event, women exchanged ideas, shared experiences, offered encouragement, and looked for ways to help one another move forward. Volunteers contributed their time, community members donated professional clothing, presenters shared their expertise, and local organizations provided resources shaped around the needs of the women in the room.

This is what investing in community means to TAPCO. It means showing up beyond the walls of a branch, sharing financial knowledge where relationships are growing, and treating every question with dignity. It also means recognizing that financial wellbeing is not separate from the rest of a person’s life.

TAPCO’s vision is that everyone achieves financial wellbeing. Elevate Women brought that vision to life by creating room for honest conversations, practical education, and meaningful connections. We are grateful to United Way of Pierce County and everyone who contributed to an experience rooted in helping women build confidence, explore new possibilities, and take their next steps with a community beside them.