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The Beaker Blog July 30, 2026 • By My Green Lab Local Action, Global Impact workshop, Spokane, June 2026

How Regional Investment Helped Impact Laboratories Create Local Jobs, Expand Global Programs, and Strengthen Spokane’s Life Science Ecosystem 

Spokane is building momentum as a center for healthcare and life sciences innovation. A targeted regional investment from the Health Science Services Authority (HSSA) in the world’s company focused on advancing sustainability in laboratories has helped accelerate that progress while demonstrating how locally rooted innovation can generate measurable impact across the global scientific community. 

In February 2025, Impact Laboratories set a clear strategic plan for its next stage of growth: establish a global headquarters in Spokane, with investment in the local economy and workforce. The Health Sciences & Services Authority (HSSA) backed that goal with a $250,000 matching grant to accelerate the company’s Regional Team Expansion Project, aimed at creating local jobs and strengthening the region’s health and life science ecosystem while making laboratory operations more efficient for the healthcare systems that depend on them. 

By the project’s completion on June 30, 2026, Impact Laboratories exceeded its goal and made significant progress on establishing Spokane as a hub for sustainable life science innovation. The company expanded its Spokane team beyond its original commitment, launched new certification programs and software platforms with direct healthcare benefits, achieved strong year-over-year revenue growth, and established Spokane as its global headquarters. 

These results were achieved during a challenging period for the broader life science and sustainability sectors, underscoring the value of sustained regional investment and a long-term growth strategy. They also demonstrate Spokane’s ability to support companies that create local economic opportunity while influencing how laboratories and healthcare systems operate around the world. Most importantly, it’s proof that Spokane can be a real center for sustainable life science innovation, supporting regional companies and healthcare organizations that create local economic opportunity and improved health while influencing how laboratories and healthcare systems operate around the world. 

HSSA impact at a glance

Turning Regional Investment into Measurable Growth 

HSSA’s support gave Impact Laboratories the capacity to maintain its Spokane growth strategy while navigating a difficult market environment. During the grant period, the company continued investing in local talent, advanced key commercialization milestones, and accelerated to 32% year-over-year revenue growth in the first half of 2026. 

The company also directed $2.37 million into the regional economy through $1.5 million in wages and benefits in addition to the original grant award and $870 thousand in vendor spending beyond the original grant funding in Spokane County. Today, Impact Laboratories serves customers around the world from its headquarters in Spokane, connecting its regional workforce and expertise to a growing international market for more efficient and sustainable laboratory operations while bringing those benefits back to local businesses, healthcare organizations, and the community. 

Strengthening Spokane’s Healthcare Infrastructure 

Roughly 70% of healthcare decisions rely on clinical laboratory testing, underscoring the critical role of laboratories to patient outcomes. With HSSA’s support, Impact Laboratories launched its Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Certification in September 2025. By project completion, the program had engaged more than 225 laboratories worldwide. Participating laboratories identified average annual savings opportunities typically ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 while evaluating ways to improve health and safety, operational efficiency, and resource and financial savings. 

Impact Laboratories has also deepened conversations with Spokane-area healthcare organizations and universities to explore how these practices could support laboratories and health systems within the region. Applying globally informed strategies locally helps organizations strengthen performance, manage costs, and build greater resilience into essential diagnostic services that underpin regional healthcare systems. 

Growing Spokane’s Life Science Ecosystem 

The impact extends well beyond the growth of a single company. Impact Laboratories and My Green Lab have supported the Evergreen Bioscience Innovation Cluster’s new bioscience incubator while strengthening relationships with Gonzaga University’s Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment to help build Spokane’s long-term life science ecosystem. 

In June 2026, alongside regional partners Avista and McKinstry, the organizations co-hosted Local Action, Global Impact, bringing together leaders from healthcare, academia, utilities, startups, and industry to explore how sustainability can strengthen both laboratory operations and community resilience. The discussion highlighted the increasingly visible connection between climate change and human health, particularly through the Inland Northwest’s growing experiences with wildfire smoke and extreme heat, and examined practical strategies to improve laboratory resilience, reduce operating costs, and enhance the efficiency of the healthcare systems that underpin patient care. The event also reinforced how cross-sector collaboration can help position Spokane as a leader in resilient, sustainable life science innovation. 

“These local benefits, combined with a strengthened, globally competitive company headquartered in Spokane, demonstrate how strategic regional investment can generate lasting economic and healthcare impact while delivering a long-term return on HSSA’s investment,” said James Connelly, CEO of My Green Lab and Impact Laboratories. 

HSSA milestones

Looking Ahead 

Impact Laboratories enters its next phase of growth with a stronger revenue base, continued Spokane investment, and deepening healthcare partnerships. Each new position, partnership, and participating laboratory expands the expertise and economic activity anchored in Spokane. These efforts are strengthening the region’s ability to support scientific innovation while helping laboratories worldwide improve efficiency, resilience, and environmental performance. 

A Foundation for Continued Impact 

HSSA’s support helped translate an ambitious growth strategy into lasting regional capacity. The investment created Spokane-based jobs, advanced the commercialization of new tools and programs, strengthened connections across the local life science ecosystem, and expanded the reach of solutions designed to improve laboratory operations. 

We’re grateful to HSSA, our regional partners and investors, and the Spokane community for helping make this work possible. Their collaboration demonstrates how strategic local investment can strengthen sustainable healthcare, support scientific innovation, and create opportunities that extend far beyond the region. 

Subscribe to the My Green Lab newsletter to follow the next chapter of this work. You can also explore My Green Lab Certification and the ACT Ecolabel to learn how laboratories, scientific organizations, and suppliers are transforming the life science industry through sustainability with great benefit to human and ecosystem health. 

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