Once, when Dan Knapp, owner of Red Hot Media Productions, a creative marketing agency specializing in video animations and web design, went to buy coffee for his wife on her birthday, a customer in front of him paid for his order anonymously. “It was such a wonderful gesture, and I made sure to pay it forward for someone on my next coffee run,” he says.

In fact, Knapp has been actively practicing this kind of selflessness during the pandemic. “With so many of my clients struggling, I launched my own Marketing Relief Program in April of 2020,” Knapp says. “Even though I took a big hit to my cashflow, I set up websites for new clients for only $149. This in-turn, allowed them to focus on other areas of their business for when they could start opening up.”

Knapp was a perfect partner for Columbia Bank’s Pass It On Project, and his expertise in digital marketing was the perfect gift to pay it forward for other businesses. “I’m passing it on by providing website and video services for some clients who really need the help,” he says. “With Columbia Bank picking up the tab, I’m going to help get businesses ready to roll as we continue to put the pandemic in our rearview mirror.”