2019 seems like a lifetime ago. COVID caused a massive shift in our operation and priorities. The annual report production effort took a back seat to heping hundreds of companies survive and then thrive in this strange new world. We really should, however, take a moment to celebrate 2019 as it was an excellent year of growth and maturation for WTIA, with a 50% year-over-year increase in our consolidated budget.
By the end of 2019, our tech apprenticeship program Apprenti™ had been deployed in 15 states serving 55 employers. Our benefits plans, including healthcare, retirement, business and personal insurance, and a member-only Verizon phone plan, now serve more than 500 companies and their 18,500 employees and family members.
We evolved Ion Collaborators into a new workshop series, based on studying nearly 10,000 volunteer hours from government, technology industry, labor union, and community non-profit participants attempting to tackle challenging civic projects. We expanded our newer services that leverage group buying power for the benefit of the membership including a 401(k) MEP that cuts costs and administrative burdens for small and medium-sized companies, a Verizon phone plan that offers a lowest in market unlimited talk, text, and voice plan for employees and family, a business insurance line to mitigate risks for small and medium-sized companies, and a personal insurance line for employees and family.
In 2019, we added 265 new organizations to the WTIA roster and expanded our Cascadia Blockchain Council to help our region stake its rightful claim as a global leader.
The technology industry in Washington is the job engine of the state and a substantial contributor to the state’s budget to provide services to all residents. We have much to be proud of and great promise lies ahead for even more positive contributions to the state economy. Our immediate opportunity is to combine efforts as partners with government and community organizations to solve growth pains like affordable housing, homelessness, traffic congestion, and funding education. This will create a more sustainable and healthy foundation on which to build our future together.
“The technology industry in Washington is the job engine of the state and a substantial contributor to the state’s budget to provide services to all residents. We have much to be proud of and great promise lies ahead for even more positive contributions to the state economy.”
Michael Schutzler
President and CEO
WTIA members enjoy the benefits of connecting with like-minded leaders to solve common business challenges they cannot easily solve on their own. From social to governmental issues, WTIA continues to build a strong set of new programs to serve the specific needs of our members and help them amplify their brands and grow their businesses.
265
265 new member companies
1,100
1,100 total member companies
4M
Member companies employ 4M people worldwide and 250,000 in Washington
1,592
1,592 co-founders active in WTIA
Total 2019 Annual Budget
$19.9M
2019 Expense Breakdown
Apprenti offers a new approach to filling the talent gap through the time-tested model of registered apprenticeship. In 2019, Apprenti changed the lives of more than 371 apprentices, training them for roles with retained wages up to $120,000 per year and strong career growth. Local companies, including Amazon and Microsoft, continue to ramp their hiring and we now serve 55 employers in 15 states.
371
371 apprentices placed in 15 states
85% of placements are women, vets, and persons of color
7,510
7,510 people applied to Apprenti in 2019
80% of apprentices have completed their apprenticeship and were retained by their companies as full-time employees
$106,500
Apprentices earn an average salary of $106,500 upon graduation in Washington state. Nationally, the average salary apprentices earn is $75,000
170%
170% increase in income among apprentices in Washington as a result of their apprenticeship. Nationally, it is a 130% increase in income
WTIA uses the group buying power of our startup and SMB member companies to offer their employees high-value benefits. We increased access to our premier health plans, retooled our beta 401(k) Multiple Employer Plan to serve more companies, released our Verizon phone plan now available to any member company employees, and launched a new line of business insurance offerings to help member companies get their risk management house in order.
452
452 companies in WTIA Benefits Programs
17,206
17,206 employees and families covered by WTIA Benefits Programs
130
130 insurance brokers offering WTIA Benefits Programs
Ion Collaborators brings together tech, government, and community organizations to tackle thorny civic challenges. In 2019, we completed two cohorts of 18 collaborators nominated by their employers and peers. We are breaking down the language and cultural barriers that cause multidisciplinary projects to crash and burn. Our six projects to date have addressed challenges in livability, accessibility, and economic disparity.
2
2 custom cohorts: “belonging” cohort with the Civic Commons, Seattle Foundation, and a “tech-labor-government” cohort with MLK Labor
4,000
4,000 volunteer hours across two cohorts
36
36 Ion Collaborators represented a wide range of organizations, companies and government departments
6
6 projects completed, including a suicide prevention campaign in the construction industry, an event to raise awareness around slavery in the fishing industry, and a campaign to increase urban youth participation in golf.
WTIA advocates for policies, government funding, and programs that contribute to building a strong tech sector in a thriving community. We inform and motivate industry, education, and government peers to collaborate on public policy matters to ensure Washington state remains an international technology leader.
By working closely with tech companies, aligned member organizations, and government partners, we successfully advocated for investing in tech apprenticeships, expanding access to computer science in K-12, and opposed regulatory legislation that would unnecessarily hinder innovation in our state.
WTIA continued to cultivate strong partnerships, working with state partners in selecting the Department of Commerce’s new Tech Sector Lead. We also continued working with the Mayor’s Office through participating in the Innovation Advisory Council (IAC), which seeks to partner government and industry to address some of the city’s most pressing challenges.
WTIA continues to expand its federal presence, this year highlighting the success of Apprenti with our state’s Congressional delegation as well as participating in a Congressional Industry Panel on the topic of expanding workforce opportunities.
Federal
Tech apprenticeship funding
Tech apprenticeship regulations
Workforce development SME
State
Tech apprenticeship funding
Tech legislation voice
Tech sector SME
City
Civic collaboration
Tech sector SME
Member Orientation
WTIA hosts a monthly member-only happy hour at the Seattle office. Each event promotes networking among employees from our member base while also providing information about the benefits WTIA has available through membership.
CEO Forum
The WTIA CEO Forum provides an annual opportunity for tech CEOs to connect with peers, learn from an expert on a challenging topic, and discuss ways to build a better world together.
Executive Roundtable Breakfast
Executive Roundtables are invite-only events aimed at connecting leaders in the technology community. The event series provides a secure, private environment for executives to openly share business-related problems to receive advice and best practices from their industry counterparts.
FullConTech
FullConTech is a unique un-conference that brings together leaders of industry, government, education, and community organizations to take on the biggest challenges in our sector. During this one-day conference, you directly shape the future by participating in evidence-based conversations about challenges and proposing specific solutions we can address as a team.
Giving Gala
A glamorous evening to raise money for tech apprenticeship in our state. Gala is an elite black-tie event with silent and live auctions, a Tom Douglas catered dinner, and features Washington’s brightest stars. All proceeds help fund apprenticeships in our state to help women, people of color, and veterans attain careers in tech.
Private Dinner
At our private dinners, WTIA creates an atmosphere for high-level conversations with people of influence. These dinners take place at a mutually agreeable location and are limited to 8-12 individuals. We work with the sponsor to ensure that we invite contacts they have an interest in meeting.
Kraig Baker, Partner, DWT
Greg Beams, Independent CPA
Bradd Busick, Chief Technology Officer, MultiCare
Jennifer Carlson, Co-Founder, Executive Director, WTIA Workforce Institute & Apprenti
John Cofano, CEO, Goodwell Technologies, Inc.
Gena Cook, Founder, Navigating Cancer
Dave Cotter, CPO, Leafly
Annette Crowley, Co-Founder, Progressive Tech
Kha Dang, GC, Drift
Todd Enos, CFO, Allied Investors
Leslie Feinzaig, CEO, FFA
Michelle Ferris, Director of Finance, AllStar Directories
Kristen Forecki, VP Ops, Convoy
Ben Golden, GC
Kristen Hamilton, Co-Founder, Koru
Don Heisler, Audit Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Brian Hilgendorf, CFO, Optio3
Mike Horwitz, VP Engineering, Comcast Technology Solutions
Len Jordan, Managing Director, Madrona Venture Group
Shannon Jurdana, CEO, Vimly
Colleen Kerr, VP, WSU
Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair, UW CSE
Rebecca Lovell, Executive Director, Create33
Steven Maheshwary, Governor’s Sector Lead, Information & Communication Technology, Washington State Department of Commerce
Randa Minkarah, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Transform, Inc.
Mike Monroe, President, HRBI
Amy Morrison, President, Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Derrick Morton, CEO, Flowplay
James Newell, Partner, Voyager
Dave Parker, CEO, Six Month Startup
Gina Phillips, Former Global VP, WeWork
Irene Plenefisch, Government Affairs Director, Microsoft Corporation
Tim Porter, Partner, Madrona
Seth Rapkin, SVP, Morgan Stanley/Pike Place Partners
Heather Redman, Partner, Founder, Flying Fish VC
Margaret Rojas, Assistant Director, North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization
Laura Ruderman, CEO, Technologies Alliance
Scott Ruthfield, Founder & CEO, Rooster Park
Michael Schutzler, CEO, WTIA
Craig Sherman, Partner, WSGR
Ben Straughn, Partner, Perkins Coie
Shannon Swift, Founder/CEO, Swift HR Solutions
Dan Waggoner, Partner, DWT
Joseph Williams, Seattle Director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Robert te Winkel, CFO, WTIA
Gilbert Wootton, Managing Partner, Accenture
Arry Yu, Chair, WTIA Cascadia Blockchain Council
