21 In Region Are Finalists for Entrepreneur of the Year

Seattle Times | Rachel Lerman | May 5

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/21-in-region-are-finalists-for-entrepreneur-of-the-year/

“Ernst & Young has narrowed down a large pool of entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest region and announced 21 finalist companies for the regional EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 Award. The program, now in its 30th year nationally and 25th in the Northwest, honors business people who excel in specific areas, including innovation, finance and community involvement. This year’s regional finalist list includes people from 15 Puget Sound-area companies, three entrepreneurs from Portland, one from Bellingham, one from Vancouver, Wash., and one from Spokane. The Pacific Northwest region accepts applicants from Washington, Oregon, Montana and Alaska.”

UW Students Host Tribal School Students in Seattle

Seattle Times | Katherine Long | May 5

http://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/uw-students-host-tribal-school-students-in-seattle/

“More than 90 elementary school students from three tribal schools spent a day at the University of Washington late last month, part of an unusual collaboration between college students and the tribes to inspire younger students to think about going to college. The program, Native @ UW, was sponsored by the UW’s student government, Associated Students of UW (ASUW). Fifth- and sixth-graders from Wa He Lut Indian School in Olympia, Yakama Nation Tribal School in Yakima and Lummi Tribal Schools in Bellingham came to Seattle for the program. The event was part of the university’s Race and Equity Initiative, but it was hosted entirely by students, said UW Vice Provost Ed Taylor, who oversees the initiative.”

Here are Seattle-Area Companies Employees Enjoy Working at Most

Seattle Times | Rachel Lerman | May 5

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/here-are-the-seattle-area-companies-employees-enjoy-working-at-most/

“Online-hiring site Indeed has released a list of the top 50 companies to work for, and not all are booming tech companies known for high salaries and workplace perks…Four Seattle-area companies made the list, including No. 14 Costco, which is known for its high minimum wage. Redmond tech giant Microsoft came in at No. 42, followed by Starbucks at No. 47 and Boeing at No. 48. Salesforce took the top spot on the list, followed by Southwest Airlines, which is known for its recruiting policy that ranks employee attitude higher than skill level, which the company says can be taught. Another study Indeed recently released, of hiring done by tech companies in the Seattle area, suggested that companies are having an easier time hiring because more people are moving to the region.”

Fly Inside Seattle’s Tunnel: Drone Video Shows Progress During Alaskan Way Viaduct Closure

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | May 3

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/video-drone-inside-seattle-tunnel/

“As Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct sat free of cars overhead and drivers attempted to move around the city during the roadway’s planned 2-week closure, a new drone video Tuesday showcased again what all the fuss is about. A view inside the SR 99 tunnel won’t get much better than this until you’re actually able to drive through it…WSDOT issued an update on Bertha’s progress on Tuesday, reporting that Seattle Tunnel Partners have installed 17 rings since mining resumed on Friday. Crews have excavated 117 feet of the approximately 385 feet of tunnel that must be completed before the Alaskan Way Viaduct reopens to traffic. A map tracks the progress, below.”

Why These 3 Veteran Tech CEOs Love Building Their Startups in Seattle

GeekWire | Taylor Soper | May 2

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/3-veteran-tech-ceos-love-building-startups-seattle/

“By now, it’s no secret that Seattle is a thriving entrepreneurial hub, one that is attracting folks from not only Silicon Valley but around the world. But what exactly makes the Emerald City an effective and enjoyable place to build a technology company? Three veteran CEOs from local companies spoke today at the annual Technology Alliance luncheon in Seattle, where more than 1,000 people gathered at the Westin Hotel. Arivale CEO Clayton Lewis, Pixvana CEO Forest Key, and Impinj CEO Chris Diorio spoke briefly about their companies before coming together for a panel to discuss the future of technology and why they prefer to grow their startups in Seattle.”

Inside the Seattle VR Hackathon, A Glimpse of Virtual Reality’s Potential

GeekWire | Daniel Rasmus | April 30

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/inside-seattles-vr-hackathon/

“Nearly 130 virtual reality developers from around the Seattle region gathered at the Pacific Northwest Center for Construction Research and Education last weekend for the Seattle VR Hackathon, a biannual event that encourages people with a passion for virtual reality (VR) to join forces and create VR experiences using the latest hardware and software. For sponsors and local businesses, hackathons offer an opportunity to get to know some of the talent that might someday contribute to their virtual reality investments, while encouraging learning, experimentation and community building. Over the course of two-and-half days, these teams, many of which stayed up all night Saturday working on their code and collaborating with other teams, built collaboration tools for sharing 360-degree content in social media; created immersive puzzles; developed captivating virtual musical instruments; crafted chill listening rooms that mimic the sound of vinyl; populated educational applications focused on global health; rendered colorful, glowing 3D games; and integrated VR with the Amazon Echo designed to help teach Mandarin.”