OUR STORY
Washington Technology
Industry Association
One of the oldest and largest state tech associations in North America
How it started
In the early 1980s, computer software and telecommunications were starting to grow exponentially in the Pacific Northwest. It was clear that the region was, as The Seattle Times put it, "becoming a hotbed of software development, but it didn't have the infrastructure to support the fledgling industry."
The idea for a nonprofit trade association was formed at the 1983 national Computer Dealer’s Exhibition (COMDEX) in Las Vegas. Bruce Milne, CEO of Accountants Microsystems, the second-largest software company in the region, took action to address a growing desire among his Pacific Northwest-based peers for local support and resources to help them grow a promising tech industry.
The trade association was formed within six months in partnership with local business leaders, help from the American Electronics Association (AEA), and support from local and state politicians. Initially, the organization was named the Washington State Software Industry Development Board, and by 1998 it was known as the Washington Software Alliance (WSA). In 2008, WSA was dubbed WTIA in anticipation of a 2009 merger with AEA.
Fast forward to today: WTIA is led by CEO Michael Schutzler, whose emphasis on diversity and inclusion, equitable workplace systems and practices, and entrepreneurship has evolved WTIA into more than a nonprofit trade association.
WTIA consists of a consortium of three organizations:
WTIA Workforce Institute, aka Apprenti®
Launched in 2016,
Apprenti has built one of the most successful tech apprenticeship programs in the country.
To date, Apprenti has placed thousands of apprentices representing BIPOC, Latino/a/x, and mixed race individuals; Veterans; women; and people with disabilities.
Portalus
Formed in 2018 to manage
the WTIA Association Health Plan (AHP), Portalus has since expanded to include a 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan (PEP),
business and personal insurance, and business consulting services for small tech companies.
In all, Portalus serves more than 600 companies.
WTIA Member Trade Association (MTA)
Created in 1984, MTA focuses on expanding peer networks, convening stakeholders to address the tech sector’s biggest challenges, and attracting sponsors and funding partners to help create programs, deliver services, and build partnerships that empower communities to thrive.
OUR CORE VALUES
These values drive our actions, align our teammates, and unite our vision for the future.
We methodically eliminate bias in every aspect of our company. We purposefully hire, advocate for, and develop women Black, Latino/x, and other underrepresented populations in tech at every level of the organization including our boards, leadership, employees, and contractors.
We are intellectually curious, always learning or improving skills to ensure that what we deliver in our daily work is the best it can be.
We have the courage to build a better future for ourselves, our organization, and our community. We take risks and learn from our failures. We know that challenging our assumptions is necessary to capture opportunity.
We work diligently to remove barriers to organizational information and openly share the development of policies and processes with each other. We speak and act with integrity, and embrace differences of opinion.
We endeavor to help each other, our members, partners, and stakeholders get what they need, when they need it. In every moment, we ask “how can I help” and then we are responsive, nimble, and make a good effort to achieve the outcome.
We work diligently to remove barriers to organizational information and openly share the development of policies and processes with each other. We speak and act with integrity, and embrace differences of opinion.