Impact Series

Video

Dream the accessible dream: Developer pushes the boundaries of innovation in pursuit of independence

by Lisa Stiffler on July 19, 2017July 19, 2017 at 7:10 amComment

While you’re asking your virtual assistant some banal question — “Siri, what time is it?” “Alexa, what’s the name of this song?” — the evolution of voice-activated and accessible technology… Read More

#SeaHomeless: As housing prices soar, tech sector steps up efforts to ease homeless crisis

by Lisa Stiffler on June 28, 2017June 28, 2017 at 10:53 amComment

In 2017, tech businesses and leaders have stepped up as never before to help people who are homeless in the greater Seattle area. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s foundation, Amazon and… Read More

If you’re a minority in technology, your own success is a form of social activism, says tech investor

by Lisa Stiffler on June 14, 2017June 14, 2017 at 9:06 pm1 Comment

If you’re a minority in the tech world — whether it’s your gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity or a combination of those — and you want to support other people… Read More

Student climate change project wins President’s Environmental Youth Award — yes, that president

by Lisa Stiffler on June 13, 2017June 13, 2017 at 6:33 am 2 Comments

Students at Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, Wash., are being honored today with the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) for creating Schools Under 2C, an effort to fight climate… Read More

Video

STEM students turn Trump’s climate decisions into national call to action

by Lisa Stiffler on June 4, 2017June 5, 2017 at 7:25 am 3 Comments

As leaders including Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Microsoft president Brad Smith, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and many others have vowed to fight climate change, students at Tesla STEM High School in… Read More

LAUGH app helps kids find their zen — using scientific research to test effectiveness

by Lisa Stiffler on June 2, 2017June 2, 2017 at 8:28 amComment

Listen up, game developers and marketers. Catherine Mayer and Dr. Dimitri Christakis have a challenge for you. If you want to pitch an app for kids with the claim that… Read More

Video

Human and computer vision unite to help Microsoft engineers stop traffic deaths

by Lisa Stiffler on June 1, 2017June 1, 2017 at 8:26 am 2 Comments

In the U.S., car crashes kill roughly 40,000 people a year. That’s a loss of life equivalent to four to five 737 airplanes crashing every week. “In no other setting… Read More

Black Dot business incubator moves into bigger space with more opportunities

by Lisa Stiffler on May 4, 2017May 8, 2017 at 10:33 am 2 Comments

Black Dot, a business incubator for black-owned enterprises, is celebrating its new, bigger home in Seattle’s Central District. The expanded space will provide room for black innovators, artists, youth and business… Read More

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The Nature Conservancy and Microsoft bring tech innovations to environmental efforts

by Lisa Stiffler on May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 at 11:24 amComment

The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with Microsoft to bring machine learning and other tech innovations to the environmental group’s online mapping tools. The interactive maps are used for numerous… Read More

Video

By age 6, kids already think boys are better than girls in programming and robotics

by Lisa Stiffler on April 26, 2017April 26, 2017 at 8:24 am 14 Comments

There’s a lot of effort to attract women to the computer sciences at universities and the workforce. But to shift technology’s gender imbalance we might need to focus on a… Read More

Video

Students in Washington state and Paris collaborate on app to share untold stories of WWI vets

by Kurt Schlosser on April 25, 2017April 25, 2017 at 11:01 am1 Comment

When marketing expert Tim Fry and history teacher Anthony Rovente teamed up last summer to create a Washington state history app, with the help of students from tiny Lopez Island, Wash.,… Read More

On the front lines of tech: Bunker Labs ready to help veterans move from military service to startups

by Lisa Stiffler on April 10, 2017April 20, 2017 at 12:05 pm 3 Comments

Not everyone has the work ethic to be an entrepreneur — the long hours, the commitment, the need to focus on the long game. But Travis Stanley-Jones thinks one segment… Read More

Video

Help wanted: Sea lion scientists call on software engineers to help count the marine behemoths, offer $25,000 in prize money

by Lisa Stiffler on April 5, 2017April 4, 2017 at 6:38 pmComment

Sea lion scientists need your help. Each summer, researchers from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries in Seattle trek to Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands. They take small boats to… Read More

Special Olympics makes technological leaps and bounds with help from Microsoft

by Lisa Stiffler on April 3, 2017April 3, 2017 at 11:14 amComment

Each year, Special Olympics International and its 220 chapters worldwide organize some 108,000 events. The games give athletes with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to compete in everything from basketball to… Read More

Take an online trip with a real-live salmon navigating the perils of Puget Sound, and pick which one will make it out to sea first

by Lisa Stiffler on March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 at 10:49 amComment

Salmon — whether being tossed between Pike Place Market fish mongers or wending their way through the locks in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood — are one the most iconic images of… Read More

Co-working meets childcare: How this business incubator is supporting working moms

by Lisa Stiffler on March 23, 2017March 22, 2017 at 2:51 pm 4 Comments

Instead of forcing women to choose between career and caring for their children, Women’s Business Incubator wants to help them do both. The Seattle-based nonprofit recently opened a space at… Read More

Unique fellowship aims to use technology to bring legal help to the masses

by Lisa Stiffler on March 15, 2017March 15, 2017 at 10:54 amComment

It may seem like there are plenty of lawyers around, but if you’re low income or living in a rural area, legal help is often unavailable or out of reach.… Read More

Hungry for reliable talent, tech companies are finding employees in unexpected places

by Lisa Stiffler on March 7, 2017March 9, 2017 at 6:21 am 6 Comments

With so many years of growth, it’s not always easy for Amazon to find the talented, dedicated workers it needs. And that includes not only hot-shot engineers and managers —… Read More

Microsoft employees donate a record $142M to non-profits, and have a lot of fun along the way

by Lisa Stiffler on March 1, 2017March 1, 2017 at 7:19 am1 Comment

Microsoft has again broken its record for employee giving, donating $142 million to nearly 19,000 charities last year. That’s a 14 percent increase over the previous year’s donations, and the… Read More

Tech leaders look to mine political chaos for policies that benefit the industry

by Lisa Stiffler on February 17, 2017February 16, 2017 at 11:19 pmComment

The current political climate in D.C. is a mess — and Olympia has its own troubles with a court mandate to boost school funding and no easy means for doing… Read More

Championed by Bill Gates, innovative autopsies could unlock mystery of early childhood deaths

by Lisa Stiffler on February 14, 2017February 14, 2017 at 7:41 amComment

Aid organizations and public health agencies are spending billions of dollars each year to save the lives of babies and children in developing countries. But they’ve been missing a key… Read More

Students pitch everything from non-toxic pesticides to fashion startups at collegiate entrepreneurial contest TigerLaunch

by Lisa Stiffler on February 13, 2017February 13, 2017 at 10:53 am1 Comment

A club at the University of Washington is ready to help launch the next big thing. Startup UW is a student-run entrepreneurship group that provides a support network and resources… Read More

Dream the accessible dream: Developer pushes the boundaries of innovation in pursuit of independence

#SeaHomeless: As housing prices soar, tech sector steps up efforts to ease homeless crisis

If you’re a minority in technology, your own success is a form of social activism, says tech investor

Student climate change project wins President’s Environmental Youth Award — yes, that president

STEM students turn Trump’s climate decisions into national call to action

LAUGH app helps kids find their zen — using scientific research to test effectiveness

Black Dot business incubator moves into bigger space with more opportunities

By age 6, kids already think boys are better than girls in programming and robotics

Students in Washington state and Paris collaborate on app to share untold stories of WWI vets

On the front lines of tech: Bunker Labs ready to help veterans move from military service to startups

Help wanted: Sea lion scientists call on software engineers to help count the marine behemoths, offer $25,000 in prize money

Special Olympics makes technological leaps and bounds with help from Microsoft

Take an online trip with a real-live salmon navigating the perils of Puget Sound, and pick which one will make it out to sea first

Co-working meets childcare: How this business incubator is supporting working moms

Unique fellowship aims to use technology to bring legal help to the masses

Hungry for reliable talent, tech companies are finding employees in unexpected places

Microsoft employees donate a record $142M to non-profits, and have a lot of fun along the way

Tech leaders look to mine political chaos for policies that benefit the industry

Championed by Bill Gates, innovative autopsies could unlock mystery of early childhood deaths

Students pitch everything from non-toxic pesticides to fashion startups at collegiate entrepreneurial contest TigerLaunch

Walk this way: New pedestrian-oriented ‘Access Map’ fills a gap in the world of apps

The remarkable life and legacy of Ric Weiland, Microsoft employee No. 2, still making an impact a decade after his death

On MLK Day, here’s what 7 black tech leaders say about diversity and the state of the industry

Where do your electronics go to die? This Seattle man knows — and he’s doing something about it

Amazon toots its charitable horn for the holidays with gifts to nonprofits

Why these Microsoft vets decided to launch an e-commerce startup in Rwanda

What gives? Tech giant Amazon finally boosts its philanthropic rep in its hometown

Seattle makes history with first Special Olympics robotics championship

Application Deadline for Seattle Angel Conference SAC XII

App Camp for Girls – Seattle

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