the weekly seattle

The founder of one of the fastest-growing private companies in Washington shares her story of how she created this audio visual production company in her garage, her worst event horror story, and how she thought about succession planning as she sold her company last year. Niki McKay has over 20 years experience running large scale events around the world including clients like Macklemore, Alaska Airlines, and more. In this episode Rachel and Niki also discuss the price gouging happening in the industry due to a monopoly, and what needs to be done about it.

All of this and...

New year, new us! This is a special episode with Executive & Leadership Coach Suzanne who helps us identify our own poison riptides that might be creating a toxic workplace on accident! She gives advice for those looking to branch out into consulting as well as what leaders need to do when approaching a big change in 2026. If you're thinking of quitting your job, she also helps us figure out how and when to do that. All of this along with Rachel and Suzanne's highs and lows of 2025.

About Suzanne Weller - Founder, Coach, Consultant, Weller Collaboration:

The holidays are a big time for travel, so we sat down with the President of the Americas of Intrepid Travel to talk all about this industry. We cover their latest partnership with REI, how travel has changed over the years, and the most popular countries to travel to. All of this and your weekly news update!

Top Stories:

1. REI brings back travel experiences with Intrepid Travel

2. New Alaska Airlines routes

3. Expedia to acquire online booking platforms

4. Wild Waves Theme Park to shut down

About guest Leigh...

The CEO of SAM joins us for a conversation on the unexpected realities of running a major museum, the unique costs, and the bold changes coming to SAM including a full restaurant and bar, expanded hours, and a fresh approach to attracting repeat visitors.

We also talk FIFA coming to Seattle and how Scott plans to capitalize on the global spotlight. As the only art director of a major museum with a studio art background, Scott brings a radically different perspective. About a year and a half into the role, Scott is ready to shake things up!<...

Rough & Tumble JUST opened a new location in Columbia City so we brought back the Founder & Owner to fill us in on the behind-the-scenes of what it's like opening a second location of her iconic sports bar in Seattle. Jen Barnes shares what challenges she had to overcome to be able to stream women's sports in her restaurants and the legal battle she got into with HBO. We talk about how the minimum wage increase has impacted her business, why many restaurants are combining themes/entertainment with their brick and mortar, and how Seattle is preparing for FIFA! You'll...

We sit down with the General Manager for Olympic Athletic Club to learn all about how the gym industry has changed over the years and what makes this one so unique. We talk about the demand for amenities, their recent renovation, the importance of good talent, and much more. All of this along with your weekly business news roundup!

Top Stories:

1. The business of gyms

PSBJ article

2. Rad Power Bikes might shut down

GeekWire article

3. BECU merger & Perkins Coie merger

PSBJ article (BECU) & PSBJ article...

We talk to the General Manager & the Director of Business Operations for the Seattle Torrent, the newest team added to the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). In this episode, we discuss why the PWHL ownership is unique, why they are playing the first season without the new jerseys, why the head coach was chosen, and how they plan to collaborate with the other major sports teams here. All of this and your top business news stories!

Top Stories:

1. PWHL team: New name, new logo, and season starting!

2. Barnes & Noble returns to downtown

We talk to the Founder & CEO of a company that pioneered human composting as an alternative to burial or cremation. Katrina shares how she went from architecture school to creating this company that ultimately allowed Washington to be the FIRST state to legalize this practice in 2019. Today 14 states have legalized this new option. In this episode we also talk about how the death industry is changing, how she plans to scale, and her biggest architecture fear.

All this and your top business stories!

Top Stories

1. The business of death

In Seattle...

As the GM of The Spring District, Linda brings us the inside scoop on the commercial real estate industry as well as interesting details like how the retail shops were chosen for this neighborhood and how she partnered with the city of Bellevue for success. All this and your top stories!

Top Stories:

1. Update on The Spring District

2. Amazon (and Meta) layoffs

3. Heritage Distilling closes tasting rooms

4. Little Saigon landowner sues the city

About guest Linda Hoffner - General Manager, The Spring District, Wright Runstad & Company & Host...

Washington's music sector directly contributes $6.4 billion annually to the state's GDP, six times more than spectator sports. We sit down with longtime music industry businessman and current CEO of Sonic Guild Ben London to discuss everything from ticket prices, why we can't go back to the 90's, what the city needs to do to help musicians thrive.

Top Stories

1. Census results about the music industry in Washington state

2. Live Nation CEO thinks ticket prices can be higher

3. Broadway actors and producers reach tentative labor deal, but musicians still threaten a strike<...

Rachel plays the audio from her panel discussion with prominent AI professionals in Seattle discussing our assumption in this space and the race to innovate. This event was held on October 3rd at World Trade Center by Emily Parkhurst of Formidable. It featured multiple panels during this half-day event. Your weekly business news roundup is still at the beginning of the episode!

The Race to Innovate

Speakers:

The Founder & CEO of Hot Tub Boats explains how he came up with this unique idea to create the first hot tub boat ever in Seattle, WA. Adam talks about how he funded the project, the lessons he learned along the way, and his recent expansion into California. We also talk about production challenges with the new tariffs, who he will sell his boats to, and so much more!

All this and your top business news stories.

Top Stories:

1. The business of hot tub boats

2. More emergency drones to be built...

We're on the hockey rink with the SVP of Social Impact & Civic Affairs for Seattle Kraken and Executive Director of the Kraken's nonprofit One Roof Foundation Mari Horita. This episode covers the behind-the-scenes of the Memorial Stadium renovation project, how one meeting changed her career from President of ArtsFund to her current position, and what conversations are being had in the boardroom of Seattle Credit Union. Lastly, we discuss her top takeaways from working in the arts industry.

All this and your weekly business news roundup!

Top Stories

1. Memorial Stadium update

2...

Eliza recently took over as CEO of this historic 1908 Capitol Hill venue from the former owner of Century Ballroom. In this episode we'll talk about how to balance executing your own vision, while still paying tribute to what made the venue successful before. We learn from her remodeling hiccups and why there were construction delays, we discuss the different business models for arts venue spaces, and finally we get vulnerable about how lonely being an entrepreneur can be. All this and your weekly top business news stories!

Top Stories:

1. Reverie Ballroom opens in Century Ballroom...

In this special episode, Rachel visits her alma mater and interviews her former media professor to talk all things media. This episode will feel like you're right back in a college classroom trying to make sense of the world. They talk about how media consumption has changed over the years, why we are so divided and the role media plays, and when we stopped trusting media. They also discuss topics like the recent cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel and what that means for our democracy. Lastly, they discuss how we perceive the value of college now and whether it is...

This week Michelle, CEO of ULMS and Co-Founder of BFCF dives into the nonprofit world. She discusses how her organizations collaborate with Washington state government, the story behind BFCF’s Reign jersey sponsorship, and the evolution of workforce development. And as always, your top news of the week.

Top Stories:

1. How Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle impacts the city

2. Rough & Tumble to open second location in Columbia City

3. xAI to open Seattle hub for engineers & Microsoft new RTO policy

About guest Michelle Merriweather - CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Se...

It's just Rachel this week recapping the Seattle business news. She also gives a personal life update (hello Mayoral debate?!) and a teaser for upcoming guests.

Top Stories:

1. Restaurant closures continue (plus Mamnoon and Outer Planet)

2. Climate Pledge Arena switches to reusable cups

3. HomeStreet Bank merges with Mechanics Bank

4. Former AWS CEO goes to private equity

5. Waymo is coming to Seattle

6. Lumen Field updates

Rachel's event for queer women:

Lesbian Chronicles LIVE

Saturday, October 18th

Reverie Ballroom<...

Longtime journalist Rob Smith is back in the studio! He was the Executive Editor for Seattle Magazine/Seattle Business Magazine when we recorded our 3rd ever episode. And now he returns to talk about his career shift to Formidable, his take on billionaires owning media companies, and why Seattle has the most expensive Ubers. In honor of Bumbershoot happening, we also recap the business history of this iconic festival.

Top Stories:

1. Bro-PO: More IPOs, less women

2. King 5 and KONG owner Tegna to be acquired

3. New rewards program and facial recognition for...

The CEO of Whitepages enlightens us about the importance of sharing information in order to have a source of truth, the rise and fall of ReachNow, and we connect over our shared passion for a Ponzi scheme story.

Top Stories:

1. Allen Institute for AI lands $152M from Nvidia and NSF

2. More tech layoffs: Oracle, F5, T-Mobile

3. Everett man indicted for Ponzi scheme (and this article)

4 Washington grapes save BC wineries after freeze

About guest Leigh McMillan - CEO, Whitepages:

Leigh joined Whitepages in 2017 to lead...

The President & CEO shares with us how she chooses locations for new stores, why there's not a veggie burger on the menu, and if we will see seating back in the Queen Anne store. We also cover the unique challenges of leading a family business as a member of the third generation, how the minimum wage increase impacted the business, and how she feels it is not the right time for the proposed B&O tax change.

Top Stories:

1. New(ish) Dick's Drive-In location

2. Smartsheet and First Fed CEO step down

3...

The General & Artistic Director of the Seattle Opera shares how the business model of the opera, and arts organizations as a whole, have changed over the years. We talk about why producing an opera is expensive, how leaders should approach funding as an investment rather than a charity gift, and lastly he dispels the myth that the opera is just for the elite.

All of this along with breaking down Starbucks moving away from pick-up only stores and Zillow being sued. Again.

Top Stories

1. The business of performance art

2. Starbucks to...

As the Principal of a construction company, Tess shares with us why construction projects can get behind schedule, how building in Seattle compares to other cities, and why she's diversified her company portfolio in recent years. All of this along with breaking down the lawsuit over the Microsoft project, opening of pier 58, and the second sale of Convoy.

Top Stories

1. Construction industry update

no article

2. Pier 58 opens

Seattle Magazine article

3. Contractors sue Skanska Balfour Beatty over Microsoft project

PSBJ article

4. Convoy sells again<...

It's Yonder's 5 year anniversary so we brought the Founder & CEO Caitlin back to the studio to share what's changed since we last talked, how the tariffs are affecting her business, the sometimes tricky relationship between small businesses and the city, and lastly, how we feel about virtual reality.

Top Stories

1. Trader Joe's coming to Northgate

Seattle Times article

2. Impact of tariffs

PSBJ articles

3. Bus only lanes in Fremont & Ballard

Seattle Times article

4. New mixed reality theme park

PSBJ article

...

As the CEO of the largest shelter in Washington state serving families experiencing homelessness, Dominique shares what Mary's Place is doing to serve our community and how things have dramatically changed since 2019. She talks about their strategic three pronged approach to help those in need, the impact of decreased federal funding, and why a housing first model has been successful. She also busts certain myths or assumptions many make about people experiencing homelessness. All this along with your roundup of top Seattle business news stories!

Top Stories:

1. Housing first program reveals positive data

...

The CEO of Fire & Vine Hospitality joins us to talk about the restaurant industry and especially the impact of the minimum wage change that took effect in January. Should all restaurants implement a mandatory service charge? Is there a place for dive bars in Seattle anymore? As the Founder of Brigado, a tech hospitality company, Chad also explains why he's declared war on credit card fees and where he thinks the solution is to avoid these ever increasing costs. Lastly, as the co-founder of Third Door Coalition, Chad shares his experience in trying to solve chronic homelessness and why...

As the Founder & President of a tech consulting/data analytics company AND a former lawyer, Ryan has a lot of interesting perspectives on the news of this week. We debate the controversial B&O taxes and what it really means to pay your "fair share". Ryan shares why going public used to be his dream and why it no longer is. He also makes some bold predictions on the future of Salesforce. Lastly, we dive into intellectual property laws: Does duping a product makes a creator more innovative? What should the role of government be to protect entrepreneurs?

Rachel's older sister joins the NY hotel "studio" to break down the top news stories and share some of her own about what it was like growing up with Rachel and what it's like being a high school teacher.

Top Stories:

1. Leadership changes: USAFacts, Rover, Perkins Coie, Kaiser Permanente

USA Facts

Rover

Perkins Coie

Kaiser Permanente

2. Live Nation eyes new venue

PSBJ article

3. Compass sues Zillow

Seattle Times article

4. Grocery store updates: Bartell Drugs, QFC, PCC, Whole...

The former Chief Economist for Windermere helps us understand how the economy is doing amongst the tariff and immigration changes at a federal level. He also shares interesting data on the job market and housing in Washington state. We ask him what people looking to buy a house should know, if he sees us heading towards a recession, and so much more in this special mid-year economic outlook episode.

Matthew Gardner - Principal & Chief Economist, Gardner Economics

Matthew Gardner is the Principal and Chief Economist at Gardner Economics in Seattle. Prior to this he was...

This week we're talking the business of sports! Co-founder Chris Ackerley shares his insights about owning the Sonics, trying to buy a rugby team, and much more!

Top Stories:

1. Ackerley Sports Group bids on rugby team

Sportcal article

2. Hockey updates in Seattle

Seattle Times article (PWHL)

PSBJ article (Kraken coach)

3. Memorial Stadium updates

PSBJ article & MSN article

4. LinkedIn CEO gets another role

GeekWire article

About guest Chris Ackerley - Ackerely Sports Group

Chris is the Mana...

It's Pride Month! We talk to the Executive Director of Seattle Pride about the change in corporate sponsorships since the new administration, her decision to publicly announce the budget shortfall, and what she sees for the future of Seattle Pride. She also helps break down the news of a new Molly Moon's location, colleges merging, and a private equity acquisition.

Top Stories:

1. Seattle Pride update

Seattle Magazine article

Seattle Pride statement (2022)

2. Molly Moon's opens waterfront location

PSBJ article

3. Seattle U and Cornish merge

...

As the Executive Director, Lisa gives us an update on the state of Pioneer Square, how the org is preparing for FIFA, and the unique way they are helping small businesses.

Top Stories:

1. State of Pioneer Square

Seattle magazine article and KNKX article

2. Sound Transit testing light rail on I-90

PSBJ article or The Urbanist article

3. New taxes on businesses

GeekWire article

4. Glass elevator at Space Needle

GeekWire article

About guest Lisa Howard - Executive Director, Alliance for Pioneer Sq...

We're back with an inside look at the zoo! President & CEO Alejandro Grajal walks us through how they raised $120M for their new exhibit, the impact of decreased tourism from Canada, and his philosophy on why zoos are so important to our society.

Top Stories:

1. Woodland Park Zoo's new exhibit after $110M campaign

Fox13 article

2. International tourism is down in Seattle

PSBJ article

3. Microsoft to lay off 2,000 Seattle employees

GeekWire article or PSBJ article

4. Nordstrom is officially a private company

Seattle Ma...

We're talking entrepreneurship, production facilities, and acquisitions with the founder and CEO of Glowforge - Dan Shapiro. As we break down the top stories of the week, he also shares how he came up with the idea of a 3D laser printer, how the tariffs are going to impact his business, and what he got wrong about Rover.

Top Stories:

1. Glowforge makes production changes

Amid tariff turmoil, Glowforge turns to Seattle for new production factory — with help from AI (Geekwire)

2. Tutta Bella expands Kroger deal

Tutta Bella ramps up pr...

We're talking all things architecture, design, and tall buildings! Julia is responsible for shaping Seattle's skyline with her signature skyscrapers like Skyglass in SLU. We find out how she is able to push the boundaries of what's possible, her thoughts on sustainability, and her most impactful piece of architecture that changed the course of her life.

Top Stories

1. Belltown high-rise sells for over $100M

PSBJ article

2. Pioneer Square hotel to be carbon positive

PSBJ article

3. Developer to start Ballard mid-rise apartment project

PSBJ article

Former restaurant and retail journalist Joey Thompson joins us to talk about what new restaurants are opening and which ones are closing. We also cover sports updates, new rules at Pike Place, and the state of journalism.

Top Stories

1. Restaurant updates: Salt & Straw, Raising Cane's, Eden Hill, and more

Salt n Straw (Seattle Times)

Raising Cane's (PSBJ)

Eden Hill closes (Seattle Eater)

Rapport reopens as Nomadic (Cap Hill)

2. Sports updates: Kraken, Storm, Seawolves

Kraken head coach changes (PSBJ)

Kraken changes season...

Former journalist and VC firm content expert Coral Garnick Ducken returns to the studio to help us understand the top business stories of the week!

Top Stories

1. Two new grocery stores, one restaurant closes

Trader Joe's draws hundreds to line up for grand opening (Seattle Times)

PCC says downtown Seattle store to reopen this summer (Seattle Times)

Virginia Inn, Seattle restaurant that predates Pike Place Market, will close (Seattle Times)

2. Status of venture funding in Q1

Seattle venture funding surges in first quarter (PSBJ)

Fi...

Top Stories:

1. Development site on Tacoma's waterfront hits the market

PSBJ article

2. WA college students' visas revoked

Seattle Times article

3. What's next for The Swiss building?

The News Tribune article

4. Duke's Seafood on Alki is closed

Eater Seattle article

About guest Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange - Chancellor, UW Tacoma:

Sheila has been the Chancellor at UW Tacoma for just about 4 years. Prior to this she was the President of Seattle Central College and before that Vice President of University...

Top Stories:

1. Army vet launches maternal-care startup

GeekWire article

2. What cuts to research means for us

Formidable article

3. Mark Cuban backs Seattle startup & Amazon bids on TikTok

GeekWire article

NY Times article

4. Two new alliances: STG & 5th Ave Theater and Seattle Center & PacSci

Seattle Times article (5th Ave & STG)

GeekWire article (Seattle Center & Pacific Science Center)

About guest Stephiney Foley - Founder & CEO, Yuzi Care:

Stephiney is a certified doula and an Army veteran. She we...

This episode is a clip from the Northwest Event Show where Rachel sat down with Cheryl Cecchetto - Founder & CEO of Sequoia Productions. Cheryl and her team are responsible for putting on high-end Hollywood events inlcuding the Academy Awards and Emmys Awards Governors Balls in Los Angeles (for 33 and 28 years, consecutively), The American-Australian G’DAY USA Arts Gala (22 years), and L.A. Philharmonic Annual Gala for 6 years.

Please enjoy this keynote session titled "A Peak Behind the Hollywood Curtain: Oscars, Emmy's, and more!" that took place Thursday, March 27th at 9:00am at Seattle Convention Center.

Le...

Top Stories:

1. New sports bar by Climate Pledge

PSBJ article

2. Inside the e-book industry

Seattle Times article

3. Google to make its largest acquisition

NY Times article

4. Remitly co-founder steps down

PSBJ article

About guest Craig Dawson - Co-founder & President, Retail Lockbox

Craig co-founded Retail Lockbox in 1994 with the help of his partner, Walt Townes. Prior to founding Retail Lockbox, Inc., Craig was a Senior Sales Executive with Unisys Corporation, an international provider of computer and system solutions. He also...

Top Stories:

1. Why do we do daylight savings?

USAFacts article

2. Redfin to be acquired by Rocket Companies

GeekWire article

3. Cheesecake Factory to close

Seattle Times article

4. Pike Place Foundation Executive Director resigns

Seattle Times article

5. Tariffs

USAFacts article & Seattle Times article

About guest Poppy MacDonald - President, USAFacts

Poppy MacDonald is the President of USAFacts, a non-profit initiative that provides well-visualized data on the American people and their government. Before joining USAFacts in 2018, Poppy was...

Rachel brings back her audio engineer (Nick Patri) and a loyal listener (Sarah Donaldson) to talk about their favorite moments over the past year, behind the scenes from recording, and what it was like at the anniversary party. We even get to hear a few confessions....Enjoy this bonus content!

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

This episode we revisit some of our favorite pieces of advice from our guests over the past year! Use this extra time to catch up on any episodes you missed and we'll be back next week with our regular show.

Advice:

Top Stories:

1. Starbucks to lay off 1,100 corporate employees

Seattle Times article

2. Seattle tech company adds to C-suite

PSBJ article

3. Sounders will give away tickets to first timers

Seattle Times article or Sounders Press Release

4. Pickleball chain coming to Fremont

Seattle Magazine article or PBSJ article

About guest co-hosts Lindsay Droz and Kristi Lord - Co-founders, L'AVANT:

L’AVANT sells bougie, eco-friendly cleaning products with plant based ingredients like hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, multipurpose spray and more. Lindsay an...

Top Stories:

1. PATH cuts workforce

GeekWire article

2. Joann closes 60% of its stores

NPR article

3. New data from Amazon's RTO

PSBJ article

4. Zillow and Redfin partner, leads to layoffs

Seattle Times article

5. The state of DEI in business

Wall Street Journal article & Seattle Times article

About guest Bindiya Patel - Executive Director, Leadership Tomorrow:

Bindiya has been with Leadership Tomorrow for about one year. Prior to that she spent close to 20 years with PATH, a global...

Top Stories:

1. Martin Selig defaults on loans

PSBJ article

2. Canlis brother and chef leave

Seattle Met article

PSBJ article

NY Times article

3. Memorial Stadium update

PSBJ article

4. Two movie theaters close

Seattle Times article (Ark Lodge Cinemas)

Seattle Times article (AMC 10)

5. SODO might have housing

Seattle Times article

About guest co-host Nick Patri - Podcast & Marketing Consultant:

Nick started as a Sports Reporter at the Wisconsin State Journal, then...

Top Stories:

1. YouTube partners with CAA to combat deepfakes

Variety article

2. Microsoft and OpenAI's response to DeepSeek

Seattle Times article

GeekWire article & GeekWire podcast

3. Smartsheet bought by private equity

GeekWire article

4. New UW President

GeekWire article

5. Wildrose owner passes away

Seattle Times article

About guest Dave Siegfried - Founder & CEO, Official AI

Dave has been with Offical AI for about a year, prior to that he was CEO and Co-founder of LOANtuitive, a...

Top Stories:

1. Funding levels drop for women founders

Formidable article

2. The business of subscription boxes

no article

3. Seattle shipping company closes

PSBJ article

4. RTO: Companies re-thinking dress codes

PSBJ article

About guest Ambika Singh - Founder & CEO, Armoire

Ambika launched Armoire, a clothing rental company, in 2016. Prior to this she worked in consulting, various startups like Rover, and also Microsoft. She is on the board of United Way of King County. She received her undergraduate degree in History/Economics...

Top Stories

1. TikTok update

AP News article and PSBJ article

2. The state of the VC industry

VCs in 2024 (PSBJ)

VCs in 2025 (GeekWire)

3. Meta to layoff 5% based on merit

CNBC article

4. Capitol Hill's Rapport closes

Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

About guest Ken Horenstein - Founder & General Partner, Pack Ventures:

Ken has been with Pack Ventures for 4 years. Before that he was a co-founder of Venture Out Seattle, and prior to that worked at M12 which is Microsoft’s Ve...

Top Stories:

1. Gallagher to acquire AssuredPartners

Insurance Business Magazine article

2. JCPenny and Eddie Bauer parent company to merge

Seattle Times article

3. Porch shifts to homeowners insurance

PSBJ article

4. REI shuts down Experiences, layoffs

Seattle Times article

About guest Lorrie Baldevia - Platform President, AssuredPartners:

This is Lorrie's 25th year with AssuredPartners. She is currently on the global board of Finseca, a financial services organization. She previously served on the board of M Financial Group and Seattle University. She co-founded...

Top Stories:

1. Apple takes over Meta office space

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

2. Zoom coming to Bellevue

⁠GeekWire article⁠ 

3. Historic Pioneer Square building sold

⁠PSBJ article⁠

4.Getty Images acquires Shutterstock

⁠GeekWire article⁠

About guest Alison Beddard - Managing Principal, Washington & Oregon, Cushman & Wakefield

Alison has worked for commercial real estate company Cushman & Wakefield for close to 20 years. She was the Managing Principal for Utah, then Washington, and most recently has added Oregon almost 2 years ago. She serves on the UW Runstad Advisory Board an...

Top Stories:

1. Retail industry trends in 2024

Seattle Times article

2. Bartell Drugs in U Village closing

PSBJ article

3. Party City closing

CNN article

4. Nordstrom goes private

GeekWire article

About guest Don Riling - President & Owner, Olympic Hot Tub

Don has been President & Owner of Olympic Hot Tub for 8 years and has worked at the company for close to 30 years. Prior to arriving at Olympic, he had a long retail career which included Jay Jacobs, The Disney Store and Nordstrom. Outside...

We're bringing back some great workplace advice by republishing one of the most downloaded episodes of the weekly, featuring Amber Simonsen - Founder of A Better 40 and Director of Passenger Service Systems Integration for Alaska Airlines.

About guest Amber Simonsen - Commercial Portfolio Director, Alaska Airlines & Founder, ⁠A Better 40⁠

Amber has spent the bulk of her career as a professional project manager, and being the go-to person for getting the big ideas turned into a reality. And while she loves the thrill of synthesizing complex information, building a great plan and getting things done, she like...

Top Stories:

1. What is a "healthy" building?

No article

2. Amazon doesn't have enough space for RTO

GeekWire article

3. Hyatt Lake Washington sells after bankruptcy

PSBJ article

Seattle Times article

About guest Nicole DeNamur - Owner, Sustainable Strategies and Owner, Climate Aligned Law:

Nicole is the owner of Sustainable Strategies which provides sustainability consulting services. She is also the owner of Climate Aligned Law, a climate focused law firm. She is an Affiliate Instructor at UW in the Deptartment of Real Estate...

Solo episode! News - where are they now?!

Top Stories

1. Visit Seattle - event recap about FIFA 2026

PSBJ article

2. Kroger Albertsons update

Seattle Times article

3. Expedia spy cameras update

Seattle Times article

4. HomeStreet Bank and FirstSun merger update

PSBJ article

PSBJ article (analysis)

5. iCap Ponzi scheme update

PSBJ article

6. Boeing layoffs

PSBJ article (layoffs)

PSBJ article (737 production)

7. Seattle colleges merge

Seattle Times article

8...

Top Stories:

1. Voodoo Donuts comes to Seattle

Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

2. Local sushi place re-opens after viral TikTok

GeekWire article

3. The restaurant minimum wage debate

Seattle Times article

4. Seattle can't recycle glass due to one company

Seattle Times article

About guest Elaina Morris - Founding Partner, President & CEO, Ascend Hospitality Group

Elaina has been President & CEO of Ascend Hospitality Group for about eight years which represents Ascend Prime Steak and Sushi in Bellevue and is the parent company of...

Top Stories:

1. New Seafair leadership

Seattle Magazine article

2. Mayor wants fewer cars in Pike Place

PSBJ article

PSBJ article (more local visitors)

3. Potential legislation for night clubs

Seattle City Council Blog

4. Are corporations actually helping non-profits?

PSBJ article (opinion piece)

About guest co-host Emily Cantrell - President & CEO, Seafair

Prior to being the President & CEO of Seafair, she was the COO and then interim CEO of PROVAIL, a multi-million dollar non-profit serving those with disabilities. She was...

Top Stories:

1. FTC might come after Microsoft

Seattle Times article (Alex's article)

2. Elysian closes Georgetown location

PSBJ article

3. SLUT stays, for now

PSBJ article

4. Capital gains tax stays

Seattle Times article (WA tax - Alex's article)

Seattle Times article (Seattle tax)

5. Sears is closing

Seattle Times article

About co-host Alex Halverson - Business Reporter, Seattle Times

Prior to his role as a Business Reporter at Seattle Times he was a Tech Reporter at...

In this special episode, Rachel sits down with with a therapist to help her sort out her post election emotions. She is joined by Alex Iani - Therapist for King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (and her old roommate).

The one story we cover: Boeing strike ends

Seattle Times article

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree...

Top Stories:

1. The role of TV news in politics

no article

2. Jeff Bezos pulls Washington Post endorsement

Geekwire article

Jeff Bezos statement

3. CEO accused of fraud skips town

Seattle Times article

Seattle Times article (update)

4. Boeing workers deny offer

PSBJ article

5. New semi-pro Ballard soccer team

Seattle Times article

MyBallard article

About guest co-host Jake Whittenberg - Morning News Anchor, King 5

Jake has been working at King 5 for about 15...

Top Stories:

1. How GeekWire started and the state of journalism

no article

2. Uber interested in acquiring Expedia

GeekWire article

3. Microsoft and OpenAI relationship rocky

GeekWire article and NY Times article

4 AWS CEO says something controversial

GeekWire article and Seattle Times article

5 Laser weed company raises $70M

GeekWire article

About guest John Cook - Co-Founder & Publisher, GeekWire

John launched GeekWire in 2011 with co-founder Todd Bishop. Prior to this he had a long history of working in...

Top Stories:

1. Ethan Stowell to open pickleball club

PSBJ article

2. Yonder Cider: From garage to taproom

No article

3. Nordstrom talks about theft

PSBJ article

4. China Harbor returns

Seattle Times article

About guest Caitlin Braam - Founder & CEO, Yonder Cider:

Caitlin founded Yonder Cider in 2020. Prior to this she worked at Angry Orchard as a Brand Strategist and before that she was the President of Seattle Cider Company & Two Beers Brewing. She has years long history of working in PR a...

Top Stories

1. New walkway opens downtown

Seattle Magazine article

2. Gen Z getting fired quickly

Yahoo Finance article

3. Pokemon to open a museum

PSBJ article

4. Avalara to move offices

PSBJ article

About guest Maureen Wiley Clough - Founder & Host, It Gets Late Early podcast

Maureen founded the It Gets Late Early podcast about aging in the tech industry about a year and a half ago. Prior to that, she was the head of partnerships at UpKeep and was the Director...

Top Stories:

1. Smartsheet to sell to private equity

Geekwire article

2. Electric boat engine company enters receivership

PSBJ article

3. Deep fake startup gets $6.7M

Geekwire article

4. NVIDIA acquires Seattle AI startup

PSBJ article

About guest Vivek Ladsariya - Managing Director, Pioneer Square Labs

Vivek is a Managing Director at Pioneer Square Labs which is a venture capital fund founded in 2015. Prior to this, he was the General Partner at SineWave Ventures in San Francisco and has founded a few of...

Top Stories:

1. Boeing opinions

PSBJ article

2. Bellevue affordable housing

PSBJ article

Gordon's opinion piece

3. 3rd Ave lights & Stay Out zones

Seattle Times article (lights)

Seattle Times article (stay out zones)

4. Zulily being sued over layoffs

Geekwire article

About guest Gordon McHenry Jr. - President & CEO, United Way of King County

Gordon has been President and CEO of United Way of King County for 5 years. Prior to that he served as the President and CEO of...

Top Stories:

1. Amazon requires 5 days in office

Geekwire article

2. PCC returns downtown

PSBJ article

3. Boeing strike updates

Seattle Times article

4. Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines merge

PSBJ article

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

...

Top Stories:

1. Changes to WA bar exam

PSBJ article

2. Nordstrom trying to go private

Seattle Times article

3. Bellevue Arts Museum closes

Bellevue Arts Museum Press Release

4. Ethan Stowell/Rubenstein lawsuit

Seattle Times article

5. Middle school cell phone ban

Geekwire article

About guest Trae Holiday - Host & Producer, Converge Media

Trae is the Host of “The Day with Trae” where she interviews community leaders, musicians, politicians and more. She is also the Host of Equity Rising podc...

Top Stories:

1. Port of Seattle outages

Geekwire article

2. Umpqua Bank Seahawks suite level

PSBJ article

3. Hotel workers on strike

Seattle Times article

4. Largest fundraiser in the region

PSBJ article

5. Seattle Rep layoffs

Seattle Times article

About guest co-host Tony Gavilanes - Founder & CEO, Tech Event Pro

Tony founded TEP almost 20 years ago. In 2010 he also founded Copious Love Productions, a nonprofit theater production company. Prior to that he held leadership roles for a variety of...

Top Stories:

1. Zillow CEO steps down

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger makes progress

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Understanding pay equity through data

⁠Bloomberg article⁠

4. Companies removing DE&I teams including Microsoft

⁠Formidable article⁠

About guest Maria Colacurcio - CEO, Syndio:

Maria has been the CEO of Syndio, a pay equity software as a service company, for almost 6 years. She was a co-founder of Smartsheet, she worked in leadership roles at Starbucks corporate and Microsoft. Maria is a serial entrepren...

About guest Amber Simonsen - Commercial Portfolio Director, Alaska Airlines & Founder, ⁠A Better 40⁠

Amber has spent the bulk of her career as a professional project manager, and being the go-to person for getting the big ideas turned into a reality. And while she loves the thrill of synthesizing complex information, building a great plan and getting things done, she likes helping others succeed even more.

That’s why she started A Better 40. The lessons she's learned from consulting in the tech field, leading major system design change for government organizations, and delivering game changing products for on...

Top Stories:

1. Seattle's minimum wage

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

2. City of Seattle's budget issues

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Effect of caregiving in the workplace

⁠Forbes article⁠

4. Brain studies at Allen Institute

⁠Yahoo article⁠

About guest Marjorie Thomas - CFO, Allen Institute

Marjorie joined the Allen Institute in 2017. As Chief Financial Officer she leads all accounting financial functions including grant administration. Previously Marjorie was CFO and Treasurer of RealNetworks. Before that, she held senior financial positions at Intuit, Sony Electronics, and Hewlett Pack...

Top Stories:

1. AAA Washington brand makeover

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. The Stranger is bought

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. New Boeing CEO

⁠Geekwire article⁠

4. Everett company ponzi scheme

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

5. LimeGlider coming to Seattle

⁠Geekwire article⁠

About guest co-host Marc Berger – Executive Vice President and Puget Sound Market Lead, DH

Prior to this role Marc was the President and Partner of Nyhus Communications which was bought by DH about 2 years ago. Before that he worked for the National Committee on US China...

Top Stories:

1. CrowdStrike outage

⁠Geekwire article⁠

2. LevelTen raises $65M in Series D

⁠PSBJ article⁠

3. Target cuts back on LGBTQ vendors

⁠Business Insider article⁠

4. New CEO at Providence

⁠PSBJ article⁠

5. Homegrown closing stores

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

About guest co-host Fran Dunaway - Co-Founder, TomBoyX:

Fran was one of the inaugural Forbes 50 over 50, she is a media executive turned fashion entrepreneur. She co-founded TomBoyX, a Seattle-based gender neutral underwear and apparel brand in 2013 with her wife. As former CEO...

Top Stories:

1. NanoString update

Previous articles: ⁠⁠PSBJ article ⁠& ⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. MOD Pizza sells

⁠Eater article⁠

3. Aquarium to open

⁠Seattle Times article ⁠

⁠Video⁠

4. Discrimination lawsuit

⁠Geekwire article⁠

5. Costco raising fees

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

About guest co-host Kathy Surace-Smith - former SVP, Human Resources & Legal Affairs, NanoString:

Kathy has over 35 years of experience working in high-growth private and public companies in US and Europe including over 20 yrs working in life sciences industry. She was the board chair for Fred H...

Top Stories:

1. Microsoft layoffs

⁠Geekwire article⁠

2. New interim Police Chief

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Increase in scammers

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

4. Wine deal

⁠PSBJ article⁠

5. Kroger merger update

⁠PSBJ article⁠

About guest co-host Jamila Conley - Founder & CEO, WeRise Wines:

Jamila was most recently the VP of Global Talent Acquisition at F5 and held VP roles in the company prior to that including Mergers & Acquisitions and IT Products. She worked in senior leadership at T-Mobile in software developm...

Top Stories:

1. New housing in Central District

⁠Capitol Hill Blog article⁠

2. WA program for first time homebuyers

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Plastic surgeon office fakes reviews

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

4. Idaho investment company buys First Hill tower

⁠PSBJ article⁠

5. Warren Buffet's financial plans after he dies

⁠Geekwire article⁠

About guest co-host Jaebadiah Gardner - Founder & CEO, Gardner Global:

Jaebadiah is an African-American, Mexican-American businessman, multi-family real estate developer, fund manager, author and is the Founder & CEO of GardnerGlobal...

Top Stories

1. HomeStreet Bank & FirstSun merger

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. The future of pharmacies

⁠Fortune article⁠

3. Electrician strike ends

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

4. Costco lawsuit

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

5. Getty Images co-founder leaves board

⁠PSBJ article⁠

Guest co-host Kathi Lentzsch - Board Member and former CEO of Bartell Drugs:

Kathi is the co-chair for the Women Corporate Directors Foundation, a board member of Skagit Valley Malting, a board member for UW's Center for Leadership and Strategic Thinking. Prior to this, she w...

Top Stories

1. Farestart is reopening

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

2. Seattle startup scene

⁠Geekwire article⁠

3. New museum to open

⁠425 Magazine article⁠

4. Saltchuk buys a company for $430M

⁠PSBJ article⁠

5. Boeing CEO is under fire

⁠Formidable article⁠

Guest Co-Host Emily Parkhurst - Founder & CEO, Formidable

Emily Parkhurst is the Founder & CEO of media company Formidable launched in 2024. Prior to this she was the VP of Content at 6AM City, and before that the Publisher and Market President of the Pug...

In this special episode we sit down with Dr. Skylar Olsen - Chief Economist of Zillow who gives us a mid-year economic outlook. We talk about interest rates, inflation, recession, and so much more!

Dr. Skylar Olsen - Chief Economist, Zillow

A Ph.D. housing economist with over a decade studying U.S. housing markets and consumers, Skylar is passionate about ensuring policymakers, journalists, housing professionals, and her colleagues have the data and understanding they need to make better decisions.

Skylar has testified before Congress about fair housing issues and regularly shares her...

Top Stories

1. Microsoft CEO leaves Starbucks board

⁠Geekwire article⁠

2. Seattle startup wins lawsuit against Boeing

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. VC backed biotech Vilya raises $71M

⁠Geekwire article⁠

4. Lightrail SLU location debate

Opinion 1: ⁠The Stranger article⁠

Opinion 2: ⁠PSBJ article⁠

5. New record store on Vashon

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

About guest co-host Greg Kunst - Founder & CEO, Aurion Biotech:

Greg Kunst founded Aurion Biotech which is a company that develops cell therapies for the treatment of serious eye disorders...

Top Stories:

1. T-Mobile buys most of US Cellular

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

2. MultiCare & Overlake affiliation

⁠PSBJ article⁠

3. Melinda French Gates announces plan

⁠Geekwire article⁠

4. Startup helping with bereavement

⁠Geekwire article⁠

5. Seattle CEO returns

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

⁠2022 Seattle Times article⁠

About guest co-host Andrea Anderson - CEO, Girl Scouts of Western Washington:

Andrea is the proud daughter of immigrants from Denmark, a Girl Scout alum (having been a Brownie while growing up in Michigan), and is the fi...

Top Stories:

1. Expedia leaders are out

⁠Geekwire article⁠/⁠Seattle Times article⁠

2. Synapse bankruptcy affects Seattle startup

⁠Geekwire article⁠

3. Amazon AWS CEO change

⁠PSBJ article⁠ (CEO leaving)

⁠PSBJ article ⁠(new CEO)

4. OpenAI's new voice product

⁠Geekwire article⁠

5. Local VC to launch startup community hub

⁠Geekwire article⁠

About guest co-host Coral Garnick Ducken - Digital Editor, Madrona:

Prior to her current role as Digital Editor for Seattle VC firm Madrona, she was a content writer for Blueprint Technologies...

Top Stories:

1. Seattle CEO guilty of fraud

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. Melinda French Gates steps down

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Kaiser Permanente to sell land

⁠PSBJ article⁠

4. Chateau Ste Michelle over the years

⁠PSBJ article⁠ (Jen Belle leaving)

⁠⁠Seattle Times article⁠⁠ (background)

5. Amazon's new Project Kuiper

⁠Geekwire article⁠

About guest co-host Eduardo Penalver - President, Seattle University:

Eduardo M. Peñalver became the President of Seattle University on July 1, 2021. From 2014 until 2021, he served as the Dean of Cornell Law School.

Pr...

Top Stories:

1. Visit Seattle updates

(no article)

2. Top Pot Doughnuts expands

⁠PSBJ article⁠

3. Docusign acquires Lexion

⁠Geekwire article⁠

4. Starbucks ex-CEO weighs in

⁠Geekwire article⁠

5. Redfin settles in lawsuit

⁠AP news article⁠

About guest co-host Troy Anderson - Director of Sales, Visit Seattle

Troy has been with Visit Seattle for close to 12 years and currently serves as the Director of Sales specifically focusing on bringing convention business to the city. Prior to this role he worked in sales at hote...

Top Stories:

1. Sue Bird joins Storm ownership group

⁠AP News article⁠

2. Amazon Q1 numbers are up

⁠Geekwire article⁠

3. REI reports 2023 loss

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

4. FTC sues Doxo

⁠PSBJ article⁠

5. Downtown properties owe $16M for waterfront

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

About co-host: Cate Goethals - Founder, The Better Boards Initiative

Cate is the Founder of The Better Boards Initiative, an organization with the goal of making corporate boards more diverse. She is also the Founder & Director of the Women Board Dire...

Top Stories:

1. Nanostring is bought

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. Non-compete clauses are banned

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Cornish is selling Kerry Hall

⁠Seattle Magazine article⁠

4. Music venues opening/re-opening

⁠Seattle Times article⁠ (Carnation)

⁠Seattle Refined⁠ (Conor Byrne)

5. President of Wizards of the Coast resigns

⁠Geekwire article⁠

About co-host: James Falzone - Dean at Cornish College of the Arts James Falzone is a clarinetist, composer, and improviser whose work in the jazz and creative music scenes has won him international ac...

Top Stories:

1. Bumbershoot will open arts venue

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

2. Fremont Brewery has a new owner

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Styrofoam containers to be banned

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

4. ZoomCare will accept Medicare

⁠PSBJ Article⁠

5. Affordable housing project in U district

⁠PSBJ Article⁠

Other sources:

⁠Low Income Housing ⁠

⁠Brewery Rankings⁠

About co-host: Jen Barnes - Founder & Owner, Rough and Tumble:

Jen opened Rough & Tumble, the first ever pub for women's just about a year an...

Top Stories:

1. Landmark Events Co takes over Columbia Winery tasting room space

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. Lululemon leaves Pacific Place

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. US-Japan investment in AI education

⁠Geekwire article⁠

4. Providence Swedish buys naming rights

⁠PSBJ article⁠

5. Google pauses construction in Kirkland

⁠Geekwire article⁠

About co-host Ilona Lohrey - President & CEO, GSBA:

Ilona is the President and CEO of the GSBA, Washington state's LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce. Prior to this she was the CEO of an industrial cleani...

Top Stories

1. Minimum wage for delivery app workers

PSBJ article

2. Unique building opens in SLU

Dezeen article

3. Amazon ditches “just walk out” tech

Geekwire article

4. Microsoft unbundles Office & Teams

Seattle Times article

5. Bonuses for Alaska Airlines’ C-suite

Seattle Times article

About co-host Will Niccolls - Founder & CEO, Green Latrine

Will founded Green Latrine in 2015 and has landed large deals like the Special Olympics USA games and the closing of the viaduct and opening of the tunnel...

Top Stories:

1. Boeing CEO steps down

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. Ballard dive bars

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

3. Visa/Mastercard suit settles re: fees

⁠NPR article⁠

4. Bellevue company Ponzi scheme?

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

5. Strip club legislation passes in WA

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

About guest co-host:

Marceil Van Camp is the co-owner of Kamp Social House, a restaurant & bar located in Madison Valley that opened about 2 years ago. She is also a real estate broker for Compass. Prior to these roles she w...

Top Stories:

Textio layoffs

Geekwire article (textio)

Geekwire article (tech layoffs)

KCTS9 and Crosscut open a new office

PSBJ article

Reign is getting acquired

PSBJ article

Seattle Storm opening new facility

PSBJ article

Mayor Harrell’s proposed legislation

Seattle Times article

About co-host Megan Campbell:

Megan has worked in journalism for over 10 years including a former reporter at the Puget Sound Business Journal and Past President of the Society of Professional Journalists. She wo...

Top Stories:

1. New UW Basketball facility

⁠PSBJ article⁠

2. Zulily gets acquired

⁠Geekwire article⁠

3. State of Downtown (event recap)

⁠PSBJ article⁠ & ⁠Geekwire article⁠

4. Brooks Running CEO steps down

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

5. Cricket league in Seattle

⁠Geekwire article⁠

Co-Host Jon Scholes:

Jon Scholes is President & CEO of the Downtown Seattle Assocation where he is responsible for the operations and programs of the DSA, an 1,100 member association formed in 1958 to create a healthy, vibrant downtown for all. He was appointed President...

Top Stories

1. Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems

⁠PSBJ article ⁠(Spirit Aerosystems)

⁠Seattle Times article⁠ (NTSB)

2. In-N-Out coming to WA

⁠The Columbian article⁠

3. Pfizer shuts down Seagen facility

⁠PSBJ article⁠

4. Phase Genomics gets grant from Gates Foundation

⁠Geekwire article⁠

5. Are college athletes employees?

⁠AP News article⁠

Co-Host Rob Smith:

Rob is the Executive Editor for the Seattle Magazine and the Seattle Business Magazine. Prior to this he was the Editor-in-Chief for the Puget Sound Business Journal and the Editor-i...

Top Stories:

1. Expedia layoffs

Geekwire article

2. Microsoft and Mistral AI

Seattle Times article

3. Techstars accelerator closes

Geekwire article 

4. Blackstone acquires Rover

PSBJ article 

5. FTC blocks Kroger acquisition

Seattle Times article

6. Burb’s Burgers closes

Seattle Eater article

Co-Host Emily Parkhurst:
Emily Parkhurst was most recently the VP of Content at 6AM City. Prior to this role, she was the Publisher and Market President of the Puget Sound Business Journal. She was a Seni...

Top Stories:

1. Boeing VP ousted

Seattle Times article⁠

2. Amazon Seattle headcount decreased

PSBJ article

3. Banks aren’t foreclosing office building owners

PSBJ article

4. Expedia spy cameras

Geekwire article

5. Harbor Custom Development shuts down

PSBJ article

6. Audacy reorg plan after bankruptcy

Philadelphia Business Journal article

About guest co-host Alex Halverson - Reporter, Puget Sound Business Journal:

Alex is a reporter for the Puget Sound Business Journal covering major tech employers, law, education, and...