2019 State of Technology Luncheon
The 2019 State of Technology Luncheon has been scheduled! The luncheon will be April 26th, 2019 at the Seattle Sheraton. Sponsorship and RSVP details are included below.
The State of Technology Luncheon is held each spring in downtown Seattle and is the Technology Alliance's largest annual event. Each year, the luncheon brings together 1,000 leaders from business, government, education and research to celebrate Washington's progress in building a vibrant innovation-based economy and gain perspectives from globally recognized leaders in science and technology.
We offer a variety of sponsorship packages for the luncheon, featuring reserved seating, extensive visibility for your organization to a large and influential audience, and other benefits. The next State of Technology Luncheon will be held Spring, 2019. For more information, please contact us at events@technology-alliance.com
Sponsorship Packages range from $2,000-$20,000. Please click here for detailed sponsorship information and reach out to events@technology-alliance.com for further information or to sign-up for a sponsorship.
2018 Luncheon
More than 750 regional executives and leaders from business, education, research, and government joined Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman at the Technology Alliance’s annual State of Technology luncheon at the Seattle Westin. The event also featured three local companies - Loftium, Blokable, and Quadrant Homes - using technology to change housing and our homes. Both Redfin and Blokable recently won GeekWire Awards, Redfin for IPO Deal of the Year and Blokable for best new hardware.
Kelman was interviewed by Streem Chief Revenue Officer Liz Pearce (formerly CEO of LiquidPlanner), who is also a board member of the Technology Alliance. The conversation covered a wide-range of topics with Pearce and Kelman discussing the challenges of leadership when the country seems divided both ideologically and economically, maintaining an entrepreneurial culture in a larger organization, and the growing role that technology companies play in shaping the region and our society at large.
Chris Keane, Vice President for Research and Physics Professor at Washington State University and a member of the Tech Alliance’s Executive Committee, set the context for the luncheon conversation when he shared the organization’s latest benchmarking report, which measures how the state is doing on metrics indicative of a strong innovation economy. He emphasized three key findings:
22% - Current demand for STEM workers met by in-state STEM degrees awarded over 10 years.
19th - National ranking for our private investment in higher education R&D.
$1.76B - Total VC invested in WA startups, placing the state 6th in the nation
Showcasing the region’s entrepreneurial spirit, three local companies using technology to change different aspects of the housing market each also shared their stories.
Yifan Zhang, CEO & Co-Founder of Loftium, shared that startup’s approach to using Airbnb income to help first-time home buyers afford a down payment. The Seattle region is Loftium’s first market. Loftium provides creative new entry points for first time home buyers traditionally priced out of high-demand housing markets like Seattle.
Aaron Holm, Co-CEO of Blokable, discussed the company’s modular, smart housing units. And though recently recognized for their hardware, Holm highlighted the efficiencies that come from their wired panels and smart home technology. Blokable is an innovative provider of affordable housing that meets both acute and long-term community needs by significantly shortening the planning, permitting and building cycle for a range of housing options.
Ken Krivanec, President of Quadrant Homes in Washington, provided the sizzle the audience was looking for when he highlighted the HomeSmart features that now come standard in most Quadrant Homes. From energy efficiency, to appliances connected to your phones, to security systems - Quadrant’s homes bring together some of the best technology (much from other local companies) that will change what we expect from our houses.
The organization’s CEO, Carol Rava, closed the event noting the power of the cross-sector leaders in the audience and their collective ability to lean into strengthening the region’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
PLATINUM SPONSOR
PREMIER SPONSORS
PRINCIPAL SPONSORS
Accenture
Alaska Air
Battelle, manager and operator of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
EY
F5 Networks
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Knobbe Martens
KPMG LLP
Madrona Venture Group
McKinsey & Company
Redfin
University of Washington Office of President
Washington State University
PARTICIPATING SPONSORS
AHT Insurance
Andersen Tax
Apex Learning
Broderick Group
Cascadia Capital LLC
CBRE
Clark Nuber, PS
Davis Wright Tremaine
Deloitte
Impinj
JLL Partners
K & L Gates LLP
Liquid Planner
Pacific Northwest Research Institute
Pemco Insurance
Peregrine Law Group PLLC
Perkins Coie LLP
Point B Capital
Quadrant Homes
Rogers Weed
Seattle Angel Fund
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Seattle University
Smashing Ideas
Starbucks
Summit Law Group
University of Washington, School of Medicine
Washington Technology Industry Association
Wells Fargo
