April 2006
Innovation & Inspiration: Celebrating 10 Years of Forward Thinking at the 2006 State of Technology Luncheon, Featuring Amazon.com Founder Jeff Bezos
- Monday, May 15, 2006
- The Westin, Seattle
- Networking & registration: 11:00 am
- Doors open: 11:30 am
- Luncheon program: 11:45 am – 1:30 pm
In the mid 1990’s, Jeff Bezos was inspired by a burgeoning innovation called the Internet to make his way from New York to Seattle to set up shop as Amazon.com. In the company’s initial month of operation, Jeff fielded customer orders from 50 states and nearly as many countries in Amazon’s very first fulfillment center: his garage. From this humble beginning, Jeff led Amazon into new and expanded territory, adding features and product offerings to become the online retail powerhouse we know and love today, as well as the ultimate Seattle startup success story.
On Monday, May 15, Jeff will sit down with Technology Alliance board member Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, to share his thoughts on maintaining an innovative spirit, his drive to make Amazon “Earth’s most customer-centric company,” and staying competitive in the 21st century global economy.
Jeff currently serves as president, CEO and chairman of the board of Amazon.com, which has expanded into 32 categories of product offerings and seven country-specific web sites. The company operates more than 20 fulfillment centers and employs approximately 12,000 people throughout the world. Prior to starting Amazon, Jeff worked at the intersection of computer science and finance in New York, helping to build one of the most technically sophisticated quantitative hedge funds on Wall Street for D.E. Shaw & Co. He also led the development of computer systems to help manage more than $250 billion in assets for Bankers Trust Company.
Other Program Highlights:
Benchmarking Washington’s Performance
In 2003, the Technology Alliance released the results of its first benchmarking study in which we measured Washington’s performance in K-12 and higher education, research capacity, and entrepreneurial climate. We promised then to continue benchmarking Washington’s progress. Last year, we provided an interim update on selected indicators to gauge whether Washington was on the right track. This year, we will share highlights from our latest, comprehensive benchmarking study to measure how far our state has come and where we still need to improve in order to excel in the three critical drivers of a successful knowledge-based economy.
Recognizing Entrepreneurial Excellence
This marks the third year the Alliance of Angels will recognize excellence in entrepreneurship by awarding its Startup of the Year Award to an angel-funded, early-stage technology company based in the Pacific Northwest that has made a positive contribution to the economy. The finalists for the 2006 Startup of the Year are:
- Escapia, developer of web-based vacation rental management and marketing software, based in Seattle;
- OnRequest Images, provider of innovative custom image solutions, based in Seattle;
- Pacific Bioscience Laboratories, developer of the Clarisonic skincare brush, based in Bellevue;
- Redfin, provider of web-based real estate brokerage services, based in Seattle;
- ScaleOut Software, developer of scalable workload storage software for server farms, based in Bellevue; and
- SNAPin, developer of self-service software for mobile devices, based in Bellevue.
Celebrating 10 Years of Forward Thinking
William H. Gates, Sr., the TA’s founding chair and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will take a look back at the history of the technology economy in our region, while current TA leadership will recall the TA’s accomplishments and look ahead at what’s in store for our organization as we celebrate 10 years of championing education, research and entrepreneurship in Washington State.
Be there!
You don’t want to miss this exciting and informative event. There are two ways to be a part of it:
Sponsorship: A choice of sponsorship packages combining premium seating, visibility for your organization, and other exciting benefits is available. For more information on the advantages of sponsorship, visit the Technology Alliance web site at www.technology-alliance.com. Reserve your sponsorship package today by contacting Erica Richey at (206) 389-7243 or via email.
Individual tickets: Individual tickets are $95 each and available for purchase online at www.technology-alliance.com. For questions regarding individual tickets, please contact Katy Tollefson at (206) 389-7261 or email.
We look forward to seeing you at the State of Technology Luncheon!
The Inland Northwest Science and Technology Connection: PNNL Director Len Peters Kicks Off First Season of Spokane STRT
Eighty-five people turned out for the opening breakfast of the Technology Alliance’s new Spokane Science & Technology Roundtable program on January 6th. Dr. Len Peters, director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a member of the TA board, started off the season with a presentation on the latest research and important contributions of PNNL. He emphasized how the lab’s many partnerships in eastern Washington, on initiatives ranging from homeland security to agriculture to energy, are making a difference in our state, our nation and the world.
Welcome New TA Board Members, and Thank You to Our Renewing Members!
Three outstanding individuals were elected to the TA board at its January 19th meeting. We are thrilled to welcome new members Dr. Christopher Elias, Karen Hedine and Cheryl Vedoe, and look forward to working with them to advance our organization’s mission.
STRT Podcasts and the Trumba Calendar
Catch the ones you missed, share your favorites with colleagues and friends, or discover for the first time what’s so special about the Science & Technology Roundtable with our new podcasts. And when you’re done, be sure not to miss future STRT breakfasts and other Technology Alliance events with the Trumba Calendar, another exciting new feature on the TA web site.
Dealing with Darwin: A luncheon workshop with bestselling author Geoffrey Moore
Mark your calendars! The Technology Alliance is proud to present a luncheon workshop with Geoffrey Moore, author of Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution on Thursday, July 13th at the Westin in Seattle.