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GeekWire co-founder John Cook and angel investor Charles Fitzgerald offer lessons from Cleveland's comeback for Seattle's tech scene. They also critique Seattle's data center moratorium as 'political theater' and discuss the SpaceX IPO.
Seattle has plummeted 11 spots to 13th in a new Financial Times-Nikkei ranking of U.S. cities for foreign investment, sparking renewed debate over the city's business climate. The significant drop from last year's second-place position has fueled concerns among tech leaders and business professionals, many of whom attribute the decline to what they perceive as anti-business policies and an escalating cost of living.
Rich Barton, co-founder of Zillow and Expedia, has officially moved from Seattle to Las Vegas, citing an empty nest and a new chapter. His departure aligns with a trend of wealthy tech leaders leaving Washington state amid a contentious debate over new taxes on high earners and capital gains.
Seattle-area teen Kameirah Johnson won the 2026 Doodle for Google contest, with her artwork "Hair Power: The Crown That Grows from Us" featured on Google's homepage. The Renton senior's piece celebrates hair as a symbol of identity and cultural strength. She received a $55,000 scholarship, and her school, Lakeside, earned a $50,000 technology package, furthering her dreams of studying art and economics at NYU.
SEATTLE, WA — The Pacific Northwest tech community converged Thursday evening at the Showbox SoDo, celebrating its vibrant ecosystem at the 2026 GeekWire Awards. The annual event, now in its 15th year and presented by
GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook recorded a podcast on Sound Transit's new 2 Line, the world's first light rail on a floating bridge, connecting Seattle to Microsoft's Redmond campus. They discuss engineering challenges, regional cooperation, and the future of transit.
The new Crosslake Connection of Sound Transit's Link light rail 2 Line opens Saturday, connecting Seattle and the Eastside. Tech companies like Microsoft and Lime are actively participating in celebrations across 10 stations. This expansion is set to transform commutes for thousands of tech workers, promising a significant shift in regional transportation dynamics.
Voting is officially open for the 18th annual GeekWire Awards, celebrating the Pacific Northwest's top tech innovators and entrepreneurs. With 50 finalists across 10 categories, the community is invited to cast their ballots by April 10 ahead of the May 7 live event in Seattle.
GeekWire's top stories for the week of Feb. 15, 2026, highlight Microsoft's new RTO policy and leadership changes at Xbox and Remitly. Washington state is setting new terms for data centers, while Seattle-area startups Temporal and Duckbill secured significant funding rounds. The tech community also paid tribute to desktop publishing pioneer Paul Brainerd.
Microsoft is implementing a new return-to-office policy starting Feb. 23 for its Seattle-area workforce. Employees within a 50-mile radius of an office will be required to be in-person at least three days a week, a significant shift for the tech giant that aligns it with industry peers like Google and Meta.
