8 results found
Seattle angel investor Charles Fitzgerald criticizes Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson's new Economic Development Council as backward-looking, lacking startup and VC representation, and ignoring AI. He argues the council's composition and focus overlook critical drivers of future economic growth and fail to address the state's deteriorating business climate.
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.
Starbucks is cutting 61 tech jobs at its Seattle headquarters as part of a technology department reorganization, a recent Washington state filing confirms. The layoffs, impacting roles from cybersecurity to management, are tied to CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround strategy and new CTO Anand Varadarajan's vision.
Meta is cutting 168 positions in Washington state, predominantly impacting its Reality Labs division across Seattle, Redmond, and Bellevue. These layoffs, effective May 8, are part of a broader company-wide restructuring and follow previous reductions as Meta emphasizes efficiency and AI integration.
Washington state lawmakers have paved the way for Rivian and Lucid Motors to sell their electric vehicles directly to consumers, ending Tesla's decade-long exclusive exemption. Senate Bill 6354, passed with overwhelming
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has announced he will sign the revised 'millionaires tax' bill, Senate Bill 6346, despite intense debate within the state's tech and business communities. The legislation, imposing a 9.9% tax on incomes over $1 million starting in 2028, aims to rebalance the state's tax system and fund key affordability initiatives.
Washington state's House Bill 2515, aimed at regulating data centers for environmental and ratepayer protection, has failed to pass. The bill's demise followed significant lobbying efforts and public opposition from major tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon, despite support from environmental groups and consumer advocates.
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.
