Impact Series

This nonprofit is showing how rigorous data analysis can dramatically curb youth homelessness

by Lisa Stiffler on August 11, 2022August 11, 2022 at 1:06 pm

A Washington state organization is using data and analytics to help solve a crisis that is both unconscionable and has seemed intractable: the challenge of kids and young adults experiencing… Read More

Melinda French Gates shares new data to stoke innovation and awareness in $648B ‘care economy’

by Lisa Stiffler on August 9, 2022August 9, 2022 at 10:04 am

Caregivers who provide for children, elderly people, and those who are sick or disabled are operating in an antiquated system that’s ripe for innovation, experts say, and worth an estimated… Read More

Boeing pledges $10M for new UW engineering building that will house AI Education Institute

by Lisa Stiffler on August 4, 2022August 3, 2022 at 3:51 pm

The University of Washington is breaking ground next month on its Interdisciplinary Engineering Building. The new facility should help the UW’s College of Engineering better serve its growing enrollment: since… Read More

Seattle nonprofit aims to expose underrepresented youth to space industry careers

by Sonali Vaid on July 29, 2022July 29, 2022 at 7:27 am

From Boeing to Blue Origin, the Seattle region is a bustling aerospace hub. Now a Seattle-based nonprofit wants to help expose underrepresented youth to the industry and potential careers. iUrban… Read More

Microsoft demos clean energy breakthrough for data centers that keep the internet humming

by Lisa Stiffler on July 28, 2022July 28, 2022 at 5:40 pm

Data centers packed with millions of servers provide the backbone of the internet, dishing up everything from cat videos to financial transactions to online gaming when and where you need… Read More

High school students in Seattle educate community on how to identify and combat misinformation

by Sonali Vaid on July 24, 2022July 25, 2022 at 10:36 am

The world is overwhelmed with contradictory data and claims. High school students in Seattle want to help. Last month Ballard High School hosted MisinfoNight, an event inspired by MisinfoDay, an… Read More

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We visited the world’s biggest carbon capture plant, which just signed a 10-year deal with Microsoft

by Lisa Stiffler on July 13, 2022July 13, 2022 at 7:58 am

REYKJAVIK, Iceland — A short drive from Iceland’s capital, on a lava plateau blanketed with moss and grass, the earth exhales plumes of steam. In most places in the world,… Read More

New tsunami warning to those in Seattle: If the earth starts shaking, get to higher ground ASAP

by Lisa Stiffler on July 7, 2022July 8, 2022 at 4:58 pm

If a really big earthquake hits offshore from Seattle, the city’s shorelines could be struck with massive tsunami waves within a matter of three minutes. In a worst-case scenario, the… Read More

‘I wouldn’t be an engineer without it’: UW program supports underserved STEM students

by Charlotte Schubert on June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 at 4:39 pm

A University of Washington program to support STEM students from low-income and underserved backgrounds is now nine years old. And it aims to spread the model to other institutions. The… Read More

Microsoft helps build data hub to track disabilities as part of effort to close ‘disability divide’

by Lisa Stiffler on June 15, 2022June 15, 2022 at 6:57 am

There are lots of sources for global data on economic indicators, population sizes, infectious diseases, sustainability — the list goes on. But missing in the lineup has been a comprehensive,… Read More

Testing a new time-traveling VR experience that explores sea level rise in Seattle

by Lisa Stiffler on June 14, 2022June 14, 2022 at 10:00 am

The Seattle Public Library and the University of Washington have created a virtual reality experience for teens and families that explores climate change and its impacts on sea level rise… Read More

Seattle U students tackle real-world computer and engineering projects for Amazon, F5 and others

by Lisa Stiffler on June 4, 2022June 4, 2022 at 7:06 am

Technology moves so fast, it can be difficult to teach computer science and engineering students the very latest in their fields. So Seattle University tries to make sure its grads… Read More

Meet the Seattle-area teen geeks that just won awards at an international science fair

by Lisa Stiffler on May 21, 2022May 20, 2022 at 9:27 pm

The bleak and all-too-common spectacle of roadkill was upsetting to Vedant Srinivas — particularly when his uncle and cousin’s beloved German Shepherd-Rottweiler mix was fatally hit by a car. More… Read More

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On visit to Seattle, Iceland’s president has a message for Amazon and Microsoft

by Lisa Stiffler on May 19, 2022May 19, 2022 at 7:15 pm

Don’t forget about the less common languages when building digital devices and software. That was the message to local tech giants Microsoft and Amazon from the president of Iceland on… Read More

‘Incredible impact’: This researcher is bolstering STEM students and inspiring university DEI efforts

by Lisa Stiffler on May 11, 2022May 11, 2022 at 2:17 pm

Dr. Tam’ra-Kay Francis was feeling a little nervous. The confession was a surprise given all she has accomplished. Francis, who goes by TK, has a masters degree in chemistry for… Read More

Kelp need help: Paul Allen’s foundation, enviros and entrepreneurs step up to save an essential seaweed

by Lisa Stiffler on May 5, 2022May 9, 2022 at 9:50 am

Kelp is cool. Some varieties of the ribbony seaweed can grow up to two feet a day. They form “marine skyscrapers” that stretch up to 45 feet from the seafloor… Read More

Coinstar’s Jens Molbak wants to teach innovators and entrepreneurs a new way of doing business

by Lisa Stiffler on April 29, 2022April 29, 2022 at 3:27 pm

Jens Molbak‘s decision to build Coinstar — a startup that would become a billion-dollar international coin recycling business — was driven by his Danish family’s values and his own impatience.… Read More

CEO of new Seattle-area homelessness agency shares progress, opportunities for tech support

by Lisa Stiffler on April 21, 2022April 21, 2022 at 11:58 am

It’s been a year since Marc Dones was hired to lead King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCHRA), a newly created government agency that is bringing together multiple disparate programs and… Read More

Inside Bill Gates’ multi-faceted org that wants to help save the world from climate destruction

by Lisa Stiffler on April 9, 2022April 9, 2022 at 8:49 am

It started with a November 2015 announcement by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates along with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and more than two dozen other tech titans and billionaires.… Read More

First-of-its-kind stormwater ‘heat map’ lights up pollutants fouling waters in Washington state

by Lisa Stiffler on April 4, 2022April 4, 2022 at 8:48 am

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us familiar with the idea of a deadly threat that spreads invisibly. Polluted stormwater has a similar modus operandi. Rainfall washes toxic chemicals from roadways,… Read More

Seattle tech workers with Ukrainian roots help build website to ease donation process for aid groups

by Kurt Schlosser on March 19, 2022March 20, 2022 at 2:20 pm

The prospect of sending money to somehow help Ukraine deal with the mounting consequences of the Russian invasion can seem overwhelming. Where to donate? How to donate? Who to trust?… Read More

Team behind high-tech murder hornet trackers finds softer inspiration in dandelion seeds

by Lisa Stiffler on March 16, 2022March 16, 2022 at 9:47 am

Thanks to its feathery fluff, a dandelion seed riding the wind can cover more than half a mile. While disheartening for many gardeners, this marvel of passive travel was an… Read More

Amazon allocates $42.5M to build 318 affordable apartments near Seattle area light rail stations

by Lisa Stiffler on March 15, 2022March 15, 2022 at 10:52 am

Amazon on Tuesday announced that it has allocated $42.5 million to help pay for the construction of 318 affordable apartments near two light rail stations in the greater Seattle area.… Read More

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Tech conveniences that many take for granted finally reach people experiencing poverty

by Lisa Stiffler on March 14, 2022March 14, 2022 at 4:02 pm

COVID-19 caused society to re-envision how we shop, work and interact. But some of those changes, such as improved and expanded conveniences such as grocery shopping online and widespread use… Read More

‘It’s just astronomical’: Soaring fentanyl deaths help spur tech solutions for combating the opioid

by Lisa Stiffler on February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 at 9:59 am

Nationally, fentanyl-related overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45. The drug killed almost twice as many people in this age group compared to automobile… Read More

Native American tribes, wild cat conservation groups use tech to help study and save cougars

by Lisa Stiffler on February 21, 2022February 21, 2022 at 7:13 am

A young cougar is hardwired to leave mom and venture out to establish a new territory. But cougars born on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula have limited options. Interstate 5 runs the… Read More

Video

This nonprofit is showing how rigorous data analysis can dramatically curb youth homelessness

Melinda French Gates shares new data to stoke innovation and awareness in $648B ‘care economy’

Boeing pledges $10M for new UW engineering building that will house AI Education Institute

Seattle nonprofit aims to expose underrepresented youth to space industry careers

Microsoft demos clean energy breakthrough for data centers that keep the internet humming

We visited the world’s biggest carbon capture plant, which just signed a 10-year deal with Microsoft

New tsunami warning to those in Seattle: If the earth starts shaking, get to higher ground ASAP

‘I wouldn’t be an engineer without it’: UW program supports underserved STEM students

Microsoft helps build data hub to track disabilities as part of effort to close ‘disability divide’

Testing a new time-traveling VR experience that explores sea level rise in Seattle

Seattle U students tackle real-world computer and engineering projects for Amazon, F5 and others

Meet the Seattle-area teen geeks that just won awards at an international science fair

On visit to Seattle, Iceland’s president has a message for Amazon and Microsoft

‘Incredible impact’: This researcher is bolstering STEM students and inspiring university DEI efforts

Kelp need help: Paul Allen’s foundation, enviros and entrepreneurs step up to save an essential seaweed

Coinstar’s Jens Molbak wants to teach innovators and entrepreneurs a new way of doing business

CEO of new Seattle-area homelessness agency shares progress, opportunities for tech support

Inside Bill Gates’ multi-faceted org that wants to help save the world from climate destruction

First-of-its-kind stormwater ‘heat map’ lights up pollutants fouling waters in Washington state

Seattle tech workers with Ukrainian roots help build website to ease donation process for aid groups

Team behind high-tech murder hornet trackers finds softer inspiration in dandelion seeds

Amazon allocates $42.5M to build 318 affordable apartments near Seattle area light rail stations

Tech conveniences that many take for granted finally reach people experiencing poverty

‘It’s just astronomical’: Soaring fentanyl deaths help spur tech solutions for combating the opioid

Native American tribes, wild cat conservation groups use tech to help study and save cougars

Kids are non-consenting stars of some family ‘vlogs’ — and a high schooler wants to change that

Carbon Call: Microsoft among organizations joining effort to bolster accounting of CO2 emissions

How an early snafu nearly sank a nonprofit startup that went on to enable $51M in charitable gifts

Amazon and Microsoft led the world in corporate purchases of clean energy in 2021