The much-anticipated GeekWire Awards takes place tonight, May 18, in Seattle, at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle.
Read the FAQ below for key information if you’re coming to our annual event that celebrates the top innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists and educators in the Pacific Northwest. If you want to stream the event online, check GeekWire’s homepage around 7 p.m. tonight.
A big thanks our presenting sponsor, Astound Business Solutions; to our gold-level and category sponsors: Wilson Sonsini, JLL, Blink, BECU, Baird, Fuel Talent, RSM, Talent Reach, WTIA, Meridian Capital, Bank of America, and T-Mobile; and to silver level sponsors: First Tech, Remitly, Fuel Talent, and SolluCIO Partners.
When: Thursday, May 18, 5:30 to 10 p.m. PT
Where: Showbox SoDo, 1700 1st Ave. South Seattle, WA 98134
Attire: We are geeks, not fashion consultants so come in what’s most comfortable. If you need additional guidance, we’d suggest “business casual.” If you still need fashion help or suggestions, scan the photos from last year’s event.
Parking: A number of paid surface lots surround the venue and are within a 1-minute walk (see map).
Do I need ID to enter? Yes. This is a 21+ event.
Do I need a ticket to enter? No. If you registered, we will have your name at registration, and we’ll get you into the festivities.
Program schedule: VIP finalist reception at 4:30 p.m. Doors for all guests will open at 5:30 p.m. The Awards program — the Oscars of the Northwest tech scene — will begin at 7 p.m., revealing the winners of the 2023 GeekWire Awards. The after party, presented by UnCruise Adventures, starts at 8:30 p.m.
Food and drink? Yes and yes. Cocktail hour is open to all guests before a seated dinner will be served. Table assignments will be listed on your badge and on a map at the front of the venue.
Social: Use #GeekWireAwards when sharing scenes from the festivities to your feeds.
Who are the finalists?
Workplace of the Year, presented by JLL
• Helion
• Impinj
• Adaptive Biotechnologies
• Blink UX
• Treasury4
Read about the five finalists here.
Startup of the Year, presented by Meridian Capital
• Shipium
• Phaidra
• WhyLabs
• Lexion
• Arrived
Read about the five finalists here.
Next Tech Titan, presented by Stifel Bank
• Flexe
• Rec Room
• Group 14 Technologies
• SeekOut
• iSpot
Read about the five finalists here.
Deal of the Year, presented by Wilson Sonsini
• Affini-T Therapeutics
• Copper
• MotherDuck
• Bungie
• First Mode
Read about the five finalists here.
Sustainable Innovation of the Year, presented by Wilson Sonsini
• Recompose
• Pure Watercraft
• Membrion
• Zap Energy
• Eviation
Read about the five finalists here.
Startup CEO of the Year, presented by T-Mobile
• Christie Lagally, CEO of Rebellyous
• Prem Kumar, CEO of Humanly
• Grin Lord, CEO of mpathic
• Ivan Liachko, CEO of Phase Genomics
• Emily Pesce, CEO of Joon
Read about the five finalists here.
CEO of the Year, presented by RSM, US LLC
• Maria Colacurcio, CEO of Syndio
• Xiao Wang, CEO of Boundless Immigration
• Luis Ceze, CEO of OctoML
• François Locoh-Donou, CEO of F5
• Chris Diorio, CEO of Impinj
Read about the five finalists here.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year, presented by TalentReach
• Shane Kovalsky, co-founder and CEO of Glue (formerly Mystery)
• Devin Ajimine, Pouya Rad and Marisa Chentakul, co-founders of LifeAt
• Elena Zhizhimontova and Andrew DiLosa, co-founders of Spiral
• JT Garwood, co-founder and CEO of bttn
• Ana-Maria Constantin, co-founder and CEO of Cascade Health
Read about the five finalists here.
Hardware/Gadget of the Year
• Weed zapping machine by Carbon Robotics
• AI generator by Glowforge
• Lemur 2 by BRINC Drones
• Robotic Barista by Artly
• Food preserving containers by RipeLocker
Read about the five finalists here.
Innovation of the Year, presented by Astound Business Solutions
• Ghostwriter-AI
• Proprio
• Yoodli
• Overland AI
• Temporal
Read about the five finalists here.
Health Innovation of the Year
• Cyrus Biotech
• SEngine Precision Medicine
• Bonum Therapeutics
• DexCare
• AltPep
Read about the five finalists here.
UX Design of the Year, presented by Blink UX
• Soovu Labs – Soovu Pain Relief System
• CalmWave – CalmWave Operations Health Platform
• Taqtile – Manifest Maker
• Textio – Textio for performance management
• Knapsack – design system platform
Read about the five finalists here.
STEM Educator of the Year Honorees, presented by Bank of America
• Ted Rodriquez, Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center
• Melissa Pearcy, Jefferson Elementary, Spokane Public Schools
Read about the honorees here.
Geeks Give Back Honorees, presented by BECU
• Karat: Brilliant Black Minds
• Mentors in Tech (MinT)
• A Way Home Washington
• Ganaz
Read about the honorees here.
