John Cook
John Cook is the Co-founder and Publisher of GeekWire, a media company where he continues to serve. He previously co-founded Tech Flash, also in media, and has held reporting roles at several publications. His expertise is in media executive leadership.
A $9 billion biotech deal
One of the most prominent immunotherapy companies, Juno Therapeutics, announced a deal to be acquired by Celgene. Plus, we dive into the tech renaissance in Pittsburgh and complain about Seattle's bike lanes. Read all our coverage at GeekWire.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
GeekWire and MOHAI Host January 22 Event Celebrating Five Years of Seattle 10 Startup Program
GeekWire and MOHAI are hosting a special event on January 22 at MOHAI to celebrate five years of The Seattle 10 program, featuring a panel of past startup CEOs sharing entrepreneurial lessons. The event highlights up-and-coming Seattle startups whose business concepts are showcased on cocktail napkins displayed permanently at MOHAI.
The Year In Geek
It's been a big year for the tech world. The industry endured repeated clashes with the Trump Administration and saw the rise of Amazon as the company made two of its biggest moves yet. We analyze the Year In Geek on this episode and also make some predictions about what's to come in 2018. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com Thank you to this week's sponsors: Winshuttle (Winshuttle.com) Hughes Marino (hughesmarino.com) Kinects (kinectstower.com) And the University of Washington's Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
GeekWire Summit backstage: Satya Nadella, HQ2 and more
The 2017 GeekWire summit was our biggest yet, with keynoters including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson and influential tech executives and thought leaders from around the country, including executives at Amazon. We lift the curtain and talk about our favorite moments on stage and behind the scenes on this episode of the Week In Geek. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com Thank you to this week's sponsors: Winshuttle, the SAP data management experts — learn more at Winshuttle.com; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to…
2017 GeekWire Summit in Seattle Features CEOs Nadella, Johnson; Limited Tickets Available for Oct 9-11 Event
The 2017 GeekWire Summit, happening October 9-11 in Seattle, will gather over 800 leaders to discuss advances in tech, business, and science, featuring top speakers like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson. The event includes fireside chats, startup showcases, and a new 'Immigrant’s Journey' speaker series, with limited tickets still available.
Hot take: Amazon's second headquarters
Amazon made a surprise announcement Thursday morning: The tech giant is seeking a new city to build a second headquarters that will cost roughly $5 billion and employ 50,000 people. GeekWire editor John Cook joined KIRO's Seattle Morning News to discuss the announcement, what it means for Seattle and where the second headquarters could go. We'll do an in-depth analysis of the news on our Week In Geek podcast on Friday, and also read our coverage of the news at GeekWire.com Thank you to this week's sponsors: The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu…
Tech meets politics with WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler
Tech companies doesn’t always get along well with politicians — or with each other, for that matter. It’s Michael Schutzler’s job to be the go-between, bringing together a huge range of Washington tech companies and politicians to make sure the industry can thrive. We dive into issues like paid family medical leave, immigration and the state of Washington’s tech in this episode of the GeekWire podcast. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com Thank you to this week's sponsors: The University of Washington's Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu; and Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company…
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman shares startup secrets
It’s been 15 years since Reid Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn. The company was acquired by Microsoft last year for $2.6 billion and Hoffman now sits on Microsoft’s board, but he’s still very much an entrepreneur. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we share Hoffman’s full talk at the recent Technology Alliance Luncheon in downtown Seattle, where he shares thoughts on how to drive entrepreneurship, the success of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and, of course, Settlers of Catan. Follow all our coverage, including more on Hoffman's talk, at GeekWire.com. Thank you to this week’s sponsors: Wealthsimple — GeekWire listeners pay no management…
Week in Geek: Uber takes Seattle to court and Bertha gets her big break
Uber won a small victory in its legal battle with the City of Seattle this week, but the fight is far from over. In more promising news, Seattle's giant tunnel boring machine, Bertha, finally reached the finishing line of the nearly two-mile tunnel she's been creating under the city. We get first-hand accounts of both events from GeekWire reporters on this episode of the Week in Geek, and also take a look at some interesting shifts in the startup funding landscape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Week in Geek: Bezos, Rover, and Pokemon
It was a busy news week in Seattle. Rover announced it is acquiring its biggest competition; the Bezos family made a record-breaking donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and the University of Washington released a heartwarming study on the effects of Pokemon Go on family bonding. Catch it all on this episode of the Week in Geek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's *really* happening in the world of tech funding
Theories about the future of tech are a dime a dozen, but this week's guest has a tried-and-true method to peek into the tech ecosystem: follow the money. Greg Beams is a partner at global professional services firm EY and heads up the Entrepreneur of the Year program in the Pacific Northwest. He takes us on an in-depth study of the numbers and figures behind Seattle's tech scene, and what they say about where the industry is going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
GeekWire turns 6
This week marked GeekWire's 6th anniversary, and it's been quite the wild ride for co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. On this GeekWire Podcast special, they talk about their experience so far as entrepreneurs, and how Seattle's tech scene has changed over the past 6 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Seattle 10 Names Top Startups to Showcase at GeekWire Gala Dec. 7 at MOHAI
The Seattle 10 highlights the region’s most promising startups across diverse industries such as education, enterprise software, virtual reality, and robotics. These selected startups will creatively showcase their business ideas on large cocktail napkins at the GeekWire Gala on December 7th at MOHAI.
Hulu buys Vhoto assets, shuts down service and hires most of Seattle startup’s team; Noah Heller joins Hulu
Hulu purchased the assets of Seattle video startup Vhoto last fall, shut down the Vhoto service, and hired most of its team to work in Hulu’s Seattle engineering office. Vhoto founder Noah Heller has moved to Hulu as vice president of audience development and data partnerships; financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
HomeAway acquires Seattle startup Dwellable; will shutter service, relocate six staff to Austin
HomeAway acquired Seattle vacation-rental startup Dwellable, will phase out Dwellable's app and service within 30 days, and is moving six Dwellable employees (including founders Nathan Kriege and Adam Doppelt) to Austin while CEO Kirby Winfield remains in Seattle.
Liz Howekamp Powell named head of organic growth at Pro.com; Cyanogen appoints Frank Montes as general counsel
Liz Howekamp Powell has joined Seattle home-improvement marketplace Pro.com as head of organic growth after five years at WhitePages, citing firsthand experience with remodeling as motivation; Pro.com is led by former Digg CEO Matt Williams and has raised over $17 million. Cyanogen hired Frank Montes as general counsel; Montes previously served as general counsel at Coin Inc. and worked as a lawyer at Facebook and Google.
Shauna Causey joins EveryMove; Garret Link named VP of Product; SNUPI adds ex‑Dropcam VP Elizabeth Hamren to board
Shauna Causey, formerly of UP Global and Decide.com, has joined Seattle health startup EveryMove, which also named Garret Link as VP of product; EveryMove aims to improve 10 million lives in 10 years and is backed by several Blue Cross Blue Shield ventures. SNUPI Technologies added former Dropcam marketing VP Elizabeth Hamren to its board as it develops the WallyHome leak and temperature detector.
Rival IQ raises $860,000 seed round (planning $1M) to expand competitor-tracking marketing tools
Seattle startup Rival IQ raised $860,000 in seed funding (with plans to reach $1M) to expand its online competitive-marketing intelligence tools, serving about 50 paying customers at $99–$399/month.
Bezos-backed Doxo raises $3.5M to expand online bill-pay features, bringing total funding to $19M
Seattle startup Doxo raised $3.5 million from existing investors to expand its online bill-paying service, focusing on utilities, healthcare, telecom, mobile and payment capabilities in 2014. Backed by investors including Jeff Bezos, Thomas Layton, Mohr Davidow and Sigma Partners, Doxo has now raised $19 million and serves customers such as AT&T and Puget Sound Energy.
Apptio adds Amazon and Microsoft veterans, names ex‑Microsoft CFO Peter Klein to board as it eyes IPO
Apptio hired senior executives from Amazon and Microsoft — naming Sean Boyle as CFO, Ted Kummert as EVP of engineering and cloud operations, and appointing former Microsoft CFO Peter Klein to its board — moves that suggest the Bellevue company may be preparing for an IPO after raising $136 million and growing to about 400 employees.
Kirby Winfield, whose AdXpose sold to comScore for $22M, named CEO of Dwellable
Kirby Winfield, founder of AdXpose which sold to comScore for $22 million, was named CEO of Dwellable, a vacation-rental search service founded by Adam Doppelt; he replaces Brenda Spoonemore, who transitions to advisor and investor. Winfield cites limited online discoverability of rentals, Dwellable's mobile leadership, and growth potential as reasons for taking the role.
Appature CEO Kabir Shahani, 30, Says Entrepreneurship Is a ‘Life Platform’ After $100M Exit and Past Flop
Appature CEO Kabir Shahani, a 30-year-old UW grad who sold a company to IMS Health for about $100M, spoke at the University of Washington Business Plan Competition about entrepreneurship as a life platform, sharing candid lessons from both failure and success.
Appature co-founder Kabir Shahani says lessons from failed startup helped him sell Appature to IMS Health for over $100M at 30
Kabir Shahani, co-founder of Appature, reflects on rebounding from an earlier failed startup and credits lessons learned and supportive peers for helping build a company that sold to IMS Health for over $100 million when he was 30.
BuddyTV Co‑founder Andy Liu Shares Fundraising Playbook: Build Traction, Nurture Investors, and Start the Raise Early
BuddyTV co-founder Andy Liu, a Wharton MBA and experienced angel investor, shared fundraising lessons at the Seattle Interactive Conference, drawing on his experience investing in 44 startups and raising capital for his own ventures. His tips include getting investors to call you by building traction, setting up fundraising well before you need it through long-term relationship-building and regular updates, and treating angel raises as emotional sells.
Bezos-backed doxo expands doxoPAY with auto-pay for incoming statements, inks AT&T partnership
Bezos-backed Seattle startup doxo expanded its doxoPAY service to allow automatic payments for received statements and added AT&T to its partner network alongside Puget Sound Energy, Sprint and Sound Community Bank.
Organizations
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GeekWire Co-founder and Publisher, GeekWire 2011–present · current
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GeekWire Co-founder and Publisher, GeekWire · current
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Tech Flash Co-founder 2008–2011 · past
Education
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Gettysburg College BA, History · 1990–1994
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Wooster High School
