Melinda French Gates
Melinda French Gates is Founder and Philanthropist at Pivotal and Co-founder and Co-chair at Gates Foundation. She founded the non-profit Pivotal, which she continues to lead, and is a minority investor in Seattle Kraken / One Roof Sports & Entertainment.
Seattle Seahawks Sold to Vinod Khosla-Led Group for $9.612 Billion After 2026 Super Bowl Win
The Seattle Seahawks have been sold to a group led by Bay Area venture capitalist Vinod Khosla shortly after winning the Super Bowl, making them the fourth ownership in franchise history. The $9.612 billion sale proceeds will benefit Paul Allen’s philanthropic estate.
GeekWire Podcast, Live from Fremont: Seahawks, AI, and Seattle's Future
We're live this week in the "Center of the Universe" in Seattle for a special recording of the GeekWire Podcast, presented by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce at Fremont Brewing Co. Fresh off the Seahawks' Super Bowl victory, we debate some potential ownership groups for the Seahawks and Sonics — from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to Costco's Jim Sinegal. (Who wouldn't want $1.50 hot dogs and sodas at Lumen Field or Climate Pledge Arena?) Then we dig into the debate over Seattle's tech future, sparked by angel investor Charles Fitzgerald's GeekWire column, "A warning to Seattle: Don't become the…
GeekWire Week in Review: Bill Gates Pledges $200B, Statsig Hits $1.1B Valuation, Seattle Startups Raise Millions in May 2025
This GeekWire Week in Review highlights top tech stories including Bill Gates' $200 billion philanthropy pledge, Seattle startups raising significant capital, and the emergence of new AI-driven unicorn Statsig valued at $1.1 billion. It also covers local news like a controversial Washington EV tax and cultural moments involving Seattle figures.
Ada Developers Academy Appoints Tina-Marie Gulley as CEO, Shifts to Virtual AI-Focused Programs Amid Tech Hiring Slowdown
Ada Developers Academy, a tuition-free tech boot camp for underrepresented groups, faced challenges due to the pandemic and tech hiring slowdowns, leading to staff reductions and paused admissions. Under new CEO Tina-Marie Gulley, the nonprofit shifted to virtual instruction, emphasized AI, and continued expanding its programming to serve more diverse students nationwide.
GeekWire Week in Review (May 12, 2024): AWS and Google executive moves, Expedia leadership exits, Kyndryl acquires Skytap
A weekly roundup of GeekWire’s most-read technology and startup stories for the week of May 12, 2024, covering major tech moves, executive departures, acquisitions, and new accelerator initiatives in the Seattle area and beyond.
Annie Luchsinger Launches Seattle-Based Breakers Fund to Invest $250K in Early-Stage Startups
Annie Luchsinger, former Anthos Capital investor and co-founder of an end-of-life startup, has launched Breakers, a Seattle-based early-stage venture fund targeting pre-seed and seed-stage tech startups with $250,000 average investments. Breakers, part of the Melinda Gates-backed Recast Accelerate program, aims to support diverse founders across the U.S. and Canada, focusing on underrepresented markets beyond major hubs.
Ada Developers Academy Cuts 45% Staff, Pauses Admissions, Names Shawna Young Interim CEO Amid Tech Industry Downturn
Seattle-based nonprofit Ada Developers Academy, which provides tuition-free tech training for underrepresented groups, has significantly reduced its workforce and paused admissions amid economic challenges. Shawna Young has been named interim CEO following Lauren Sato's resignation, as the organization refocuses on sustainability.
Seattle Recruiting Startup Karat Lays Off 47 Employees Again in 2023 Amid Restructuring Efforts
Seattle-based technical recruiting startup Karat laid off 47 employees for the second time in 2023 to restructure and move towards profitability, reducing its workforce from 423 in January to around 393 employees. Despite the cuts across various departments, Karat continues to grow its customer base and support diversity initiatives in tech.
Ada Developers Academy Cuts 45% of Staff Amid Tech Hiring Slowdown, Slows Expansion Despite $10M Grant
Ada Developers Academy laid off 45% of its staff, about 34 employees, due to a tech industry hiring slowdown and fewer internship opportunities for students, impacting its mission to diversify tech. The Seattle-based nonprofit also plans to reduce student enrollment and halt expansion efforts initially funded by a $10 million grant from the Equality Can’t Wait challenge.
Seattle Interviewing Startup Karat Lays Off 47 Employees to Invest in Growth and New Products
Seattle startup Karat, known for conducting technical interviews, laid off 47 employees to focus resources on expanding its enterprise customer base, scaling programs, and developing new products. The company reached unicorn status in October 2021 after raising $110 million but is now restructuring teams to support self-funded growth initiatives.
Bill Gates Embraces Grandfather Role in 2023, Highlights Global Health and Climate Challenges in Annual Essay
Bill Gates reflects on becoming a grandfather in 2023 and emphasizes his focus on combating global challenges such as childhood disease, climate change, and education through his philanthropic work. Despite personal struggles, he remains optimistic about solving major problems and advancing clean energy innovation.
Karat raises $110M Series C at $1.1B valuation to scale remote technical interviewing
Karat, a Seattle startup that runs technical interviews through a vetted network of interviewers, raised $110 million in a Series C at a $1.1 billion valuation while more than doubling revenue and customers year-over-year.
Melinda French Gates positions Pivotal Ventures to expand women- and family-focused VC and philanthropy after divorce
Melinda French Gates founded Pivotal Ventures in January 2015 as a vehicle to pursue initiatives outside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and following her divorce from Bill Gates she is poised to expand Pivotal’s influence on empowering women and families. Observers say her resources and focus could shift venture capital dynamics for female founders and have “transformational potential.”
Mayfield and Pivotal Ventures award $6 million to four women-led startups in Female Founders Competition
Microsoft’s venture arm Mayfield and Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures announced four winners of the Female Founders Competition, awarding a total of $6 million to scale women-led startups. Two B2B enterprise startups received $2 million each and two deeptech companies received $1 million each.
Madrona Venture Labs spinout Weekdays and other startups build tech to help parents manage childcare gaps during COVID-19
Seattle startup studio Madrona Venture Labs and spinout Weekdays are among tech entrepreneurs building services to help working parents handle childcare challenges compounded by COVID-19 — from closed schools and canceled camps to safety worries and financial strain. Single parents like Maria Hess report daily struggles juggling work and parenting, driving increased demand for tech-enabled in-home caregiver matching and other solutions.
Leg Up and Seattle tech HR leaders publish employer guide to support working parents during COVID-19
Seattle startup Leg Up and local tech HR leaders released a new guide to help small and medium-sized employers support working parents and caregivers during COVID-19, offering resources, policy suggestions and executive insights. The guide compiles parent experiences, discounts and HR program changes and complements other toolkits like Madrona Venture Group’s Back to Work Toolkit.
Why Arivale failed
Founded in 2015, Seattle startup Arivale aspired to pioneer a new sector called scientific wellness, combining genetic testing with personal coaching to improve the health of its members. Its founder, genomics legend Lee Hood, said the company "really stands a chance of being the Google or Microsoft of this whole arena." But four years later, Arivale abruptly closed its doors this week. We explain what happened with special guest, GeekWire chief business officer Daniel Rossi, an Arivale member whose experience in the program was chronicled in our 2017 series. Plus, Microsoft breaks the trillion-dollar mark, Bill Gates serves as a…
Unicorns, IPOs and the next tech giants
Seattle has a new unicorn, Outreach, the sales and marketing automation company that raised a $114 million funding round this week, pushing its valuation to $1.1 billion. The news sends John and Todd on a startup odyssey, exploring the hidden connections among the new wave of public companies and tech behemoths in Silicon Valley and Seattle, including Uber, Lyft, Convoy and others. Plus, Amazon and Microsoft are preparing to challenge Apple's AirPods,. And on the Random Channel, Melinda Gates has a message for the tech industry, and John is determined to be a "Never Throner." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Organizations
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Gates Foundation Co-founder and Co-chair, Former Co-chair · current
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Kraken / One Roof Sports & Entertainment Minority Investor · current
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One Roof Sports & Entertainment Investor, Philanthropist · current
