Rick Morgan
Rick Morgan is currently the Inno senior reporter at Puget Sound Business Journal and works within the American Inno network. He has previously held roles in journalism and media, including positions at CNBC, Royal Media, Sarasota Magazine, and Academy of Art University.
Fortive expands four-year partnership with Pioneer Square Labs to run recurring weeklong "sprint weeks" incubating startups from employee ideas
Everett-based Fortive has partnered with Seattle startup studio Pioneer Square Labs for about four years to spin new ventures from employee ideas and expanded the program last year to run frequent weeklong "sprint weeks" that incubate concepts from its 17 subsidiaries. During sprint weeks teams perform discovery, validate economics, pitch to PSL, iterate, and pursue further development or pilot opportunities within Fortive.
Vivek Ladsariya joins Pioneer Square Labs as managing director, citing "massive opportunity" in Seattle VC market
Venture investor Vivek Ladsariya left SineWave Ventures to join Pioneer Square Labs as a managing director, citing a "massive opportunity" in Seattle’s underdeveloped venture capital market. The article includes an edited interview touching on his reasons for joining PSL, views on the Seattle tech landscape, investment interests and local favorites.
Amperity CEO Barry Padgett to step down June 1; Chris Jones named interim CEO, Padgett to become adviser
Amperity CEO Barry Padgett is stepping down effective June 1 to spend more time with family and will become an adviser, with chief customer and product officer Chris Jones named interim CEO; the company has no timeline for a permanent replacement. Padgett became CEO in 2022 after co-founder Kabir Shahani left and previously served as Amperity COO and Stripe CRO, while Shahani has since co-founded Avante.
Tola Capital co-founder Sheila Gulati raises $230 million third fund, firm totals $688 million in capital
Seattle venture capital firm Tola Capital, co-founded by Sheila Gulati, raised a $230 million third fund in November and has already made multiple investments, bringing the firm's total capital raised to $688 million. Gulati, whose early exposure to tech influenced her career, runs the AI-focused firm that has backed companies like Simpplr and B12.
Bellevue AI startup OpenPipe raises $6.7M seed round, plans hiring push to reach 20–30 employees
Bellevue AI startup OpenPipe raised $6.7 million in seed funding and plans to expand from under 10 employees to about 20–30 within a year while offering fine-tuned large language models for customers such as Volvo and Rakuten.
Bellevue VC Fuse Raises $250M Second Fund, Reaching $420M Total Since 2020
Bellevue-based venture capital firm Fuse raised $250 million for its second fund, bringing its total raised to $420 million across two funds since launching in 2020. The firm will continue investing in Pacific Northwest and western Canada B2B tech startups, leading seed and Series A rounds with $1 million–$10 million checks.
Flying Fish Partners' Co‑founder Heather Redman Raises $70M Fund, Seeks Additional $7.5M to Back B2B and Industrial AI Startups
Heather Redman, co-founder and managing partner of Seattle-based Flying Fish Partners, is building her firm's long-term credibility after raising a $70 million fund last year and is now seeking an additional $7.5 million. The firm focuses on B2B and industrial AI-related startups amid a favorable local tech landscape.
Seattle startup Protect AI launches out of stealth with $13.5M seed to secure AI/ML systems
Seattle cybersecurity startup Protect AI launched out of stealth with a $13.5 million seed round, plans rapid hiring to grow from 15 to about 50 employees and focuses on protecting machine learning and AI systems.
Amperity co-founder Kabir Shahani exits as CEO; COO Barry Padgett named successor
Amperity co-founder and CEO Kabir Shahani stepped down and was replaced by COO Barry Padgett, as the Seattle customer-data startup — valued at over $1 billion last year — also named Monica Pool Knox as its first chief people officer.
Organizations
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Puget Sound Business Journal Inno senior reporter 2022–present, Reporter 2020–2022 · current
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Business Journal current
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Puget Sound Business Journal / American Inno network current
Education
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Amherst College Bachelor's degree, English · 2007–2011
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University of Missouri-Columbia Master's degree, Journalism
