This is it! The last GeekWire Awards category is ready for voting, and it’s a big one: Geek of the Year.
The finalists in this prestigious category include software developers, computer scientists, entrepreneurs, a newly minted sci-fi writer and even a cancer researcher. They were chosen by our GeekWire Awards judges from a large number of public nominations.
Now it’s your chance to help pick the Geek of the Year. Submit your vote and read more about each finalist below.
Thanks to Barokas PR for sponsoring the Geek of the Year category.
We kicked off voting for the GeekWire Awards two weeks ago (see previous categories here) and we’ll continue tabulating the votes in the 14 categories through Tuesday evening. The winners will be revealed at the big GeekWire Awards bash on May 9 in Seattle.
Oren Etzioni: This University of Washington computer scientist and serial entrepreneur has a knack for building businesses based on complex algorithms that help people make decisions — from Farecast (now part of Microsoft Bing Travel) to Decide, the consumer price prediction and consumer review startup. The director of the University of Washington’s Turing Center, Etzioni has remained at the forefront of research shaping the future of search. See his past Geek of the Week profile.
Rebecca Gardner: This cancer researcher and her colleagues at Seattle Children’s Research Institute are altering the body’s infection-fighting blood cells to attack cancer in the same way those cells fight viruses. Gardner is the researcher leading a new clinical trial for young adults with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, who are considered to have less than 20 percent chance of survival. See her past Geek of the Week profile.
Adam Loving: This software developer and entrepreneur is a veteran of the Seattle startup scene, a veteran of Gist, BigDoor and other companies who previously founded Twibes. His latest company, Linksy, is a graduate of the 2012 TechStars Seattle program, providing a way for companies and brands to tap into the power of influential people online. Check out this Startup Spotlight profile for more on the company and its vision.
Kate Matsudaira: It was a big year for Kate Matsudaira, last year’s Hire of the Year in the GeekWire Awards, who left Decide.com and started a new company called Pop Forms that’s developing software to help employees and managers be more productive. Read more about the company, and check out this past Geek of the Week profile of Matsudaira, dating back to her tenure as vice president of engineering at SEOmoz.
Ramez Naam is a tech industry veteran and a successful non-fiction writer who branched out into science fiction in 2012 with the release of his book, Nexus: Mankind Gets an Upgrade. He followed that up earlier this month with the release of a new non-fiction book, “The Infinite Resource: The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet.” Check out this Geek of the Week profile of Naam from December for more.
The GeekWire Awards — originally started by Seattle entrepreneur Marcelo Calbucci — are in their 5th year now. Past winners have included Tableau Software, PopCap Games, angel investor Andy Sack, Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh, Zillow Chairman Rich Barton and many others.
Thanks again to our “Geek of the Year” category sponsor: Barokas PR.
We’re expecting a sell out for the GeekWire Awards on May 9th, so make sure to get your tickets today for this one-of-a-kind event. Voting runs through Tuesday in all of the categories below.
Previous categories: GeekWire Awards: Vote for Young Entrepreneur of the Year … Vote for Next Tech Titan… Vote for App of the Year… Vote for Perk of the Year… Vote for Do-Gooder of the Year… Vote for Startup CEO of the Year… Vote for Game of the Year… Vote for Bootstrapper of the Year… Vote for Innovation of the Year…. Vote for Startup Deal of the Year… Vote for Geekiest Office Space… Vote for Hire of the Year … Startup of the Year.
