GeekWire Summit 2016: Relive our biggest tech conference yet with photos, videos, and more

Top executives from the likes of Microsoft and Expedia laid out their vision for the future. A biotech CEO explained how his company is fighting cancer. A former NFL wide receiver who nearly died on the field last year talked about the power of grit and determination. And Seattle was declared as “the Silicon Valley of saving the world.”

In between all of that, hundreds of entrepreneurs, engineers, executives, and many more met new friends, made business connections, and learned about the future of innovation.

The 2016 GeekWire Summit seemed to have it all as we welcomed more than 800 folks in downtown Seattle over an action-packed two days this week to learn from the top thinkers and builders across the tech industry.

Conversations ranged from self-driving spaceships to treatment of software developers to jumping out of airplanes without parachutes to solving the tech talent gap. You can check out our full coverage here, and some of our favorite moments from Day 1 and Day 2.

Along with the on-stage interviews and fun parties, attendees also had fun with the return of the Best Buy box, which offered prizes if folks could solve tricky puzzles.

We also welcomed back the awesome Guillaume Wiatr, who sketched drawings on big murals near the stage that were inspired by on-stage interviews and presentations.

 

Does your event have a muralist? @geekwire's #GWSummit did. pic.twitter.com/pevkyNaneV

— Brian M. Westbrook (@BrianWestbrook) October 6, 2016

We’ll be posting videos from each session in the coming days, so stayed tuned for that. For now, we’ve put together a recap of the Summit for those who missed out or those that just want to relive the two-day event. We’ll see you again at the GeekWire Gala this December.

A big thanks to Dan DeLong for snapping these fantastic photos. And thanks to all of you for attending, and a huge thanks to all of our GeekWire Summit sponsors for helping to make this event happen.

Presenting sponsor: Bank of America

Gold Sponsors: WSGR, Wave Business, Northeastern University, OfferUp, Centric, Lane Powell, Vulcan Technology and Zillow Group.

Silver Sponsors: Nuance, Moz, UPS Connect, Sirqul, CenturyLink and Flowroute.

Exhibitors: Frontier, DefenseStorm, Woot, ReachNow, Flock and Taser Axon.

Supporting Sponsors: Strideline, Best Buy, Accenture, Knoll,Global Innovation Exchange, Bootstrapper Studios, Killer Infographics, Frolik, ALLtech, Tagboard, Sharp and League.

Welcome Party at Zillow Group

Online real estate company Zillow Group hosted the Welcome Party at their downtown Seattle HQ. Summit attendees, speakers, and other VIPs enjoyed tasty food, cold drinks, and great networking with amazing views of the Seattle waterfront.

Great time at tonight's #GWSummit Welcome Reception talking culture, tech & everything in between. Brilliant minds at work in this city.

— Lauren Thompson (@lowrentea) October 4, 2016

Panel: The View from the Press Box

Top tech journalists — Nick Wingfield of The New York Times; Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet; and Jay Greene of The Wall Street Journal — kicked off the 2016 GeekWire Summit by laying out their unique insights into the state of the industry.

"The idea of your toaster needing an IP address is ridiculous." @nickwingfield How else will it tell me bfast is ready? #IoT #GWSummit

— Michael Atalla (@matalla) October 4, 2016

"Twitter is indispensable to my job and it's not working right now." #GWSummit @maryjofoley

— Jenny Kohr Chynoweth (@jkohr) October 4, 2016

Millennials: Growing Up Tech

Pioneer Square Labs co-founder Ben Gilbert; M3 Biotechnology CEO Leen Kawas; and Coding Dojo CEO Richard Wang shared perspectives on innovation, culture, and what it means to be a millennial entrepreneur.

Material goods not as important – digital status (followers, likes) matter more – and will matter more for #GenZ #millennials #gwsummit

— Julie Smith (@smJulie) October 4, 2016

Don't be upset that you look younger than you are. You will constantly exceed people's expectations. How true. #GWSummit

— Jennifer Pawlosky (@JenHoodPaw) October 4, 2016

"It's not the millennial dream to have a house."@leenkawas at #GWSummit#sorrynotsorry real estate salespeople.

— The Tim (@The_Tim) October 4, 2016

Geeks Give Back

Naria Santa Lucia, executive director of the WSOS, and Gary Rubens, a northwest entrepreneur and investor, representing the Rubens Family Foundation, helped us launch the second annual Geeks Give Back campaign, which raises funds for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) that supports students studying STEM in Washington state.

Our @BankofAmerica #geeksgiveback partners @garyrubens + @OppScholarship CEO Naria Santa Lucia announce $1M goal for WA students! #GWSummit pic.twitter.com/WPcs9H4Y7Z

— Kim V (@kimmilyn) October 4, 2016

Geeks Give Back is a fantastic program benefiting @openscholarship being discussed at #gwsummit

— Mark David Blafkin (@mblafkin) October 4, 2016

Fireside Chat: Peggy Johnson, EVP at Microsoft

Microsoft’s top dealmaker talked about a new era of cooperation and competition with longtime partners and rivals, as well as the company’s new venture arm.

Peggy Johnson, EVP of Microsoft says she is a firm believer in self-driving cars, company working on it. @PeggyJ #GWSummit

— Chris Daniels (@ChrisDaniels5) October 4, 2016

Msft EVP Peggy Johnson on diversity: "I look for diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives & creative thought." #GWSummit @CentricSeattle

— lynannbradbury (@lynannbradbury) October 4, 2016

Listening to MSFT's biggest deal maker, Peggy Johnson @PeggyJ talk about their early stage investment arm! #GWSummit #womenintech

— Sharonyka Kumar (@Sharonyka) October 4, 2016

Fireside Chat: Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Expedia

Expedia Inc.’s top boss talked about the future of travel, his thoughts on the presidential race, and what’s next in the road ahead for the travel giant.

Are we, as a culture, moving from valuing "stuff" to valuing "experiences? Millennial session, @dkhos at #GWSummit all think so. Me, too.

— ⚡️Kathy E Gill (@kegill) October 4, 2016

Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says he is rooting for Hillary Clinton, says she will be better for the business #GWSummit

— Rachel Lerman (@rachelerman) October 4, 2016

Expedia using FB chatbots. I agree — that's cool. #GWSummit

— Jennifer Pawlosky (@JenHoodPaw) October 4, 2016

Sponsored Lunch Talk: Nick Huzar, CEO of OfferUp

The CEO of one of Seattle’s fastest-growing startups discussed how OfferUp is reimagining local commerce and why he’s not afraid of Facebook.

"We have too much stuff because of simplicity & safety. These are the pillars of @offerup" #GWSummit

— Donna Manders (@SmokeFreeLife) October 4, 2016

Nick Huzar of @offerup not afraid of @facebook Marketplace. "We have one purpose. To be the best…" #GWSummit

— Michael Atalla (@matalla) October 4, 2016

Power Talk: Scott Wyatt of NBBJ

Wyatt talked about how technology and science are reshaping cities and changing the spaces where we live, work and play, while also explaining the rationale behind Amazon’s new biodomes.

If you double the size of a city, per head productivity is, on average 15% more.

Interesting talk from @nbbjdesign at #GWSummit

— ben shorrock (@benshorrock) October 4, 2016

https://twitter.com/clarktara/status/783405829261176832

The Power of Grit: Ricardo Lockette, former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver

Lockette shared his inspiring story of overcoming multiple bouts of adversity, from growing up and making it to the NFL before having his playing career cut short due to a near-death experience during a game last season.

 

.@RicardoLockette credits @PeteCarroll w/creating sense of family..
"I'm blocking for Russell Wilson so he can get home to Ciara" #GWSummit

— Chris Daniels (@ChrisDaniels5) October 4, 2016

Inspired by @RicardoLockette message on grit, greatness and a life of service. #GWSummit.

— James Ellison (@JamesEllisonYo) October 4, 2016

Very interesting hearing @RicardoLockette define grit "when your passion & hunger is greater than the work." #GWSummit #startuplife

— Donuts (@DonutsInc) October 4, 2016

Fireside Chat: Jeff Jordan, Andreessen Horowitz

The Airbnb board member and former OpenTable CEO discussed what’s hot in startup land and whether we’re in the midst of a bubble or on the verge of discovering the next big thing.

"Most important in entrepreneurs are perseverance, courage and ability to tell a story" says @a16z partner @jeff_jordan #GWSummit

— Michael Atalla (@matalla) October 4, 2016

The best storytellers are the best entrepreneurs and running the best companies. – @jeff_jordan #gwsummit

— Kemi Jona (@KemiJona) October 4, 2016

Fireside Chat: Hans Bishop, CEO of Juno Therapeutics

Juno Therapeutics is taking the fight to cancer and Bishop is the CEO leading the charge. He talked about the company’s original name — F*** Cancer — and why the state of Washington needs to invest more in biotech.

Fun fact: Original name of @JunoThera was F* Cancer (FC) Therapeutics. Is a rallying cry for corporate culture. #GWSummit

— Andrea James (@AndreaSJames) October 4, 2016

Biotech research and #cancer drug development is converging with computing and #analytics in a big way -Hans Bishop @JunoThera #GWSummit

— Kemi Jona (@KemiJona) October 4, 2016

Job Title Bingo with Bridget Quigg

Bust out the bingo cards! In a twist on the age-old game, Techlandia creator Bridget Quigg provided an afternoon laugh with her funny take on tech job titles.

Getting excited for job title bingo with comedian @BridgetQuigg! Hint the best titles are equally impressive AND confusing. #GWSummit pic.twitter.com/emYZNbRslE

— GeekWire (@geekwire) October 4, 2016

Inventions We Love

We invited local innovators on stage for a fun geek show-and-tell featuring some of the coolest gadgets and hardware devices we’ve seen. Founders from Modumetal, ChefSteps, Lulabop, Package Guard and Coros all showed off their creations.

Opening Night Party

GeekWire Summit speakers, attendees and other VIPs and geeked out on one of the best rooftop decks in Seattle at Frolik at Motif Seattle. There were cold drinks, hot food, shuffleboard, ping pong, and more.

Sponsored Breakfast: Education Reboot: How Higher-Ed Can Help Solve the Tech Talent Gap

Panelists from Redfin, Galvanize, Microsoft, OfferUp, and Northeastern University led an informative discussion on some of the tech industry’s most pressing issues: How to educate the future workforce, how to solve the talent tech gap, and how to fix sexism and ageism.

Redfin CTO @SVBridget on workforce diversity “it begins w/ an inclusive culture & hiring people from non-traditional backgrounds” #GWSummit

— Redfin (@Redfin) October 5, 2016

Having a company in Seattle with two of the co-founders over 50. I’m glad some of the conversation at #GWSummit is about ageism in tech.

— Amber Osborne (@MissDestructo) October 5, 2016

RE: ageism in tech, Peter Wilson @offerup "I am over 50 and I worked at @facebook and it f***ing sucked." #GWSummit

— Nikesh Parekh (@nikesh_parekh) October 5, 2016

Fireside Chat: Arati Prabhakar, Director of DARPA

Drones. Cyber defense. Genetic engineering. The chief of the U.S. agency charged with developing cutting-edge technologies for the military talked about a wide-range of topics, helping us understand more about an organization with a history of developing technologies that make their way into civilian life, as well.

"the thing that inspires me is talking to really smart and creative people" – Arati Prabhakar at #GWSummit

— ⎝ EvangelistNinja ⎠ (@EvangelistNinja) October 5, 2016

Is Arati Prabhakar the smartest woman in America? DARPA is lucky to have such a mind solving intractable problems. #GWSummit #womenintech

— Cynthia Hartwig (@TwoPens2) October 5, 2016

AI is having this "amazing second wave," thanks to statistical learning, says @DARPA director Arati Prabhakar. #gwsummit

— toddbishop (@toddbishop) October 5, 2016

Fireside Chat: Joel Spolsky, CEO of Stack Overflow

Spolksy gave insights into the modern world of software development from the engineer and entrepreneur whose musings on technology have entertained, informed and influenced the culture of programming for nearly two decades.

#gwsummit where @spolsky dives into the "The Joel Test"—sanity screening for Devs. This from c. 2000! pic.twitter.com/aVf0zRS1ab

— ?Steven Sinofsky ॐ (@stevesi) October 5, 2016

.@Spolsky at #GWSummit: "Developers today are using tools that are changing rapidly and were only invented 15 minutes ago."

— Mark L. Martin (@marklmartin) October 5, 2016

"Private offices and the ability to work from home increases flow & productivity of engineers"- @spolsky @StackOverflow #GWSummit @geekwire

— Fuel Talent (@FuelTalentSEA) October 5, 2016

Power Talk: Vikram Jandhyala, VP for Innovation Strategy at The University of Washington

Jandhyala talked about inclusive innovation, and how technology can have positive and meaningful impact on global problems such as homelessness, affordable housing and food access.

Loved @vikramjandhyala presentation. Inclusive innovation could be comp advantage for Seattle & others vs Silicon Valley #GWSummit

— Mark David Blafkin (@mblafkin) October 5, 2016

Inclusive Innovation: Be open to ideas coming from unexpected places (during visit to China); Thank you @vikramjandhyala #GWSummit pic.twitter.com/b1gx6Y0CuB

— Linda Inagawa (@LindaInagawa) October 5, 2016

Inclusive innovation is about breaking your boundaries and inviting in experts who don't look & think like you. @vikramjandhyala #GWSummit

— uniquelyHR (@uniquelyHR) October 5, 2016

Power Talk: Geeks Give Back

Jordana Dahmen, a senior biology major at Washington State University and one of the amazing WSOS scholars, gave an inspiring talk about her life story and how WSOS has helped her educational goals.

Jordana D @WSUCougars @OppScholarship recipient: "I'm a scientist and still like wearing pink heels." pursuing PhD in bioeng! #GWSummit

— Kemi Jona (@KemiJona) October 5, 2016

Inspiring speech from WSOS recipient Jordana Dahmen at the #GWSummit. We're proud to partner with @geekwire to support #STEMed pic.twitter.com/CCBxmFyKEP

— WA Opp Scholarship (@OppScholarship) October 5, 2016

Fireside Chat: Nathan Myhrvold, CEO of Intellectual Ventures

The former Microsoft technology chief, one of the most controversial figures and biggest thinkers in the industry, provided a unique glimpse into the future of technology, innovation and science. He said Seattle “is absolutely the Silicon Valley of saving the world” and talked about why his company, Intellectual Ventures, still believes in the power of patents.

"Seattle is the Silicon Valley of saving the world" So much love for this place. #gwsummit

— Sarah O'Connor (@__socon) October 5, 2016

Question some @IVinvents practices, but this speech reminds me why Nathan Myhrvold is still brilliant and awesome #GWSummit

— Mark David Blafkin (@mblafkin) October 5, 2016

"We should slay them all," Nathan Myhrvold on invasive mosquitoes. #GWSummit

— Dina Bass (@dinabass) October 5, 2016

Sponsored Lunch Talk: From Elephants to Seahawks: The Wide World of Vulcan Technology

Spanning cutting edge AR/VR that extends experiences to leveraging machine learning and drones to protect endangered wildlife, Vulcan Technology’s Keith Rosema and Selvam Velmurugan revealed the focus and method of Paul Allen’s latest technology projects.

Keith Rosema @VulcanInc #GWSummit talking Vulcan's involvement in ebola crisis. Use space technology to quarantine health workers.

— David L. Allen (@cougardave92) October 5, 2016

Power Talk: The Jump! Luke Aikins, Skydiver

The man who wowed the world by jumping from an airplane at 25,000 feet — without a parachute — discussed the physics and science behind the death-defying jump, along with some of the lessons learned from taking a true leap of faith.

"The medical examination was a high-5." @LukeAikins, on his no-parachute skydive landing. A real #GWSummit highlight.

— Kurt Schlosser (@kslosh) October 5, 2016

Absolutely insane presentation by @LukeAikins at #GWSummit on his parachute-less skydive…. pic.twitter.com/uIPP98Z6hq

— BJ (@BJosephs) October 5, 2016

Panel: Inside A.I.

Bot or Not? We heard about how the emerging world of artificial intelligence is transforming our work and lives from Dr. Oren Etzioni, CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence and UW professor; and machine intelligence expert Shivon Zilis, the founding member of Bloomberg Beta, a $75 million venture fund backed by Bloomberg L.P. that invests in startups transforming the future of work.

Challenge with AI today is so much natural intelligence is required to make it work. @etzioni #GWSummit

— Mike McMurray (@mikedmcmurray) October 5, 2016

"If product is free, you are the product" @etzioni
"In age of AI duct tape still fixes everything" @shivon #GWSummit pic.twitter.com/MSn1daTg9K

— Brian M. Westbrook (@BrianWestbrook) October 5, 2016

On AI and privacy concerns, Oren Etzioni says there is no longer privacy. #GWSummit

— James Ellison (@JamesEllisonYo) October 5, 2016

Tech and Politics: Teddy Goff

Teddy Goff, the political insider and digital strategist of the Hillary Clinton campaign, talked about how technology is being used in one of the most bizarre elections in American history.

Something tech can't replace in political persuasion “Nothing more important than person to person conversation.” @teddygoff #GWSummit

— Mark David Blafkin (@mblafkin) October 5, 2016

Because of the internet we have a level of political awareness that is unprecedented. – @teddygoff #gwsummit

— Colleen Moffitt (@CMMoffitt) October 5, 2016