Z. John Manolopoulos. (Photo via LinkedIn)

Z. John Manolopoulos, the global program manager of Microsoft’s internet of things and smart buildings efforts, is leaving the company for a new role at Facebook, GeekWire has learned.

Facebook confirmed that Manolopoulos joined the company on August 13 and is serving as its global smart campus program manager, but declined to comment or share additional details on his role.

At Microsoft, Manolopoulos worked to integrate internet of things systems throughout Microsoft buildings. He described some of the work in a LinkedIn post in April.

“In Microsoft cafes, sensors allow us to correlate food consumption to population, so we don’t waste food,” Manolopoulos wrote. “Measuring garbage and compost collection contributes critical data to our sustainability initiatives. We also use data and machine learning to provide information on how efficiently space is being used to reduce our footprint.”

He gave other examples, like  light signals to point employees to open parking spaces and intelligent air and utility systems that respond to changes without needing input from a building’s occupants.

Manolopoulos also laid out a vision for the future of connected buildings, one where intelligent-native, internet of things devices completely reshape the way people — and notably employees — interact with their built environment.

“It will not be long before everything is connected; where we have moved beyond the realm of making dumb things smart with additional sensors and electronics, and into the realm where the things themselves are smart,” he wrote. “Room lights will switch on, not when there is motion in the room, but knowing that an employee who likes a well-lit room is about to walk in. A conference room thermostat will adjust to a temperature that best fits the preferences of all meeting attendees.”

Facebook has been steadily growing its presence in Seattle in recent years. The company opened a new building in March, giving it enough office space in the city for 3,000 employees. The company also announced plans last year for a new retail and office campus near its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters.

Dustin Grosse. (Nintex Photo)

— Former Microsoft and DocuSign executive Dustin Grosse has a new role at workplace automation software vendor Nintex. Grosse is joining the company as its chief marketing and strategy officer, a new role.

Grosse joins Nintex from sales engagement platform ClearSlide, where he spent the last three years as the company’s CEO. He was formerly the chief marketing and development officer at DocuSign and previously spent seven years at Microsoft, including four years as a general manager in charge of worldwide field readiness.

“Dustin is a cloud technology innovator, strategist and go-to-market expert who will inspire our team with his passion for business productivity improvements made possible by the Nintex Platform,” Nintex CEO Eric Johnson said in a press release. “Many of us at Nintex have known and collaborated with Dustin for several years and believe that his marketing and corporate strategy acumen will help drive Nintex customer focus to further scale our success.”

In February, private equity firm Thoma Bravo acquired a majority stake in Nintex. Johnson was named the company’s CEO at the same time. The company ranks number 9 on the GeekWire 200, GeekWire’s ranking of privately held companies in the Pacific Northwest.

Elisa La Cava. (Madrona Venture Group Photo)

Madrona Venture Group welcomed a new senior associate to its investment team: Elisa La Cava, a former Deloitte leader and recent graduate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. La Cave formerly spent four months at MATH Venture Capital and three years at Deliotte, most recently serving as the chief of staff to the west region managing principal.

At Madrona, La Cava will source innovative companies, evaluate new investment opportunities and work with entrepreneurs across the firm’s portfolio. She has a particular interest in multi-sense interfaces, intelligent applications, and financial tech.

“During business school, I had my first experience working in venture capital and instantly loved it because I could help innovative companies reach their full potential,” La Cava said in a statement. “I am also passionate about the growth of the community here in Seattle, specifically, because it is my hometown. I am beyond excited to be back in Seattle and at Madrona, and am ready to dive in and help support the next wave of world-changing founders and startups.”

Dave Lutz, left, and Jay Martin. (eventcore photo, EagleView Technologies photo)

—  EagleView Technologies, a company that makes aerial imagery and data analytics tech, tapped vice president of operations Jay Martin to serve as its first chief operating officer. Martin first joined the company in 2016.

His promotion follows the EagleView’s acquisition of Australian company Spookfish for approximately $80.3 million last month.

— Enterprise event operations technology company eventcore appointed Dave Lutz to its board of directors. Lutz is the managing director of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, which works with major conferences and trade shows.

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