Mat Ellis resigned from his role as CEO of Cloudability, a startup that helps companies track their spending on cloud services. The Portland, Ore.-based startup was acquired by Apptio for an undisclosed amount in May. The Oregonian first reported the news.
“I plan to pursue the hobbies that I no longer had time for when I was CEO – like sleeping and eating well,” Ellis told the Oregonian.
Ellis co-founded Cloudability in 2011 and steered the company to maturity, raising $39.8 million in funding along the way. Cloudability ranked No. 63 on the GeekWire 200 when it was acquired by Bellevue, Wash.-based Apptio.
At the time of the acquisition, the companies said that Cloudability’s Portland office would remain a strategic engineering center for cloud product development and that they would combine their separate engineering centers in Denver.
Ellis’ move is the second recent high-profile departure for Portland’s tech scene. Stackery CEO and co-founder Nate Taggart left the serverless technology startup last week.
— Naria Santa Lucia joined Microsoft Philanthropies as the director of digital skills and employability. Santa Lucia announced in April that she was leaving her role as executive director of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS).
“I am so excited to take all of the lessons, advice and mentorship that each of you have provided me and apply them in my new role to help people across the country and around the world access the critical skills in the 21st Century economy to thrive in the workforce and achieve a brighter future for themselves, their families, and their communities,” Santa Lucia said in a statement.
— The Museum of Flight named Matthew R. Burchette as senior curator, a job he’ll start in early September. Burchette is the curator at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver, where he hosts the video series Behind the Wings, which was recently picked up by PBS.
Burchette’s appointment concludes a two-year search for a new head curator at the Tukwila, Wash. museum. “Matthew has the right combination of curatorial and subject matter expertise, passion, and energy,” Museum of Flight CEO Matt Hayes said in a statement. “Matthew is also a well-respected speaker and media figure, hosting his own YouTube video blog that was recently picked up by PBS. The video series has a sizeable following on social media and we look forward to tapping into Matthew’s many talents.”
— Healthcare technology company Accolade added former Drugstore.com CEO and chairman Dawn Lepore to its board of directors. Lepore also serves on the boards of loanDepot, RealNetworks and Servco Pacific Insurance, and is an investor in fashion rental startup Armoire. Lepore left Drugstore.com in 2011 after it was acquired by Walgreens.
“Accolade has captured my interest for several years because of the unique way they blend technology and people to provide a personalized experience,” Lepore said in a statement. “Like many of Accolade’s employees and board members, I have a personal interest in the support Accolade provides. My family experienced a health crisis, and finding and understanding our healthcare options was confusing and stressful. I am excited to apply my experience and personal passion to Accolade’s mission of helping millions of families and their employers.”
Accolade is in the midst of a big expansion in the Seattle region, which includes plans to double its staff and open new offices with room to accommodate more than 225 employees.
— Cecil Kost has left his post as CEO of InDemand Interpreting, according to his LinkedIn. Tukwila, Wash.-based InDemand, which provides hospitals with interpreters through live video, was acquired by Stratus Video in May.
Kost wrote on LinkedIn that he is looking for opportunities as an operating partner or advisor in private equity, as well as an executive coach for portfolio companies of PE firms.
— Katie Townsend will be the head of communications for the NHL Seattle team that is slated to start playing in 2021. Townsend most recently worked at WE Communications, where her clients included Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. Earlier in her career, Townsend was a senior news producer for the BBC.
