Articles by Laurel Deppen

Laurel Deppen is a Western Kentucky University broadcast journalism graduate and GeekWire's 2021 Dow Jones News Fund intern, spending her summer in Seattle reporting about the region's tech and business community. Follow Laurel on Twitter.

How Dance Church made a pandemic pivot and created a new online fitness subscription business

Junior Geek of the Month: Luna Abadía turned her climate change fears into action and solutions
First job lessons: Seattle tech startup CEOs on what they learned from car washing, delivery, and more

Latest from Laurel Deppen

Moz co-founder’s venture fund for women-led initiatives makes its first investment

by Laurel Deppen on August 30, 2021September 8, 2021 at 11:16 am

Gillian Muessig isn’t angry about the gender gap in venture capital. She’s just done waiting around for change. “I have no more patience to be gracious, to let the status… Read More

Video

How this husband-wife duo launched a startup while battling cancer and homeschooling their kids

by Laurel Deppen on August 20, 2021August 19, 2021 at 8:43 pm

Samir and Amy Lakhani have had quite the year — one that involved quitting full-time jobs, working on their first startup, homeschooling kids, and a cancer diagnosis, all during a… Read More

Cryptocurrency startup TaxBit, which just opened a new HQ in Seattle, lands $130M at $1.33B valuation

by Laurel Deppen on August 12, 2021August 12, 2021 at 8:45 am

TaxBit, a cryptocurrency tax and accounting firm which opened a second headquarters in Seattle this summer, has raised $130 million in new funding. The funding round pushes the company’s valuation… Read More

Former Amazon exec aims to close the gender gap in STEM fields with new guidance startup Gotara

by Laurel Deppen on August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 at 1:43 pm

Seattle-startup Gotara is on a mission to get more women in STEM through a mentoring software platform aimed at boosting retention. Founded by D. Sangeeta, a former vice president of… Read More

On-demand car rental service Kyte brings another transportation option to Seattle

by Laurel Deppen on August 6, 2021August 5, 2021 at 4:24 pm

Kyte, an on-demand car rental service, launched in Seattle on Friday. The service delivers rental cars directly to drivers. Customers can purchase the car through an app or the company’s… Read More

Zillow beats Q2 expectations with $1.3B in revenue as it expects housing trends to boost growth

by Laurel Deppen on August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 at 1:55 pm

Seattle-based real estate company Zillow Group reported $1.3 billion in revenue Thursday for the second quarter, slightly beating analyst’s expectations. Expected revenue was $1.28 billion, with earnings per share of… Read More

Mentoring software maker Chronus raises $78M as hybrid workforce and DEI needs drive demand

by Laurel Deppen on August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 at 8:54 am

Chronus, the Bellevue, Wash.-based maker of mentoring software, announced $78 million in new funding on Wednesday, with plans to expand its platform as hybrid work becomes more mainstream. Chronus provides… Read More

Redfin to include ‘climate risk’ in all listings as Americans consider climate change when buying

by Laurel Deppen on August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 at 9:26 am

It’s no longer enough to consider whether you can simply afford a home, or beat out other potential buyers in a bidding war. Now as you deal with a red-hot… Read More

Social media manager Hootsuite acquires conversational AI-platform Heyday for $48M

by Laurel Deppen on August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 at 9:12 am

Hootsuite, the Vancouver, B.C.-based social media management platform, announced Tuesday that it is acquiring Heyday, a conversational AI platform, for about $48 million USD. The acquisition will enable Hootsuite users… Read More

How Dance Church made a pandemic pivot and created a new online fitness subscription business

by Laurel Deppen on August 1, 2021August 3, 2021 at 9:06 am

On a foggy Saturday morning earlier this month, I was among hundreds of people gathered at the Seattle Center lawn, dancing like no one was watching. The event marked one… Read More

Junior Geek of the Month: Luna Abadía turned her climate change fears into action and solutions

by Laurel Deppen on July 31, 2021August 2, 2021 at 9:52 am

As a child growing up in Portland, Ore., Luna Abadía was always curious about the nature around her. She carried a journal with her that she called her “book of… Read More

Tech Moves: Portland’s Act-On adds two new execs; Tanium adds public sector SVP; and more

by Laurel Deppen on July 30, 2021July 30, 2021 at 10:02 am

—Act-On, a Portland, Ore.-based marketing automation platform, added Gregg Ames as chief commercial officer and Syed Ahmed as senior vice president of engineering. Ames previously worked in sales at Marketo,… Read More

T-Mobile adds 1.3M customers in Q2, beats expectations with $20B in revenue

by Laurel Deppen on July 29, 2021July 29, 2021 at 2:25 pm

T-Mobile beat analyst expectations at the end of its second quarter, reporting $20 billion in revenue, up 13% year-over-year, and $0.78 in earnings per share. Analysts expected revenue of $19.3… Read More

Video

Washington state universities will lead AI research institutes funded by National Science Foundation

by Laurel Deppen on July 29, 2021July 28, 2021 at 10:36 pm

The University of Washington and Washington State University are adding artificial intelligence research institutes thanks to $40 million in funding from the National Science Foundation. UW and WSU will house… Read More

‘We have Leonardos among us’: DaVinci exhibit shows Seattle region’s spirit of innovation

by Laurel Deppen on July 28, 2021July 30, 2021 at 9:49 am

An international exhibit showcasing newly-built works based on the sketches of Leonardo DaVinci opens in Seattle on Saturday. The traveling exhibit will be housed in the Museum of History and… Read More

News Brief

Telehealth giant Amwell to acquire Portland healthtech startup Conversa

by Laurel Deppen on July 28, 2021July 28, 2021 at 1:32 pm

National telehealth provider Amwell said it will acquire Portland, Ore.-based healthtech startup Conversa and SilverCloud Health. Conversa, founded in 2014, sells platforms tailored to different medical conditions that allow medical… Read More

Ex-Amazon and Glossier exec aims to help people live longer, healthier with new startup Modern Age

by Laurel Deppen on July 28, 2021July 28, 2021 at 10:15 am

Helping people live longer and healthier is personal for Melissa Eamer. After her mother died at a relatively young age, the former chief operating officer of Glossier became curious about… Read More

Workforce training startup OpenSesame raises $50M as shift to remote work drives demand

by Laurel Deppen on July 23, 2021July 23, 2021 at 10:52 am

Portland, Ore.-based OpenSesame raised $50 million in new funding, the company announced Thursday. Founded in 2011, the startup helps businesses with online learning tools for their workforce. OpenSesame’s catalog includes… Read More

Video

‘Co-warehousing’ startup Saltbox opens facility in Seattle, its third nationwide

by Laurel Deppen on July 22, 2021July 22, 2021 at 12:51 pm

Saltbox, a warehousing space provider for small and medium-sized digital commerce companies, has expanded to Seattle. Saltbox offers “co-warehousing” space where online retailers that store physical goods can operate their… Read More

Give InKind, which aims to make giving easier, lands more funding to expand healthcare partnerships

by Laurel Deppen on July 16, 2021July 16, 2021 at 1:06 pm

Social giving startup Give InKind has raised another $500,000 as it inks deals with hospitals and healthcare systems. The Tacoma, Wash.-based startup hosts a platform to make the giving process… Read More

Meet the 4 new startups joining a fintech incubator run by BECU and UW in Seattle

by Laurel Deppen on July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 at 2:59 pm

Four Seattle startups have won a slot in a financial technology incubator run by banking company BECU and CoMotion, the innovation arm of the University of Washington. The year-long program… Read More

Techstars and Filecoin launching new accelerator out of Seattle for blockchain startups

by Laurel Deppen on July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 at 11:09 am

Techstars, a global network that supports entrepreneurs, is launching a new accelerator program out of Seattle. The Filecoin Techstars Accelerator is partnering with Protocol Labs to “build the next generation… Read More

ZoomInfo will pay $575M to acquire conversation intelligence startup Chorus.ai

by Laurel Deppen on July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 at 8:40 am

ZoomInfo has agreed to acquire Chorus.ai for $575 million in cash, adding conversation analysis capabilities to the Vancouver-Wash.-based company’s offerings. ZoomInfo, which went public last year, is a subscription service… Read More

Tech helps reduce overcrowding at Washington state trails via new recommendation feature

by Laurel Deppen on July 11, 2021July 9, 2021 at 2:10 pm

Seattle-area hikers know that on weekend mornings, popular trails such as Mt. Si are bound to be packed. The Washington Trail Association saw the need to add something new to… Read More

Video

How Dance Church made a pandemic pivot and created a new online fitness subscription business

Articles by Laurel Deppen

Top Stories from Laurel Deppen

Latest from Laurel Deppen

Moz co-founder’s venture fund for women-led initiatives makes its first investment

How this husband-wife duo launched a startup while battling cancer and homeschooling their kids

Cryptocurrency startup TaxBit, which just opened a new HQ in Seattle, lands $130M at $1.33B valuation

Former Amazon exec aims to close the gender gap in STEM fields with new guidance startup Gotara

On-demand car rental service Kyte brings another transportation option to Seattle

Zillow beats Q2 expectations with $1.3B in revenue as it expects housing trends to boost growth

Mentoring software maker Chronus raises $78M as hybrid workforce and DEI needs drive demand

Redfin to include ‘climate risk’ in all listings as Americans consider climate change when buying

Social media manager Hootsuite acquires conversational AI-platform Heyday for $48M

How Dance Church made a pandemic pivot and created a new online fitness subscription business

Junior Geek of the Month: Luna Abadía turned her climate change fears into action and solutions

Tech Moves: Portland’s Act-On adds two new execs; Tanium adds public sector SVP; and more

T-Mobile adds 1.3M customers in Q2, beats expectations with $20B in revenue

Washington state universities will lead AI research institutes funded by National Science Foundation

‘We have Leonardos among us’: DaVinci exhibit shows Seattle region’s spirit of innovation

Telehealth giant Amwell to acquire Portland healthtech startup Conversa

Ex-Amazon and Glossier exec aims to help people live longer, healthier with new startup Modern Age

Workforce training startup OpenSesame raises $50M as shift to remote work drives demand

‘Co-warehousing’ startup Saltbox opens facility in Seattle, its third nationwide

Give InKind, which aims to make giving easier, lands more funding to expand healthcare partnerships

Meet the 4 new startups joining a fintech incubator run by BECU and UW in Seattle

Techstars and Filecoin launching new accelerator out of Seattle for blockchain startups

ZoomInfo will pay $575M to acquire conversation intelligence startup Chorus.ai

Tech helps reduce overcrowding at Washington state trails via new recommendation feature

How Bumble BFF helped this Kentucky transplant find friends and break The Seattle Freeze

Utah-based crypto tax software startup TaxBit opening second HQ in Seattle

Bill and Melinda French Gates to take two years after divorce to assess partnership at foundation

Seattle startup Intentionalist partners with Apple to point customers to LGBTQ businesses on Maps app

First job lessons: Seattle tech startup CEOs on what they learned from car washing, delivery, and more

Amazon Web Servies acquires end-to-end encryption messaging software startup Wickr