Articles by Monica Nickelsburg

Monica Nickelsburg covers a wide range of topics, including Seattle’s boom and the intersection of technology with culture, politics, and identity. Originally from Southern California, she studied journalism and history at NYU before landing in Seattle. She loves arts, pop-culture, and her adopted city. Follow her @mnickelsburg

Tech in the era of extremism: How the industry is grappling with its new political reality

More bikes?! How the latest entrants in Seattle’s crowded bike-share market plan to compete
Less than 6 months after launch, The Riveter to open 2nd co-working space for women in Seattle
Seattle venture capitalist Matt McIlwain’s non-profit sues city over income tax on high earners

Latest from Monica Nickelsburg

Can Seattle avoid Bay Area problems? Researchers using data to predict how neighborhoods will evolve

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 19, 2017August 19, 2017 at 7:26 amComment

Seattle is experiencing unrelenting population growth, driven largely by its booming technology industry. If policymakers are to avoid some of the problems that San Francisco is experiencing due to its own… Read More

Tech in the era of extremism: How the industry is grappling with its new political reality

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 18, 2017August 19, 2017 at 7:26 amComment

Ride-hailing giant Uber sent a message to its riders and drivers expressing outrage over the deadly white nationalist demonstration in Charlottesville, Va., and support for a driver who kicked Nazis… Read More

Boatsetter brings Boatbound aboard, acquiring Seattle-based ship-sharing startup

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 18, 2017August 18, 2017 at 9:27 amComment

Boatbound has found a new captain. The Seattle startup that operates an Airbnb-like marketplace for boat owners has been acquired by Boatsetter, a bigger boat-sharing marketplace. Boatbound launched in San Francisco… Read More

Working Geek: Socrata product lead Franklin Williams makes it easier for citizens to access public data

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 17, 2017August 17, 2017 at 11:47 amComment

Franklin Williams believes he has “the best job in the world.” That’s because he spends his days leading Socrata‘s product managers, designers, and engineers — a team that builds tools… Read More

More bikes?! How the latest entrants in Seattle’s crowded bike-share market plan to compete

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 16, 2017August 17, 2017 at 7:18 amComment

Seattle has been inundated by thousands of neon bicycles since Spin and LimeBike launched in late July — and it’s just the beginning. Two more companies have filed for permits… Read More

UW researchers discover how to hack into smartphones and TVs to track body movements

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 16, 2017August 16, 2017 at 10:16 amComment

Hackers and spies no longer need special surveillance equipment to track your location and movements. Researchers from the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering have… Read More

Less than 6 months after launch, The Riveter to open 2nd co-working space for women in Seattle

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 16, 2017August 16, 2017 at 10:26 amComment

Since The Riveter opened its doors in March in Seattle, the female-focused co-working space has hosted Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, WNBA star Sue Bird, and two U.S. senators. It’s also… Read More

Zillow seeks settlement after federal probe into anti-kickback law violations

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 15, 2017August 15, 2017 at 3:05 pmComment

Zillow Group’s legal team is meeting with federal regulators over the next few weeks, seeking a settlement in the wake of a two-year investigation into the Seattle real estate media… Read More

Instacart growing faster than expected despite Amazon’s deal to swallow up Whole Foods

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 15, 2017August 15, 2017 at 9:34 amComment

When Amazon announced its intention to buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in June, it sent shockwaves through the grocery and delivery industries. Shares of grocery chains plummeted and speculation swirled… Read More

‘How are your tweets feeling?’ Researchers find connection between Twitter users’ emotions and flu outbreaks

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 14, 2017August 14, 2017 at 2:37 pmComment

Imagine if public health workers could monitor social media to take the emotional temperature of a specific population and use that data to predict epidemics. Researchers from the Department of… Read More

Amazon is shutting down Lovefilm by Post, the DVD service once called the ‘Netflix of Europe’

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 14, 2017August 14, 2017 at 8:54 amComment

Today, Amazon is hammering another nail into the coffin of DVDs with the closure of its “Lovefilm by Post” business. Lovefilm was often called the “Netflix of Europe” back when… Read More

Startup Spotlight: KLIK Boks wireless presentation connector is designed to save time in meetings

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 12, 2017August 12, 2017 at 9:54 amComment

Throughout his 20-year career developing and launching products for professional sound systems, Costa Lakoumentas constantly found himself impeded by a simple technical problem. “I have made hundreds of presentations all over the… Read More

How canned fish convinced RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser to ignore conventional wisdom and invest in a new Seattle restaurant

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 12, 2017August 12, 2017 at 9:34 amComment

Rob Glaser is well aware that restaurants make for risky investments. “There’s two arguments,” he told GeekWire. “One, they have a very high failure rate, which is true. The second… Read More

Working Geek: Amazon manager MaryBeth Pecha and colleagues create card game to break down gender barriers

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 at 7:18 amComment

During nearly a decade working in finance and accounting, MaryBeth Pecha experienced the challenges that come from gender inequity at the office first-hand. She bonded over those challenges with colleagues… Read More

Facebook and Disney join Amazon on quest to dethrone streaming king Netflix

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 10, 2017August 10, 2017 at 12:58 pmComment

In 2007, a dot-com era rebel by the name of Netflix launched an online streaming platform — and with it, a revolution to overthrow dynastic institutions in the video entertainment industry.… Read More

Uber debuts in-app chat to improve communication between drivers and riders

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 10, 2017August 10, 2017 at 9:20 amComment

Uber is rolling out a new chat feature that allows drivers and riders to communicate with each other directly through the app. A rider can send a text via chat… Read More

Seattle venture capitalist Matt McIlwain’s non-profit sues city over income tax on high earners

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 at 4:21 pmComment

A non-profit founded by Madrona Venture Group Managing Director Matt McIlwain is filing a lawsuit against the City of Seattle over a new plan to levy an income tax on… Read More

Washington state troopers pulled over 337 drivers for using electronic devices in new law’s first week

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 at 10:15 amComment

A new law that prohibits Washington drivers from using personal electronics behind the wheel took effect July 23 and in the first week, state troopers pulled over 337 offenders. Fortunately… Read More

‘Top Gun’ star Tom Skerritt takes aim at Hollywood, raises cash for new Seattle entertainment startup

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 at 7:53 amComment

Heyou Media, a new startup launched by luminaries from Seattle’s tech and entertainment worlds, is raising cash to fuel the “alternative media revolution.” That’s according to Seattle-based actor Tom Skerritt,… Read More

Zillow CEO: Redfin ‘a threat to organized real estate’

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 8, 2017August 8, 2017 at 5:20 pmComment

Zillow Group CEO Spencer Rascoff isn’t worried about the threat of newly-public Redfin — but he thinks the rest of the real estate industry should be. He made that clear… Read More

Seattle gender pay gap is wider among more educated workers, pointing to equity issues in tech

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 8, 2017August 8, 2017 at 1:52 pmComment

A new study from Seattle civic data startup LiveStories reveals that the gender pay gap in its hometown is significantly wider than cities with similar populations, like Boston and Denver… Read More

Zillow Group shares dip despite beating expectations with record Q2 revenue of $267M

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 8, 2017August 8, 2017 at 2:15 pmComment

Zillow Group reported a record $266.9 million in revenue for the second quarter of this year, a 28 percent increase over the same period in 2016. The Seattle real estate… Read More

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Articles by Monica Nickelsburg

Top Stories from Monica Nickelsburg

Tech in the era of extremism: How the industry is grappling with its new political reality

Latest from Monica Nickelsburg

Can Seattle avoid Bay Area problems? Researchers using data to predict how neighborhoods will evolve

Working Geek: Socrata product lead Franklin Williams makes it easier for citizens to access public data

Top Republican strategist Frank Luntz questions Trump claim that Amazon is a job killer

UW researchers discover how to hack into smartphones and TVs to track body movements

Less than 6 months after launch, The Riveter to open 2nd co-working space for women in Seattle

Zillow seeks settlement after federal probe into anti-kickback law violations

Instacart growing faster than expected despite Amazon’s deal to swallow up Whole Foods

‘How are your tweets feeling?’ Researchers find connection between Twitter users’ emotions and flu outbreaks

Amazon is shutting down Lovefilm by Post, the DVD service once called the ‘Netflix of Europe’

Startup Spotlight: KLIK Boks wireless presentation connector is designed to save time in meetings

How canned fish convinced RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser to ignore conventional wisdom and invest in a new Seattle restaurant

Working Geek: Amazon manager MaryBeth Pecha and colleagues create card game to break down gender barriers

Facebook and Disney join Amazon on quest to dethrone streaming king Netflix

Uber debuts in-app chat to improve communication between drivers and riders

Seattle venture capitalist Matt McIlwain’s non-profit sues city over income tax on high earners

Washington state troopers pulled over 337 drivers for using electronic devices in new law’s first week

‘Top Gun’ star Tom Skerritt takes aim at Hollywood, raises cash for new Seattle entertainment startup

Zillow CEO: Redfin ‘a threat to organized real estate’

Seattle gender pay gap is wider among more educated workers, pointing to equity issues in tech

Zillow Group shares dip despite beating expectations with record Q2 revenue of $267M

Walmart cuts in front of Amazon Go with app that lets shoppers check out without lines or registers

Facebook ventures into Zillow’s territory with targeted real estate advertising

Amazon’s latest crazy drone idea: Charging and repair stations on roaming cars, boats and trucks

This Week in Seattle: Cascadia bullet train, mayoral race narrows, Uber union law clears legal hurdle, and more

Startup Spotlight: FenSens develops products to turn older vehicles into connected cars without breaking the bank

Double duty: How startups and small businesses could be hit twice under Seattle’s new income tax

Application Deadline for Seattle Angel Conference SAC XII

Lowell Observatory Solar Eclipse Experience 2017

Experience the Eclipse at Pacific Science Center