Impact Series

Feb 13, 2018, 2:00 AM

Gates Foundation’s annual letter answers ’10 tough questions’ routinely put to Bill and Melinda

This year’s annual letter from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — their 10th such correspondence with the world —… Read More

Feb 8, 2018, 4:45 AM

How Andrew Carnegie set the stage for Bill Gates to give away his fortune, altering philanthropy forever

Bill Gates made his money in software, Andrew Carnegie in steel. And while roughly a century separates these two hard-charging… Read More

Jan 25, 2018, 1:27 PM

Armed with 3D-design skills and a sustainability vision, 17-year-old creates better roadways

How many of us have traveled along a poorly designed street and thought, “I could come up with a better… Read More

Jan 11, 2018, 1:15 PM

Unified Robotics program for intellectually disabled students looks to keep growing

Sometimes a sea change can start with something as simple as wanting to make sure your sister feels included. That… Read More

Jan 8, 2018, 11:54 AM

Melinda Gates shares 5 tips for banishing ‘imposter syndrome’

There are some of us who feel confident taking on any job — perhaps even as the highest elected official… Read More

Dec 27, 2017, 8:47 AM

From Redmond with WiFi: How this Microsoft employee helped bring critical infrastructure to a hurricane-ravaged Caribbean island

Nicholas Harland worried about his uncle Roger. Roger Harland, a resident of the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St.… Read More

Dec 15, 2017, 2:30 PM

Big-Brained Superheroes Club taps the STEM smarts of overlooked kids

It was the kids in the hall — the ones loitering and either up-to-no-good or about to be — that… Read More

Dec 9, 2017, 6:30 PM

Cyberattack detector, gunshot sensor and other new inventions cement Pacific Northwest National Lab’s place among elite R&D centers

Tucked away in Eastern Washington’s sagebrush country, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) can be overlooked with so much attention focused… Read More

Dec 1, 2017, 12:23 PM

As global disasters strain financial resources, tech companies reassess their ‘super powers’

The number of disasters this past year — including devastating hurricanes and multiple refugee crises — have strained the charitable… Read More

Nov 22, 2017, 7:33 AM

AbiliTrek is building hotel database for travelers with disabilities, aims to fill information void in $17B market

Daman Wandke was explicit in explaining what he needed in his San Francisco hotel room: he had to have a… Read More

Nov 14, 2017, 11:30 AM

WTIA’s Apprenti program is turning out skilled tech workers by the dozens, with no tuition costs

Roscoe Bass could easily have been passed over by the technology industry. “I don’t have much history in tech,” said… Read More

Oct 29, 2017, 7:08 PM

A $100K prize and a step closer to building the ‘Facebook’ of organic farming in Africa

At many points in his life, Cornelius Adewale could have chosen an easier, less risky path. Thankfully he didn’t. Adewale… Read More

Oct 24, 2017, 12:00 PM

Go fish! Google and Facebook sites in Seattle will rank among world’s most salmon-friendly buildings

One needn’t be a card-carrying environmentalist to know that it’s a bad thing for salmon to go belly up before… Read More

Oct 11, 2017, 1:13 PM

In pursuit of independence, Todd Stabelfeldt urges techies at GeekWire Summit: ‘Make my life real’

If you’re playing a role, any role, in creating technology, Todd Stabelfeldt — AKA “The Quadfather” — has a message… Read More

Oct 11, 2017, 7:00 AM

Food rescue: Tech donors team with non-profits to keep thousands of meals from going to waste

The day’s mission is about to begin. Abid Choudhury checks an iPad for his itinerary, then looks under the hood… Read More

Oct 2, 2017, 10:50 AM

Immigrant’s Journey: 7 foreign-born tech leaders talk about the impact of changing U.S. policies

With chants of “build the wall” and the pursuit of policies to stem the flow of new immigrants and refugees,… Read More

Oct 1, 2017, 7:00 AM

Scientists launch drones to collect vital data on beloved orcas, hoping to stop slide toward extinction

Holly Fearnbach and John Durban’s morning started with a ping via text around 5:30 a.m. A couple who lives on… Read More

Sep 7, 2017, 4:26 PM

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen partners with NOAA to explore climate changes in deep ocean water

As we’re breaking records for high temperatures around the globe and watching forest fires blaze across the Northwest, you can… Read More

Sep 3, 2017, 7:03 PM

Gates Foundation and PATH wire up health data in Africa using a novel approach

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the global health nonprofit PATH are working on a groundbreaking initiative in Africa… Read More

Aug 18, 2017, 10:44 AM

This unconventional education group draws support from video game pioneer Gabe Newell, using hip hop, auto mechanics and more to inspire students

Seattle’s Foundry10 is a fascinating, enigmatic research organization that investigates learning and supports education through a crazy constellation of programs… Read More

Aug 11, 2017, 10:00 AM

Gates Foundation’s annual letter answers ’10 tough questions’ routinely put to Bill and Melinda

How Andrew Carnegie set the stage for Bill Gates to give away his fortune, altering philanthropy forever

Armed with 3D-design skills and a sustainability vision, 17-year-old creates better roadways

Unified Robotics program for intellectually disabled students looks to keep growing

Melinda Gates shares 5 tips for banishing ‘imposter syndrome’

From Redmond with WiFi: How this Microsoft employee helped bring critical infrastructure to a hurricane-ravaged Caribbean island

Big-Brained Superheroes Club taps the STEM smarts of overlooked kids

Cyberattack detector, gunshot sensor and other new inventions cement Pacific Northwest National Lab’s place among elite R&D centers

As global disasters strain financial resources, tech companies reassess their ‘super powers’

AbiliTrek is building hotel database for travelers with disabilities, aims to fill information void in $17B market

WTIA’s Apprenti program is turning out skilled tech workers by the dozens, with no tuition costs

A $100K prize and a step closer to building the ‘Facebook’ of organic farming in Africa

Go fish! Google and Facebook sites in Seattle will rank among world’s most salmon-friendly buildings

In pursuit of independence, Todd Stabelfeldt urges techies at GeekWire Summit: ‘Make my life real’

Food rescue: Tech donors team with non-profits to keep thousands of meals from going to waste

Immigrant’s Journey: 7 foreign-born tech leaders talk about the impact of changing U.S. policies

Scientists launch drones to collect vital data on beloved orcas, hoping to stop slide toward extinction

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen partners with NOAA to explore climate changes in deep ocean water

Gates Foundation and PATH wire up health data in Africa using a novel approach

This unconventional education group draws support from video game pioneer Gabe Newell, using hip hop, auto mechanics and more to inspire students

Researchers spy on marine energy machines using data analysis and a raft packed with ocean monitors

Seattle dad aims to bring African American and Latino boys into tech, with inspiration from sports

Giving money to charity? Check here first: Giving Compass aims to empower donors with information

Dream the accessible dream: Developer pushes the boundaries of innovation in pursuit of independence

#SeaHomeless: As housing prices soar, tech sector steps up efforts to ease homeless crisis

If you’re a minority in technology, your own success is a form of social activism, says tech investor

Student climate change project wins President’s Environmental Youth Award — yes, that president

STEM students turn Trump’s climate decisions into national call to action

LAUGH app helps kids find their zen — using scientific research to test effectiveness