News
Women Making History Month
Grace Yoo seeks to reshape the Washington Women’s Commission
Grace Yoo sums up the mission of the Washington Women’s Commission in five seemingly simple words: “When women thrive, Washington thrives.” Yoo, a former Starbucks executive and diplomat with the U.S. Foreign Service, took over as director of the Women’s Commission 10 months ago. Her mission: to raise its profile. It was created on a…
Hayden Homes: A Culture of Caring | Sponsored
Giving back, changing lives
Since 1989, Hayden Homes has worked hard to build a reputation for the quality of our homes and the passionate support we give to the communities in which we live and work. The balance of building and giving is essential to who we are. It’s what connects our people, passion, and purpose. We believe in…
Best Companies: Wizards of the Workplace
Executives from top-scoring companies share their beliefs and behaviors
It’s not exactly Undercover Boss, but Jessica Jackson learns a lot when she visits Revolution Custom/Civil Builders workers at job sites. Jackson, office manager at the Issaquah-based general contractor, surprises workers with lunch once a month. She hears questions and concerns she never expected. “We are pretty shocked at what we learn,” Jackson says. “Normal,…
Sweetgreen Opens First Seattle-Area Location
Popular and fast-growing healthy food chain plans more Seattle outlets
The fast-growing Los Angeles-based chain will open its first Seattle-area location in The Village at Totem Lake in Kirkland. Another location on South Lake Union may open as soon as this spring, followed by a third on Capitol Hill.
More than Milk
Smith Brothers Farms is more than just a dairy
Dusty Highland is firmly rooted in modern times, but the fourth-generation owner of rapidly growing Smith Brothers Farms still centers his company on a time-tested business practice that dates back to colonial New England. Despite having a fancy app and a business model built around acquisitions, new products and corporate partnerships, Kent-based Smith Brothers still…
The Train Keeps Going
Why workforce development is always a work in progress
Regina Mills would shop late at night, when her two sons and neighbors were not around, because she was ashamed that she needed the state’s food assistance program to pay for groceries. She had been rejected from one job after another because of a charge of possession and burglary that, though dismissed, kept showing up…
Higher-Ed Dread
Optimal works to untangle the chaotic world of choosing a college
The difference between Harvard University and your local community college may not be as great as you think. It depends on your focus and interests. Just ask Sung Rhee. His Kirkland-based company, Optimal, prioritizes tuition costs and alumni salaries in ranking colleges. Unlike U.S. News & World Report — once considered the gold standard for…
Therapy by Chatbox
Seattle startups test promises, challenges
Could a chatbot be more empathetic than your therapist? Could bots augment or even replace a trusted mental health professional? Those questions lit up the internet when JAMA, the influential Journal of the American Medical Association, published a study in late April concluding that ChatGPT (generative pertained transformer) responds with more empathy to patients than…
When AI Saves Lives
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health's Mission Control Center is innovative, impressive and imperfect. Here's why it works
When CHI Franciscan launched its Mission Control Center, it became the first health system in Washington state and only the fifth globally to use artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to coordinate patient care across its entire system. Four years later, the NASA-inspired effort — created in collaboration with GE Healthcare — is credited with shortening…
Is Your Business One Of Washington’s Best Companies To Work For? Nominate Here!
Showcase your company’s culture and reward your employees by registering for Seattle Business magazine’s Best Companies To Work For survey. Registration deadline is June 23. Register here: https://bestcompaniesgroup.com/best-companies-to-work-for-in-washington/program-registration/ Seattle Business magazine will publish its 34th annual Best Companies issue in January 2024. An optional in-depth report from our program partner, Best Companies Group, provides rare…
Pier review: Everett’s Waterfront is in the midst of a transformational makeover
If you haven’t been to the Everett waterfront in a while, you’re in for a surprise. What was once an industrial mill town with smokestacks is gradually turning into the Puget Sound region’s new go-to destination with upscale restaurants, wine bars, breweries, hip hotels, waterfront housing, and four miles of walking trails with mountain and…