Aug 16, 2023

Ahtna

Robbins

Brian Robbins has joined Ahtna as the new vice president of information technology. He will be responsible for overseeing the IT needs for the entire Ahtna family of companies. Robbins began his career in IT as a member of the Armed Forces, and has a diverse background in multiple technology and leadership roles. He holds a double major bachelor of applied science in business administration and cyber security. Ahtna is an Alaska Native Regional Corporation formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, and is based out of Glennallen, Alaska. The company currently has over 2,200 shareholders, the majority of whom are of Ahtna Athabascan descent, and employs more than 1,100 people worldwide.

Curator

Geller

Curator, a Seattle-based public relations agency specializing in lifestyle and consumer brands, announced the expansion of its team with the hiring of a new strategic communication specialist. Madeline Geller has joined the agency as a Seattle-based assistant account executive after completing an internship with Curator in Fall of 2022.

In her new role, Geller will be responsible for the ideation and implementation of communication strategies for clients including Chef Ann Foundation, Washington's Lottery, Skanska and more. Geller is a recent graduate from Central Washington University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Sports Business. Previously, she interned at 88.1 The Burg, Central Washington University's college radio station as the social media & promotions coordinator. Curator was founded in 2009.

Aug 15, 2023

Bird

Global electric vehicle company Bird recently launched an initial fleet of 200 e-bikes in the Seattle metro area, and plans to increase the number of bike's available in the coming months. Bird's expansion into the e-bike market in Seattle is expected to further enhance the mobility options available to residents and visitors, allowing them to navigate the city while reducing their carbon footprint. Bird's e-bikes are equipped with electric assist technology that adapts to the rider's natural pedaling style. The bikes, like Bird's e-scooters, feature integrated GPS capabilities and can be locked and unlocked using the Bird mobile app. Bird was founded in 2017 by Travis VanderZanden, and its mobility solutions are available in more than 350 cities, primarily across the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.

Radisys

Radisys Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms Limited and a global provider of open telecom solutions, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Mimosa Networks from Airspan Networks Holdings. Mimosa brings a portfolio of point-to-point and point-to-multi-point connectivity products leveraging unlicensed spectrum bands. These products enable the rapid rollout of multi-gigabit-per-second Fixed Wireless Access networks and wireless backhaul connectivity for telecommunications systems. The Mimosa product suite complements Radisys Open Access (Connect Open RAN and Connect Open Broadband) portfolio. Mimosa has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Radisys. Radisys is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Olis Robotics

Olis Robotics, specialists in remote monitoring, control, and error recovery technology for industrial robots, announced that it has raised $4.1 million funding in a round led by PSL Ventures. Additional investors include Tectonic Ventures, Ubiquity Ventures, as well as several strategic angel investors, including Daniel Theobald, the president and co-founder of MassRobotics and founder and chairman of Vecna Robotics. The Olis Connect system allows a user to monitor, diagnose, and remotely control robots from anywhere. Olis Connect is controlled directly in a web browser and delivered on an edge-hosted PC that can be connected to both brand new and legacy industrial robot arms and robotic cells. The system works across robot brands, with Olis Robotics currently providing full support for robots from Universal Robots and FANUC, addressing approximately 20% of the operational stock of more than 3.5 million industrial robots deployed worldwide. With its new funding, Olis is adding support for additional robot brands representing more than half of all industrial robots. The funding will also help expand partnerships with robot system integrators in North America and develop new software products. Olis Robotics is a spinoff from the University of Washington and is located in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. PSL Ventures is a venture capital fund located in Seattle. The fund is affiliated with Seattle-based startup studio Pioneer Square Labs, and invests in pre-seed and seed stage companies. The organization partners with founders at the earliest stages to help build and invest in market-defining technology companies, primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

Aug 11, 2023

Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington

Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington announced a partnership with Seattle's Network of Giving. The Network of Giving platform utilizes digital commerce, and is enabled by financial institutions, connecting local consumers, merchants, and non-profit community organizations. The Network of Giving allows local merchants to have the digital tools to grow their business, while providing consumers an outlet to support local organizations. Through the Make-A-Wish partnership with the Network of Giving, the people of Seattle will have a new way to support Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington. Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wish experiences for children with critical illnesses.

POSaBIT

Seattle-based POSaBIT Systems,, a financial technology company delivering payment processing and point-of-sale systems for cash-only businesses, announced that Chris Baker, currently serving as chief strategy officer, will assume the role of chief operations officer, effective immediately. Baker joined the company last year. In his new role, he will oversee the company's day-to-day operations. Baker has a track record in strategy, operations, and financial management. Ryan Hamlin is CEO and co-founder of POSaBIT. POSaBIT works exclusively within the cannabis industry.

Clearwater Paper

Clearwater Paper appointed Sherri Baker as senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective August 14, 2023, to oversee the company's finance and strategy. Baker joins Clearwater Paper with extensive finance and executive leadership experience. In her last two roles she served as CFO, first at PGT Innovations and then at Hyliion Holdings. Previously, Baker worked at Dean Foods from 2010 to 2019, where she held roles in commercial finance, supply chain, investor relations, and corporate strategy. From 1997 to 2010 she worked at Frito-Lay where she progressed through finance roles covering accounting, tax, and procurement. Baker began her career at Ernst & Young in audit. She earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in accounting from the University of North Texas. Clearwater Paper is based in Spokane, and is a supplier of private brand tissue to retailers, including grocery, club, mass merchants, and discount stores. In addition, the company produces bleached paperboard, and offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting.