Sep 10, 2020

Panopto

Panopto, a leader in video management systems for enterprise and education markets, has been selected as one of Washington's 25 best midsize workplaces in an annual ranking compiled by the Puget Sound Business Journal. With more than 150 employees, Panopto was ranked number six on the list. Panopto is headquartered in Seattle and has offices in Pittsburgh, London, Hong Kong and Sydney. Since 2007, the company has created software that enables businesses and universities to create secure, searchable video libraries. Privately-held, Panopto was founded by technology entrepreneurs and software experts at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science.

State of Washington

Washington State Department of Commerce director Lisa Brown announced Jaime Smith has been named its new communications director. Smith is joining the department ahead of current communications director Barbara Dunn's impending retirement. Smith has nearly 20 years of communications, outreach and policy experience, much of it in state government. She recently served as Gov. Jay Inslee's executive director of communications and external affairs. She left briefly to start her own communications firm, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought her back into state government, where she served as director of the state's COVID-19 joint information center at Camp Murray. Smith's earlier work includes legislative assistant and policy analyst and communications specialist for several members of the Washington State House of Representatives.

Vashon Rotary Club

The Vashon Rotary Club announced its first-ever virtual event to fight homelessness. Prevent Homelessness on Vashon is a community partnership with the Vashon chamber and Our Mayberry, a new e-commerce platform. Our Mayberry officially launched in July 2020 as a e-commerce platform where small businesses offer their goods and services, and consumers can direct a percentage of every sale to charity. On Our Mayberry, the charities promote the businesses to shoppers and in return receive a contribution from each sale. Former football player Marcus Trufant joined the effort through his Trufant Family Foundation.

Accelerator Life Science Partners

Accelerator Life Science Partners, a early-stage life science management and venture capital firm, announced the expansion of its advisory teams. Kevin Chow, Ph.D. and Melissa Yeager have been named as operating partners; Scott Brun, M.D. and David Hirsh, Ph.D., have been appointed to the clinical and scientific advisory board; Jan Lundberg, Ph.D. has been appointed to the clinical and scientific advisory board and will serve as a senior advisor; and Eugene Yeo, Ph.D., will serve as a senior advisor. Chow and Yeager will join a group of operating partners to assist with the evaluation of new business opportunities, support current and future ALSP portfolio companies and serve in a variety of operating and advisory roles. Brun served in various scientific & leadership roles for over 20 years at Abbott and AbbVie. Hirsh is a professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular biophysics in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, where he also served as department chairman and subsequently was appointed Columbia University's first executive vice president for research. Lundberg has over two decades as head of research at AstraZeneca and head of research and development at Eli Lilly.

Sep 09, 2020

Environmental Works

Zimbabwe

Jess Zimbabwe has been selected as executive director of Environmental Works, effective Oct. 26. Zimbabwe has an extensive background in design, planning and nonprofit management. She is currently the principal of Plot Strategies. She served for 10 years as the founding director of the Daniel Rose Center for Public Leadership, a partnership of the National League of Cities and the Urban Land Institute. Before that, she led the Mayors' Institute on City Design, and was community design director at Urban Ecology in Oakland. She is on the boards of Next City, the National Main Street Center and Colloqate. An architect and city planner, she is a member of the urban planning faculties at Georgetown University and the University of Washington. Roger Tucker will be stepping down as executive director in December, after 23 years at Environmental Works (including 10 as executive director). His responsibilities as executive director will wind down this year, but he will continue to serve EW on a consulting basis.

Historic Seattle

Rhoden

Historic Seattle hired Taelore Rhoden as its community events manager. Rhoden is a Seattle native with 10 years of experience as an events industry professional, including as a podcast manager, small business consultant, marketing consultant and festival producer. She has worked with a diverse clientele, including Black, Indigenous and people of color-owned small businesses, visual and recording artists, nonprofits, technology companies and community organizations. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Pepperdine University. Historic Seattle is a public development authority the city established to preserve and protect Seattle's built heritage through restorations, education and advocacy.

T-Mobile

Bellevue-based T-Mobile announced Project 10Million, an initiative aimed at delivering internet connectivity to millions of underserved student households at no cost to them. Partnering with school districts across the country, the program offers free wireless hotspots, free high-speed data and access to laptops and tablets, at-cost. The initiative's goal is to help every unconnected student in the U.S. get access to internet connectivity. The program is now live and available to school districts.

Dorsey & Whitney

International law firm Dorsey & Whitney has named corporate partner Lawrence Ward as head of the firm's Seattle office. Ward will replace Seattle office head and intellectual property partner Jennifer Spaith. Ward's practice focuses on U.S. national security law, and he is a former member of the U.S. State Department's Defense Trade Advisory Group. Dorsey has locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region,

Broadmark Realty Capital

Broadmark Realty Capital, a commercial real estate finance company, has appointed Nevin Boparai executive vice president and chief legal officer. Boparai previously served as assistant general counsel, corporate and securities at Ventas, an S&P 500 healthcare real estate investment trust. He also served as managing director of Ventas Life Science and Healthcare Real Estate Fund, Previously, Boparai served as counsel, corporate transactions for Abbott Laboratories and as an associate with the law firm of Jones Day in Silicon Valley. Broadmark Realty Capital provides secured financing to fund the acquisition, renovation, rehabilitation or development of residential or commercial properties.

Unimark Construction

Peyton

Seattle-based Unimark Construction hired Ross Peyton as director of business development. Prior to joining Unimark, Peyton held several high-profile roles in commercial real estate over 20-plus years: as associate director at CBRE; a broker for Colliers; general manager and director of leasing at Unico Properties; and senior leasing manager at Hudson Pacific Properties. Unimark is a commercial interiors general contractor that is expanding its footprint throughout Puget Sound.