Technology Alliance

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform how governments serve their communities, but realizing that potential requires more than new technology - it requires collaboration. The new Cascadia GovTech Hub brings together leaders from government, academia, industry, and innovation organizations across Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia to develop and scale responsible AI solutions for the public sector. By focusing on practical, real-world applications, the initiative aims to improve government services while strengthening Cascadia's position as a global leader in AI innovation. For Washington, this is about more than adopting AI. It's about building the partnerships, governance, workforce, and shared principles needed to ensure AI delivers meaningful public value. Technology Alliance is proud to be part of this cross-border collaboration alongside partners across the region. Together, we have an opportunity to demonstrate how responsible innovation can strengthen public services, improve quality of life, and enhance the long-term competitiveness of the Cascadia megaregion. Learn more about the Cascadia GovTech Hub and its mission: https://lnkd.in/gvhbwrME Technology Association of Oregon Cascadia Innovation Corridor DIGITAL Challenge Seattle #TechnologyAlliance #ArtificialIntelligence #ResponsibleAI #Innovation #PublicSector #WashingtonState #Cascadia #EconomicDevelopment

This is the conversation founders keep asking us for. 🔥 Insights in Hindsight: Bootstrapping to Boss Mode brings together Monica Plath (Littlebird — just landed in Amazon and Walmart) and Marius Ciocirlan (MarkOS, former Managing Director of Techstars Seattle) for an unfiltered conversation about building from zero and growing into the leader the company actually needs. No polished panel answers. The real story — the scrappy early calls, the scaling growing pains, the moments that changed how they lead. And yes, happy hour follows. Seattle's founder and operator crowd, good drinks, better conversation. Spots are moving and space is limited - grab yours before they're gone. 📍 Bellevue, WA | 5-7pm 🔗 Register before it fills: https://luma.com/js466ad9

Eight weeks after our State of Technology Luncheon, one idea continues to resonate. During the discussion, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph offered a powerful perspective on what it really takes to become the home of an emerging industry. It's not just about attracting companies. It's about making long-term investments in the foundations that allow innovation to take root and grow. Infrastructure. Workforce development. Research and education. Public-private partnerships. A long-term vision that extends well beyond a single project or announcement. Washington's aerospace and growing space economy didn't happen overnight. They were built over decades by communities, educators, businesses, and policymakers working toward a shared future. As Washington looks to the next generation of industries—from advanced manufacturing and clean energy to AI, quantum, fusion, and beyond—the question isn't simply Which companies will come here? It's How do we continue building the conditions that allow innovation to thrive? Thank you to Mayor Dana Ralph, Rajeev Badyal, and Chris Weber for an insightful conversation, and to everyone who joined us for this year's State of Technology Luncheon. What investments do you think will have the greatest impact on Washington's innovation economy over the next 20 years? #TechnologyAlliance #Innovation #EconomicDevelopment #WashingtonState #WorkforceDevelopment #Infrastructure #Research #AdvancedManufacturing Thank you to our sponsors: EPAM Systems Alaska Airlines Accenture Clark Nuber PS Meta Microsoft University of Washington Amazon Leo EY Arnold & Porter Helion Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Pacific Science Center Perkins Coie Seattle University Slalom Quadrant Technologies Cooley LLP Holland & Knight LLP K&L Gates Knobbe Martens Madrona McKinsey & Company PwC T-Mobile Salesforce

$5.94 billion has gone into Washington AI and ML companies since 2016. That's not the interesting part. The interesting part is where it went. Not into consumer apps chasing engagement metrics. Into enterprise infrastructure. B2B tools. The layer that actually powers everything else. The WTIA Washington Startup Report makes this case with data. Washington ranks second nationally in AI and ML investment — behind only SaaS. And the companies absorbing that capital are building things like foundation model tooling, autonomy systems, and cloud-native infrastructure. That pattern showed up clearly at the Seattle Investor Summit last month. The pitch tracks weren't organized around trends. They were organized around what's actually being built here: The Autonomy Era, The Rewiring, The New Stack. Infrastructure doesn't make headlines the way consumer apps do. It tends to make money instead. #SeattleTech #AIInfrastructure #PNWStartups #WashingtonState

The Technology Alliance has been Washington's technology advocacy and community organization for 30 years. We're a statewide nonprofit made up of leaders from Washington's technology businesses and research institutions — united by a shared belief in what a strong innovation economy can do for this state. Not just for the companies in it. For everyone. That means we work on education, research, and entrepreneurship — the conditions that create high-wage jobs and long-term economic growth in Washington. It means we work closely with the tech sector (aka the Innovation Economy), so those conditions get defended when budget and policy decisions are made. And it means we bring together people from business, government, and research who don't usually end up at the same table — for real conversations, not networking theater. The relationships formed through our efforts have shaped companies, careers, and policy in Washington for decades. If you're in Washington's tech sector and you're not connected with us, you're missing something worth knowing about - https://lnkd.in/gB5NXws #TechnologyAlliance #WashingtonTech #PNWTech

Building a company from scratch is hard. Growing into the leader it needs along the way is harder. Join us for Insights in Hindsight: Bootstrapping to Boss Mode — a candid conversation between: 🎤 Monica Plath, founder & CEO of Littlebird (whose screen-free wearable safety device for kids just expanded into Amazon and Walmart) 🎤 Marius Ciocirlan, co-founder & CEO of #MarkOS, and former Managing Director of Techstars Seattle Early bootstrapping decisions, scaling teams, evolving as a leader — the honest version, wins and misses included. Stick around after for happy hour with Seattle's founder and operator community. 🍻 📍 Bellevue, WA | 5-7pm 🔗 Register: https://luma.com/js466ad9

We're a week into July, which means H1 2026 is officially in the books — and it was a full one. Since January, we hosted: 🔹 The Talent Exchange Summit 🔹 Cascadia AI Megaregion (co-hosted) 🔹 6 Discovery Series 🔹 3 Insights in Hindsight conversations 🔹 The SOT Luncheon 🔹 and the Seattle Investor Summit+Showcase Six months of our business community, founders, researchers, and operators showing up for each other. H2 is already taking shape — more details on our fall events will be available in the coming weeks. For now, we want to express our deep gratitude to everyone who made the first half of this year one worth recapping.

Washington led the nation in GDP growth to start 2026, with the technology sector driving nearly three-quarters of that growth. That's an encouraging milestone—and an important reminder of what powers our state's economy. Economic growth doesn't happen by accident. It starts with world-class research institutions. It grows through entrepreneurs willing to take risks, startups bringing new ideas to market, established companies investing in innovation, and a workforce prepared to meet tomorrow's opportunities. The challenge isn't simply celebrating today's numbers—it's ensuring Washington continues to build the conditions that make long-term growth possible. That means investing in: • Research and commercialization • Talent and workforce development • Startup formation and access to capital • Policies that strengthen innovation and economic opportunity across our state Strong GDP growth is a snapshot. Long-term competitiveness is built over decades. Washington has the talent, the research, and the entrepreneurial spirit. Our job is to keep the innovation ecosystem strong so today's momentum becomes tomorrow's opportunity. #WashingtonState #Innovation #EconomicDevelopment #Technology #Startups #Research #WorkforceDevelopment #Competitiveness

The University of Washington being recognized among the world's top universities isn't just something to celebrate—it's a strategic advantage for Washington state. Research universities are where many of tomorrow's breakthroughs begin. They educate the next generation of talent, attract world-class faculty and research funding, generate new intellectual property, and create the pipeline that fuels startups, industry partnerships, and economic growth. For Washington, that matters. Our long-term competitiveness depends on more than the success of today's companies. It depends on continually developing new ideas, commercializing research, growing an exceptional workforce, and creating an environment where innovation can thrive. That's why investing in research institutions isn't simply an investment in higher education—it's an investment in our state's future economy. Congratulations to the University of Washington on this well-earned recognition. It's another reminder that when research, industry, entrepreneurs, and policymakers work together, Washington is positioned to lead on the global stage. #Innovation #Research #UniversityOfWashington #WashingtonState #EconomicDevelopment #Technology #Startups #HigherEducation #WorkforceDevelopment

𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙑𝘾 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. Join us on June 16th in Bellevue for a casual, connection-first event with Bella Gangnes, VP - Technology Banking Group from Wells Fargo, and Jamie Nicole Johnson from Cooley LLP, where we’ll touch on the different ways founders are funding their companies today — from debt to alternative capital and everything in between. This isn’t a formal panel — just an open conversation to spark ideas, swap perspectives, and meet others thinking about funding in a similar way. Come grab a drink, make a few new connections, and leave with a broader view of what’s possible. 5:00-5:45pm - Open Networking & Light Bites/Drinks 5:45-6:30pm - Fireside Chat 6:30-7:00pm - Open Networking Special thank you to our event partner, Operators Guild, and event sponsors, IMA Financial Group, Inc., Escalon Services, and Wells Fargo, for making this event possible! Registration link in comments.