The Innovation Summit on Sept. 14, 2017 will be an amazing day of discussions, food and networking with leaders from academia, industry and community organizations.
Category: Innovation mindset
Innovation hubs are becoming more protective than innovative
LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman spoke this past May at the Tech Alliance luncheon in Seattle, and something he said got me thinking about Silicon Valley – and all innovation hubs — in a different way.
UW student teams create pilot solutions for future road usage charge
The gas tax is the state’s principal source of revenue for its road, bridges, and ferries. Industry forecasts predict that fuel efficiency will rise from its current 20.5 mpg to 35 mpg by 2035. As that happens, state gas tax revenue will decline by as much as 50 percent. In partnership with the state, UW students have created smartphone apps that track road usage, while giving the user privacy control.
Innovation Fund Spring 2017 winners
The CoMotion Innovation Fund is a partnership between CoMotion and the Washington Research Foundation to support innovations that have a high chance of creating impact but are unlikely to get there without additional funding.
Driving Inclusive Innovation within the UW community and beyond
Today’s world is, on many fronts, full of uncertainty and disruption. Technology innovation, climate change, globalization, and geopolitics are all factors that contribute to disruption and uncertainty. In this environment, the need for agile thinking and action, frugal innovation with limited resources, and cross-border collaboration of every kind are all imperative.
CoMotion Labs expands to Spokane
CoMotion, the University of Washington’s collaborative innovation hub, is pleased to announce the expansion of CoMotion Labs to Spokane. This expansion of CoMotion services will connect the region’s vibrant startup community more fully with western Washington’s. Called CoMotion Labs @ Spokane, its mission is to contribute to the growth of the innovation community in eastern Washington by bringing UW resources, assets, tools and networks to the region.
CoMotion Labs @ Spokane joins the three other existing labs on or near the UW Seattle campus, with this one likely to focus on manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and robotics. It will provide programming, mentoring and advising, while also offering a number of CoMotion Labs events, including the popular entrepreneurial speaker series. The Lab will collaborate with innovation spaces around the region, as well as make events available from the other CoMotion Labs in Seattle through live-streaming workshops.
CoMotion also announced it has hired Brady Ryan as the CoMotion Labs @ Spokane manager. Prior to joining CoMotion, Ryan worked as commercialization manager and business development manager at Life Science Washington, a trade association supporting the broad life science ecosystem in Washington, and as program manager for WINGS — the Washington Medical Technology Angel Network. As commercialization manager, Ryan developed and maintained programs focused on helping entrepreneurs get their technologies funded and to market. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Willamette University in Salem, OR.
“The Spokane region is a growing innovation ecosystem with which we are excited to partner,” said Elizabeth Scallon, associate director of CoMotion Labs. “We believe the economic development of Washington is best served when we unify and engage all parts of our state through cross-collaboration of ideas, startups and resources. CoMotion Labs has the experience and excellence to partner and execute on this important initiative.”
“Spokane’s University District and the entrepreneurial ecosystem will greatly benefit with the presence of University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs,” said Steve Trabun, Avista regional business manager. “Having CoMotion Labs in our community will further enhance the collaborative opportunities between Startup Spokane, a program of Greater Spokane Incorporated, and our region’s colleges and universities. As a result, the entrepreneurial ecosystem will be strengthened to create even more ideas and early stage growth companies in technology, life sciences, and other emerging areas.”
Brady Ryan will be located in the UW Spokane Center in downtown Spokane.
See related press coverage in The Spokesman-Review and UW Daily.
The necessity of innovation
Tom Alberg, co-founder and managing director of Madrona Venture Group in Seattle, writes that innovation is at the heart of wealth creation. Innovation is at the heart of job creation. Innovation is at the heart of building better lives for everyone. And innovation can be increased by conscious support.
Can we predict the innovative needs of the future?
There are some questions that are really interesting, challenging and stimulating — but also unanswerable. And when we ask whether we can predict the innovative needs of the future, the response is both “yes” and “no.” Here’s the “yes” answer, writes Ronald Howell, chief executive officer at the Washington Research Foundation/WRF Capital.