the weekly seattle

This episode we revisit some of our favorite pieces of advice from our guests over the past year! Use this extra time to catch up on any episodes you missed and we'll be back next week with our regular show.

Advice:

• Jake Whittenberg - Morning Anchor, King5 - Listen to full episode
• Fran Dunaway - Founder, tomboyx - Listen to full episode
• Don Riling - President, Olympic Hot Tub - Listen to full episode
• Amber Simonsen - Founder, A Better 40 - Listen to full episode
• John Cook - Founder & Publisher, GeekWire - Listen to full episode
• Nicole DeNamur - Owner, Sustainable Strategies & Owner, Climate Aligned Law - Listen to full episode

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. Starbucks to lay off 1,100 corporate employees

Seattle Times article

2. Seattle tech company adds to C-suite

PSBJ article

3. Sounders will give away tickets to first timers

Seattle Times article or Sounders Press Release

4. Pickleball chain coming to Fremont

Seattle Magazine article or PBSJ article

About guest co-hosts Lindsay Droz and Kristi Lord - Co-founders, L'AVANT:

L’AVANT sells bougie, eco-friendly cleaning products with plant based ingredients like hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, multipurpose spray and more. Lindsay and Kristi started this company about 5 years ago. Lindsay has a sales and marketing background and worked in the medical device world, specifically for Boston Scientific for 15 years. Kristi worked in finance and investments and was the COO of an Asset Management company prior to L’AVANT.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. PATH cuts workforce

GeekWire article

2. Joann closes 60% of its stores

NPR article

3. New data from Amazon's RTO

PSBJ article

4. Zillow and Redfin partner, leads to layoffs

Seattle Times article

5. The state of DEI in business

Wall Street Journal article & Seattle Times article

About guest Bindiya Patel - Executive Director, Leadership Tomorrow:

Bindiya has been with Leadership Tomorrow for about one year. Prior to that she spent close to 20 years with PATH, a global health nonprofit based in Seattle. She received her bachelors in environmental engineering from Cornell University and a masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. Martin Selig defaults on loans

PSBJ article

2. Canlis brother and chef leave

Seattle Met article

PSBJ article

NY Times article

3. Memorial Stadium update

PSBJ article

4. Two movie theaters close

Seattle Times article (Ark Lodge Cinemas)

Seattle Times article (AMC 10)

5. SODO might have housing

Seattle Times article

About guest co-host Nick Patri - Podcast & Marketing Consultant:

Nick started as a Sports Reporter at the Wisconsin State Journal, then he worked for Uber and launched a podcast for millions of drivers. He was a podcast producer for GoFundMe, a podcast producer and marketer for Fuel Talent’s podcast What Fuels You, a producer and marketing consultant for REI’s podcast, and he continues to freelance as a marketing strategy consultant.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. YouTube partners with CAA to combat deepfakes

Variety article

2. Microsoft and OpenAI's response to DeepSeek

Seattle Times article

GeekWire article & GeekWire podcast

3. Smartsheet bought by private equity

GeekWire article

4. New UW President

GeekWire article

5. Wildrose owner passes away

Seattle Times article

About guest Dave Siegfried - Founder & CEO, Official AI

Dave has been with Offical AI for about a year, prior to that he was CEO and Co-founder of LOANtuitive, a venture-backed AI enabled marketplace in commercial real estate industry. He spent a considerable amount of his career at Audiosocket, a venture-backed music licensing and technology company, and was a co-founder of SkyMode, a cloud based mobile e-commerce platform.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. Funding levels drop for women founders

Formidable article

2. The business of subscription boxes

no article

3. Seattle shipping company closes

PSBJ article

4. RTO: Companies re-thinking dress codes

PSBJ article

About guest Ambika Singh - Founder & CEO, Armoire

Ambika launched Armoire, a clothing rental company, in 2016. Prior to this she worked in consulting, various startups like Rover, and also Microsoft. She is on the board of United Way of King County. She received her undergraduate degree in History/Economics/Microfinance at Dartmouth and her MBA at MIT.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories

1. TikTok update

AP News article and PSBJ article

2. The state of the VC industry

VCs in 2024 (PSBJ)

VCs in 2025 (GeekWire)

3. Meta to layoff 5% based on merit

CNBC article

4. Capitol Hill's Rapport closes

Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

About guest Ken Horenstein - Founder & General Partner, Pack Ventures:

Ken has been with Pack Ventures for 4 years. Before that he was a co-founder of Venture Out Seattle, and prior to that worked at M12 which is Microsoft’s Venture fund. He earned his MBA at UW and is currently a Mentor for CoMotion at UW. He also co-founded A Posto Vino and is a sommelier.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. Gallagher to acquire AssuredPartners

Insurance Business Magazine article

2. JCPenny and Eddie Bauer parent company to merge

Seattle Times article

3. Porch shifts to homeowners insurance

PSBJ article

4. REI shuts down Experiences, layoffs

Seattle Times article

About guest Lorrie Baldevia - Platform President, AssuredPartners:

This is Lorrie's 25th year with AssuredPartners. She is currently on the global board of Finseca, a financial services organization. She previously served on the board of M Financial Group and Seattle University. She co-founded EnVision, a youth program that supports unique field trips for STEM. And she founded "GM Dinner for Great Mom’s", an annual Mother's Day event for homeless and disadvantaged mothers.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. Apple takes over Meta office space

⁠Seattle Times article⁠

2. Zoom coming to Bellevue

⁠GeekWire article⁠ 

3. Historic Pioneer Square building sold

⁠PSBJ article⁠

4.Getty Images acquires Shutterstock

⁠GeekWire article⁠

About guest Alison Beddard - Managing Principal, Washington & Oregon, Cushman & Wakefield

Alison has worked for commercial real estate company Cushman & Wakefield for close to 20 years. She was the Managing Principal for Utah, then Washington, and most recently has added Oregon almost 2 years ago. She serves on the UW Runstad Advisory Board and is on the Executive Committee for the Commercial Brokers Association (CBA).

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

Top Stories:

1. Retail industry trends in 2024

Seattle Times article

2. Bartell Drugs in U Village closing

PSBJ article

3. Party City closing

CNN article

4. Nordstrom goes private

GeekWire article

About guest Don Riling - President & Owner, Olympic Hot Tub

Don has been President & Owner of Olympic Hot Tub for 8 years and has worked at the company for close to 30 years. Prior to arriving at Olympic, he had a long retail career which included Jay Jacobs, The Disney Store and Nordstrom. Outside of work Don has been a member of the Seattle Men's Chorus since 1987 and he wrote a book as well!

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com