Past Speaker

Gina Breukelman Senior Manager, Boeing Global Engagement (BGE), in the Northwest region. In her role with BGE, Gina leads the development and execution of enterprise philanthropic giving strategies and community investment plans, as well as Boeing’s employee community engagement activities. Gina manages a team of five community investors who [...]

Sam is the director of the Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management, which connects industry and education in Washington around workforce development issues. The Center maintains data on the industry, including how many jobs, where they’re located and the average wage; organizes a Follow the [...]

Ryan Sudeck Ryan is the CEO of Sage Investment Group, a real estate private equity firm focused on creating vibrant communities and providing investors with a portfolio that historically outperforms other investment options. We are tackling America’s housing crisis by converting hotels into long-term multifamily housing to serve the [...]

Det. Will Hallifax has been with the Bellevue Police Department for 20 years and is currently assigned to the City of Bellevue’s multidisciplinary Threat Management Team and FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He teaches the city Workplace Violence prevention training including the topics of threat prevention models, de-escalation, and [...]

Lewis Rudd is President and Co-Founder of Ezell’s Famous Chicken. After waiting six years for initial funding, the family opened the first Ezell’s Famous Chicken store on February 3, 1984 in Seattle's Central District. Since opening, Ezell’s was featured in Esquire Magazine as the Most Life-Changing Fried Chicken in [...]

Presentation SummaryThe EV charging industry has been flooded by branded messages serving private interests instead of hosts and users. As the electric vehicle market continues to grow, numerous new technologies are becoming available. It is important to provide guidance to potential buyers to help them purchase the right EV charging [...]

Patrick Bannon, President & CEO, Bellevue Downtown Association Patrick Bannon is president and CEO of the Bellevue Downtown Association (BDA), a membership organization of business and civic leaders who have championed a strong economic and cultural heart for Bellevue and the Eastside over the past 50 years. BDA members [...]

Today's customers expect prompt, personalized, and efficient support, and businesses that fail to meet these demands risk losing their competitive edge. This is where the power of AI comes into play. By embracing AI-powered solutions, companies can not only enhance their customer service offerings but also achieve sustainable business [...]

Jessie Barton is the Director of Communications at Helion. She is a science communicator passionate about the merging of clean energy and innovative technology. In her role at Helion, she works with scientists and engineers to break down technical concepts to educate the public about Helion’s fusion technology. In [...]

Jim Eschweiler has been the CEO of Top Pot Doughnuts & Coffee since March of 2022, joining the beloved Puget Sound chain as it was maneuvering through the pandemic. Jim has over 25 years of experience in retail, hospitality and consumer products, including 12 years with Starbucks during a [...]