Think horizontally. So many times, we get stuck in our silo and see the only path as up. When we do this, we limit both our potential and sometimes our sanity when that promotion isn’t coming. A mentor taught me…

I made the decision to move back to Seattle in 2012, after working in arts jobs in the Austin, Texas, and Little Rock, Arkansas, areas. I’d worked here as a grad student in the University of Washington museology program and loved the small, community-based cultural organizations that characterize our city — like the Wing Luke Museum or the Densho Project — institutions that focus on storytelling…

I don’t see myself as a trailblazer. Instead, call me a trail runner nimbly following paths laid by so many brilliant, amazing women who came before me. Some of those women are mentors who showed me not just who I could be, but how I could be. We tell young people…

I’ve been in the technology industry for more than 25 years. I’ve had an incredible career journey taking me from building microchips in a silicon manufacturing plant for Intel, to the big stage recently with Microsoft’s Satya Nadella speaking to developers at this big AI moment. Along the way I have been asked…

I am a servant leader who leads with love. It has taken four decades to know this about myself. And now I am unapologetically loving to everyone. My journey to this realization was paved by my dedication as an immigration lawyer, a profession where compassion is a key ingredient. Yet, being a lawyer and running a law firm are two different things. One you learn in law school; the other by being…

On my dating profile I aspirationally describe myself as “Lara Croft meets Joanna Gaines.” (Don’t feel bad if you had to Google either of those names; most people who know one usually don’t know the other. The video gaming and HGTV worlds rarely collide.) From first dates to panel discussions, I often get asked why…

One creative approach for women to combat gender discrimination is through the power of storytelling. Creating platforms where women can share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs can be incredibly empowering and…

After years of customizing sneakers in her home studio, Takiyah Ward decided to go for it and open her own shop. As an artist with a background in architecture, she personally designed and created Re-Sole 206, Washington’s first sneaker “dry cleaner.” Earlier this year, we caught up with Ward at Sneaker Con, where she stood…

Tom Mara planned to retire when he left Seattle nonprofit radio station KEXP after two stints totaling 34 years. That didn’t last long. In August 2022, Mara accepted the CEO job at the Seattle International Film Festival. Here, he and longtime Artistic Director Beth Barrett discuss how SIFF became one of the largest film festivals in the world, and what’s in store as the festival celebrates 50 years. This year’s festival runs from May 9-19 at SIFF’s four venues across the city, including the venerable SIFF Cinema Downtown (formerly known as The Cinerama).