January/February 2025

Most Influential: Nia-Amina Minor

Most Influential: Nia-Amina Minor

Dance

For dancer and choreographer Nia-Amina Minor — a cofounder of Black Collectivity with David Rue, marco farroni leonardo, and Akoiya Harris — collaboration is at the core of her practice. A longtime dancer (Minor moved to Seattle to join Spectrum Dance Theater), it wasn’t until attending grad school at UC Irvine that she seriously dove…

Editor's Note: The Microsoft Way

Editor’s Note: The Microsoft Way

The past matters. The future matters more.

Brad Smith first visited Microsoft’s Redmond campus as a young lawyer in 1990. The cab driver got lost on the way from Sea-Tac Airport. Imagine that happening today. The tech sector exploded shortly thereafter. Suddenly, everybody knew Microsoft. The region quickly became more cosmopolitan, more diverse, more affluent. It earned a global reputation, all because…

Most Influential: Nick Ferderer

Most Influential: Nick Ferderer

Entrepreneur, Activist

With a background in government relations, legislative advocacy, and business strategy — including stints at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Microsoft — Nick Ferderer admits that he isn’t the first person to come to mind as an art gallery owner. And yet, in just three short years, Ferderer has opened two of the city’s…

Most Influential: Luther Hughes

Most Influential: Luther Hughes

Poet

Luther Hughes was 12 years old when poetry made its first impact on them. “I was in church, and the choir director read a poem about birds,” recalls Hughes, whose work has appeared in major publications including American Poetry Review, Paris Review, and Poetry Northwest. “It was likening birds to human behavior, and it blew…

The Most Influential People

The Most Influential People

Meet 25 extraordinary individuals and one transformative company building community and advocating for equity

Seattle magazine’s annual list of Most Influential people includes those who inspire, guide and uplift others through their actions, leadership and dedication. Their far-reaching influence stems from their achievements, but equally important, their ability to foster connections across the community, advocate for positive change, and empower others to make a difference. Here are Seattle’s Most…

Publisher's Note: When Purpose and Talent Come Together

Publisher’s Note: When Purpose and Talent Come Together

Seattle’s Most Influential people put community first

Each year, we take the time to highlight some truly remarkable individuals in our “Seattle’s Most Influential” people issue, and it remain one of the most important and rewarding projects we undertake. Frankly, it’s a real privilege for all of us here at Seattle magazine. This issue is about more than just recognition — it’s…