Seattle Culture
Seattle Mag Owner Jonathan Sposato Named Inductee to Asian Hall of Fame
Sposato is among 23 inductees, including eight from Seattle
By Rob Smith May 1, 2024
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Seattle magazine Publisher Jonathan Sposato is among eight Seattle-area inductees in the Asian Hall of Fame’s 2024 class.
Sposato, who purchased the magazine in late 2021, is also the co-founder and chairman of tech news website GeekWire, and co-founder and former CEO of PicMonkey. He also recently launched a platform called the JoySauce Network, featuring podcasts, TV programs, and news designed to highlight the AAPI community.
Sposato is also the first and only person to sell two profitable tech companies to Google. The Asian Hall of Fame called him a “media trailblazer.”
Other Seattle inductees are:
- Aisha Ibrahim, executive chef at Canlis restaurant.
- Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
- Civic leaders Daniel Nguyen and Katherine Lam, a married couple who own Bambuza Hospitality Group.
- Din Tai Fung Managing Partner David Wasielewski.
- Jacqueline Yang, team owner and president of minor-league basketball club Seattle Superhawks. Yang is the first female Asian owner of a men’s professional basketball team in North America.
- Preston Singletary, a Tlingit glass artist.
The Seattle contingent is among 23 inductees from around the world who will be “memorialized in perpetuity” during events in several cities this year. Inductees include Chanel Global CEO Leena Nair, comedian Joe Wong, concert violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, and philanthropist Julia S. Gouw.
A comprehensive write-up highlighting Sposato’s career can be found at this link.
Local inductees will be honored at the Seattle Emerald Gala Sept. 27 at the Washington Athletic Club. The Hall of Fame’s 20th induction ceremony is Oct. 19 at the Biltmore Los Angeles. It will stream live on Roku GAME starting at 6 p.m. that night.
The Los Angeles-based Asian Hall of Fame seeks to educate the public about Asian contributions to the United States and the world.
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