Mar 05, 2021

Banzai

Seattle-based Banzai, a provider of marketing automation solutions through webinars and events, announced the successful closing of $15 million in venture debt funding. The funding was led by Columbia Pacific Advisors and will enable Banzai to expand its marketing platform. In the past six months, Banzai has expanded its virtual event and webinar solutions through acquisition of virtual event platform High Attendance and browser-based webinar solution Demio. As part of this transaction, Banzai welcomes Gaingels, a venture syndicate focused on supporting companies in building cultures of diversity and inclusion.

Amazon Web Services

The PGA TOUR has selected Amazon Web Services as the Official Cloud Provider of the TOUR. With this agreement, AWS becomes the Official Cloud Provider, Artificial Intelligence Cloud Provider, Deep Learning Cloud Provider, and Machine Learning Cloud Provider of the TOUR. The TOUR will also use AWS Media Services to make it faster to deliver video content for televised event coverage and OTT streaming for online viewers. Using AWS Media Services, the TOUR will make tournament footage available globally to authenticated broadcasters, content subscribers from AWS, and other sources. As part of the partnership, AWS will become a Trustee of First Tee, a youth development organization supported by the TOUR that reaches more than 3.7 million young people across the United States and select international locations each year. AWS will assist the organization in developing an online community for coaches, parents, and participants where they can access the First Tee curriculum and resources and connect with peers in the program.

Kymeta

Kymeta announced a new premier training partnership with Blue Edge Global, a privately owned and operated, certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. The partnership is designed to provide instructor-led responsive training solutions for land, air, sea, and space domains where uninterrupted communications are required to enable high risk missions, first responder arrive-ready solutions and where natural or other disasters require immediate logistical support. Together, Kymeta and Blue Edge Global will offer downrange training with a team of military SATCOM specialists to the Department of Defense, Ministry of Defense and Emergency Services teams globally. Kymeta is a privately held company based in Redmond.

Mar 04, 2021

Vulcan lands another Central Area tenant

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Vulcan Real Estate announced that restaurant Simply Soulful will join its tenant roster in the new Jackson Apartments, at 2401 S. Jackson St. Residents are already moving into the 532-unit corner development. By this summer, they'll have a new place to eat, too. Co-owner Lillian Rambus said in a statement, “The southeast corner of 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street has a unique history and connection to the city's Black community for decades. We consider it a privilege to carry on the neighborhood's cultural legacy through our family's traditions and recipes.” She with fellow owner Barbara Collins will spin off the restaurant from their successful Simply Soulful Pies & Catering business. Their new eatery will feature what they call a home-cooked, farm-to-table experience using organic ingredients procured from local vendors including Alm Hill Farm, Falls Brand, Olsen Farms, Kirsop Farms and One Leaf Farm. Meanwhile, Amazon Fresh recently filed plans with the city that indicate it'll open as the anchor grocery tenant in early May.

SHA announces new general counsel

Seattle Housing Authority recently named Charles (Chuck) Lind as its new general counsel. The veteran attorney makes the move from Patterson Buchanan Fobes & Leitch. He also has prior experience working for King County. SHA's Andrew Lofton said in a statement, “Chuck has 30 years of legal experience and has worked extensively with public entity law, federal and state regulation, governing boards, commissions and executive officers in charge of agencies.” Lind says that his mother and father once lived in SHA housing. His predecessor, James Fearn, recently retired.

Laird Norton

McGuigan

Laird Norton, which has real estate interests and arms including Heartland, recently announced that its Brian McGuigan is now executive vice president of enterprise strategy and corporate development. He'll also become a member of the real estate committee that oversees Heartland and other property investments. Company CEO Jeff Vincent said in a statement, “When Brian joined the company in 2012, we intuitively knew that he had significant growth potential. It has been extremely satisfying over the past nine years to see him live up to that potential both professionally and personally.”

KeyBank provides $13M refi

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KeyBank Real Estate Capital says that it recently secured a $13.2 million refinancing loan via the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Shelter Holdings' fairly new Metroline Flats. Katie Plett and Marguerite Moyet led that effort for the bank. The loan, which benefits from HUD's Green Mortgage Insurance Premium reduction program, carries a fully amortizing 35-year term. The seven-story, 75-unit development opened about two years ago at 915 E. Spruce St., a little east of Yesler Terrace. Johnston Architects designed the project, which Shelter built through a subsidiary.

Nexus

Pogreba

Tacoma-based Nexus hired David Pogreba as a project manager. Pogreba comes with a background of more than four years in the building enclosure services industry with a specialty in structural analysis. He holds a bachelor and master of civil engineering from the University of Washington. At Nexus he is working with clients such as King County Housing Authority, Kaiser Permanente, and the Department of Enterprise Services. Nexus provides building enclosure design, testing, and commissioning services.

Reperio Health

Preventative wellness startup Reperio Health announced its seed capital raise of $6 million. The Portland-based venture will offer wellness kits containing sensors for an at-home health assessment and biometric screening that provides comprehensive results immediately. The FDA-approved sensors in the Reperio kit include a blood test to measure levels of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and glucose, in addition to tests for blood pressure, resting heart rate, Body Mass Index and Relative Fat Mass. In addition to its initial launch into the employer market, Reperio's at-home health assessments will be made available to health plans, retirement facilities, fitness and nutrition practitioners and directly to individuals. Reperio's seed round was co-led by Caduceus Capital Partners in Nashville, Tennessee, and Rogue Venture Partners in Portland, with additional investment from Liquid 2 Ventures and G Ventures, both out of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Molina Healthcare

Molina Healthcare of Washington announced the appointment of Dr. Jay Fathi as plan president. In this role, Fathi will lead the health plan's operations and strategic initiatives. Fathi is a native Washingtonian and has been a family physician for more than 25 years. Most recently, he provided national advising and strategic consultation to clients around health care delivery, financing, regulatory issues, public health, and policy, including to support and strengthen the COVID-19 pandemic response. Fathi earned his M.D. from the University of Washington School of Medicine. He serves as a board member on the Washington State Health Innovation Council, Cambia Grove, and the Ballard Food Bank. Molina Healthcare of Washington has been providing government-funded care for low-income individuals for over 20 years.