The Connectors

When developing our list of The Connectors, one theme continued to surface: the power of karma. As touchy-feely as that might sound, the idea of doing good deeds for business associates without necessarily expecting anything in return is a thread that runs through the practices of the people we profile in this section.

The art of connecting has to be natural or it won't pass the smell test. It requires offering clients the same genuine regard bestowed upon your closest friends. Good connectors, Seattle Business magazine has discovered, invariably subscribe to the "what goes around comes around" theory.

Geir Hansen of Silicon Valley Bank is ready to lend a hand to an entrepreneur even before asking whether the businessperson will be a client. Guiding Lights founder and former Clinton speechwriter Eric Liu wants to change the world through mentoring. If startup maven Janis Machala sees an entrepreneur who needs help, count on her to start making connections.

When it comes to listening, few connectors are better than GLY Construction's Charlie Hafenbrack and marketing consultant JJ McKay. The two have learned that knowing when to act and when to listen are the difference between whether or not a client makes a major deal. And if McKay is inspired by Entrepreneur A on Monday and fascinated by Entrepreneur B on Wednesday, expect him to invite them both to dinner on Saturday, where they might build a business partnership.

The world has always been full of brilliant minds and talented people, but it has been The Connectors, such as the five who are profiled here, who often bring brilliance and talent together.

The Life of the Party
Florida native JJ McKay's gift for bringing people together stems from his southern charm and his innate ability to listen.

He said he wasn't the kiss-and-tell type. It was only after insisting upon a meeting over a cup of coffee on his "home turf " at Uptown Espresso at Fourth and Wall streets, that JJ McKay agreed to explain his unique way of doing business.

Known simply as "JJ" by Seattle's business community, the Florida native is the founder of JJMcKay and Co.; a Seattle-based marketing/consulting firm that has helped dozens of startup and midsize companies develop successful sales strategies.

For Commerce Bridge Bank, McKay's role has been to find investors and stakeholders. He

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