The Promise of BiotechYour December issue with the cover story Cancer Cure Inc. offered a great overview of Washingtons life sciences industry. It identifies many of the assets that our state possesses, such as world class research, innovators, entrepreneurs, biotech and medtech companies, digital and global health expertise and some of the brightest minds working…

Weyerhaeuser Co.s corporate headquarters in Federal Way did far more than simply provide a place for employees to spend their day. It was a corporate branding statement, written in concrete, glass and steel, without benefit of a single logo or name on the facade, long before branding statement became standard-issue business jargon. It told the…

Ran into my hipster friend Blue Denim the other day. He was so excited to see me he almost fell off his fixed-gear bike. Whats up, broster? I asked. Dude! exclaimed Denim. I just had the best idea! I looked at his T-shirt the one with the PBR blue ribbon emblem exclaiming, Hipsters Ruin Everything…

Every year, many of our city and state leaders gather to discuss issues of concern to our regional business community. One perennial topic is the fear that Seattle isnt doing enough to promote its brand. Its an odd concern, given that Seattle gets more than its share of laudatory national coverage from the likes of…

While we can easily see how the local food movement has helped small farms market their crops to environmentally responsive consumers, the business logic of environmental management is less obvious for larger, wholesale operations. Yet there are growing sustainable business opportunities in commercial agriculture. Ask the owners of Wilcox Family Farms, one of the biggest…

The human resources department can often be the neglected stepchild for businesses, receiving attention only when problems arise. But the follies of a neglected HR department can be costly. Here are three ways toward a more strategic, forward-looking approach to HR. 1. Conduct an HR Audit.Human resources is a vast area encompassing everything from the…

First, the good news: Obesity rates increased in only six states in 2013 and Washington was not one of them, according to a recently released report by the Trust for Americas Health. Now, the not-so-good news: 27.2 percent of Washington adults are obese, the 32nd highest percentage in the nation, and that rate will climb…

The opening of health exchanges last year focused on providing patients with greater access to care. But it failed to address the issue of high cost and the inconsistency of quality across different regions. Now we need to find ways to provide more affordable and efficient care while obtaining healthier outcomes. These goals mean ridding…

Like you, Ive read dozens of business books (and magazines like this one), dozens of marketing books, dozens of management books. Ive been to and led seminars, retreats and workshops. Ive listened to leadership MP3s, CDs and tapes (yes, Im that old). And yet I learned one of the best business lessons of my life…

For the final column of 2014, tradition demands that we select a person, place or thing for which the coming year will prove to be critical and pivotal for said person, place or thing, and for the regional economy. Truth be told: Tradition barely hints that we go through such an exercise, this being just…

Even if it means we have to watch more TV commercials starring football players who cant act paging Mr. Lynch, Mr. Marshawn Lynch the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl victory last February defined 2014 in the Puget Sound region, so youll get no complaints here. Three days after the Seahawks made the Denver Broncos look utterly…

DOING GOOD, DOING WELLI was pleased to see John Levesques Final Analysis column in the October issue. He made a wonderful story of Cobalts conference rooms named for accomplished women. I dont think we had time to talk about our Girls Who Code program. We have formed a wonderful partnership with Holy Names Academy; 20…