January/February 2023
Most Influential, Arts: Bernie Griffin
The arts executive left Seattle several times. She couldn’t stay away.
Bernie Griffin is one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential Every time 5th Avenue Theatre Managing Director Bernie Griffin pursued her professional ambitions around the country, she always returned to Seattle for an encore performance. The nonprofit arts executive will make one final curtain call at the end of the current…
Most Influential, Equity: Travonna Thompson-Wiley
Difficult childhood shapes activist's social justice focus
Travonna Thompson-Wiley is one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential Family matters. It certainly does to Seattle activist Travonna Thompson-Wiley. She is the oldest of six on her mother’s side and one of 10 children on her father’s. Yet, she insists her family is much larger. “I don’t define family as…
Most Influential, Business: Ryan Metzger
Recycling company Ridwell began as a family affair
Ryan Metzger is one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential Ridwell began as a father/son project in 2018 when would-be founder Ryan Metzger and 6-year-old son Owen recycled and reused everyday household products. Ever the entrepreneur, the elder Metzger urged young Owen to gather reusables and recyclables from neighbors. The…
Most Influential, Arts: E.J. Koh
The talented Seattle writer E.J. Koh is carving her own niche in the literary world
E.J. Koh is one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential If the writing profession were anything like a game of bingo, Seattleite E.J. Koh would be nearing a fully stamped row, if not an all-board blackout. At 34, she’s already racked up several impressive literary accolades, published a book of poetry…
Seattle Avalanche Center Keeps an Eye on Hazards
Avalanche forecasting is a blend of science and art
A mass of heavy snow slides down a 40-degree mountain slope, hissing as it gains speed and momentum. The concrete-like mix comes to a slow stop along Highway 2 near Stevens Pass, completely blocking the road from vehicular traffic and knocking over large Douglas fir trees, upturning boulders and causing destruction in its wake. For…
Most Influential, Business: James Wong
Prolific developer wants ‘to do more good for the community’
James Wong is one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential James Wong grew up across the street from Beacon Hill Elementary School with blue-collar parents. His father was a cook at iconic Chinatown International District restaurants Ocean City and House of Hong. His mother was a seamstress. Instead of simply crossing…
Real Society: FareStart’s Shining Stars
FareStart stands out for its comprehensive support for those in need.
Image caption: Clockwise from upper left: FareStart Production Kitchen Trainer Eric Klein; auctioneer Fred Northrup; volunteers, from left, Christina Woelz, Pam Powers and Amy Hall; volunteer Cynthia Tran, left, and unidentified attendee. Photography by Grant Hindsley. “Real Society” is a regular installment to create space for those who are quietly doing the good work to…
Most Influential, Food & Drink: Emily Kim and Heather Hodge
Using their dessert-making skills for the greater social good
Emily Kim and Heather Hodge are among Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential When Emily Kim and Heather Hodge, founders of the Pastry Project, went out for drinks one evening in 2019, starting a business together was the last thing on their minds. The two women, who both worked for Molly Moon’s…
Fave Five: Scents, Wine, Food, Fashion
Explore all the city has to offer
1 STIR YOUR SENSES with a visit to Parfumerie Nasreen, where you’ll find a garden of carefully chosen fragrances inviting your nose to explore. Overwhelmed? Ask Nasreen to help you navigate her extensive selection. She’s a fragrance authority with a long-lived passion for helping people find their own scent or something special for that someone…
Most Influential, Business: Ebony Welborn and Savannah Smith
They saw that few in the maritime sector looked like them. They're out to change that.
Ebony Welborn and Savannah Smith are among Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential A fascination with the ocean brought Ebony Welborn and Savannah Smith together. A mission to create BIPOC representation in the maritime industry keeps them going. Welborn and Smith are the cofounders of Seattle-based Sea Potential LLC, a company they…
Most Influential, Education: Kate Starbird
Kate Starbird spends her career studying and combating falsehoods
Kate Starbird is one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential Kate Starbird sometimes wishes her research focused on happier topics. If she didn’t spend her days devoted to tracking disinformation [false information deliberately spread to deceive people], she wouldn’t witness attempts to unravel democratic elections. She and her colleagues at the…
Most Influential, Politics: Debra Lekanoff
‘I just knew that it was always going to be in my walk in life to give back to communities.’
Debra Lekanoff is one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people reshaping our region. #mostinfluential Her tribal name comes first: Xixch’I See. That’s where Debra Lekanoff’s story starts. With her name, which is passed down through the women’s bloodlines in the matrilineal society of her Tlingit community. To invoke her tribal name before her English name…