Most Influential People

Seattle’s Most Influential People 2019: Sightline Institute Founder and Executive Director, Alan Durning
Sightline Institute has produced some of the most important writings on the region’s housing shortage
This article appears in print in the November 2019 issue, as part of the Most Influential People of the Year feature. Click here to subscribe. Over the past few years, Alan Durning, the quiet, unprepossessing founder and executive director of Sightline Institute, the state’s leading climate and housing think tank, has helped frame the debate on an astounding number of…

Seattle’s Most Influential People of the Year 2018
We're raising a glass to those working to make this a better place— our 2018 Most Influential People of the Year
This article appears in print in the November 2018 issue, as part of the Most Influential People of the Year feature. Click here to subscribe. There are plenty of reasons to bemoan the past 12 months: More and more people sleeping on sidewalks and in homeless camps. Ever-worsening traffic. Sky-high housing prices. A never-ending string of #MeToo revelations. Ongoing gun…

Seattle’s Most Influential People 2018: Starbucks CEO, Kevin Johnson
Under his leadership, Starbucks has partnered with Mary’s Place, a shelter for homeless women, children and families, in the No Child Sleeps Outside campaign
He did the right thing: Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, photographed at Starbucks HQ

Seattle’s Most Influential People 2018: The YIMBYs
The politically diverse movement has an active Seattle presence that is focused on saying yes to new density in urban neighborhoods
This article appears in print in the November 2018 issue, as part of the Most Influential People of the Year feature. Click here to subscribe. YIMBY—the acronym stands for “yes in my backyard”—started as a national rebuke to so-called NIMBYs (“not in my backyard”), residents who oppose development in their neighborhoods. Today, the politically diverse movement has an active Seattle…

Seattle’s Most Influential People 2018: Seattle Silence Breakers
Denise Krownbell and Gina Petry, leaders of Seattle Silence Breakers, are pushing our city to tackle sexual harassment, assault and gender-based discrimination
Silent no more: Denise Krownbell (left) and Gina Petry photographed in front of Seattle City Hall

Seattle’s Most Influential People 2018: The Journalists
'Seattle Times' columnist Gene Balk and 'Crosscut' staff are keeping Seattle in the know on trends, politics and more
The growing Crosscut staff including (seated in front, left to right) senior editor Joe Copeland, city reporter David Kroman, executive editor Greg Hanscom, managing editor Florangela Davila and digital editor Cambria Roth
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