Inside the 2026 GeekWire Awards: Innovators reshaping how we work, build, and learn

About this episode

The episode features conversations with finalists and special guests at the 2026 GeekWire Awards, discussing innovation and the impact of AI on various industries.

This week on the show: Conversations with finalists and special guests at the annual  GeekWire Awards about AI, innovation, startups, and the forces reshaping their industries, plus a special trivia challenge marking GeekWire's 15th year hosting the event. Guests include: Luis Poggi, CEO of HouseWhisper AI , winner of CEO of the Year Tracy Drinkwater, founder of the Seattle Universal Math Museum , STEM Educator of the Year honoree Ryan James, CEO of Dopl Technologies , finalist for Startup of the Year Laura Ruderman, CEO of the Technology Alliance Ross Finman, CEO of Augmodo , finalist for Hardware/Robotics/Physical AI of the Year Mohammad Rastegari, CEO of ElastixAI , finalist for Startup of the Year Related stories 2026 GeekWire Awards revealed: Big winners — and big love for Seattle — at annual tech celebration Photos: Inside the 2026 GeekWire Awards With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: John Cook, Todd Bishop

Guests: Luis Poggi, Tracy Drinkwater, Ryan James, Laura Ruderman, Ross Finman, Mohammad Rastegari

Topics covered

• AI
• innovation
• startups
• GeekWire Awards
• technology
• education

Keywords

• GeekWire Awards
• AI
• innovation
• startups
• technology
• education
• trivia challenge

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HouseWhisper AI, Seattle Universal Math Museum, Dopl Technologies, Technology Alliance, Augmodo, ElastixAI

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