Back-to-office plans back in flux with Omicron surging

UW discovery wins ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ | Tasso lands $100M ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Artificial intelligence is changing the way we live, work & play: [Sign up at pnw.ai to receive the latest AI news, jobs and more in your inbox.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Back-to-office plans in flux: As the Omicron variant appears likely to surge across the U.S., companies are yet again rethinking how and when they’ll bring back workers to a physical space. [Here’s a rundown]( of what Seattle-area tech companies are doing. Tasso lands $100M: The Seattle startup makes devices for the self-collection of blood samples and is riding increased interest in telehealth and at-home healthcare. [Read more](. UW research wins ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ award: Science magazine bestowed the honor on researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design for their [artificial intelligence discoveries that predict how proteins fold](. Tech Moves: - Former Microsoft executive Kurt DelBene was [confirmed]( on Thursday by the Senate as the CIO and assistant secretary for information and technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was nominated by President Biden in November. - Neil Lindsay, a key figure in the growth of Amazon's devices and Prime business, [has been tapped]( to lead the company’s newly combined healthcare organization. - Madrona adds strategic directors; ex-Amperity CMO joins Tenable; [and more key personnel changes across the PNW tech industry](. Seattle schools react to ‘TikTok challenge’: Seattle Public Schools emailed families and said there was no credible concern tied to any schools in the city after an anonymous threat of violence targeting schools circulated on the social platform around the U.S. [Read more.]( Startup connects workers to volunteerism: Founded by Amazon Web Services vets, Field Day aims to [help companies find and sign up for volunteering opportunities]( with nonprofits. In case you missed it: Amazon is poised to transform a major swath of Bellevue, Wash., much as the company reshaped Seattle during the past 15 years. But the tech giant’s approach on the other side of Lake Washington couldn’t be more different. [Read the latest installment]( in our Rise of Bellevue series. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [AI Initiatives: Short-Term Wins & Long-Term Transformation]( Diversifying beyond traditional roles is just one of the many actions that organizations should take with their AI embedment strategies. In this guidebook, we take a look at the various practices that CXOs can implement to successfully scale AI, which will not only show ROI quickly but will also set the stage for an enduring cultural and behavioral evolution. [Download the Ebook Now.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Amazon consolidates healthcare groups under veteran exec, shakes up pharmacy leadership]( [Seattle startup Tasso lands $100M for self-administered blood collection devices]( [Seattle school district says no evidence of specific threat after ‘TikTok challenge’ spreads across U.S.]( [AWS vets lead new startup that aims to connect workers with nonprofits through ‘volunteerism’]( [Tracking back-to-office plans: Seattle tech companies in holding pattern as Omicron surges]( SPONSORED: GEEK REAL ESTATE [Mercer Island Luxury: A Distinctive Waterfront Lifestyle]( [Senate confirms longtime Microsoft leader Kurt DelBene as CIO at Dept. of Veterans Affairs]( [Tech Moves: Madrona adds strategic directors; ex-Amperity CMO joins Tenable; Discord hires Microsoft gaming exec]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Allied Stone: ERP Analyst]( - [Flyhomes: Senior Fullstack Engineer]( - [INRIX: Director of Engineering – Geospatial Platform]( - [INRIX: Data Acquisition Manager, Global Partnerships]( - [INRIX: Software Engineer]( - [Trovares: Senior Sales Engineer]( - [Flyhomes: Senior Front End Engineer]( - [Downwrite: Principal Engineer]( - [GeekWire: Technology Reporter and News Assistant]( - [INRIX: Senior Software Engineer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2021 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](