Seattle CEO leads biotech startup ‘where curious scientists thrive’

OfferUp co-founder launches nonprofit | Vote for top sustainability innovation ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: The GeekWire Awards, presented by Astound Business Solutions, return: [Cast your vote for the top Pacific Northwest innovators!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Ivan Liachko didn’t plan on becoming a founder. But when the berry company called, the Ukrainian-born scientist knew it was time to launch a biotech startup. Liachko (above, laying down) now leads Phase Genomics, a Seattle-based company known for its culture of scientific discovery, giving back to the community, and sequencing the genome of some wacky creatures. [Read more about Liachko]( a finalist for [Startup CEO of the Year]( at the 2023 [GeekWire Awards](. The average U.S. adult will produce 128,000 pounds of trash in their lifetime. Sure, it sounds like a big number. But what does it really mean? Nick Huzar, co-founder and former CEO of used goods marketplace OfferUp, [wants to provide some context with a new nonprofit he launched]( that produces videos to spark conversation about consumption. Vote for Sustainable Innovation of the Year. A growing legion of companies is hustling to develop technologies to preserve the planet and its inhabitants. See the [GeekWire Awards finalists]( in this new category. Sony is acquiring Firewalk Studios from Bellevue, Wash.-based ProbablyMonsters, a gaming company led by Bungie's former CEO that raised a $200 million investment round in 2021. [Read more.]( Hot links: - Where the billionaires live: Seattle is seventh on a list of U.S. cities that are home to the uber-rich, with 10 such individuals. [See the other homebases.]( (Insider) - UW goes off-road: Go four-wheelin’ with the University of Washington — no driver required — in this desert test of a [RACER Team autonomous vehicle](. (LinkedIn) - Lyft layoffs: The ride-hailing giant is [reportedly cutting 30% of its workforce](. The company declined to comment to GeekWire’s inquiry about impact on its Seattle engineering center. (Wall Street Journal) - Whole Foods layoffs: The Amazon-owned grocery chain is [cutting several hundred corporate employees]( as part of a restructuring. (CNBC) - Light show: The Lyrid meteor shower will peak over the weekend, so stargazers should plan to escape city lights and [take in the annual event](. (KING5) Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Transform Your Microsoft Office Experience with the #1 ChatGPT Add-in, Ghostwriter!]( Introducing Ghostwriter, the ultimate writing companion for Microsoft Office, powered by ChatGPT’s cutting-edge technology. This revolutionary assistant delivers swift and precise content, reclaiming valuable time for you. With its state-of-the-art natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, Ghostwriter empowers users to ideate, strategize, and craft content like never before, accelerating your writing process to unparalleled speeds. [Learn more!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Former CEO of OfferUp launches nonprofit StuffTV to spark conversation about consumption]( [Preserving the planet: Vote for top sustainability tech at the GeekWire Awards]( [How this Ukrainian-born CEO created a biotech startup ‘where curious scientists thrive’]( [Sony to acquire Seattle-area game development firm Firewalk Studios from ProbablyMonsters]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR): Software Engineer III – DevOps]( - [MedBridge: Software Engineer III (Back end)]( - [Craft3: Marketing Operations Manager]( - [INRIX: Corporate Controller]( - [Global Innovation Exchange, University of Washington: Technology Services Specialist]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2023 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](