Bezos sells $2B in Amazon shares | Inside a middle-school esports team

Black Tech Night recap | T-Mobile and Microsoft at the Super Bowl ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Nominations are open for the 2024 GeekWire Awards: [Submit nominations now for the 2024 GeekWire Awards, taking place May 9th at the Showbox Sodo in Seattle.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES There’s a new sports team at Islander Middle School, teaching students teamwork and communication — through video games. Freelance journalist Nathalie Graham spent an after-school practice session with the recently established esports team, made up of 13 students who compete as part of the Washington State Scholastic Esports Association. "Gaming is a huge industry and a large part of our students’ lives,” said Sarah Olson, a computer programming teacher who helped start the team. “We wanted to tap into that passion and help students who might be typically isolated into a place where they could form friendships and compete together.” [Read the story](. Networking, collaboration, mentorship, education, funding, and sense of belonging. Those were some of the themes and needs that emerged from Black Tech Night in Seattle on Thursday as the regular gathering marked one year since its launch. Pictured above, from left, James Miles (moderator), Seattle Office of Economic Development; Monique L. Thompson, Amazon; Joshua Donaldson, Electronic Arts; and Trish Millines Dziko, Technology Access Foundation. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) [Read more](. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we examine the timing of Bezos' plan]( to sell up to 50 million shares of Amazon stock, in the context of his public announcement that he would be moving to Miami; assess Satya Nadella's track record as Microsoft CEO as reaches 10 years in the role]( and an example]( of how AI apps could change the way we read printed books. - After we finished recording, a filing showed that [Bezos sold $2 billion worth of Amazon shares]( under the plan, his first stock sale since 2021. - [Read more and listen here]( and subscribe to GeekWire in [Apple Podcasts]( [Google Podcasts]( [Spotify]( or wherever you listen. Super Bowl Hot Links: - T-Mobile and Microsoft are among the companies paying big bucks for Super Bowl ads this year. ([iSpot]( - Amazon reportedly inked a deal with the NFL to stream a playoff game next season, bolstering its live sports ambitions. ([CNBC]( - Swiftie viz: Tableau users created data visualizations for the Super Bowl to help show everything from hometowns of the players to what words make up Taylor Swift’s most famous love songs. ([Salesforce]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, enjoy the game, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Tell your story with GeekWire Studios.]( Looking to highlight a key customer, showcase your presence at an industry conference or spread the word about an important product launch? [GeekWire Studios]( the sponsored content arm of GeekWire, helps companies tell their stories. Learn how AWS, Smartsheet, BECU and other top brands tap into the power of GeekWire Studios [here]( or contact us at advertising@geekwire.com to learn more. LATEST HEADLINES [Jeff Bezos sells $2 billion worth of Amazon shares in his first stock sale since 2021]( [New esports team at Seattle-area middle school teaches teamwork, communication, and how to lose]( [GeekWire Podcast: Bezos’ big stock sale, Nadella’s first 10 years, and will AI read your next book?]( [‘Black Tech Night’ in Seattle stresses importance of strong community to help grow representation]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator I or II]( - [INRIX: Chief Revenue Office]( - [City of Redlands: Network Engineer]( - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( - [GeekWire: The Etzioni Internship in Climate Tech Journalism at GeekWire, Summer 2024]( - [Submittable: Director of Engineering]( - [Dexis Professional Services: PRISM Integration SME/Engineer (Advisor-Grade 8)]( - [BRINC: Senior/Principal Backend & Platform Software Engineer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2024 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](