New Feature Series: Emerging Tacoma and Pierce County Tech Startups Stay True to Region’s Industrial Roots
New Feature Series: Emerging Tacoma and Pierce County Tech Startups Stay True to Region’s Industrial Roots
Maritime, Military, Cybersecurity, and ‘Grit’ Identified as Key Themes in Upcoming Online Feature Series
TACOMA, WA (APRIL 14, 2021) – A new feature series is highlighting the growth of the technology industry in Tacoma and Pierce County. The series to be posted online through the Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County and Startup253 explores the expansion of the tech ecosystem and emerging opportunities for growth and entrepreneurship. It explores traditional Tacoma-area verticals such as maritime and military-veteran founders, a growing data and cybersecurity sector, and those startups employing the next evolution of one of Tacoma’s founding virtues, “grit.”
“We’re staying true to what makes Tacoma and Pierce County unique. That’s our storied maritime industry, our close ties with the military and proud support of veterans, a growing data and cybersecurity cluster, and of course, getting it all done through grit,” said Startup253 Co-Founder Lee Reeves. “We’re taking this year to uncover and showcase the organic growth of this special and supportive Tacoma-Pierce County ecosystem that makes the South Sound a hub for technology innovation and high-caliber talent.”
The series will feature up to a dozen local technology companies through articles available on the Economic Development Board and Startup253 websites.
“The South Sound is where tech lives,” said Rob Meyerson, former Blue Origin President, investor, and Tacoma resident. “We’re shining the spotlight on just a fraction of the talented technology innovators in Tacoma and Pierce County, and are ready to welcome more to our supportive community that connects, collaborates, and drives mutual successes like I’ve never seen before.”
The features deliver on three primary goals of the Tacoma-Pierce County Tech Cluster Strategic Plan. They’re designed to help raise the profile of the South Sound as an emerging technology leader in unique and growing business verticals, recruit new talent nationally and internationally, and retain, expand, and recruit specific technology firms that complement Tacoma and Pierce County values.
“There are so many great stories to tell about the tech businesses and talent in Pierce County. This partnership with Startup253 will allow us to shine a light on just a few of those stories and help us move forward on our Tech Cluster Strategic Plan mission of making the ‘South Sound a hub for tech’,” said Jacqueline Moffo, Vice President for Business Development at the Economic Development Board.
Give InKind Founder and CEO Laura Malcolm is one of the initial startup entrepreneurs featured for embodying the new generation of Tacoma Tech Grit. “We have such a strong community spirit here and so, for me, it only makes sense to grow Give InKind in Tacoma. Our company manifests that spirit of giving and that ‘we’ll always take care of each other,’” said Malcolm in her profile which will be posted on the EDB and Startup253’s website in the coming days.
Malcolm’s 20-employee strong impact technology startup Give InKind launched in Tacoma in 2016. Give InKind powers a social support platform to help loved ones and those in the wider community during times of need. Malcolm plans to locate new engineering and customer support teams in Tacoma in the coming months.
Follow the stories as they unfold through 2021 on the website and social channels of the Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County and Startup253 as well at Startup253 on LinkedIn.
For more information contact: Jessica McNellis at jessica@s2spr.com
About the Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board: Since 1978, the private, 501(c)(6) nonprofit EDB has been laser-focused on recruiting new firms to Pierce County, retaining those that are here, and helping all of them expand. The EDB supports companies to create new jobs and to grow the economy of the South Sound and Washington State, USA. In the past two decades, the EDB has worked with companies that have made over $1.6 billion in capital investments and created over 25,000 jobs.
About Startup253. Startup253 is Tacoma’s home for the startup community. We bring together entrepreneurial leaders, venture capital, corporate, and local government to advance our goal of helping the South Sound region become the best home for innovation and creative new companies.