Impact Series – Page 2 of 13

Laying down fiber cable in African village

Microsoft backs effort to extend fiber internet access to 20 million in Africa

Microsoft says it’s partnering with a fiber-cable connectivity venture called Liquid Intelligent Technologies to bring high-speed internet access to an… Read More

Researchers find new upcycling technique to transform plastics into fuel

Each year, more than 390 million metric tons of plastics are produced globally, yet close to half are single-use varieties… Read More

Seattle high schooler creates online hub to encourage youth volunteering

When 16-year-old Anika Krishnan isn’t playing the violin with her band or board games with her family, she’s helping teens… Read More

Brilliant Black Minds: Startup’s project backed by Serena Williams aims to break down barriers

As a middle school student in the small Mississippi town of Collinsville, Crystal Moore would spend lunch in her school’s… Read More

As tech is rocked by layoffs, climate jobs and tools for landing them are on the rise

There has never been a better time to get a job in climate tech. Nations and corporations are setting ambitious… Read More

‘It changed my life’: Microsoft vet creates mentoring program for tech-focused college students

The current economic slowdown aside, employers have long lamented a shortage of skilled tech workers. Tech companies have made pledges,… Read More

Personal story leads entrepreneur to launch a startup to improve cancer care in Africa and beyond

Seattle entrepreneur Kingsley Ndoh is driven by the memory of his aunt, who died too young of colon cancer. A… Read More

Steve Ballmer’s USAFacts releases new stats on American crime, jobs, population and more

USAFacts this week released its yearly roundup of U.S. stats ahead of President Biden’s annual State of the Union address… Read More

Nonprofit supported by Paul Allen’s foundation studies link between lynx and burned habitats

A wildlife research nonprofit backed by the Paul G. Allen Foundation is embarking on a new study to learn more… Read More

Fired from Amazon for her activism, Maren Costa is calling for climate action at Microsoft

Microsoft shareholders recently voted on a proposal calling on the company to disclose the climate impacts of its employee retirement… Read More

‘The billionaires are in charge’ – here’s who is spending the most on climate change efforts

Climate change is starting to receive the funding and attention that some activists, scientists and policy makers have sought for… Read More

How do you recycle plastic? Startups and scientists are trying to make it easier

Each week, Ridwell workers fan neighborhoods in six cities around the country picking up canvas sacks stuffed with plastic bags… Read More

Companies are making bold climate pledges – but where are the workers needed to reach them?

Some 3,900 companies worldwide have made pledges to cut their carbon emissions. But many, or perhaps most, lack the skilled… Read More

Amazon adds another $150M for affordable housing in Seattle area

Amazon will provide $150 million to build and preserve 1,700 units of affordable housing in Seattle and neighboring cities. The… Read More

How technology is helping remove racist language in Washington state property deeds

If you live in a home built before the 1950s, there’s a chance that lurking in its property records is… Read More

Go inside the invite-only, climate tech summit in Seattle hosted by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy

Inside a Seattle waterfront center cloaked in wildfire smoke, climate tech innovators and investors came together this week at the… Read More

Bill Gates ‘amazed at how far we’ve come’ as he opens inaugural climate tech summit in Seattle

Breakthrough Energy, the Bill Gates-led effort to stoke innovation in climate technology, is holding its inaugural summit this week in… Read More

How much solar and wind power is out there? A Microsoft effort using satellites, AI aims to find out

In the race to curb climate change, solar panels and wind turbines are being installed across the planet — but… Read More

New Seattle innovation center in a historically Black neighborhood will support entrepreneurs, arts, tech

Friday afternoon will mark the grand opening of the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation, a hub for entrepreneurs, creative… Read More

Gut check: Seattle Aquarium scientists simulate a whale stomach to test plastic alternatives

You cannot deliberately feed plastic to a whale, even in the name of science. So researchers at the Seattle Aquarium… Read More

This Seattle high schooler is leading a nonprofit to help refugees and immigrants learn English

When 16-year-old Subha Vadlamannati isn’t playing the piano or digitally drawing Anime characters, she’s helping refugee and immigrant students learn… Read More

This nonprofit is showing how rigorous data analysis can dramatically curb youth homelessness

A Washington state organization is using data and analytics to help solve a crisis that is both unconscionable and has… Read More

Melinda French Gates shares new data to stoke innovation and awareness in $648B ‘care economy’

Caregivers who provide for children, elderly people, and those who are sick or disabled are operating in an antiquated system… Read More

Boeing pledges $10M for new UW engineering building that will house AI Education Institute

The University of Washington is breaking ground next month on its Interdisciplinary Engineering Building. The new facility should help the… Read More

Seattle nonprofit aims to expose underrepresented youth to space industry careers

From Boeing to Blue Origin, the Seattle region is a bustling aerospace hub. Now a Seattle-based nonprofit wants to help… Read More

Microsoft demos clean energy breakthrough for data centers that keep the internet humming

Data centers packed with millions of servers provide the backbone of the internet, dishing up everything from cat videos to… Read More

High school students in Seattle educate community on how to identify and combat misinformation

The world is overwhelmed with contradictory data and claims. High school students in Seattle want to help. Last month Ballard… Read More

We visited the world’s biggest carbon capture plant, which just signed a 10-year deal with Microsoft

REYKJAVIK, Iceland — A short drive from Iceland’s capital, on a lava plateau blanketed with moss and grass, the earth… Read More

New tsunami warning to those in Seattle: If the earth starts shaking, get to higher ground ASAP

If a really big earthquake hits offshore from Seattle, the city’s shorelines could be struck with massive tsunami waves within… Read More

‘I wouldn’t be an engineer without it’: UW program supports underserved STEM students

A University of Washington program to support STEM students from low-income and underserved backgrounds is now nine years old. And… Read More