Rebekah Nicodemus, who previously held communications positions at Amazon, has been appointed to lead Bastion America, representing the video game industry marketing agency’s first U.S. expansion. The London-headquartered firm plans to establish a Seattle presence while building a geographically distributed team across the country.
Nicodemus spent almost ten years at Amazon, with her final position serving as communications lead for Amazon Web Services. She dedicated most of her Amazon career to Amazon Games before joining AWS. Before her time at the e-commerce giant, she worked at Grayling’s Los Angeles public relations office.
According to Bastion’s managing director Ravi Vijh, the company collaborated with Nicodemus during her Amazon tenure and recognizes that her achievement-oriented mindset aligns well with Bastion’s client-centered philosophy.
Joseph Williams has transitioned into the role of governance, risk management, and compliance practice director at Artemis Connection, a strategy consulting organization that serves leadership across various business sectors. Williams brings extensive experience from the Seattle region, working at the convergence of technology and public service.
His previous position was serving as interim director for the Washington State Broadband Office under the Department of Commerce. Additionally, Williams volunteers as executive director for Northwest Quantum Nexus, an organization that supports quantum research initiatives.
Seattle-based mpathic has announced executive suite expansions as the company grows its product portfolio. The startup develops software solutions for AI developers and organizations to enhance safety measures for artificial intelligence platforms providing mental health and medical assistance to young users.
Rebekah Bastian has joined mpathic as chief marketing officer. She previously founded and led OwnTrail, a career and life navigation platform, and held the vice president position for community and culture at Zillow Group. Most recently, she served as senior vice president of marketing and product at Glowforge.
Alison Cerezo, who joined mpathic in 2023, has been elevated to chief science officer. Her background includes serving as a principal investigator at the California Department of Public Health and working as an associate professor at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Ben Nahir has been promoted to partner at Elevate Capital, the Hillsboro, Oregon-based venture capital firm. Nahir, a Seattle-area resident, has been with Elevate since 2018, having previously worked with TiE Oregon, where he supported entrepreneurs through mentorship and angel investment programs.
Elevate Capital noted that Nahir has been instrumental in growing the firm’s portfolio and furthering its mission to support
underrepresented founders. He advanced to partner after spending four years as a venture principal, following three years in a senior associate capacity.
Liz Ferega has departed from her senior vice president position overseeing revenue and growth leadership at Accolade after more than six years with the organization. The Seattle and Philadelphia-area company, which became publicly traded in 2020, offers healthcare delivery, navigation and advocacy services through employer
partnerships. Ferega operated from St. Petersburg, Florida.
Lisa Chin has been appointed chief executive officer of Juma, a San Francisco nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth in Seattle and California technology hubs to break poverty cycles. Chin previously served as founding executive director of Year Up Seattle, a workforce development program concentrating on IT, software, business and customer experience positions.
Samantha Temple Neukom, a corporate strategist with extensive experience serving Seattle-area clients including Microsoft and Apptio, is transitioning from her current role but has not disclosed her next position. She most recently operated as founder and CEO of Northbound, a brand strategy firm she led for over thirteen years.
Neukom expressed on LinkedIn that reaching this decision came through clarity gained from leaders, clients, and friends who shared their experience, networks, and wisdom as she explored her growth, purpose, and future direction.
Megan McNally, who has provided legal counsel to startups for many years, has launched Edgewater Business Law PLLC. McNally established the FBomb Breakfast Club, a peer support community for women founders and business owners, and operates the FBomb Angels Investment Club.
The Washington Technology Industry Association has brought on Brianna Rockenstire as events manager. Rockenstire previously directed the Center of Excellence for Information & Computing Technology, a Bellevue, Washington organization focused on workforce development through community and technical colleges.
Kory Mathews, a recently retired Boeing executive who spent nearly four decades with the aerospace manufacturer, has joined the board of directors at Natilus. The San Diego aerospace manufacturer builds high-efficiency aircraft for passenger and cargo transport and recently secured $28 million in new funding.
General Fusion, an energy company based in British Columbia, has appointed Wendy Kei as strategic advisor. The company recently revealed plans to go public through a $1 billion SPAC transaction. Kei holds multiple board positions, including board chair for Ontario Power Generation, and most recently served as CFO of a Canadian diamond mining operation.