The Washington State Department of Commerce announced that Aaron Wheeler will be departing his position as director of the Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) on June 27. Wheeler, who was appointed to the role by former Governor Jay Inslee in March 2024, is returning to the Suquamish Tribe, where he previously spent 18 years working in information technology.
During his tenure of approximately one and a half years, Wheeler oversaw significant progress in the state’s efforts to expand broadband access. Under his leadership, WSBO completed two rounds of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) applications. The office was preparing to launch its third and final application round when new federal guidelines necessitated substantial changes to the state’s BEAD process.
Wheeler expressed enthusiasm about his return to the Suquamish Tribe, citing his passion for IT and education work within the tribal community. The WSBO’s mission of ensuring affordable, reliable, high-speed internet access for all Washington residents and businesses will continue as the office transitions to new leadership.
In other technology sector movements, Microsoft is losing Nikesh Parekh, who joined the company through its acquisition of his startup, Suplari, four years ago. Parekh, whose company specialized in AI-powered spending analysis, shared via LinkedIn that his experience developing enterprise applications for Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio has reinforced his belief in AI’s potential. He indicated plans to pursue new AI-focused projects aimed at democratizing
opportunities.
The Seattle startup scene is also seeing changes as Michael Howell, who co-founded the on-demand moving services platform Dolly, announces his departure after 11 years. Following Taskrabbit’s acquisition of Dolly approximately a year ago, Howell expressed gratitude to his team, mentors, investors, and customers while indicating he would take time to contemplate his next career move.
Jessica Nguyen, while maintaining her role as deputy general counsel for AI Innovation & Trust at DocuSign, is taking on an additional position as strategic advisor at San Francisco’s Paragon Legal. Nguyen brings extensive legal experience from previous positions at companies including Avalara, Microsoft, Payscale, and Lexion.
The AI2 Incubator in Seattle has welcomed Hawa Drammeh as a summer intern. Drammeh, who studies Computer Science and Biochemistry at the University of Washington, brings impressive experience from
internships at major tech companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Blue Origin, and LinkedIn. She is also recognized for founding CSEED, a student-led technology and entrepreneurship organization at UW.
YoungTech, a Seattle startup community organization, has added two University of Washington students to its team. Eleanor Knight, pursuing Business Administration, joins as the brand and content strategy associate, while Matthew Chiu, studying Information Systems and Marketing, takes on the role of business operations and
communications associate. Knight will focus on storytelling and community engagement, while Chiu brings experience from positions at Highspot and Okta to his new role.
These personnel changes reflect the dynamic nature of the Pacific Northwest’s technology sector, with movements spanning government initiatives, established tech giants, startups, and educational institutions.