Steve Ballmer has established himself as a man who is as passionate about basketball today as he was about software during his days as CEO of Microsoft. A new story from The Ringer shines a revealing spotlight on where the owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers may have first showcased his competitive hoops spirit. Zach Schwartz writes that he was a member of a Boys & Girls Club basketball team called the Bellevue Beavers that was coached by Ballmer in 1999. The kids were third graders and Ballmer was about to begin a 14-year run as head of the… Read More
Playing with a ball can be a lot of fun when you throw sensors and computer chips into the mix. That’s the thought behind Play Impossible, a Seattle startup that sells a smart, connected inflatable ball which links to a smartphone app and lets people play different physical games. The company launched last year and raised $1 million from Two Sigma Ventures, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and WestRiver Group, the firm led by TopGolf Entertainment Group Co-Chairman Erik Anderson. Its first product is a small rubber ball that looks completely normal from the outside but has a bevy of electronics inside —… Read More
Some big names are participating in Unikrn’s unique initial coin offering. The Seattle startup launched an initial coin offering, or ICO, this past Friday and has already raised $25 million, Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood told GeekWire. Unikrn is selling virtual tokens called UnikoinGold that can be used on its platform to bet on esports matches. Those tokens can be exchanged for other major cryptocurrencies, such as ethereum and bitcoin, which can then be exchanged for U.S. dollars. UnikoinGold is based on the ethereum blockchain, which is similar to Bitcoin, the largest digital currency that was trading up more than 7 percent on Monday despite… Read More
The Seattle Seahawks know a thing or two about rallying around inspirational voices — whether it’s head coach Pete Carroll or players ranging from Russell Wilson to Kam Chancellor to Doug Baldwin or Earl Thomas. On Thursday at practice, Carroll was happy to welcome another leader who inspires as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella paid a visit. Caroll shared a photo of himself with Nadella on Twitter and said he was “pumped” for the release next week of the CEO’s new book, “Hit Refresh.” Loved having @SatyaNadella with us at practice today! Truly an inspirational leader! Pumped for his book #HitRefresh… Read More
Marshawn Lynch may no longer be a Seahawk, but that’s not stopping a Seattle-area wireless carrier from teaming with the NFL star for a new phone service called Beast Mobile. A hero in Seattle sports history thanks to his six years as a running back for the Seahawks, the partnership is just the latest business venture built around Lynch’s Beast Mode persona. The idea comes from mobile industry veteran Leigh Hunt, founder and CEO of Kirkland, Wash.-based FreeMo, whose advertising-supported mobile app is aimed at helping customers earn credits to drive down their monthly cell phone bills. Beast Mobile, which will… Read More
