Seattle tech leaders on how Megan Rapinoe inspired them | Epic Games’ layoffs hit Seattle-area office

Happy Friday, GeekWire readers. Amazon is launching satellites into space and moving employees into new offices in Bellevue; Microsoft is nearing completion of a giant acquisition; and we ask Seattle tech leaders about the impact of a legendary soccer player. 

Megan Rapinoe’s reign is drawing to a close. But the global soccer star’s influence and activism is sure to continue to be felt on and off the pitch. As she plays her last regular season home match for the OL Reign at Lumen Field in Seattle tonight, GeekWire reached out to tech leaders to ask how Rapinoe has inspired them and what lessons they draw from her to apply to their own lives and careers.

• "Being a true ally isn’t about using your platform when it’s easy — it’s about using your platform and privilege when it’s hard — when there’s the very real possibility that doing so might come at a cost.” — Laura Clise, Intentionalist.

• "She has an unabashed and seemingly fearless confidence to be her authentic self, speak her mind and use her voice to advocate for equity off the field, all while excelling to the highest levels of her profession on the field.” — Chrissy Vaughn, Smartsheet.

• GeekWire’s website colors have been changed to celebrate Rapinoe. Read more.

Amazon news: 

• First launch of Project Kuiper satellites: Two prototype satellites are due to ride a rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida into low Earth orbit at 11 a.m. PT today. Read more about the launch, and check back on GeekWire for updates. 

• Employees start moving from Seattle to Bellevue: Despite an ongoing pause in the construction of numerous new office buildings, Amazon now has more than 1,000 employees working in the 555 Tower in the city east of Seattle. Read more. 

Epic Games layoffs hit Bellevue office: A new filing reveals that 39 employees in Washington state were affected by recent cuts at the Fornite maker. Read more. 

Stoke Space fuels up with $100M: The Kent, Wash.-based company will use the fresh cash to develop a new breed of fully reusable rockets and aim to reach orbit by 2025. Read more. 

Alaska Airlines launches startup accelerator: The Seattle-based airline is partnering with a Los Angeles startup studio to fuel new aviation-focused companies. Read more. 

Tech Moves: Former Sprint CEO rejoins F5 board; another Flexport exec is out; and more key personnel changes. 

Hot Links:

• Microsoft plans to finalize its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week. (The Verge)

• Apple backed away from a potential deal to buy Bing from Microsoft, according to previously confidential records unsealed in the U.S. v. Google antitrust case. (CNN)