The future of downtown Seattle | Ex-Athira CEO launches $150M fund

Leen Kawas launches $150M fund: The Seattle biotech exec who resigned as CEO of Athira Pharma after an investigation found she had altered doctoral research images that helped to form the initial basis for the company, re-emerged Friday as co-founder and managing general partner of a new investment firm called Propel Bio Partners LP. Read more.

5 takeaways from SXSW: Martina Welkoff, a Seattle-based managing partner at the WXR Fund, just got back from the annual event in Austin and says “the tech landscape has changed in some exciting ways while we were all on video calls.” Read her insights on this year’s trends. 

High school senior wins $250K: Eastlake High School’s Christine Ye analyzed gravitational-wave readings to figure out just how big a rapidly rotating neutron star could get — and that won her the top award in the 2022 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

Pete Davidson scrubs Blue Origin ride: The "Saturday Night Live" comedian is no longer able to take a suborbital spaceflight this month. A new spaceflier will be selected to round out the six-person crew for a (slightly delayed) launch on March 29. Read more. 

Seattle sisters lead startup: Aparna and Ambika Thyagarajan are leading a fast-growing direct-to-consumer online platform to democratize ethnic fashion globally and make a difference for the weavers and artisans involved. Read about Shobitam.