Wayne R. Stearns

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was formed in 1997 as the William H. Gates Foundation. In 1999, the foundation was renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust was created in January 2000 through the merger of the Gates Learning Foundation, which worked to expand access to technology through public libraries and the William H. Gates Foundation, which focused on improving global health. The foundation participates in preventive approaches and collaborative endeavors with government, philanthropic and not-for-profit partners. Priority is given to grants that leverage additional support and serve as a catalyst for long-term, systemic change. The foundation also provides funds to promote greater equity in global health, education and public libraries. Through their partnerships in communities across the US, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to raising the high school graduation rate and helping all students, regardless of race or family income. The foundation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC provides assurance, tax and advisory services. Its services include audit and assurance, consulting, deals, human resources, legal, tax, and family business. The firm also offers accountability, risk management, structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and performance and process improvement. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Buffalo, NY.

Delafield Hambrecht, Inc. provides investment and merchant banking services. It makes private equity investments and also provides investment banking advisory services to the technology, healthcare retail and finance sectors. The company was founded by Dennis J. Delafield in 2002 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

Swiftsure Capital LLC (Swiftsure Capital) is a private equity firm founded in 2006 by Wilson Scott Franklyn and Mollner Greg. The firm is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Quantum Windows & Doors, Inc. manufactures custom architectural wood windows and doors. Its products include signature series windows, legacy series windows, classic series windows, euro series windows, hinged doors, slide and fold doors, lift and slide doors and wood clad. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Everett, WA.

TableSafe, Inc. designs, builds and sells hardware and software products to eliminate credit and debit card information theft. The firm specializes in secure pay at the table transactions, marketing and guest communication opportunities, increased wait staff efficiency, custom applications, back of house labor and hard cost savings and faster table turns. The company was founded by Pope Andrew and Joseph Snell in 2010 and is headquartered in Kirkland, WA.

OceanGate, Inc. engages in the provision of subsea manned submersible services for for research and commercial projects, and exploration travel and adventure. It offers site survey and inspection, research and data collection, film and media production, and deep sea testing. The company was founded by Stockton Rush and Guillermo Sohnlein in 2009 and is headquartered in Everett, WA.

IPG DXTRA, Inc. provides public relations services. It offers strategic marketing communications, media relations, public affairs, reputation, issues management and corporate communications counseling services. The firm also offers web relations, advocacy advertising, market research and visual communications services. The company was founded by Vernon Lawrence Weber in 1980 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Harvard University engages in the provision of teaching and research. It has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a global education. The university was founded in 1636 and is headquartered in Cambridge, MA.

CRISTA Ministries, Inc. operates as a religious organization. It offers seven ministries that includes alternative education, broadcast, camps and conference centers, education, humanitarian relief and development, senior living, and veterinary mission. The company was founded by Mike Martin in 1948 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

Viridian Capital Management LLC is a private equity firm founded in 2007. The firm is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Fanch Communications, Inc. operates cable TV systems. The private company is based in Denver, CO.

Boulder Imaging, Inc. develops and delivers integrated systems and software using machine vision technologies for defense, aerospace, and industrial products markets. The company was founded by Carlos Jorquera in 1995 and is headquartered in Louisville, CO.

University of Washington functions as a College/University. The company is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

Southern Methodist University is a private university near the center of Dallas, SMU offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs through seven schools in the humanities and sciences, business, the performing, visual, and communication arts, engineering, education and human development, law, and theology.

Riddell Williams PS engages in the provision of legal services. It specializes in litigation and real estate matters. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

Phoseon Technology, Inc. designs and manufactures light powered equipment for industrial processes. It provides LEDs for UV curing applications using the polymerization process to dry inks, coatings, adhesives and other UV sensitive materials. The firm specializes in UV LED curing, UV dryer, solid state lighting, UV ink drying, UV LED printing technology, UV curing, UV LED curing lamps. The company was founded by Christopher G. O'Leary in 2002 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, OR.