UW CoMotion Expansion to Spokane, Brady Ryan joins as manager
Monday, January 30, 2017
New venture will build the state’s wider innovation ecosystem by connecting eastern Washington’s community to western Washington
SEATTLE, Wash., January 30, 2017—CoMotion, the University of Washington’s collaborative innovation hub, is pleased to announce the expansion of CoMotion Labs to Spokane. This expansion of CoMotion services will connect the region’s vibrant startup community more fully with western Washington’s.
Called CoMotion Labs @ Spokane, its mission is to contribute to the growth of the innovation community in eastern Washington by bringing UW resources, assets, tools and networks to the region. This joins the three other existing labs on or near the UW Seattle campus, with this one likely to focus on manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and robotics. CoMotion Labs @ Spokane will provide programming, mentoring and advising, while also offering a number of CoMotion Labs events, including the popular entrepreneurial speaker series. The Lab will collaborate with innovation spaces around the region, as well as make events available from the other CoMotion Labs in Seattle through live-streaming workshops.
CoMotion also announced it has hired Brady Ryan as the CoMotion Labs @ Spokane manager. Prior to joining CoMotion, Ryan worked as commercialization manager and business development manager at Life Science Washington, a trade association supporting the broad life science ecosystem in Washington, and as program manager for WINGS— the Washington Medical Technology Angel Network. As commercialization manager, Ryan developed and maintained programs focused on helping entrepreneurs get their technologies funded and to market. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Willamette University in Salem, OR.
“The Spokane region is a growing innovation ecosystem with which we are excited to partner,” said Elizabeth Scallon, Associate Director of CoMotion Labs. “We believe the economic development of Washington is best served when we unify and engage all parts of our state through cross-collaboration of ideas, startups and resources. CoMotion Labs has the experience and excellence to partner and execute on this important initiative.”
“Spokane's University District and the entrepreneurial ecosystem will greatly benefit with the presence of University of Washington's CoMotion Labs,” said Steve Trabun, Avista regional business manager. “Having CoMotion Labs in our community will further enhance the collaborative opportunities between Startup Spokane, a program of Greater Spokane
Incorporated, and our region's colleges and universities. As a result, the entrepreneurial ecosystem will be strengthened to create even more ideas and early stage growth companies in technology, life sciences, and other emerging areas."
Brady Ryan will be located in the UW Spokane Center in downtown Spokane.
About the University of Washington and CoMotion:
Recently ranked by Reuters as the #1 most innovative public university in the world, UW is a leading recipient of federal funding research, producing innovations that have the power to change the world—from biofuel alternatives, to more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and brain cancer, to purification technology for drinking water in the developing world.
CoMotion at the University of Washington is the collaborative innovation hub dedicated to expanding the societal impact of the UW community. By developing and connecting local and global innovation ecosystems, CoMotion helps innovators achieve the greatest impact from their discoveries.
CoMotion Labs is a multi-industry labs system hosting startups inside and outside the UW community with four locations (CoMotion HQ, Fluke Hall, Startup Hall and now Spokane), each with a specific industry focus.
Contact:
Donna O’Neill
Marketing & Communications
CoMotion at University of Washington and GIX
p: 206.685.9972
f: 206.543.0586
e: donnao3@uw.edu
