This Week’s Speaker
Jack Timmons, Founder, Jack’s BBQ (April 23rd) – From high-tech to BBQ empire: A delicious story about bringing Central-Texas BBQ to the Northwest
Jack Timmons has quite the LinkedIn profile, an eclectic resume that includes stints with Boeing, Paccar and nearly two decades in the Microsoft fold. In 2012, his passion for meats cooked low-and-slow led him to the Texas A & M’s Meat Science department’s summer barbecue camp.
That immersive experience got him fired up and when he returned home, he launched the Seattle Brisket Experience, spreading the oak-and-mesquite fired word like a Baptist preacher sermonizing on Sunday. Well, maybe not. Because there’s always Shiner Bock involved. Or a seriously smashing Old-Fashioned, a best-selling cocktail that features smoked oranges and brown sugar.
By 2014, he opened his first Jack’s BBQ in a former “dive bar” deep in a gritty industrial neighborhood, smokers set up in the parking lot out front. Lines were out the door from the get-go. Now Jack has 8 locations including the brand new one on Bel-Red Road.
Upcoming Speakers
Hamdi Mohamed, Port of Seattle Commission, President (April 30th) – Delivering Opportunity
Hamdi Mohamed was elected to the Port of Seattle Commission in November 2021. She made history as the first Somali woman elected to public office in Washington State, and the first Black woman elected to the Port of Seattle Commission. She currently serves as the first Black Commission President in [...]
Kurt Ursich, President, Juniper Capital (May 7th) – Unconventional Financing for Unconventional Times
Juniper Capital President, Kurt Ursich, brings extensive experience and expertise to Juniper Capital Corp. As an account executive at a local private lender for 13 years and a minority shareholder for three, Kurt was an integral part of his team, funding more than $600,000,000 in loans. Prior to his time [...]
Kate Casprowiak Scher, Executive Director, Bellevue Arts Museum (May 21st) – Bellevue Arts Museum: Reinvention and Sustainability
Kate moved to Bellevue in 2010 to accept a full-time, tenure track professorship in Art History at Bellevue College, whereupon she taught for eleven years. During her time at Bellevue College she developed the online Art History curriculum, organized exhibits for the Gallery Space and acted as Department Chair, among [...]
Recent Speakers
Warren Barkley, Sr. Director, Product Management, Cloud AI, Google Cloud (April 16th) – Future of Artificial Intelligence
Warren Barkley joined Google in 2021 as the Senior Director leading the AI/ML platform teams. Prior to Google, Warren had a series of executive [...]
Anna Skibska, Glass Artist (April 9th) – A Garden or a Labirynt of Art?
Anna Skibska studied at the Academy of Art in Wroclaw, Poland, in the Department of Painting. Diploma awarded in 1984. Polish Minister of Culture [...]
Tyler Dion and Callum McLuckie (April 2nd) – The PGA in the PNW, Return of Major Championship Golf
Callum McLuckie Callum McLuckie is the Corporate Hospitality Sales and Marketing Lead for the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. His duties have him overseeing [...]
Dr. Kelly Aramaki, Superintendent, Bellevue School District (March 26th) – A Future of Innovation in the Bellevue School District
Dr. Kelly Aramaki is the Superintendent of the Bellevue School District, where his family has lived for 5 generations. Dr. Aramaki started his career [...]
Maoz Inon, Peace Entrepreneur (March 19th) – Making Hope with Maoz Inon
Maoz Inon, Peace Entrepreneur (born 1975), is an award-winning Israeli social entrepreneur and peace activist who has founded several tourism initiatives within Israel and the [...]
Kirsten Amrine, VP Revenue Management & Network, Alaska Airlines (March 12th) – Alaska Airlines, from the West Coast to the World
As the vice president of revenue management and network, Kirsten Amrine sets the long-term strategy for Alaska Airlines’ fare offerings and route network. Kirsten [...]
Gina Breukelman, Senior Manager, Boeing Global Engagement (March 5th) – Boeing in Washington
Gina Breukelman Senior Manager, Boeing Global Engagement (BGE), in the Northwest region. In her role with BGE, Gina leads the development and execution of [...]
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Sam Kaplan, Director, Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management (Feb. 27th) – The Myths, Mysteries and Mistakes of China… and the U.S GallerySam Kaplan, Director, Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management (Feb. 27th) – The Myths, Mysteries and Mistakes of China… and the U.S
Sam Kaplan, Director, Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management (Feb. 27th) – The Myths, Mysteries and Mistakes of China… and the U.S
Sam is the director of the Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management, which connects industry and education in Washington around [...]
Ryan Sudeck and Ross Hubbard, Sage Investment Group (Feb. 20th) – Addressing the Workforce Housing Crisis Through Hotel Conversions
Ryan Sudeck Ryan is the CEO of Sage Investment Group, a real estate private equity firm focused on creating vibrant communities and providing investors [...]
Det. Will Hallifax, Bellevue Police Department (Feb. 13th) – 5 Phases of De-Escalation
Det. Will Hallifax has been with the Bellevue Police Department for 20 years and is currently assigned to the City of Bellevue’s multidisciplinary Threat [...]