Our Work

2021 Annual Conference


CREATING A SUSTAINABLE CASCADIA MEGA-REGION

5th Annual Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference
November 16-17, 2021 | Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, Vancouver, B.C.

On November 16th and 17th, the Cascadia Innovation Corridor community gathered together at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre to celebrate the strengths and innovative spirit of our mega-region and highlight opportunities to build a sustainable corridor for the future. The conference was our first opportunity to gather in-person since 2019 and strengthen our cross-border relationships.

These speakers, and more, canvassed broad sustainability opportunities in the Cascadia Innovation Corridor including the sustainability of our cross-border relationships and how we can keep our border open in the future, the sustainability of available talent, and the sustainability of our community health. We also examined how we sustainably build out the Cascadia region as we anticipate 3-4 million more people moving to the region by 2050. And following the COP26 conference, we looked at the innovations and work taking place in this region that are making a difference in the global fight against climate change.

Chris Gregoire, CEO, Challenge Seattle
Chris Gregoire
CIC Co-Chair

Christine Gregoire is the CEO of Challenge Seattle, which is an alliance of CEOs from 22 of the region’s largest organizations who work together to tackle some of our most pressing civic challenges, such as homelessness and racial equity. As CEO of Challenge Seattle, Chris serves as the Washington co-chair for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor.

Previously, Chris served for two terms as Governor of the State of Washington with a $32B biennial budget and over 60,000 employees. In her first term as Governor, she created the Department of Early Learning and led on reforms to the K-12 system and investment in higher education.  Chris led the state in a historical investment in infrastructure including the building of the largest floating bridge in the world and the largest transportation tunnel to open up Seattle’s waterfront.  She addressed the water wars in the state and established the Puget Sound initiative to restore one of the nation’s major estuaries.  She led an historic number of trade missions, reformed the foster care system to protect children, and was among the first to lead in health care reform. During her second term, Chris led the state in major reforms, management, and budgeting to position the state as one of the most financially secure to come out of the “Great Recession”.

Prior to becoming Governor, Chris served for three terms as Attorney General for the State and prior to becoming Attorney General, Chris served four years as the Director of the State Department of Ecology.

In addition to being CEO of Challenge Seattle, Chris is a former chair of the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center and former Member of the National Bipartisan Governor’s Council.

Gail Murphy, Ph.D., VP Research & Innovation, UBC
Shwetak Patel, Ph.D., WRF Endowed Professor, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, UW
Irem Tumer, Ph.D., Vice President for Research at Oregon State University
David Hoff, Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Community Investment, Ledcor
Paula Hammond, Senior Vice President, National Transportation Market Leader, WSP
Rickey Y. Yada, Ph.D., Academic Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC
Rickey Y. Yada, Ph.D., Academic Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC
Molly Jones, Vice President, Government Affairs, Payactiv
Pamela Saunders, Director of Communications & Engagement, Microsoft Vancouver
Laurie Trautman, Ph.D., Director, Border Policy Research Institute, WWU
Matt Morrison, CEO, Pacific Northwest Economic Region
Tom Roemer, Ed.D., Principal, Tioga Communications Inc.
Sonya Doucette, Ph.D., Professor, Bellevue College; Climate Justice Faculty Development Lead
Angela Becker-Dippman, Director, Energy & Environment Directorate’s Program Development Office, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
Andrew Hoan, President & CEO, Portland Metro Chamber
Bill Tam, Co-Founder, Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster​
Ken Macartney, Executive Director, International Relations, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat (IGRS) Office of the Premier, Government of British Columbia
Steve Mullin, President, Washington Roundtable
Rachel Smith, President & CEO, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Kris Peters, Chairman, Squaxin Island Tribe
Ian Campbell, Hereditary Chief, Squamish Nation
Mike Fong, Director, Washington State Department of Commerce
Staci Simonich, Ph.D., Dean and Reub Long Professor, College of Agricultural Sciences, OSU Director, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station
Laura Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of British Columbia
Dave Robertson, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Port of Portland Co-Chair, PPP for Climate
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