9 of the most powerful people in Seattle in 2022

Our picks for essentially the most highly effective Seattleites of 2022 embrace a high disinformation researcher, the Kraken king and two {couples} who’ve left a deep imprint on town’s tradition.

The way it works: We skipped a number of the apparent selections — just like the mayor, the governor and county govt — to spotlight people who find themselves shaping town in additional refined however highly effective methods.

A notice on methodology: Axios Native’s energy gamers are influential individuals who’ve made an affect of their group in 2022. Our reporters made choices primarily based on their very own experience and thru a reader ballot and interviews with influential folks.

• The unscientific listing is produced solely by the Axios Native editorial group and isn’t influenced by promoting in any means.

Gabriel Teodros and Ijeoma Oluo

If a decades-long profession within the arts primarily based on collaboration and group is energy, Ethiopian American hip-hop artist and DJ Gabriel Teodros and Nigerian American creator Ijeoma Oluo have tapped right into a limitless lode.

The couple’s crowning achievements: Oluo’s phrases on her Substack and in her books, together with the best-selling “So You Need to Discuss About Race,” modified the best way folks in Seattle and past take into consideration racial justice. She has been listed amongst Seattle’s most influential voices.

• In the meantime, as a DJ at KEXP, Teodros options native musicians of colour who won’t be heard on the radio if not for him. The South Seattle musician obtained his begin in 2001 with the group Abyssinian Creole and has since reached a global viewers with “Lovework” and “What We Depart Behind.”

Plus: The newlyweds have doubled down on serving to others, beginning the Seattle Artists Aid Fund in spring 2020 that raised $1.1 million to assist help native artists.

Catch up: In case you’re not aware of their work, begin with Oluo’s definitive interview of Rachel Dolezal and Teodros’ “Mild Attracts Mild & Every thing Else, Too.”

What we’re watching: Oluo is engaged on a brand new ebook.

Kate Starbird

When Kate Starbird, College of Washington professor and OL Reign legend, began researching how data and momentum unfold on the web, she by no means imagined it will put her smack in the course of a menace to democracy.

Their crowning achievements: Starbird and her colleagues on the UW Heart for an Knowledgeable Public analyzed social media information to determine the sort of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories that proliferated throughout the pandemic and allowed the narrative of the stolen election to take root. They:

• Noticed bots posting misinformation repeatedly;
• Watched as disinformation ways turned embedded into the construction of social media platforms;
• Confirmed data on the web could be tactically manipulated and weaponized;
• Noticed how the intentional unfold of misinformation modified the discourse on an enormous scale and led to the Jan. 6 occasions.

Sure, and: Since 2020, the middle has helped lead the nonpartisan Election Integrity Partnership to detect and handle on-line efforts to discourage voting and delegitimize election outcomes.

What we’re watching: How the middle expands its election-related work within the run-up to 2024.

• “We have got to recollect we’re not going to unravel this with one little trick. We’re chipping away on the drawback,” Starbird mentioned.

Tod Leiweke

Seattle might not be recognized as a world-class sports activities metropolis but, however that might be only a matter of time due to folks like Tod Leiweke.

Driving the information: With Seattle set to host the World Cup in 2026 and rumors of a brand new NBA group, Leiweke might quickly understand his mission of bringing the sort of die-hard fandom present in Boston, Pittsburg and Inexperienced Bay to the Emerald Metropolis.

Greatest strikes of 2022: The Sounders and the Kraken have each emerged among the many most fun groups to look at of their respective leagues. That is thanks in giant measure to Leiweke, the previous CEO of the Seahawks, who recruited Coach Pete Carroll and constructed momentum behind the twelfth man model, and is now bringing his expertise to the 2 groups he co-owns.

What we’re watching: Leiweke would not speak about whether or not Seattle will get an NBA group (nonetheless a sore topic after the Sonics betrayal), however the truth that the convo retains arising means one thing.

Joe Fitzgibbon

Joe Fitzgibbon has lengthy been a pacesetter in terms of local weather laws, chairing the state Home’s setting committee and sponsoring measures like Washington’s new clean-fuel normal. Now, he has a good larger function on the state Capitol.

Greatest strikes of 2022: Fitzgibbon grew extra highly effective final month when he was named state Home majority chief. That is the chamber’s No. 2 place, second solely to the speaker.

• He additionally has chaired the Home Democratic Marketing campaign Committee for the previous a number of years, giving him a key function in serving to Democrats keep and develop their majorities in Olympia, together with this November.

What we’re watching: How a lot millennial power the 36-year-old will deliver to his new job.

Kamau Chege

Kamau Chege, govt director of Washington Neighborhood Alliance, does not usually take credit score for main coverage wins, as an alternative citing others who assist make change occur.

• Sure, however: He is established himself as one of many state’s main advocates for progressive insurance policies — a fame he is been constructing since highschool, when he helped push Washington lawmakers to increase state monetary support to undocumented immigrant college students.

Greatest strikes of 2022: This yr, Chege was a pacesetter within the effort to place ranked-choice voting on Seattle’s poll — a measure that narrowly handed, altering the way forward for voting within the metropolis.

What we’re watching: Whether or not the Legislature will enable extra native jurisdictions to undertake ranked-choice voting, a change Chege and his allies are looking for.

Kurt Fritts

Kurt Fritts, a Democratic political guide, wields his affect behind the scenes.

• Even so, you may see his fingerprints in a wide range of areas, from the huge spending in 2022 state legislative races to the best way the state drew its new legislative district strains final yr. (Public information present Fritts was closely concerned in these redistricting discussions.)

Greatest strikes of 2022: Fritts manages a big political motion committee, New Route PAC, which spent almost $6 million this yr boosting Democratic candidates in state and native races.

• The end result: In what was anticipated to be a pink wave, Democrats picked up one state Home seat and a state Senate seat.

What we’re watching: If Democrats can maintain onto their statehouse positive aspects made this yr — and whether or not third-party spending by Fritts’ PAC and others will proceed to interrupt information.

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi

Rachel Yang and her husband, Seif Chirchi, spent the previous 15 years serving a few of Seattle’s finest meals at their eating places Joule and Revel.

Sure, however: They’ve landed on this listing not simply due to their culinary excellence (they have been finalists this yr for a nationwide James Beard Award within the “excellent chef” class), but in addition due to their work to enhance the tradition of the restaurant trade.

Their crowning achievements: Yang and Chirchi’s firm, Relay Restaurant Group, began Cooks and Eating places Towards Sexual Harassment final yr to fight a number of the mistreatment meals staff — particularly ladies — expertise.

• The venture has raised cash for the King County Sexual Assault Useful resource Heart, whereas producing posters that cooks can cling of their eating places to set clear anti-harassment insurance policies.
• Just a few dozen native eating places have put up the posters, Yang advised Axios.

What we’re watching: Whether or not Yang and Chirchi will lastly snag a James Beard Award in 2023 after being nominated not less than a dozen instances.

Michele Storms

As govt director of the ACLU of Washington, Storms has been a key participant in efforts to reform the state’s policing legal guidelines and restrict the attain of presidency.

Greatest strikes of 2022: For the fourth straight yr, her group opposed — and managed to dam — statewide information privateness laws that it argued would give firms an excessive amount of leeway.

What we’re watching: Storms and the ACLU are engaged on laws to guard abortion entry, following the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s June ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

Michelle Merriweather

Michelle Merriweather left behind a profession in company gross sales and advertising to develop into an influential group advocate and organizer.

• Now, as president and CEO of the City League of Metropolitan Seattle, she’s targeted on serving to underserved communities — significantly Black residents.

Greatest strikes of 2022: This yr, the native City League expanded its work on reasonably priced housing, partnering to protect 354 low-income models. The nonprofit additionally started working a shelter at a former Federal Method resort as a part of King County’s Well being Via Housing initiative.

• On high of that, Merriweather, who used to work for Starbucks and Coca-Cola, is a co-founder of the Black Future Co-Op Fund, which continued its work fundraising and offering grants for Black-led organizations.

What we’re watching: How the City League will use a brand new $7 million grant from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Go deeper: See all 200 of Axios Native’s Energy Gamers in 2022