GWATA is pleased to announce that Howard Wright, chairman and founder of Seattle Hospitality Group (SHG), and Diane Fraiman, partner at Voyager Capital, will be featured in an exclusive “fireside chat” at the Flywheel Investment Conference on April 19.
 
These leaders from their respective fields will engage in a dynamic conversation on how communities in the Pacific Northwest have driven community investment and engagement to support growing companies. The conversation will provide key points on what Wenatchee and surrounding areas can learn from Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon.
 
Howard Wright is a Seattle-based executive, entrepreneur and aviator with deep business experience in the hospitality, transportation and tourism industries. He is widely recognized for his commitment to community and ability to bring together groups on all sides of an issue.
 
Mr. Wright is chairman of Seattle Hospitality Group (SHG), which he founded in 2002. SHG is a holding company with interests in best-in-class event management, hospitality, tourism and transportation companies in Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. SHG oversees 400 employees with revenues in excess of $100 million and is in the “top 40” largest private companies in Washington.
 
Mr. Wright is the managing partner of the Sheraton Seattle, a 1,236-room convention-category hotel ranked #2 in North America in Starwood’s Sheraton brand. Mr. Wright also serves on the boards of several closely held restaurant and hotel ownership groups. Among the Seattle-area properties in these portfolios are Cascina Spinnasse, recognized as one of the top five Italian restaurants in North America, and Cedarbrook Lodge, a TripAdvisor Hotel of the Year. In addition, Mr. Wright is also an owner and board member of one of Seattle’s signature attractions, the Space Needle.
 
Early in his career, Mr. Wright owned Renton Aviation, the leading global volume retailer of Cessna aircraft, and was a co-owner of Mutual Travel LLC, a business travel management advisory service with $300 million in annual gross revenue. Mr. Wright’s career trajectory was set by his background and passions. His family has long been involved in the tourism and hospitality industries.
 
Joining Mr. Wright on stage will be Diane Fraiman, a partner of the Pacific Northwest venture capital firm Voyager Capital. Based in Portland, Oregon, Ms. Fraiman has over 30 years of technology company experience in leading sales, marketing, and business development. Leading Voyager’s early stage investment strategy in Oregon, she works with startups in the enterprise software, digital media, and cloud infrastructure software industries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Ms. Fraiman is involved in helping drive the technology ecosystem throughout Oregon with her involvement in both public and private organizations that have resulted in Oregon being a thriving tech economy.
 
Before Voyager, Ms. Fraiman was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Sanctum, a silicon valley based, VC-backed startup that provided Web application security software (acquired by Watchfire), as well as, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for the database company Informix Software (acquired by IBM). Other past experience includes Vice President of Marketing for Tektronix (acquired by Danaher) in their Video and Networking Division, a marketing executive with Sequent Computer (acquired by IBM), and over 16 years in sales and marketing roles at Digital Equipment Corporation in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.
 
Tickets to the 2018 Flywheel Investment Conference are on sale now and available for the public to purchase online at www.flywheelconference.com.
 
About the Flywheel Investment Conference
At the Flywheel Investment Conference, entrepreneurs, investors, and community members come together to cultivate momentum for growing companies. The conference is a full-day event held in downtown Wenatchee, Washington, and includes educational seminars, speaker panels, an investment competition, and resources from professional service providers.
 
The Flywheel Investment Conference is directed by GWATA and made possible through the generosity of sponsors. Presenting sponsors for the 2018 conference are Moss Adams, Ogden Murphy Wallace, Confluence Health, and Microsoft. Economic development partners for the conference are the Port of Chelan County and the Port of Douglas County.
 
About GWATA
Since 1999, GWATA (the Greater Wenatchee Area Technology Alliance) has served as the region’s tech alliance, championing growth and development in North Central Washington. As a 501(c)3, GWATA’s mission is to bring people and technology resources together to create a thriving community. For more information visit www.gwata.org