Governor Gregoire addresses the Technology Alliance luncheon

May 9, 2008

*As Written*

Thank you, Brad, for the kind introduction.

I�m thrilled to be here today to welcome everybody...

�To talk about and celebrate the very real contributions all the very smart people in this room are making for a better, more prosperous Washington, and a better, more prosperous World.

And I was even more thrilled when somebody on my staff mentioned in passing that the �Father of the Internet� was going to be here too!

My first thought was -- �Al Gore�s coming to Seattle?�

Al? Al? You here?

But then I learned it would be Vint Cerf, who is widely recognized along with Robert Kahn as the Co-Father of the Internet!

Welcome to Seattle, Vint! You�re a pioneer who has truly and profoundly changed our world.

And we are honored to have you here in the Technology Capital of the World!

And welcome to all the rest of you as we gather to talk about how to nurture and strengthen our surging technology sector in Washington State.

Those of you who know me know I like to use hard facts to back up my words. So let me offer just one fact from a report that Marty Smith � recovering lawyer-turned-high-tech entrepreneur � will present later in the program.

Technology jobs in Washington grew by 250 percent between 1974 and last year! You just won�t find that kind of job growth in any other family wage industry in Washington.

What�s more, our own employment data show that Washington is home to almost 60 percent of all new software publishing jobs created in the U.S. since the start of 2005!

We know the national economy is struggling, and that here in Washington, families are suffering from the high price of gas, and shrinking grocery budgets.

But Washington is proving more resilient than many other states. Our employment rate is holding up very well, and our exports are booming. Washington exports have doubled since 2004, and were up by $67 million last year alone.

And it�s all thanks to you and Washingtonians just like you.

We are an innovative and entrepreneurial culture � It�s in our DNA � and our powerful technology sector is at the heart of it all.

I see that every time I travel abroad to promote Washington products. I fly on a Boeing jet, send e-mail back home on Microsoft Outlook, and find a Costco or Starbucks in Beijing, Seoul, or Mexico City.

Much of Washington�s technological power and economic strength are due to these household names -- We are grateful to these companies and the pioneers who created them.

But that�s far from the whole story. Washington is home to a growing number of small companies taking risks to pursue the big ideas and innovations of tomorrow.

It is important to nurture these young startups, and we are fortunate to have in this state a program like your Alliance of Angels, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

I know the Alliance of Angels will give out a Company of the Year Award later.

Past winners have made significant contributions to our state economy.

One of them, Insitu, Inc. (In-SIT-too) is a leading developer of unmanned-aircraft systems that grew from three employees in 2002 to more than 300 employees today.

Another, Redfin, has revolutionized real estate, returning $12 million in commissions to Washington homebuyers, and now employs 60 people in our state.

These are great examples of what comes from supporting the entrepreneurial spirit in Washington.

To say the technology sector is key to the economic vitality of our state is an understatement.

Technology jobs are desirable, high-wage jobs, and all sectors increasingly rely on an adaptable, tech-savvy workforce.

I don�t have time here to talk about everything we�re doing at the state level to assist and promote Washington technology�

�Our business plan �Next Washington��our big steps to nurture and create markets for investments in alternative energy and global health.

But I do want to touch on the foundation for it all � education.

We must invest in our children and our future. And we are. We are creating a world-class, learner focused, seamless education system.

We�re investing to give more individual attention to students, paying more to keep and attract our great teachers, and setting high standards for our schools.

We�ve helped thousands more children attend preschool and all-day kindergarten so they get the foundation needed to succeed in school, the job, their community, and life.

We�ve invested significantly to give our kids a solid education in math and science, and taken many other steps to make them ready for college.

We�ve opened the doors of our colleges and universities to more students � and have nearly doubled the number of apprenticeships for the trades.

I understand completely the need to align our schools with the opportunities of our global economy � to prepare our young people to graduate from college and into careers for which they are prepared.

And that�s exactly what I�m about.

Let�s make sure every young person in Washington knows that if they work hard, they will have the chance to compete with anyone, anywhere in the world, for jobs in the new global economy found right here in Washington.

Again, thank you for having me here today to welcome you all.