LaunchPad Inland Northwest LLC will host its first annual Inland Northwest Innovation Summit to celebrate and recognize the region’s growing innovation culture and its achievements, says co-founder Bill Kalivas. 

The free event will take place on Monday, Dec. 11 from 3-7 p.m., at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, at 2426 N. Discovery Place in Spokane Valley. 

The summit is designed to connect people, inspire others, and find mentorship, says Kalivas. The event will gather a diverse set of participants including professionals from the private tech sector, life science entrepreneurs, established companies, investors, and researchers for collaboration connection and idea exchange, he says. 

“There’s been a lot of great stories in the region,” says Kalivas. “We want to celebrate innovation in the region and elevate the conversation to move forward.” 

The event will feature an interactive panel discussion with local innovators, networking, and the announcement of winners of two awards: The Most Innovative Company Award, and Most Innovative Initiative Award. Kalivas says the event will likely draw about 125 attendees. 

LaunchPad INW, a Spokane tech industry networking and events organization, was relaunched last year. The goal of the organization is to organize quarterly events hosted by professionals in the tech and life sciences industry to connect, mentor, and inspire, he says. The organizaton has an office space at 518 W. Riverside, in the same building as Ignite Northwest. 

“This is my passion project,” says Kalivas, who works full-time for Google Cloud. “Especially after the pandemic, it’s a way to feel connected again.” 

As reported by the Journal, LaunchPad INW was revived in 2022 by Kalivas and Allen Battle. Prior to its current iteration, LaunchPad INW held its first event in Spokane in 2001. Kalivas, who at the time worked in Spokane for San Jose, California-based Cisco Systems, says the event helped him connect with others and bring awareness to the “hidden technology community” residing in the region. 

In 2008, Kalivas teamed up with Battle to create LaunchPad INW primarily online and sold it to Greater Spokane Incorporated in 2012. In 2022, Kalivas and Battle purchased the name back from GSI, who will remain an events partner with LaunchPad INW.