Education: Bachelor's degree in business (accounting), University of Washington; MBA, University of Pennsylvania.

What drives/inspires you? Mentoring younger people and observing them achieve success in their careers and lives.

What advice would you have for others looking to follow a career path similar to yours? Constantly place yourself in front of opportunities—ball machines pitching out baseballs—and when you do, work hard, keep swinging. Even if you have average skills, you will no doubt hit a few home runs.

What's the best piece of advice you've received? "Blossom where you are planted." My grandmother told me this.

If you had one wish for Spokane, what would it be? To prioritize attracting, forming, and supporting explosively growing companies as a key economic development strategy. 

Tom Simpson, an entrepreneur, startup mentor, Spokane Angel Alliance president, and managing member of the Kick-Start Seed Fund, is the current CEO of Ignite Northwest, a Spokane-based business accelerator that has worked to provide loans totaling $11.3 million to 32 regional companies since its inception in 2014.

Since Simpson took on the role of CEO in July 2019, the organization has continued to contribute positively to the Inland Northwest business community. Just last year, Ignite provided loans totaling $2.2 million to six emerging companies.

In addition to serving on the boards of Ignite Northwest and Spokane Angel Alliance, Simpson is a current board member for App Rabbit, Collabra Technology, Litehouse Health, Medcurity, Treasury4, and Vaagen Timbers. He's also a board observer for Gestalt Diagnostics and Spiceology.