Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics, Yale College; MBA in finance, Columbia University.

What drives and inspires you? I love it when a plan comes together to make things better. I also love providing people opportunities to grow and create.

Who has been a significant influence in your life and career? My parents. My mom taught me to seize every opportunity, to play the piano, to pay attention to detail, and to be self-critical. My dad gave me a passion for skiing, fixing stuff, driving boats, hitting balls with bats or rackets, holding to principle, and upholding the First Amendment.

What's the best piece of advice you've received? When you know better, do better.

If you had to choose an alternative career path and money wasn't relevant, what would you do? If I had much more talent in either field, I would be a jazz pianist and a software company executive.

Cowles Co. President Stacey Cowles is among the fourth generation of family leadership of the storied Spokane-based company, in which he also is the publisher of the Spokesman-Review daily newspaper.

In addition to legacy Cowles Co. subsidiaries, which include Inland Empire Paper Co., KHQ-TV, Cowles Real Estate, and the Journal of Business, the parent company is looking to the future with a division that invests in early-stage companies with an aim to accelerate growth. Those companies include HyperSciences, Rohini, Gestalt Diagnostics, and Treasury4.

Cowles is chair of Greater Spokane Incorporated this year, and is a board member of the Boy Scouts of America Inland Northwest Council and the Good Roads Association. He also is on the community advisory board for the Washington State University Applied Sciences Lab.