This year already has been a big one for sporting events here in Spokane, and it's about to get bigger, says Eric Sawyer, CEO and president of the Spokane Sports Commission.

Paul Redmond, former CEO, president and chairman of Spokane-based Washington Water Power Co., says he was warned that people would soon forget him after he retired following a 33-year career with the energy company now known as Avista Corp.

In a career that spanned more than 40 years in the utilities industry, LeRoy Nosbaum spent about 17 years at Liberty Lake-based energy and water technology and services company Itron Inc., including two separate periods as the company's CEO.

Spokane real estate magnate Harlan Douglass has been letting up on the reins a bit over the last five years, but he hasn't exactly gotten off the horse. 'I show up here all the time,” he says from a conference room at the Douglass Properties

Looking back on the high points from a career spanning more than four decades that has earned him broad praise in business and civic leadership circles here, Spokane's David A. Clack seems uneasy dwelling on personal achievements.

Bill and Judi Williams have always been a dynamic duo, supporting and encouraging one another in both their careers and in raising a family. The couple, who met in Alaska in 1962 and married after just two months of dating, are the founders of

Honesty and going the extra mile are at the heart of everything he does, says Larry Stanley, founder of Spokane-based Empire Bolt & Screw Inc. Stanley, who started the wholesale hardware company in 1972 says he discovered the value of a good work ethic

Life Connect, an app created through Spokane-based Life Recovery Solutions Inc., is designed to connect those struggling with mental illness, drug addiction, or homelessness with their personal support groups and professionals.

Three-year-old Spokane startup company Glucose Revival is preparing its product, the Thrive glucose necklace, for an initial soft launch this month, says owner Kris Maynard.

Spokane entrepreneurs Robbi Katherine Anthony and Patrick McHugh have partnered to create Gravity, a new dating app where instead of choosing your matches, other users choose for you.