GeekWire’s weekly roundup lists its most-read technology and startup stories for the week of Oct. 4, 2026. Coverage includes Amazon job cuts affecting hundreds of retail-unit employees, the Labor Department’s suspension of Microsoft from a program for foreign workers seeking permanent U.S. residency, and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s new economic task force. Other stories feature Amazon’s hiring of Microsoft veteran Pedram Rezaei and The SWELL, a Seattle hub for women founders that has signed up 53 members.

Oct 2026 · GeekWireNews article

Former tech marketing leader Sally Revell launches The SWELL, a Seattle community and workspace for women founders. Less than 10 weeks after opening, the hub has 53 members and offers an accelerator, weekly founder “hot seats” and consulting services. Membership costs $200 a month, and the organization supports bootstrapping through programming designed around members’ work and caregiving responsibilities.

Oct 2026 · GeekWireNews article