2025 Conference
$200,000+ was awarded during the 2025 Conference
During the annual Flywheel Investment Conference, sponsored by Clark Nuber and Microsoft, over $200,000 was awarded to two companies on May 23.
This brings the total to over $1.7 million that has been awarded to Washington-based companies since the first investment competition in 2018.
Congratulations to our 2025 winner, OoNee, who took home an investment of $155,000!
2025 WINNER
OoNee
Edmonds, WA
CEO: Aaron Huang
Awarded: $155,000 investment + $50,000 relocation offer
OoNee is redefining sustainability in the Blue Economy. The company vertically integrates the harvest, ranching, and processing of overpopulated sea urchins that threaten Pacific Northwest kelp forests. By training commercial divers to collect undernourished urchins and rapidly fattening them in proprietary, land-based modular raceways housed in shipping containers, OoNee transforms these pests into premium seafood in just weeks—turning ecological damage into economic opportunity.
2025 WINNER
MarineSitu
Seattle, WA
CEO: James Joslin
Awarded: $5,000 Fan Favorite
MarineSitu provides real-time underwater monitoring solutions that combine rugged, low-cost hardware with AI-powered software to support performance, compliance, and environmental goals. Spun out of the University of Washington in 2016, MarineSitu has logged 4,000+ deployment days, achieved 95%+ detection accuracy, and cut data processing time 20-fold. Serving marine energy, aquaculture, hydropower, and infrastructure, we help customers make smarter, faster decisions for a sustainable Blue Economy.
2025 Finalists
2025 SPEAKERS
Callie Christensen
Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer, Slumberkins
Shay Myers
Co-Founder, Carbon Robotics
Paul Mikesell
Co-Founder and CEO, Carbon Robotics
Austin Guyette
Partner, Voyager Capital
Rick Costantino
CTO & Co-Founder, Group14 Technologies
Anne Kerker
Head of HR, Stoke Space
Paul Carlisle
Innovation Ecosystem Builder, WSU and Fuse SPC
Rocco Luongo
Investor, Fuse Fund and TriCities Angel Alliance
Kelly Fukai
CEO, WTIA
Marty Conger
Managing Partner, Fuse Fund
Angie Parker
Executive Director, Alliance of Angels
Christina Lomasney
Chief Commercialization Officer for the Office of Collaboration and Commercialization, PNNL
Sierra Clouse
Managing Partner, Barclo Venture Studio
Dr. Meg Weber
Western Washington University
Samantha Ogle
Director, University of Washington, Foster School of Business, Master of Science in Entrepreneurship
Phontel Shami
Program Management Executive Director
Rob Ogburn
Executive Director, Central Washington University
Melissa Hutchins
Founder, CEO, Certifi AI
Kirk Hudson
General Manager, Chelan County PUD
Steve Mantle
CEO, innov8.ag
Soo Ing-Moody
Economic Development Director, Douglas County
Leonard Backus
2025 Fund Manager, Flywheel Angel Network
Virginia Emery
Partner, Gliding Ant Ventures
Michelle Schubert
Founder/CEO at Subi
Michaele Armstrong, PhD, MBA
Executive Director, Evergreen Bioscience Innovation
Gautam Nayak
Co-Founder and CEO, Coltrain
Jerrilea Crawford
Mayor, City of East Wenatchee
2025 SPONSORS
City of East Wenatchee
Washington State Department of Commerce
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority
North Forty Productions
Karr Tuttle Campbell
Custom Hue
JP Portrait Studio
Apple Sox
LocalTel Communications
Native Network
WTIA
GTC Technical Support
GeekWire
AEM Movement
Freestone Capital
The Salcido Group of Companies
Laura Mounter Real Estate & Company
Voyager Capital
Wenatchee Outdoors