— Kim Vu, vice president of environmental social governance at Seattle digital remittance giant Remitly, will step down from her role at the end of the third quarter.
Vu wrote in a LinkedIn post that she will be shifting into an advisory role with the company.
Vu joined Remitly in 2019 as global head of diversity, equity and inclusion, then became VP of ESG in October 2021 after the company went public. Prior to joining Remitly, she served as the Seattle market executive for Bank of America.
“While the decision is a deeply bittersweet one, (because DEI and ESG work is never done AND we can do/be better), I know Remitly is in good hands with amazing teammates who care deeply and understand the power of their voice and the value it brings in helping us continuously improve so that everyone who is part of our global community feels welcomed, safe, and celebrated for their contributions,” she wrote in the post.
Vu is also an advisor at startup consulting firm Hatchet Ventures and Seattle DEI startup Included, as well as a member on the board of trustees at PCC Community Markets.
— Yoky Matsuoka, the founder and CEO of personal concierge service Yohana, was named CEO of Panasonic’s newly-formed health-focused division PanasonicWELL.
PanasonicWELL offers products that support family well-being in caring, nutrition, sleep, fitness, work, and aging. The new division will blend both new and existing hardware products with software, AI, as well as human assistance when technology falls short.
Matsuoka debuted Yohana in September 2021 as a way to help families manage ever-growing to-do lists. The service’s membership plan matches users with a real human assistant and others who can help with everything from planning parties to booking reservations to signing up kids for sports teams. It’s all buoyed by behind-the-scenes data and automation.
Yohana is a fully funded independent subsidiary of Panasonic. The company expanded to Los Angeles last year.
Matsuoka co-founded Google X, the company’s research and development lab. She also served in a senior executive role at Apple and was CEO of Quanttus, a wearable health technology startup. Prior to Yohana, Matsuoka served as vice president at Google’s healthcare organization.
She won a MacArthur Genius award in 2007 as a professor at the University of Washington.
— Vittorio Gallo was named chief scientific officer at Seattle Children’s, the Seattle-based children’s medical center. He most recently served as interim chief academic officer and interim director of Children’s National Research Institute in Washington, D.C. Read our interview with Gallo.
— Kirkland, Wash.-based AI startup Docugami hired four new employees: Claudio Caldato as product manager; Louise Naud as AI scientist; Kenzie Mihardja as software engineer; and Paul Tabbara as AI science intern. The new hires bring the company’s total headcount to about 30 workers.
