State Rep. Cyrus Habib will draw upon his background in working with high-tech 
entrepreneurs in his new position on the board of directors of Innovate Washington, a public-private partnership that seeks to spur cutting-edge economic development in the state.
“This is a great opportunity for me to continue my work making Washington the No. 1 state for job creation and business innovation,” Habib said. “My work in the Legislature will be substantially enhanced through the connection with business leaders and others at Innovate Washington.”
Habib, D-Kirkland, was appointed to the board today by House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle.
Innovate Washington was created by the Legislature in 2011 to catalyze job creation and 21st-century economic development by bringing together business and government leaders to focus expertise and investment on emerging technology businesses. It applies public and private financing to foster growth in the sectors of aerospace, advanced materials and manufacturing, clean energy, information technology, agriculture and life sciences.
Habib, a first-term legislator, is a lawyer at Perkins Coie in Seattle who specializes in providing legal services to high-tech startups. He is the sponsor of House Bill 1693, which seeks to attract entrepeneurs to Washington state by offering a business-tax break to new companies in targeted sectors of the economy.