TL;DR: Key lessons from "Uncommon Thinkers" for entrepreneurs to embrace disruptive innovation in 2026
Entrepreneurs can learn from the six honorees at GeekWire’s 2025 Gala who turned unconventional ideas into impactful solutions, reshaping industries like AI, sustainability, space exploration, and biotechnology.
• Success stems from embracing failure, prioritizing human impact, and taking non-linear paths.
• Key approaches include iterative experimentation, user-centric design, and aligning values with capital.
• Founders should foster resilience, navigate challenges collaboratively, and focus on ethical, paradigm-shifting innovations.
Start aligning your aspirations to become an "Uncommon Thinker" and lead ethically-driven startups that make tangible impacts in 2026!
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As I look towards 2026, one thought is on my mind: optimism. This feeling isn’t born out of thin air but rooted in the remarkable transformations I witnessed during the GeekWire Gala in December 2025. As a serial entrepreneur, I couldn’t help but see opportunities for disruptive growth, and I’m not talking about tech buzzwords or flashy products. What truly resonated was the deep, human-driven impact being made by the six “Uncommon Thinkers” honored that night.
Who Are the “Uncommon Thinkers”?
The innovators recognized by GeekWire came from a variety of industries, space exploration, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, biotechnology, and more. They represent not only geographical diversity in Greater Seattle but also meaningful global progress. The honorees embody what I call “impactful entrepreneurship,” where the goal is not just solving problems but creating solutions that shift paradigms.
- Jeff Thornburg: Advances in nuclear thermal propulsion via Portal Space Systems
- Anindya Roy: Life-saving AI-powered protein design at Lila Biologics
- Jay Graber: Decentralizing social media at Bluesky
- Kiana Ehsani: Reimagining AI interactions at Vercept
- Brian Pinkard: Destroying ‘forever chemicals’ with Aquagga
- Chet Kittleson: Tech solutions for kid-friendly communication at Tin Can
These names and innovations are impressive on the surface, but what lies beneath their success stories are insights about grit, vision, and pursuing alternative paths. As someone who built startups focused on STEM and education, my real fascination lies in their stories and methods, not just their accolades.
How Can Entrepreneurs Learn From Them?
If there’s one thing that connects these honorees, it’s that their journeys were not linear. What we witnessed at the Gala were leaders who took unconventional approaches to build their innovations, all while navigating challenges entrepreneurially. Here’s the takeaway: no industry-changing startup ever follows a formula. Each one embodies its own messy trajectory, but within that chaos are key strategies entrepreneurs can act on today.
- Ditch perfection: Brian Pinkard shifted from flipping rocks (as a geologist) to full-scale environmental chemistry research. This pivot speaks volumes about embracing iterative experimentation.
- Create space for freedom: Jay Graber at Bluesky prioritized user autonomy by building decentralized protocols. How often do you think about prioritizing freedom for users rather than locking in growth metrics?
- Double-down on humanity: Anindya Roy’s extensive work on cancer treatment demonstrates how revolutionary ideas focus on tangible human impact. Entrepreneurs can align with this mission by linking products to basics, what will genuinely transform someone’s life?
- See failure as fuel: Jeff Thornburg used setbacks surrounding earlier space projects to redefine logistics for the Earth-Moon economy.
I firmly believe that future-proof startups come from founder resilience and clarity of purpose. Whether your focus is launching deep-tech solutions or building consumer-centric platforms, this approach remains universal.
Tips for Founders Navigating 2026
While honoring these six thinkers offers inspiration, practical advice is worth even more. As someone with experience in creating multiple startups (and setbacks), here’s what I gleaned from both my own ventures and these case studies:
1. Align Capital With Values
Look beyond traditional funding models. Some honorees have embraced mission-driven grants, revenue-based financing, or socially conscious investors. Bootstrapping may still be a path within certain industries. For example, Jeff Thornburg sought non-conventional aerospace partnerships. If you’re an AI platform founder or sustainability startup leader, you might start by exploring female-focused or impact-driven capital resources such as Thinkers360’s Top Voices network.
2. Build Tech For Early Adoption
When developing any MVP (minimum viable product), test ideas like scrappy startups did in Seattle. Kiana Ehsani thrived on this by iterating AI agent prototypes and avoiding unnecessary complexity. The lesson? Start small, focus on user needs deeply, and scale over time instead of aiming for perfection on your first launch.
3. Push Back Against Bias
One challenge female founders (myself included) face disproportionately compared to male counterparts is shallow scrutiny. Whether you’re pitching your dream to investors or partners, challenge transactional mindsets by backing pitches with confidence and strategic data points. The data gap for women-led tech persists, but Boston-based VCs analyzing startup potential tried flipping gender questions thoughtfully across recent accelerator cohorts.
4. Accountability Matters
Entrepreneurs aren’t alone: dive collaboratively wherever possible. I’ve used community building through Fe/male Switch resources extensively, not only in accelerator support groups but also peer ideations among developers scaling sustainable, socially responsible outcomes.
Make the Leap As an “Uncommon Thinker”
2026 could be a monumental turning point for startups redefining industries. By focusing on tangible impact, aligning partnerships ethically, and rewriting user-centric platforms, entrepreneurs don’t just survive challenging headwinds, they lead with real-world results. The honorees I’ve discussed built proof-of-concept phases bravely, knowing ethical ecosystems matter as much as valuations do. Let’s plan accordingly.
As an entrepreneur striving in STEM advocacy, you’re part of larger networks transforming collective capacity-building goals digitally. For curated resources guiding action points, why not integrate your growth journey through communities like Fe/male Switch?
FAQ on "Uncommon Thinkers: Hope for the Future in 2026"
Who were the 2025 Uncommon Thinkers, and what industries did they represent?
The 2025 Uncommon Thinkers are trailblazers selected by GeekWire for their transformative contributions across industries like space exploration, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, and biotechnology. Honorees include Jeff Thornburg (Portal Space Systems) for nuclear thermal propulsion, Anindya Roy (Lila Biologics) for AI-driven protein design, and Brian Pinkard (Aquagga) for environmental innovations. These innovators focused on creating deep, human-centric impact through disruptive technological advancements. Read about the 2025 honorees on GeekWire
How did Jeff Thornburg transform space exploration with Portal Space Systems?
Jeff Thornburg of Portal Space Systems introduced innovations in nuclear thermal propulsion, enabling efficient space logistics. His work targets the Earth-Moon economy by creating affordable and sustainable solutions for space transport, such as moving resources for lunar commerce. His passion for sustainable space exploration has laid the groundwork for humanity’s deeper ventures into the solar system. Learn about Jeff Thornburg's vision
What major breakthroughs has Anindya Roy achieved in AI and cancer research?
Anindya Roy, working with Lila Biologics, uses artificial intelligence to design proteins from scratch for revolutionary cancer treatments. This approach drastically reduces the time and tests required for drug development by simulating protein behaviors with unprecedented accuracy. His cutting-edge methods offer hope for life-saving cancer therapies at a fraction of traditional costs. Read about Anindya Roy’s work
How is Jay Graber reshaping social media with Bluesky?
Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky, is pioneering decentralized social media with an open protocol called AT Protocol. This system places user freedom at the forefront by enabling them to control their content and data. Bluesky challenges traditional platforms by prioritizing user autonomy over corporate control, aiming to reshape the social media landscape toward transparency and collaboration. Explore Jay Graber's decentralized vision
What environmental challenges is Brian Pinkard addressing with Aquagga?
Brian Pinkard of Aquagga focuses on eliminating PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” using a process that completely neutralizes hazardous substances into harmless byproducts. This innovative approach offers long-term solutions for pollution clean-up and environmental sustainability. His work is redefining how industries manage chemical waste, making significant strides in climate tech. Learn about Aquagga’s breakthroughs
What lessons can entrepreneurs learn from the 2025 Uncommon Thinkers?
The 2025 honorees demonstrate that resilience, human-centric vision, and unorthodox approaches are key to success. For example, Jeff Thornburg utilized setbacks in earlier aerospace projects to innovate space logistics, while Kiana Ehsani from Vercept took iterative approaches to create game-changing AI interactions. Entrepreneurs can emulate these traits by embracing failure, aligning goals with tangible human impact, and fostering creativity. Read more entrepreneurial insights here
How can founders align their funding strategies with their values in 2026?
2025’s innovators often sought mission-driven funding models. Many embraced impact grants, socially conscious investors, or unconventional partnerships. Jeff Thornburg, for instance, leveraged unique aerospace collaborations rather than traditional funding. Entrepreneurs in AI or sustainability could explore networks like Thinkers360 for values-driven capital opportunities. Check out Thinkers360 funding options
Why is iterative product development critical for success?
Iterative development, as seen in Kiana Ehsani's work, allows startups to test and refine their ideas before fully scaling. Through scrappy, small-scale testing, her AI prototypes avoided complexity and met user needs effectively, ensuring efficient growth. For founders, focus on an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) before launching large-scale implementations to build user-friendly solutions. Discover Kiana Ehsani's iterative approach
What role does failure play in entrepreneurial innovation?
The journeys of honorees like Jeff Thornburg emphasize the transformational role of failure in redefining careers and processes. Thornburg leveraged earlier space project setbacks to design a superior logistics system for lunar and interplanetary missions. Entrepreneurs should view failure as a learning opportunity, iterating designs and processes for robust innovation. Learn more from Jeff Thornburg's path
How can startups prepare for 2026 growth challenges?
Key strategies for growth include aligning capital with values, adopting iterative product development, and pushing back against bias. Initiatives such as collective accountability through peer support, accelerator networks, and socially conscious funding, illustrated by the 2025 Uncommon Thinkers, provide actionable roadmaps for resilient and ethical operations. Check out GeekWire's advice
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the point of view of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.