Bryan and Becca Pape are the Co-Founders of MiiR. A Seattle based product to project company that designs and creates world-class drinkware products that empower people for a better future. For every product sold they set aside a portion of revenue from the sale to give to organizations with sustainable methods of empowerment. To date they’ve given $850,000 to organizations making change in the world and impacted over 100,000+ people’s lives for the better.

It’s hard to go into a Seattle coffee shop and not spot their award winning camp cups, tumblers or growlers. They’ve partnered with world renowned brands like Patagonia, Blue Bottle and Starbucks and have empowered thousands of businesses create a meaningful and lasting product for events and merchandising, including Rise Seattle.

But creating a globally recognized brand doesn’t come without struggle. Sit back and enjoy an honest conversation with two authentic and brilliant Seattleites trying to create something bigger than themselves while raising a family and giving back.

Stick around for the full interview to hear the newest addition to the MiiR product fleet.

Todd Bishop is the co-founder and editor of GeekWire, the nationally recognized technology news site based right here in Seattle, WA. GeekWire’s large audience consists of of loyal, tech-savvy readers around the globe, who follow the site for breaking news, expert analysis and unique insights into the technology industry.

Todd is a longtime technology journalist who has spent his career covering tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google. As a California native, Bishop moved to the Pacific NorthWest in the early 2000’s to start his journalism career at the Seattle P-I followed by the Puget Sound Business Journal. In 2011 Todd and his journalism colleague and co-founder, John Cook started GeekWire.

But starting a technology news company from scratch isn’t always easy. Join the conversation with Todd as we discuss what it was like to take the leap of faith from a stable job with benefits to a start-up dream. We also discuss Seattle’s unprecedented tech ecosystem, Todd’s current favorite Seattle companies and GeekWire’s unique and sustainable business model.

Benjamin Schmitt is the Best Book Award and Pushcart nominated author of three books, most recently Soundtrack to a Fleeting Masculinity. His poems have appeared in the Antioch Review, Hobart, Worcester Review, Columbia Review, Roanoke Review, and elsewhere. He’s the co-founder of Pacifica Writers’ Workshop, and has also written articles for The Seattle Times and At The Inkwell. Ben lives in Seattle with his wife and children.