GeekWire's reporters have spent the past month profiling a group of six “Uncommon Thinkers”: Seattle-area inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs transforming industries and driving positive change in the world.

This editorial series, presented in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners, was based on the deliberations of a panel of outside judges who chose the Uncommon Thinkers from nominations submitted by GeekWire readers. 

Working on these profiles helped us identify the commonalities among our honorees, including their inspirations, mindsets, and approaches. On this week's GeekWire Podcast, we talk with four of our Uncommon Thinkers in interviews recorded backstage at the GeekWire Gala, where we honored them this week.

Read the six “Uncommon Thinkers” profiles here:

• UW prof and entrepreneur Shwetak Patel has a rare ‘creative brilliance’
• Elizabeth Hansen uses her job as an anesthesiologist to cut carbon emissions
• Boundless CEO Xiao Wang on his quest to fix the immigration process
• For USAFacts’ Poppy MacDonald, ‘facts are paramount’ for democracy
• Blake Resnick finds a larger purpose in tech, making drones for public safety
• MagniX CTO Riona Armesmith geeks out over electric aviation

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.