Washington Business Alliance

About Us

OUR STORY

The Washington Business Alliance was founded in 2010 by David Giuliani, the co-inventor and CEO of the Sonicare & Clarisonic companies, and former Starbucks President Howard Behar. Frustrated by divisiveness and uneven progress in state politics, they imagined the results that could be achieved if we brought the best business methods and entrepreneurial thinking to the work of government. Committees of volunteer business executives began organizing to explore how best to influence the state in this direction. Modeled after the successful Oregon Business Plan from our neighbor to the south, the Business Alliance launched PLAN Washington in early 2014 at K&L Gates in Seattle.

David Giuliani – Founder – In Memoriam

​The late David Giuliani was best known as the co-inventor of the Sonicare toothbrush and the Clarisonic skin care system, and as co-founder and CEO of both companies. David was a featured speaker at the White House Conference on Corporate Responsibility, was honored as the “United States Small Business Person of the Year” by President Clinton, and was selected as the “National Entrepreneur of the Year for Manufacturing” by Ernst & Young.

But his recent achievements may have been his most lasting and impactful. Over the last 10 years, David turned his attention to solving the problem of climate change. He worked hard to bring together expertise from all perspectives, regardless of political orientation, to identify, quantify, and address key issues. As an entrepreneur he always looked for “win-win” solutions to address climate change and improve economic and societal health.

Through the Clean & Prosperous Institute, David helped pass Washington state’s historic Climate Commitment Act. That legislation is widely recognized as the “gold standard” of state climate policy.