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Richard Tait, the serial entrepreneur, Microsoft veteran and board game creator. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota)
Three students are pursuing their dreams at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business with help from the “Richard Tait Memorial Entrepreneurship Scholarship,” a program set up to honor the legacy of the late Seattle tech veteran and entrepreneur.
The inaugural group of recipients includes one undergraduate and two graduate students enrolled in Foster’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship Program. The students, who shared a $15,000 donation, expressed their appreciation in thank you letters viewed by GeekWire:
Scholarship winners from left: Ankit Anand, Isaac Smith, and Maxim Kuznetsov. (Photos via UW)
Ankit Anand, of Pune, India. Anand called the scholarship an opportunity to “carry forward Richard’s legacy and successful track record of building great products.” He said he joined the master’s program at UW to learn the intricacies of starting and scaling his own company. “My passion lies in reversing climate change, and I am currently focused on decarbonizing the electric grid by developing an innovative energy flexibility platform,” Anand wrote. “This scholarship not only validates my approach to tackling complex problems but also brings me a step closer to my goal of making a tangible impact on the climate, as I intend to use the scholarship to build the prototype and a [minimum viable product].”
Isaac William Smith, of Shoreline, Wash. A fourth-year student at the Foster School, Smith said it was “truly inspiring” to be associated with a “passionate and forward thinker” such as Tait. “To carry forward Richard Tait’s legacy, I plan to actively engage with my peers and mentors at Foster sharing my experiences and learning from theirs,” Smith wrote. “I aim to be an inspiring leader who not only focuses on business success but also values the importance of family and personal connections, much like Richard did.”
Maxim Vladislavovich Kuznetsov, of Everett, Wash. A graduate student at Foster, Kuznetsov said he is developing his own board game, and that Tait’s desire to create products that bring joy to people’s lives resonated deeply. Kuznetsov, who said his family arrived in the U.S. not long ago, said the scholarship will go directly toward tuition, which is especially helpful as his education is primarily funded by his parents. “They have made incredible sacrifices to support my dreams. … Family means the world to me, and I know Richard Tait shared this value.”
Tait died at age 58 on June 25, 2022, at his Bainbridge Island, Wash., home from complications due to COVID-19.
A serial entrepreneur and mainstay of the Seattle tech scene, Tait left his mark in a number of ways, including at Microsoft and Starbucks, and through his co-invention of the popular board game “Cranium.” He was a longtime mentor at the Foster School.
Friends and family started the scholarship effort in 2023 to celebrate Tait’s life and legacy and assist future young entrepreneurs, with the initial goal of raising $250,000, which they have surpassed. Anchor gifts were made by former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Jonathan Shulkin, co-president of Valor Equity Partners, where Tait had been a partner since March 2019.
“The guy was so smart and so funny and loved by so many people,” longtime friend Daniel Katz previously told GeekWire. “And I wanted to have something that will allow his memory to live on for a long period of time.”
