What’s the impact of the words we use?

Augmented writing platform Textio uses machine learning and natural language processing to take the guesswork out of business communication, offering predictive analytics designed to help companies recruit a diverse workforce and build an inclusive culture.

The 120-person Seattle-based tech company, led by CEO Kieran Snyder, has been going through a transformation of its own during the past two years, expanding its product lineup while taking its own workforce fully remote, and recruiting more people outside the Seattle area.

In the process, the company built its own in-house online tool for participatory time-boxed conversations, for team-building and collaboration among its employees. Dubbed “Umeo,” it’s not a product … at least not yet.

Snyder, who was named the CEO of the Year in the 2021 GeekWire Awards, joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast for a conversation about the importance of language, Textio’s evolution, the future of workplace technology, regional differences in business language, and her formative experience as a “Scrabble hustler” in college in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square.

Listen above, or subscribe to GeekWire in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Podcast edited and produced by Curt Milton.

GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop is a business and technology journalist who covers topics including Amazon, Microsoft, and startups. He also hosts GeekWire's weekly podcast. Twitter: @toddbishop. Email: todd@geekwire.com. Contact him via encrypted messaging app Signal: 1-206-300-0265.