Latest news with #Tomo
Eater
6 days ago
- Business
- Eater
Canlis Just Hired Its First-Ever Seattle-Born Executive Chef
For months, Canlis has been searching for its next executive chef, one of the most coveted gigs in the Seattle restaurant scene, if not the country. After interviewing candidates from all over the world, owner Mark Canlis has picked someone a little closer to home: James Huffman, the current executive sous chef. Canlis loves to do the unexpected, and hiring from within definitely counts as a surprise. The last two people to lead the kitchen at Canlis were Brady Ishiwata Williams, who won a James Beard Award before moving on to open Tomo in White Center, and Aisha Ibrahim, who was recently a James Beard semifinalist and left Canlis earlier this year to pursue opening her own restaurant somewhere outside Seattle. Both had worked at Michelin-starred restaurants and moved to Seattle to take the job. Huffman, by contrast, is a local product. He grew up in Lake Forest Park, and has worked in the local restaurant industry since he was a 16-year-old at Kidd Valley. He later got a gig at the famous Eastside fine dining destination Cafe Juanita, and has been at Canlis for the past nine years, working his way up the kitchen ladder under both Williams and Ibrahim. As noted by the Seattle Times , the first outlet to share the news, he's the first person born in Seattle to be Canlis's executive chef. Mark Canlis, who has been the restaurant's sole owner since the recent departure of his brother Brian, says that this hire is a landmark for Canlis in a sense. In prior hiring cycles, the brothers may have felt they had to elevate the restaurant by bringing in an outsider who had cooked in some of the world's best kitchens. But at this point, Canlis itself probably qualifies as one of the world's best kitchens, capable of incubating its own talent. 'There were seasons in the past where we definitely needed to bring in outside input. We needed voices. We needed new ideas,' says Canlis. Now, he says, 'the restaurant is strong enough to be producing people capable of doing the job... It's cool to not need to go to the other side of the world to bring in someone to run a Seattle restaurant.' Since Ibrahim left in April, Huffman has been leading the kitchen on an interim basis, and has added new items on the menu as the seasons change, a kind of extended tryout. One of those dishes in particular wowed guests, a kalbi-style beef dish that comes with spring onions cooked by burying them in charcoal and onion tops. 'You could take the beef off the beef dish and serve the onion as its own dish,' says Canlis. Throughout this process, Canlis has been less focused on the food than leadership qualities; it goes without saying the executive chef at Canlis needs to have amazing chops as a chef. 'This guy embodies the values of our company — he's trustworthy and generous and other-centered,' says Canlis. 'I stayed here for so long because those things just connected with me so naturally and were already a part of who I am, putting people first, caring about your neighbors and your community,' says Huffman. Especially since this is a hiring from within, there likely won't be drastic changes at Canlis (the salad isn't going anywhere). The things Huffman wants to focus on are behind the scenes, like a renewed focus on supporting local farmers and producers. 'Those are the people that we want to approach and invest in and make sure that they feel seen and that their product is respected,' Huffman says. He adds that it's also important that 'the cooks within our walls and the dining room team, they all feel seen and respected and that we're caring for them in the right way.' Sign up for our newsletter.
Eater
29-05-2025
- Eater
Alaska Airlines Is Serving First-Class Passengers Food From an Award–Winning Seattle Chef
First-class passengers flying some cross-country flights on Alaska Airlines this summer are going to get an extra perk — starting June 5, they'll be able to get meals composed by Seattle's James Beard Award–winning chef Brady Williams, who owns the White Center restaurant Tomo. Morning flights between Seattle and Newark, JFK, or Regan National in Washington, DC can get a a mochi waffle and fried chicken meal, while afternoon and evening flights between those destinations will get either short ribs glazed with serrano jaew or buckwheat soba and seared ahi tuna tataki. It's an expansion of the 'Chef's (tray) Table' program Alaska rolled out last year with San Francisco chef Brandon Jew, which highlights 'celebrated chefs up and down the West Coast.' It's a partnership that connects Alaska to not just those chefs, but several small farms and ranches that provide ingredients for their dishes. For instance, the short ribs in Williams's dish come from Washingston's Klingemann Farms. 'What is really luxury, what is really first class?' says Jew. 'I think it's actually quality of ingredients.' Alaska was already connected with Williams through its sponsorship of Tomo's Buds guest chef series. Williams did his first tasting presentation to Alaska's team last August and has been tweaking and refining ever since. One challenge for Williams is that taste buds are dulled at 30,000 feet, meaning that flavors generally have to be bolder and stronger than they might be on the ground. Williams says that he leaned into umami and acid. The resulting dishes — which I tried at a media tasting event this week at Alaska headquarters — aren't quite like dining at Tomo. It's more like dining at Tomo, bringing leftovers home, then reheating them in the microwave. That isn't meant to be a dig, just a reflection of the difficulty of airplane cuisine: The dishes have to be made hours in advance (the night before in the case of the breakfasts) then reheated in a convection oven. It's a minor miracle that anything tastes good after going through that process. The chicken that comes with the mochi waffles is actually miraculously moist under the tempura crust. The rice cakes that come with the short ribs are stir-fried with soy sauce and rice wine and pack an umami punch. And the tuna is both refreshingly chilled and spicy enough to get your attention. (It'll be served with the cold soba noodles to first-classers coming back from the hot, swampy East Coast.) It's a cut above airplane food... but it's still airplane food. If you have the kind of coin or expense account that is sending you across the country in first, you'll have likely experienced better meals on either end of your trip. First-class passengers can pre-order these meals before their flights; those not in first class won't have access to any of it. But they'll be able to avail of Alaska's other efforts to incorporate premium PNW food brands into their flights, like Stumptown Coffee or Fremont Brewing. Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TomoCredit Unveils TomoIQ: AI-Powered Financial Wellness Platform to Build Smarter, Inclusive Financial Future for Everyone
SAN FRANCISCO, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TomoCredit, the leading personal financial wellness platform, is proud to announce the launch of TomoIQ, a groundbreaking AI-powered financial assistant built to make smart, professional-level financial guidance accessible to everyone, regardless of income, background, or credit history. TomoIQ is designed to be more than just a tool—it's a judgment-free companion for individuals navigating the complexities of their financial journey. Whether someone is deep in debt, working to improve their credit score, or saving for their first home, TomoIQ offers personalized, real-time support with empathy, intelligence, and zero shame. "Access to financial knowledge shouldn't be reserved for the wealthy or those who already 'have it together,'" said Kristy Kim, CEO and founder of TomoCredit. "We built TomoIQ to level the playing field—because everyone deserves a chance to make informed financial decisions, no matter where they're starting from." According to Tomo's recent consumer survey, over 80% of customers report feeling "more comfortable" using AI for financial guidance than working with traditional human financial advisors. This significant preference highlights a growing trust in digital tools and the value customers place on accessibility, objectivity, and speed AI offers in financial decision-making. TomoIQ provides guidance on budgeting, debt management, savings strategies, credit building, and more. Unlike generic chatbots or static advice articles, TomoIQ delivers conversational, contextual insights tailored to each user's unique situation, with no judgment and no assumptions. Key features of TomoIQ include: Personalized financial guidance based on real-life questions and scenarios 24/7 access to information on credit, debt, saving, and budgeting Real-Time Financial Health Scoring using alternative data sources. Inclusive design built to serve underserved communities, including thin-file and no-file users Confidential and empathetic tone, ensuring users feel supported, not shamed "TomoIQ isn't just here to help—it's here to make professional financial insight accessible to everyone, not just the top 1%." Kim added. "Whether you're making your first budget or rebuilding after a financial setback, TomoIQ is in your corner, providing guidance that's smart, supportive, and truly accessible." About TomoCredit:TomoCredit is a mission-driven financial technology company committed to helping individuals, especially those excluded from traditional credit systems, build strong financial futures. With a user base of over 4 million, TomoCredit offers tools, education, and now, AI-powered support through TomoIQ, to empower every person on their financial journey. Media Contact:Camilla Guo941-993-7222camilla@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TomoCredit
Axios
02-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Mortgage rates get more treacherous
Amid all the talk of what's happening to mortgage rates, it's often easy to lose sight of the fact that rates vary widely between lenders on any given day. That gap has grown significantly over the past couple years. Why it matters: It's not easy to work out how attractive a mortgage rate is. Two offers from two different companies might have different headline rates, but might also vary on everything from origination fees and closing costs to the amount of money it costs to "buy points" and lower the interest rate paid. That makes apples-to-apples comparisons extremely difficult. Follow the money: Americans will collectively pay $11 billion more than they needed to on their mortgages this year, per new research from Tomo Mortgage. Tomo studied about 1 million loans from more than 1,000 different lenders and normalized each one for rate points, credit, purchase price, and down payment. The difference between the best and worst rates offered on any given day worked out to $287 per month in mortgage payments on a home that sold for the median sale price. Between the lines: The gap between the best and worst rates was regularly as low as 0.5 percentage points between 2018 and 2021, but then the Federal Reserve started hiking rates in 2022. These rate hikes sent mortgage rates soaring, which in turn pushed refinance activity close to zero, a major hit to the profitability of the mortgage sector. Some lenders responded by offering aggressive rates, Will Begeny from Tomo says, while others found themselves needing to pad their margins. As a result, the gap between the best and worst rates rose to more than 2 percentage points on some days in the fall of 2022. (It's now closer to 0.88 percentage points.) Where it stands: Mortgage rates are still high in absolute terms, refinancing activity is low, and the difference between a good rate and a bad rate is much bigger than normal.
Associated Press
11-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
AI-powered Tomo Mortgage Raises $20M with Backing from Progressive Insurance®
After a year of explosive growth,Tomo, a fintech startup co-founded by former Zillow executives, now backed by Progressive Insurance, Ribbit Capital, NFX, and DST Global Partners Tomo's 'low rates, no gotchas' uses AI to lower mortgage interest rates by 0.50%, saving the typical homebuyer $4,000 at closing NEW YORK, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tomo Mortgage, the fast-growing digital mortgage lender, today announced that it closed its $20 million Series B financing round, bringing its total investment to date to $130 million. In addition to new investor Progressive Insurance, existing investors Ribbit Capital, NFX, and DST Global Partners also participated in the latest round. 'Outdated business practices, excessive fees, and over-inflated interest rates cost U.S. homebuyers billions of dollars every year. Tomo is on a mission to change that,' explains Greg Schwartz, CEO and Co-Founder of Tomo. 'We use AI to deliver low rates without the gotchas. No mystery fees. No missed closing dates. No 'rate-keeping,' where you have to talk to a salesperson before getting a price. People love our honest, upfront pricing and seamless customer experience. We're thrilled our investors recognize our unique vision and value.' Key to Tomo's success is its use of AI to streamline sales and underwriting processes. These tools make getting a mortgage much faster, more accurate, and far less expensive than at other mortgage lenders. Tomo saves the typical homebuyer $4,000 at closing and its interest rates are, on average, 0.50% lower than the industry and up to 1% lower than some of the biggest lenders. And this mix of transparency, simplicity, and cost-savings drives 4.9-star customer reviews on Bankrate, as well as their editor's pick of 'Best Online Mortgage Lenders in 2025.' Despite a stagnant mortgage industry in 2024, Tomo achieved 3.5x growth and is on track to be one of the largest mortgage companies in the U.S. Now operating in 31 states, including D.C., Tomo's December 2024 purchase unit volume ranked in the top 10% of all mortgage lenders nationally. Tomo will use the latest funding to support growth across its team and product offerings. The company is rapidly hiring loan officers and other mortgage professionals for its Detroit, Seattle and New York offices to meet the surge of new demand, and will be shifting its headquarters from Stamford, CT to New York City. 'While other mortgage lenders tout 'automation,' facilitated by way of call centers or outsourced service providers, Tomo is the real deal. They're taking a radically different approach, using proprietary technology to cut out origination fees and processing delays in a way that we've not seen in the industry so far. We're thrilled to back Tomo as they enter the next phase of their growth,' said Pete Flint, general partner at NFX. 'We're excited to invest in Tomo and to support their mission to modernize the home buying experience,' said Erwin Raeth, Corporate Development Leader at Progressive. 'Our forward-thinking approach and dedication to being there for our customers by understanding their specific needs aligns with Tomo's focus on innovation and helping each individual customer achieve their homeownership dreams.' To learn more about Tomo, please visit About Tomo Tomo is a digital mortgage company on a mission to get rid of the greed and complexity in lending, saving homebuyers thousands of dollars. Its continuous automation platform makes the lending process much faster, less frustrating, and far less expensive. By passing that savings on to the homebuyers, it's able to eliminate the excessive fees and over-inflated rates that cost U.S. homebuyers billions of dollars each year.
