The Tulip RideBenefiting Seattle Humane

Jeff Henshaw is a Seattle native with three passions outside of his family: technology, motorcycles, and animal welfare.

Nearly twenty-five years at Microsoft have enabled Henshaw to work on some of the most innovative technology products of our time. From Windows to Internet Explore to co-founding the Xbox project, he’s instigated products and services that nearly all of us use. It was Xbox that marked the beginning of a decade and a half of innovation in digital entertainment for him, building Xbox and Xbox Live into global brands and a cultural phenomenon.

Every labor of love needs and outlet, and Henshaw finds his outlet on two wheels. He’s

been riding motorcycles since shortly after he could walk. You’ll find him covering hundreds of miles by motorcycle on sunny Pacific Northwest weekends. His garage sees everything from Harley Davidsons to Triumphs to BMW machines.

In 2001, as the original Xbox console was being readied for delivery to excited gamers around the world, Henshaw led a small group of overworked Xbox engineers and fellow motorcyclist on a weekday ride to get some fresh air away from the office where they’d worked seven days a week for many months. The group ended up at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, an annual event in April among the tulip farms about ninety minutes north of Seattle. It was a perfect day of riding that led to a promise to repeat the event each year. Thus as born the Tulip Ride.

Henshaw lives in Redmond, Washington with his wife Lori and daughters Olivia and Charlotte. His family also includes adopted and rescued pets: the latest dog and a cat adopted from the Seattle Humane Society. His love extends to wildlife, too: their properties in Washington are home to a bear, bobcat, deer, eagles, otters, beavers, and more. They’ve rescued an injured hawk and an orphaned deer, working with wildlife centers to rehabilitate them. To say that Henshaw has a soft spot for animals is a radical understatement.

It was inevitable that these passions would connect in an exciting way. As the Tulip Ride grew over the years, the opportunity became obvious: Henshaw turned it into a fundraising event for Seattle Humane Society. Word spread throughout the motorcycling and animal welfare communities, attracting celebrity attendance from television, movies, and radio. Hundreds of riders collected every April to participate, generating tens of thousands of dollars to help animals in need.