Tech talk

A look into Chico’s overlooked industry

In this week’s cover story focusing on entrepreneurs, the CN&R spoke with Chico businesspeople who, for the most part, fly under the radar. That’s because their tech-industry ventures lack traditional storefronts and don’t rely on the local economy to support them.

Instead, the folks in this burgeoning segment of Chico’s business community work behind the scenes, electronically, building and growing niche companies most locals don’t know exist.

In this, our first Entrepreneurs Issue, we introduce readers to a range of professionals, from those at tiny startups inside business incubator firm ChicoStart to Auctiva CEO Jeff Schlicht—founder of that longtime successful company specializing in aiding e-commerce. (Also see Greenways, page 15, for a local businessman who’s taking technology to Africa.) While each of the businesses featured in these pages is vastly different, the people behind them share an entrepreneurial vision.

We hope you enjoy reading about their creative enterprises.