January 2016 – Mentor of the Month
Rob Armstrong is an executive in the Advertising Technology industry (AdTech), having built his career over the last 8 years developing products for digitial ad agencies, publishers, and advertisers. Rob is co-founder and head of R&D for Bombora, a B2B data startup that is changing how sales and marketing work by infusing data-driven behavioral intelligence into every aspect of the campaign cycle.
Bombora is a bootstrapped startup without VC investment. The company has achieved profitability within 1 year of launch and is now projecting 8-figure revenues in 2016.
Rob’s move to Reno was a collision of two competing objectives: 1) be closer to customers, many of which are in Silicon Valley, and 2) diversify Bombora’s R&D talent pool by launching a satellite office in a 2nd tier city where talent is more affordable than Manhattan or San Francisco.
Rob and his wife decied to move from NYC to Reno without ever visiting the town, as a 1 year ‘experiment’, in June 2015. They have not looked back.
Reno’s growing tech talent and the strong support of the community, most especially EDAWN, Summit VMS, and UNR, has led Bombora to plan at least 6 full-time Reno-based hires by July 2016. And this is just the beginning.
Reno: The Biggest Little Startup Community
What do you get when you mix 300 days of sunshine, hundreds of miles of trails and a vibrant art scene with active venture capital firms, a slew of coffee shops, and a top-tier university? الفرق المتاهله في اليورو You get Reno, Nev., a place the Kauffman Foundation calculated has the most start-ups for a city of its size in the nation.
Reno has a unique geographic advantage — it is half-day’s drive from Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, but its traffic and housing prices are a world away from the gridlock and high rent of the Bay Area. Its world-class international airport and rail system allow businesses to reach millions of customers within a day’s distribution. betfinal عربي
Companies like Apple, Microsoft Licensing, Patagonia and aerospace technology developer Sierra Nevada Corporation have already put down roots here. العاب كنكر Here, in an infographic developed by The Abbi Agency for the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, is a reason why many other start-ups and established companies are sure to follow suit. – The Abbi Agency
Governor Celebrates Entrepreneurial Job Growth in Downtown Reno
RENO, Nev., February 28, 2014 – The Reno Collective and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) recognized 4 new startup companies located in Downtown Reno for their innovative ideas and job growth. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval joined Mike Kazmierski, CEO of EDAWN, at the Reno Collective co-working space to congratulate these startups on creating new businesses from scratch. Between the 4 companies over 20 jobs have been created within the past year and all are projected to double their employment in the coming year.
“This is the first ever press conference for entrepreneurial job growth in our community and it signifies a shift in economic development. With the community commitment to entrepreneurial job creation we can truly become the place for ‘entrepreneurs with a life’,” said Mike Kazmierski of EDAWN.
With 90 members in the Reno Collective, a co-working space for web developers, designers, entrepreneurs and other freelancers, new companies are being formed by the serendipitous interactions of its members. Some of those new startups are growing out of the Reno Collective and finding office space along First Street which has been dubbed “Startup Row“, which now has its own website identifying other startups in the area. The 4 companies recognized at the event were UsTyme, an app for families to read books and play games virtually using web conferencing. Trainer Road, a software company that uses bluetooth power meters to monitor and create custom indoor workouts and training programs for the cycling community. Pinocc.io designs and manufacturers wireless micro-controllers for the “internet of things” and Inqiri uses collective intelligence software to help companies improve decision making and problem solving.
“What I have seen is very encouraging” said Governor Brian Sandoval. “Plenty of companies have started with just two guys in their garage and became huge successes. Somebody in this room is going to start one of the next big things that will change the lives of Nevadans.”
With 17 new entrepreneurial events occurring regularly that did not exist two years ago the community has seen a surge in entrepreneurship and new company formation. In addition to the dozen or so companies that are a part of Startup Row there are many throughout the region that are contributing to making Northern Nevada known as a location to start or build new companies. The Kauffman Foundation recently identified Reno-Spark as the most populous and highest startup density for the MSA class size.
