
Tech for All
Hacker Lab co-founder Gina Lujan on the power of making
Hacker Lab co-founder and CEO Gina Lujan has been focused on entrepreneurship for over two decades. Hacker Lab’s 10,500-square-foot space in midtown Sacramento had become a hub of innovation for numerous creators and doers in the Sacramento Region, from artists to engineers. The site has been so successful it has opened a second site in Rocklin. We sat down with her recently to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the hacker innovation space.

Sexism in Hackerspaces
Hacker Lab founder Gina Lujan says gender doesn’t matter
The most significant challenge for tech coworking spaces is usually having enough physical space, equipment and bandwidth for multiple creators to be able to work on a diverse number of projects at the same time. But women using hackerspaces often face another challenge as well – overcoming the tech world’s male-dominated “brogrammer” culture.

Startup of the Month: Rocket Department
A business that helps other businesses launch ideas
Rocket Department. started as a joke. It was 2013 and the 5-member team decided to design an offbeat product for a local hackathon.

Where Do I Sign ?
With an innovative mobile app, Davis medtech company fills the virtual gap between health providers and patients
Anthony Costello had the next generation of medicine in mind when he launched Mytrus in 2009. The Davis-based company created a system that helps patients fill out consent forms electronically and participate in clinical trials for new drugs and therapies from the comfort of their homes.

You’ve Been Blocked
What the expansion of ad blocking software means for small publishers
According to Fast Company, as ad blocking software becomes more ubiquitous (consider Apple’s new iOS 9, which supports ad blocking applications), the entire ecosystem of small publishers and bloggers is threatened by an inability to adequately fund their sites

Good Eats Made Easy
Caviar delivery service launches partnerships with Sacramento restaurants
Sacramento dining is about to get a little more convenient.

Made in America
PASCO Scientific has expanded its business through export opportunities
American-made products are in greater demand internationally, opening up another revenue stream for businesses that want to export. PASCO Scientific, an American manufacturer of lab equipment for hands-on STEM education, has expanded its business through export opportunities.

Startup of the Month: LeadCliq
Online referral platform helps professionals find leads through transactions
Slated for public release in October, LeadCliq is a referral generation portal, where members share relevant leads within exclusive circles or communities.

Is it Time for a Technological Shift?
Letter from the publisher
It remains to be seen if GSAC, the Metro Chamber or the market itself will fill the void that SARTA’s shut-down has opened. While GSAC and its enigmatic new leader Barry Broome may bring more established firms (and more jobs) to the region, Sacramento isn’t big enough or rich enough to ignore the potential of smart, hungry tech innovators.

Startup of the Month: Brown Lawn Green
In dry times, the grass can be greener with paint
Short on water for your grass? Just add paint, says Bill Schaffer, owner of Brown Lawn Green in Dixon. The idea for his business started as a joke. With California in the midst of a historic drought, Schaffer commented to his girlfriend that people would have to start painting their lawns if they wanted them to be green again. When the state introduced strict new rules concerning water use, he realized he might be onto something.