Russell Nichols is a freelance writer who focuses on technology, culture and mental health. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Governing Magazine and Government Technology.
By this person
![Amy Wister is the cofounder and CEO of RevShopp. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1121_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1636652596)
Startup of the Month: RevShopp
Platform shapes a better way to shop
Every body has a type. But clothing stores typically focus on sizes, which does a disservice to both retailers and customers, says Amy Wister, cofounder and CEO of RevShopp.
![Donna Romano builds printed circuit boards for medical devices at PRIDE Industries’s Roseville campus. (Photo by Fred Greaves)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/fg_comst_pride_indust_2021_10_08_r5b9459.png?1635787118)
Assembled With PRIDE
Long-standing social enterprise builds on legacy of inclusion
From its beginnings in a church basement in Auburn to its current status as the Capital Region’s leading employer of people with disabilities and other hurdles to employment, PRIDE Industries has always promoted an inclusive workforce.
![Tim Hyer is the cofounder and CEO of Trusty. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1021_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1633103834)
Startup of the Month: Trusty
Real estate platform adds perspective
“Why can you read reviews on what restaurant to eat at or hotel to stay at or what vacuum to buy, but when it comes to the largest financial purchase of your life, there’s nowhere to go?” says Tim Hyer, cofounder and CEO of Trusty.
![(Illustration by Andrew J. Nilsen)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0921_feat_technology_andrewj.nilsen.jpg?1631292303)
Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Mental Health?
After the disruption of 2020, the push for more collaborative affiliations has become even more urgent. At the core of this evolving model is technology.
![Neville Boston is founder and chief strategy officer of Reviver. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0921_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1630524256)
Startup of the Month: Reviver
Digital license plates turn cars into smart machines
How much would you pay to never have to step foot in the Department of Motor Vehicles again?
![Fengru Lin is cofounder and CEO of TurtleTree. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0821_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1628007177)
Startup of the Month: TurtleTree
Business grows cells to create milk and milk ingredients
Milk may do the body good, as the 1980s campaign stated, but Fengru Lin, cofounder and CEO of TurtleTree, believes milk production without cows could do the planet even better.
![Matt Amicucci is cofounder and principal scientist of BCD Bioscience. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0721_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1625165164)
Startup of the Month: BCD Bioscience
Young scientist develops method to revolutionize fiber
BCD Bioscience wants to help adults benefit from essential carbohydrates that naturally occur in breast milk.
![Zach Denning is Hank’s founder and CEO. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0621_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1622740445)
Startup of the Month: Hank
Artificial intelligence platform helps building systems run efficiently
Summer heat in Sacramento can be stressful — especially for air conditioning units in office buildings.
![Diana Eastman, founder and owner of ThermēShade, has worked to modify her product that doesn’t block visible light but reflects the sun’s radiant energy. (Photo by Fred Greaves)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/feat_manufacturing_fred-greaves_lead_0.jpg?1621015957)
The New Industrialists
Meet four entrepreneurs in the Capital Region who are making a positive difference
Here are four entrepreneurs who are transforming ideas of manufacturing for the well-being of the world.
![Reneta Jenik is Foodom’s founder and CEO. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0521_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1620669762)
Startup of the Month: Foodom
Business serves up on-demand home cooks
The Folsom-based startup Foodom launched in March 2020 to bring experienced cooks into the homes of busy families.
![David Mering, who founded his branding company in 1985, agreed to merge with TSY Enterprises in 2020 after his agency was hit hard by the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Fred Greaves)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/feat_mergers_fred-greaves_lead.jpg?1618337398)
Maturity Loves Company
Trends point to a growing interest in mergers and acquisitions
The recent spate of mergers and acquisitions in the Capital Region tells a story beyond the pandemic, speaking to growing interest in the area and a red-hot financial craze that catapults private companies into public markets.
![Dr. Amir Zeki is the cofounder of InVixa and an associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at UC Davis. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0421_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1617299051)
Startup of the Month: InVixa
Startup uses popular drug to target COVID-19 inflammation
As COVID-19 vaccines roll out worldwide, InVixa is working on a new delivery method for a cholesterol-lowering drug to treat respiratory inflammation caused by the coronavirus.
![Michele Nesbit is a cofounder and chief operating officer of BoxPower. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0321_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1614892203)
Startup of the Month: BoxPower
Delivering clean energy to end-of-the-line customers
In a world of portability and to-go orders, Grass Valley-based startup BoxPower delivers energy in a box.
![CEO Conner Johnston cofounded Warchest with Josh Wolf, president of the company. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0221_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1612376379)
Startup of the Month: Warchest
Budgeting software aids political campaigns
The 2020 presidential election may be over, but the team at Warchest still has work to do.
![Rick Holliday is CEO and cofounder of Factory OS. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0121_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1610037301)
Startup of the Month: Factory OS
You might not associate remote work with construction, but Mare
Island-based Factory OS is redesigning the business model by
building multifamily homes off-site, then shipping them to the
designated location.
![(Shutterstock illustration)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1494978614_1.jpg?1608584170)
Coping With COVID
As stress levels have soared, treatment programs for substance use battle to keep up
The challenge for treatment programs can be broken down into four
parts: lack of workforce, limited capacity, timing conflicts and
insurance issues.
![John Purcell is the president and CEO of Unfold. (Photo courtesy of John Purcell)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1220_blog_sotm_courtesyofjohnpurcell.jpg?1606765927)
Startup of the Month: Unfold
Breeding seeds for vertical farms
The future of vertical farming begins on the genetic level. That’s the philosophy of Unfold, a Sacramento-based startup focused on innovating fruit and vegetable seeds to better serve indoor growing facilities.
![Ramsey Badawi, left, and Simon Cherry received the UC Davis 2020 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards for inventing the Explorer whole-body PET scanner. (Photos courtesy of UC Davis)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1220_blog_tech_scanner1.jpg?1605552846)
The Image of Health
Co-inventor Simon Cherry on how the world’s first total-body PET scanner could significantly change disease diagnosis
Comstock’s spoke with Cherry about the groundbreaking work that led UC Davis to name him and co-inventor Ramsey Badawi among the recipients of the 2020 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards.
![Andrew Gardner is the chief operating officer of Humanly. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1120_blog_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1604619839)
Startup of the Month: Humanly
AI-powered hiring platform helps big companies find best candidates
With the help of artificial intelligence, this Sacramento-based startup wants to make the hiring process run smoother for companies flooded with applications.
![Brett Bayda is founder and CEO of Drinjk Wines. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1020_blog_sotm_terenceduffy_lead.jpg?1601493823)
Startup of the Month: Drinjk Wines
Wine business delivers single-serve bottles
There’s nothing worse than pouring wine down the drain, says Brett Bayda, so he created Drinjk Wines for consumers who want more portion control.
![Michael Santiago is the founder and CEO of FloraPulse. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0920_blog_sotm_terenceduffy_lead.jpg?1599068493)
Startup of the Month: FloraPulse
Agtech startup measures water levels in plants
How do you measure the thirst of a plant? Michael Santiago, founder and CEO of FloraPulse, says give it a chip.
![Rob Brown, who owns Another Look Beauty & Barber Salon with his wife, Tracy Brown, says he was caught between supporting Black Lives Matter protests and protecting his business. (Photo by Fred Greaves)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0820_feat_diversity_fredgreaves_lead.jpg?1597859185)
Fighting for Fairness
Black business owners are trying to survive amid the pandemic and economic and racial injustice
Not only have Black Americans suffered more from COVID-19 infections and deaths, but Black-owned businesses were hit the hardest due to the shutdown.
![Kwamane Liddell is founder and CEO of DispatchCare. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0820_dept_fotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1596517311)
Startup of the Month: DispatchCare
Health app delivers services to doorsteps
“We make it easier for our most vulnerable community members to get the care they need to stay independent and stay home,” says Kwamane Liddell, DispatchCare’s founder and CEO.
![Barbara DeHart is CEO and cofounder of Sama Learning. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_blog_startup_terenceduffy_lead.jpg?1593703976)
Startup of the Month: Sama Learning
VR platform expands learning possibilities
This spring, COVID-19 forced schools to go online. But, for the most part, the teaching models remained the same. Sama Learning, a Nevada City-based startup, wants to transform those models.
![(Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0620_feat_regionalchallenge_shutterstock_lead.jpg?1592933732)
Behind the Screens
The increase in technology use is changing our lives, and not everyone thinks that’s a bad thing
With teleconferencing, email, e-commerce and social media, the internet makes it possible for many people to work virtually. However, being “always online” comes at a cost.
![A central practice of restorative justice is a collaborative decision-making process that includes harmed parties, people who caused harm, and others to seek a resolution. (Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1555828898.jpg?1591907663)
How Leaders Can Build True Inclusion
Adrienne S. Lawson, of UC Davis Health, talks about how leaders can promote workplace inclusion and justice
As the U.S. grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, factors such as socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and employment play a pivotal role in the fight against systemic racism and social injustice.
![Tony Braham, a hospital assistant at UC Davis Medical Center, invented a patented medical that helps organize medical equipment. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0620_dept_fotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1591039295)
Startup of the Month: RAIVES
Medical clip helps organize hospital room equipment
As a hospital assistant at UC Davis Medical Center, Tony Braham helps nurses lift and move patients. In other words, “We’re the muscle of the hospital,” Braham says, and his startup aims to help “the muscle” be more mobile.
![The ThermoGenesis kit, intended for professional use, delivers results in less than 10 minutes (and as fast as two minutes). (Shutterstock illustration)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0520_blog_qa_thermogeneis_shutterstock.jpg?1590430533)
New Field of Study
Chris Xu of ThermoGenesis discusses his Rancho Cordova company’s role in the coronavirus pandemic
After screening millions of cells that secrete antibodies, scientists at a Rancho Cordova-based automated cell processing company and its collaboration partners believe they found a potential path to treat COVID-19.
![John James, right, water operations manager for the Yuba Water Agency, and Carly Ellis, a field researcher with the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography, prepare to release a balloon with a sensor attached that will send weather data in real time to researchers.
(Photo courtesy of Yuba Water Agency/Alex Boesch)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0520_feat_technology_yuba-water-agency_alex-boesch_lead.jpg?1589308648)
Storm Chasers
Real-time weather forecasting is helping to balance the need to store more water while still preventing floods
In the face of climate change, environmental stress and population growth, advanced technology can lead to enhanced weather forecasting, which could make a huge impact in preventing floods and keeping reservoirs full.
![Serial entrepreneur Sedale Turbovsky launched OpenGrants in September 2018. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0520_blog_startup_terenceduffy.jpg?1588359437)
Startup of the Month: OpenGrants
Platform simplifies search for public funding
Based in Sacramento, OpenGrants is a free platform that uses machine learning to sift through, list and match users with grant writers and opportunities. The platform reduces the opportunity cost inherent in the grant funding process by 30-40 percent.
![Grant Lea is cofounder and CEO of Nytch, a Woodland-based mobile app that connects independent businesses to local shoppers.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0420_blog_startup_terenceduffy_lead.jpg?1584562943)
Startup of the Month: Nytch
App helps small businesses make online shopping personal
Nytch, a Woodland-based mobile app, connects independent, offline businesses to local shoppers looking for specific items.
![Many of the companies profiled in the Startup of the Month column have grown well beyond starting up. (Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/startup.jpg?1583358264)
Startups of the Month: Where Are They Now?
Progress reports from five standout startups in the Capital Region
Since 2015, Comstock’s has spotlighted more than 60 regional startups in our Startup of the Month column. Here are five standouts from the column that are going stronger than ever.
![Pauline Torres launched the DapIt in 2018 with her husband, Cesar Torres. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_dept_startup_terenceduffy.jpg?1582580999)
Startup of the Month: DapIt
Digital gift cards give small businesses a boost
With gift cards continuing to soar in popularity, a Woodland-based startup aims to bring their convenience to small businesses while cutting down on plastic.
![Manvir Sandhu is one of Zennify’s three cofounders.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0220_dept_startup_terenceduffy.jpg?1580327273)
Startup of the Month: Zennify
Consulting firm guides companies through digital upgrade
With industries moving at the speed of the internet, many companies have trouble keeping pace. Zennify, a Sacramento-based cloud solutions and consulting firm, wants to help legacy businesses catch up.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0120_dept_startup_terenceduffy.jpg?1579220393)
Startup of the Month: Humaxa
A new model for employee-satisfaction surveys
Humaxa uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to help employers boost productivity and satisfaction among their workforce.
Sponsored
![A job-readiness program designed for older adults helped Placer County resident Kurt Lemons, 75, find employment at Lowe’s. (Photo by Mike Graff.)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1219_ss_seniors_olderworkers_mikegraff_0.jpg?1577874530)
The Golden Working Years
More seniors are electing to continue or return to work
The job hunt looks different than it did 40 years ago. Kurt Lemons found that out the hard way after dusting off his resume to send to big-box retailers and car dealer- ships. “I didn’t need the money, just something to keep me busy and off my butt,” says Lemons, who is 75 and lives in Placer County. “I sent out resumes, but all I got was crickets.”
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1219_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: Advanced Farm Technologies
Robotic harvester lends hand to fruit-picking process
In California, where 90 percent of American strawberries are grown, the time is ripe for a faster, better way to pick them. That’s the idea behind Advanced Farm Technologies, a Davis-based startup that uses customized tools to lend farmers a helping robotic hand.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1119_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: TagCarts
A veteran-owned startup looks to improve medical carts for health care professionals
Medical carts are mobile storage units for health care equipment, supplies and medication, and may include workstations for access to electronic data.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1019_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: Sparck
If your manager tosses you a $200 gift card for reaching a milestone, it’s nothing personal — and according to Anna Straus, that’s a problem when it comes to employee retention and workplace productivity.
Sponsored
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_ss_underoneroof_shutterstock.png?1577874530)
Under One Roof
Construction companies explore an all-in-one business approach to keep costs and scheduling competitive
After years of planning and restructuring, Clark Pacific, the West Sacramento based provider of prefabricated systems, has completed a phase of transformation as a one-stop shop for general design, engineering, architecture, field operations and manufacturing.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0919_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: PairAnything
A new age for wine
PairAnything, run by an eight-person team, won the $10,000 Food + Agriculture Sector Award at the 2019 Big Bang Business Competition at UC Davis.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_dept_sotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: AppA11y
Software developer creates games for visually impaired players
Before 2012, Nick Barbato was a software developer working in a cubicle, and he was miserable. He wanted more control over his life, so he left that job to start a company called Pangia Games. Not long after he and his cofounder, Lee Hobbs, released their first game, he received an email in 2013 from someone who played it.
![(Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0719_blog_statuscheck_foodnome_shutterstock.jpg?1577874530)
Status Check: Home Kitchens
Yolo County alleges that Foodnome had been operating illegally
Prior to 2019, the California Retail Food Code had strict limits on which facilities could store, package and serve food at the retail level. These restrictions were put in place for health and sanitation purposes.
![(Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0719-dept-fotm-terenceduffy_0.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: The Makers Place
A family home for work-from-home parents
As a leadership educator and coach working from home, Leslie Bosserman had a tough time being fully present with both her first child and her clients. Eight months into her second pregnancy, she came up with the idea for The Makers Place, a Sacramento-based coworking space customized for families.
![(Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0619_feat_tech_shutterstock.jpg?1577874530)
Slow Progress for Fast Speeds
Two years after partnering with Verizon, few Sacramento neighborhoods have 5G availability
Sacramento boasted of being one of the first four test cities for Verizon’s 5G network, with officials calling it a major step toward the future. But nearly a year after launch, none of the city’s eight council districts have full 5G coverage — and it isn’t clear when any of them will.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0619_dept_fotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: Foodnome
Home cooking loves company
For Akshay Prabhu, nothing ties a meal together like community. His Davis-based startup, Foodnome, reflects that philosophy, turning regular homes into restaurants the way Uber turned regular cars into taxis.
![Photo courtesy of Amy Altstatt, who is the author of children’s books.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0519_dept_fotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: IndiPUB
Self-publishing with a twist
The first book Amy Altstatt wrote was about a little girl in a world in which color represents what one wants to be when grown up. The girl tries different colors to see which one suits her, but none feels right. Then she cries, and, in her rainbow tears, she realizes all the colors are part of her.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0419_dept_fotm_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: HealthSherpa
Guiding customers to health insurance coverage
When HealthCare.gov — the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchange website — went live in 2013, it was slow, buggy and hard to navigate — a digital mess. Two weeks later, three programmers in the Bay Area launched HealthSherpa.com, an alternative website to help online shoppers understand their options under the ACA and see plans and prices quickly.
![Anna Sadovnikova, CEO and cofounder of LiquidGoldConcept](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0319_feat_healthcare_lead_debbiecunningham.jpg?1577874530)
Women’s Health is Long Overdue for Fresh Eyes — And Needed Funding
Throughout the region, public and private-sector players are rethinking women’s health, expanding and diversifying their approach to maternal and infant health.
![Fatma Kaplan works in the greenhouse where she tests out Pheronym’s latest nontoxic pest control treatment.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0319_sotm_lead_terenceduffy.jpg?1577874530)
Startup of the Month: Pheronym
In the mood for pest control
Nematodes pose a conundrum to farmers. The worm-like microscopic creatures are everywhere. Some are parasitic, infecting plants and destroying crops — but others actually attack insect pests. The ability to target the “bad” while leaving the “good” unharmed would be a boon for agricultural production.