Fresno’s Bitwise Raises $27 Million: Now Founder Wants To Change The Face Of Tech In Bakersfield Too

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T he female, Latinx co-founder of Bitwise Industries says the company’s recent $ 27 million funding milestone means it can train more people in underserved communities, and expand south. But amidst the optimism in Bakersfield, there’s also some ambivalence. Still, co-CEO of Bitwise Irma Olguin Jr. is used to challenging expectations, including her own. She grew up in a farming community south of Fresno. As a kid, co-founding a tech-hub and raising tens of millions from investment companies didn’t seem possible. “You know, when you grow up in a rural town and your family is a farm labor family, you kind of picture your life as being more of the same,” says Olguin. But it wasn’t. After college, Olguin worked as a web developer, and later created a non-profit to run Fresno’s first coding competition. Then she developed a coworking space and consulting company that are now part of Bitwise. Olguin says her success shouldn’t be unique. “When you achieve agency, it doesn’t matter what the
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