Made in Sacramento

An Old Industry Transacting in New and Better Ways

In this episode of Made in Sacramento, we meet three dynamic entrepreneurs who are building technology companies to transform transactions in both the residential & commercial real estate industries.  

Tyler Smith, founder and CEO of SkySlope, created the industry leading Digital Transaction Management software serving more than 25% of the top 100 brokerages in the U.S., including almost half of the top 25 brokerages.

Jesse Garcia, founder of Zipi, saves real estate brokers time and money by streamlining transaction and accounting workflows with modern back-office management and accounting platform – that integrates with SkySlope. 

​And, Anthony Romano and his team at eScreenLogic are tackling due diligence in the commercial real estate market with their innovative database engine, Radius.  These leaders are not only growing their own companies but are huge contributors to the Sacramento entrepreneurial “ecosystem” – fostering and encouraging others in their entrepreneurial journeys.

Empowering Youth through the Arts & Entrepreneurship

In this segment of Made in Sacramento we meet two inspiring innovators who are working with kids who come from some of Sacramento’s most underserved communities.  They build trust and engagement by tapping into the kids’ natural artistic abilities and then give them the tools to monetize their skills.  In the process, they are developing a whole new generation of arts entrepreneurs. The result: These kids are lifting themselves, their families and in some cases, their communities out of poverty.  

Tamaira Sandifer, a.k.a. “Miss Tee” is the founder of Studio T Arts & Entertainment. She serves over 5,000 youth in school districts throughout Northern California every year through educational partnerships & enrichment programs related to physical as well as mental & emotional health.

Tyler Garnett of Department of Sound leads a team of music artists, DJs, engineers, managers and industry professionals on a mission to empower youth and simultaneously cultivate Sacramento into a media and entertainment hub.

Blue Diamond’s Almond Innovation Center

A co-op of more than 3,000 growers, Blue Diamond is a well-known brand in the Sacramento region – first established as the California Growers Exchange in 1910 and officially named Blue Diamond Growers in 1980. 

​In 2013, Blue Diamond launched its Innovation Center, the first and only research center dedicated to Almond product innovation.  We’ll talk with Maya Erwin, VP Innovation and R&D, ​about how her team applies innovation to their products, process, and go to market strategies in order to stay relevant and create new market opportunities for their growers.

Entrepreneurs are the answer…Smart & Small Housing

In this segment, we talk to visionary entrepreneur Nikky Mohanna, Principal at Mohanna Development, who has harnessed a combination of industry experience, design talent, and grit to create 19J, a new, more affordable housing product for the young professional market.

Along the way, she partnered with Women’s Empowerment to create an innovative property manager job training program. She has hired a number of their graduates as resident managers and is therefore providing employment and housing solutions for some of the most vulnerable of Sacramento’s residents.

Solving the People Problem — Innovations in HR

More than just benefits and hiring – these three innovative founders have developed solutions to help companies build culture & navigate compliance in a complex and dynamic world. 

Meet Sarah Klose, founder of Venture HR, an outsourced human resources firm with deep roots in the startup and technology space. Venture HR combines compliance and strategic direction to help entrepreneurial organizations of all sizes grow. 

Andrew Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Humanly, is revolutionizing hiring with a platform that enables companies to screen, schedule, and engage candidates at scale. 

Finally, Anna Straus, founder and CEO of Sparck tackles employee retention with a personalized employee recognition and engagement platform that creates thriving workplaces. 

Tapping Food Trends: Health & Convenience

Living in an on-demand world with discerning consumers, these companies help consumers eat well. 

Greg Connolly, founder of Trifecta Nutrition, has a big goal – to transform public health through nutritious food.  Trifecta delivers fresh, organic, prepared meals, along with curated advice and community support to help customers achieve their goals. 

Darren McAdams, founder of FoodJets, has developed a franchise model backed by sophisticated tech that allows local owners to partner with local restaurants to deliver faster and friendlier service than their competition.