Samurai Olguin

for supporting our community and for speaking on August 13, 2019.

As CEO and co-founder of Bitwise Industries, Irma Olguin Jr. oversees the company’s operations teams, as well as tech-focused training program, Geekwise Academy, and custom software development firm, Shift3 Technologies. A main component of her role is ensuring the company's fidelity to mission, strategy, and long-term goals. Bitwise recently raised $27 M Series A led by Kapor Capital and New Voices Fund.

In 2010, she created 59DaysOfCode, a competition highlighting and encouraging the Valleyʼs tech industry. A year later, she co-founded Hashtag, an open workspace for designers and developers alike. In 2013, she co-founded Edit LLC to solve efficiency and data issues in the ag industry. But it was in 2012, over a Red Bull (her) and gin and tonic (him) with her IP attorney, Jake, the decision was made to build a company focused on strengthening Fresno’s tech industry and leveraging it as the economic driver to remake a city.

The best part of all of her ventures, she says, is figuring out what role someone is best suited for. Admittedly, adjusting the world so people can spend more time doing good work and less time worrying about filling the gas tank is the only way she knows how to save the world.

Get to know a little more about Irma by watching "Serendipity."