Sierra Commons

Ken Krugler, Bixo Labs, Inc. Ken Krugler is the founder of Bixo Labs, the leader in elastic web mining. Bixo Labs provides a scalable, cost effective solution to web mining problems. Past companies include Krugle (enterprise code search), HDG (expert system for fitness clubs), TransPac Software (internationalization of Mac & Palm OS for Japanese/Chinese/Korean/Arabic/Thai/Tibetan) and Apple Computer (original Mac OS team).

Dave Lewicki, EventCetera.  Dave Lewicki specializes in PHP/MySQL web application development. He is the founder of EventCetera which offers an Integrated Box Office, Online Ticketing and Patron/Donor Management solution which caters to non-profits who produce more complicated events and festivals. He is also the lead software engineer for Compli and has over 12 year experience developing software for the wine industry compliance and logistics systems.

Dave earned his B.S. in Computer Science & Math from Cal State Long Beach and M.S. from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  He is also an avid trad-Irish fiddler, loves to cook and can be found beating the summer heat in a whitewater kayak.

Mike Mooers, Marketing Communications and Outreach Consultant Mike launched his own consulting firm after many years in the corporate trenches generating mojo for brands including The North Face, Sierra Designs, Ultimate Direction, Outdoor Research, and SNEWS. In 2003 he founded OllyDog, one of the most highly regarded brands in the world of dog gear. Current clients include Clik Elite, StatPacks, Flour Garden Bakery, and Think Local First. Mike also serves on the boards for the North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center and Think Local First Nevada County Foothills. A fifth generation Californian, bad tele skier, and lousy fly fisherman, Mike lives on the San Juan Ridge with his wife, Suzanne.

Max Norton, Velocity7 Max produces communications products for Velocity7, an integrated marketing communications agency based at Sierra Commons. Max’s areas of focus at V7 include web development, web standards compliance, content management system implementation, copywriting, and client relations. On board since the early days of Sierra Commons, Max has played a behind-the-curtain role in the planning and development of the co-working space. Max moonlights as a whitewater guide on various rivers around the Sierra Nevada. As a river guide, Max met his partner, Rose, a Nevada City native who played a big role in luring him to the area. He has also worked for the Sierra Nevada Alliance and for Columbia University’s Digital Knowledge Ventures. Max graduated from Columbia with a BA in Film Studies in 2006.

Robert Trent, Sierra Commons With an entrepreneurial spirit and business savvy, Robert Trent is a respected advocate for small and emerging businesses in his hometown of Nevada City, California. Collaborative relationships and commitment to maintaining an eclectic and vibrant community gives Nevada City its own unique feel, and was the draw for Robert who migrated from the busy hub of Silicon Valley. Before relocating to the beautiful Sierra Nevada, Robert was involved in creating a firm specializing in consumer level wireless access. The company that started in the garage went all the way to the boardroom and sold for more than $50,000,000. With a Master’s degree in Instructional Technologies from San Francisco State University, Robert’s corporate experience includes management and director positions in the high tech industry, including positions with Compaq, Alation Systems, Inc., Intel, Oracle, and Broderbund. In 2001 Robert became a business owner in Nevada City, forming the award winning marketing communication firm, Velocity7. Robert continues to leads team of talented producers at Velocity7 with a portfolio of respected clients including: the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Airstream, Inc., South Yuba River Citizens League, and Sierra Business Council. n 2009, Robert also became the Executive Director of Sierra Commons, a business incubator in Nevada City that provides a platform for small businesses to launch. Robert believes that fostering mentoring relationships, creating training opportunities, and providing infrastructure are the core strengths of successful incubators, and has integrated these into the Sierra Commons environment. When he’s not networking and leading teams of talent, Robert enjoys international travel, as well as hitting the road with his trusty Airstream trailer.

Todd Wahoske, The Funkhole Todd Wahoske is a US based environment artist, with over a decade of game development experience. As an environment artist, Todd has received considerable exposure, his work featuring in many successful, critically acclaimed video games, spanning multiple game console platforms. He is driven by an instinct to follow the creative path of game development. In the future Todd expects to continue his work both on innovative new platforms and next-generation hardware, while trying to satisfy his lofty appetite for mastering new tools, techniques and dreaming up new ideas. He also really likes baking cookies.

Rob Wunderlich, IT Consultant Rob is an independent IT Consultant based in Nevada City. Rob’s specialties include mainframe computer management, computer security, java programming and data analysis.

Matthew Bell, Social Media Intern Matthew is an aspiring writer currently working on his first screenplay and a collection of short stories. He writes copy for the Sierra Commons Blog, Facebook and Twitter and is the creator and writer of the Sierra Commons Newsletter.