Silicon Valley expands to Bubblegum Alley

How San Luis Obispo was able to lure high-tech startups

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — San Luis Obispo has a reputation for being a sleepy town in central California known for its laid-back charm. Top tourist draws are a nearby 18th-century Spanish mission and Bubblegum Alley, a walkway lined with chewed gum. But Rick Stollmeyer, the chief executive of Mindbody, envisioned it as a bustling tech hub.

Nestled along the coast about 230 miles south of San Francisco, San Luis Obispo is far from Silicon Valley. The distance presented a challenge for Stollmeyer, who sought to lure talent to a small college town known by the acronym SLO, where nature buffs and health food junkies go to find their nirvana.

In 2001, he helped found Mindbody, which sells cloud-based business management tools for the wellness industry. By 2010, Stollmeyer had attracted $14 million in venture capital funding. In 2014, he raised $50 million more. A year later, Mindbody went public, and it remains the largest private employer in the region, with locations around the world.

Today, the tech community is growing, Stollmeyer said: “It is hopping. I’ve seen a dozen tech startups launch in the past year.”

Venture capitalists are also chiming in. “Mindbody has proven that a billion-dollar company can grow up in SLO, and that is a massive milestone,” said Stephen Beck, managing partner at Serra Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. “The tech scene has become authentic, dynamic and real enough to pay attention to.”

He is so convinced, he has invested in Whitefox Defense Technologies, a local startup selling devices that mitigate drone threats.

To date, more than 7,800 tech employees work

Sitting down at a holiday dinner with family and relatives who don’t necessarily see eye to eye on politics, religion or other issues of the day can present a daunting challenge. ¶ But thanks to recommendations from local experts, rare time spent with Uncle Larry and Aunt Sue doesn’t have to be dreadful.

Professor Katherine Hertlein of UNLV’S Couple and Family Therapy Program and CSN professor Danielle Richards’ fields of expertise cover interfamily relationships and keeping the peace. They said topics of U.S. politics, finances, religion and family gossip are among the least enjoyable for family members to discuss during holiday get-togethers.

“There’s a time and a place for political debates and hot topics