The Chicostart community is the tech and entrepreneurial hub in Chico CA. We are here to help displaced businesses impacted by the Camp Fire. To offer or seek assistance instructions below:
My Business Needs Help! | I am a Business That Wants to Help | Donate equipment or cash | Testimonials
Businesses DISPLACED by Camp Fire
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE! Or contact tim@chicostart.com or 530 924-5100
Coworking Space & Tech Services AVAILABLE NOW including:
- 100mb internet connection at our Chicostart location
- Workstations- ready to go, desktops, monitors, keyboards, printing
- Phones- ready to go and we can help facilitate your existing telephone systems to route here
- Conference Rooms w/ Video/Audio Bridge lines
- Email – we can help facilitate your existing email and getting it back up
- Applications – we have resources to help with your systems
- Coworking space at numerous local businesses including: Chicostart, City of Chico, LuLu’s, Work Truck Solutions, Nor-Cal Vans, Social High Rise, Harris Commercial Real Estate, Clockshark, 2B9X, and CapayHops
- Office Space (Shared or Private)
- Connectivity (Internet/Phones)
- Conference Rooms
Businesses Offering Help
CLICK HERE TO OFFER ASSISTANCE! Or email tim@chicostart.com
If you have additional office space / resources that you can share with Camp Fire displaced businesses we are looking for businesses that can provide:
- Office Space (Shared or Private)
- Conference Rooms
- Connectivity (ISP/Phones/Printing, etc)
Donations
CLICK HERE TO OFFER DONATIONS! We are 501c3 Chico Economic Planning Corporation DBA Chicostart – entire donation goes to support cause (no overhead %)
We are looking for the following
- Workstations including – Desktops, laptops, monitors, keyboard/mouse, printers
- Phones –VoIP Phones
- Cash to cover the purchase of these items or other office supplies
Thanks Quorum Technologies for donating the first round of 5 workstations and your time helping with email and phone re-routing!
Testimonials
“Having lost my home/office/community in Paradise, I was well received at Chicostart immediately post-fire.The space provides abundant space, fast internet, ambient temperature 24/7, and a kitchenette plentiful with food, without a proper kitchen at my temporary residence, this has been a godsend. I’ve been provided usage to tools I never knew would boost my productivity.
With the conference space and mediums to host meetings (personal and remote) I’ve been able to continue developing my business. The abundance of networking and matchmaking opportunities has helped my business prosper post-fire.”
-Brian Henry from Neovora
“As I relocated back to Chico over a year ago, it was immediately obvious to me that Chicostart served an important and growing role in the community. I don’t recall a similar service or organization existing when I originally lived in Chico over 8 years ago. Not only is Chicostart offering a service that is popular and sought-after in other similar sized municipalities, but Chicostart is doing it with energy and enthusiasm that is rarely seen elsewhere. Chicostart is unique. And while co-working spaces and business incubators could be seen as extras or nice-to-haves for a small city such as Chico, it’s not difficult to see that these services will be a necessity in the future. This is why I have chosen to staunchly support what Chicostart does. I am voting with my time, voice, dollars and energy to help ensure they are able to continue with their mission of fostering new businesses. And I would ask that anyone who is invested in the community of Chico, or the county of Butte, to do the same.
Most recently, Chicostart became more than all of that. After losing my house and home-office in the Camp Fire, Chicostart became a hub for me to access additional resources I needed. Businesses came together. And the community in that space became like family. I’m especially thankful to have had my Chicostart desk at this time, because after the fire… my only book, cup and pen existed at Chicostart.”
-Andrew Burke
“ChicoStart has been crucial to restarting my personal business. I am a Realtor and an independent contractor with a brokerage out of Redding. I had several homes for sale in Magalia that would have been potential income for my family, they burned and all income was lost. I often worked from home in Paradise on Oakmore drive in between showing of homes. I no longer have that option and am now happy to have a new business home at ChicoStart. I was literally working on my laptop from cafes and in my car with a hotspot before Tim at ChicoStart told me they would love to help me out and give me a business home. To finally have a desk and a printer again has increased my, now, overwhelming real estate business – and has been a game changer. I recommend ChicoStart to all displaced businesses, launch a new business or reboot your business!”
-Katee Riesinger
“I’m writing on behalf of the exemplary staff of ChicoStart to offer my full support for their forthcoming requests for financial assistance (via grants and other support).
I moved to Chico with my wife and three children in September of 2018. I started “officing” out of ChicoStart almost immediately after arriving. In my short time in Chico I’ve seen Wendy, Tim and Eva mobilize resources to address the needs of the many victims of the CampFire. I’ve witnessed first-hand the supportive and welcoming environment ChicoStart has been to a number of displaced individuals and businesses in the days, weeks and months after the disaster.
The office addresses all of the necessities for the displaced individual with amenities like a kitchenette, conference rooms and professional workspaces. With proper assistance ChicoStart can continue to be an effective resource building a more resilient business community in Paradise.
I hope you will consider collaborating with ChicoStart in support of their efforts to provide for the immediate needs, mentorship and networking opportunities (within its sphere of expertise). I believe the work they are doing will facilitate a stronger partnership among our communities in Chico and Paradise and across Butte county as well.”
-Chris Bouma
“We wanted to provide our unqualified endorsement of ChicoStart. I (David) have co-owned a small business performing environmental due diligence for commercial real estate for the past 15 years, and my wife, Kristine performs an integral role in the business. Our family and our business were significantly affected by the Camp Fire and its aftermath, beginning in November 2018. We had to evacuate our home and office for an extended period, and business continuity was crucial to keeping both the business running, but also helping us to keep our minds off of the disaster. ChicoStart provided a welcoming environment while we were evacuated and getting our feet back under us, and also a professional place to be going forward to continue our business operations.
The high speed internet, conference rooms, kitchenette, free parking and proximity to downtown amenities and Bidwell Park are an amazing combination that has benefitted us personally and professionally.
ChicoStart also provides an interesting milieu where folks from many different businesses operate, and we have the chance to find out about new ideas from a diverse group of people.
In addition to our business needs, our daughter attends Paradise High School, which is closed long-term until repairs can be made, and temporarily housed near the Chico Airport. The temporary location does not provide after school facilities, so ChicoStart has been very beneficial to our daughter to complete her homework (most of which is online), using high speed internet and desk space, in a safe and positive location.
We really hope that ChicoStart is around for a long time and can expand its mission and its ability to help both new and existing businesses, and the community.”
-Pinnacle Environmental, Inc. David W. Copp and Kristine E. Copp