SACRAMENTO, CA - A Folsom man is bringing ideas to life in the form of mobile apps.
Apptology is one of 450 technology companies in the area that is making a difference through innovation.
For Rich Foreman, making apps is more than just business.
"I started out making apps for my daughter actually," Foreman explained.
It started as a hobby in 2009 creating apps for his daughter.
"The apps we made, she learned her ABCs and learned to count actually," Foreman said.
At the time, Foreman worked as a software engineer for WebEx in Rancho Cordova, which was eventually acquired by Cisco. Then, Foreman found himself a casualty of the economy.
"I don't think I would have been an entrepreneur if I didn't get laid off, but sometimes necessity is the mother of invention," Foreman said.
He likes Sacramento and didn't want to move to the Bay Area for another tech job. Foreman looked around and saw how much smart phones were changing how people communicate and how businesses could use apps as a marketing tool. So, he took a big chance.
"Basically, this whole thing was funded through my 401K plan," Foreman said.
He formed Apptology with one other person. Three years later, the Sacramento area based tech start up has grown to about 50 employees with clients worldwide.
So far, Foreman and his team have created more than 200 apps. There's one that interprets your dreams, write a song and help you if you're in the market to buy a home.
"This is a hot space," Foreman said. "Every time I go to the airport or walk through a restaurant, I feel validated I am doing the right thing."
And if this is any validation, Apptology is growing 30 percento to 40 percentevery year. He's making apps that he knows will one day make their way into his daughter's hands again.
If you know of a great story of innovation or risk-taking, let us know. You can email us at Inventures@news10.net
