Operation Rural Tech — Conversations from the Road

From “Re-Shoring” to Relocating, Tech Industry Leaders Discuss Opportunities in Appalachia

In January, CentralApp CEO Todd Cope started a 6,514-mile journey from the heart of Appalachia to Silicon Valley. It’s a trip Cope, a West Virginia native turned Silicon Valley exec, has made before — with a few notable differences. First, this journey was a socially distant trip, complete with remote work, many, many Zoom calls, and camping in a Tesla. Second, dubbed “Operation: Rural Tech,” this trip was about more than getting from Point A to Point B. 

It was a chance to bring tech jobs to Appalachia and highlight the talent and opportunities in these communities. It was also an opportunity to connect with business leaders and tech innovators across the country. 

During the 21-day trip, Todd met with and learned from industry leaders. Check out some of the conversations below. 

Above: Jacob Aust, a CentralApp Talent Exchange member from Ashland, Kentucky

Julia Barrett, General Manager for Oktana USA 

Grant Bumgarner, Community Manager with Tulsa Remote

Tim Colleran, VP of Business Development at LEVL

Rob Goldiez the CEO of Hirebotics an exciting robotics company 

Paul Lambert, a CEO who moved a company to West Virginia from Northern California

Maria, a participant in the Tulsa Remote program

Katherine Monson, CEO at KSAT, a Norway-based satellite infrastructure company.

Andrew Rieser, a CentralApp founder and the CEO of Mountain Point 

Chris Sommers, Co-Founder of Accrue

Alexander Westa and Richard Darche, Principals at John Lyle and Associates

To learn more about remote work opportunities in tech, check out the CentralApp Talent Exchange.