Bitwise Industries got a shout-out from Governor Gavin Newsom Thursday as he announced relief for small businesses. The Fresno-based tech company is creating a resource for those laid off due to the pandemic: OnwardCa.org.
The website is something of a one-stop shop for COVID-19 needs. You just put in a bit of information, and it comes back with grocery programs, financial support, and open job postings in the county.
Bitwise Co-founder Jake Soberal says the website already had 10,000 visitors before the governor’s press conference ended.
Soberal says the site is pulling jobs from LinkedIn and Indeed for positions like a registered nurse, a police officer, a water manager and a cashier. While some might be outdated, he says the team is doing it’s best to ensure the jobs are legitimate, hiring right now.
This resource didn’t exist before the pandemic, but Soberal says like grocers trying to keep the shelves stocked, his team is trying to use technology wisely.
“We do things that can be deployed to meet the moment in a really powerful way so why don’t we do those things?”
The website was made in collaboration with a number of partners, including the Kapor Center, Mastercard, and Salesforce.
The third component of the site, training to help someone move into a new job or industry, isn’t live yet, but will be in the next few weeks.
Soberal added that OnwardCa.org is specific to California, but he expects versions for other states to roll out soon.