Damian leaves county government, returns to private sector
Kern's first chief economic development officer has stepped down to work on a tech startup while serving as the inaugural "entrepreneur in residence" at the county's only angel investment group.
Jim Damian, who founded and sold a business processes company before joining the county in mid-2023, said he left the county's employment Jan. 2 after finishing the tasks he was assigned.
"I kind of felt like, at the end of the year (2024), I did what I came to do," Damian said.
County spokeswoman Ally Triolo said by email the Tehachapi native moved forward the county's vision for business development, investment and strategic processes. She said the county thanks him for his service.
"He had a wonderful opportunity to return to his entrepreneurial roots and start a new venture — he is wished all the best by our team," Triolo wrote. She added that the county's chief operating officer, Stacy Kuwahara, will take over some of Damian's former duties, along with Brigiette Guzman, Kern's economic development analyst.
The investment organization, Kern Venture Group, said in a news release dated Wednesday Damian will represent KVG outside the county to help build relationships with venture capital firms, identify investment opportunities and promote Kern as a hub of innovation while also mentoring the group's portfolio of companies.
On top of that, he'll be heading up a new company called Linean LLC that KVG said will "leverage advisory services, artificial intelligence and data analytics to drive organizational efficiency."
As a tech startup, Linean may share some characteristics with Stria LLC, the business processes company he founded and led before selling it to Bitwise Industries, the now-defunct company based in Fresno that imploded in mid-2023, leading to the layoff of Stria's 132 employees, including Damian, who never received full reimbursement for the company's sale. Stria was named five times to the Inc. 5000 list of the country's fastest growing, privately held companies.
Bitwise's two founders have since been sentenced to a combined 20 years in prison after each pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges.
Damian likened his return to the private sector as hailing the "siren song of entrepreneur life."
KVG Managing Partner John-Paul Lake said in the news release the organization is thrilled to welcome Damian to a "pivotal role."
"Jim's unparalleled track record as an entrepreneur and change-maker aligns perfectly with our mission to support the growth of Kern County's entrepreneurial ecosystem," Lake wrote.
Author: John Cox
Jim Damian
