Going Rogue To Bring Advanced Manufacturing To Southern Oregon

Starting a typical hardware company is notoriously difficult and capital-intensive. Starting an advanced microelectronics manufacturing company, which requires engineering talent and expensive equipment – and doing it in Southern Oregon rather than Silicon Valley – is even more of a challenge. But none of that stopped Jessica Gomez, co-founder and CEO of Rogue Valley Microdevices, a MEMS foundry and silicon wafer fab based in Medford, Oregon.

Jessica’s journey to co-founding Rogue Valley Microdevices is a study in grit, strength and sheer determination. Growing up in the Long Island, NY area, Jessica negotiated an economically turbulent childhood and financed her own education. Eventually, she and her family moved to Oregon. While Jessica lived in Los Angeles for a time, she returned to Medford with husband Pat Kayatta to launch their company.

It was a rocky start, however. At the age of 25, Jessica and Pat worked 12- to 15-hour days when they were getting started, taking turns sleeping at the company to keep the equipment running smoothly. From bootstrapping the purchase of their manufacturing equipment to getting creative about hiring, Jessica and Pat now have a full-fledged advanced manufacturing facility, staffed by a knowledgeable and reliable team dedicated to collaborative customer relationships, and producing superior MEMS devices and silicon wafers. 

Oregon Business recently featured Jessica’s “rogue” start in co-founding Rogue Valley Microdevices, proving that a company with an unconventional start can succeed despite the odds.

Read “Going Rogue” in Oregon Business to get the whole story.