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2 weeks agoEsmeralda Courts Locals as It Tries to Learn From California Forever's Mistakes | KQED
While the company has been working hard to garner trust in the community and distance itself from California Forever, Esmeralda shares similarities with the Solano-based company. Like California Forever CEO Jan Sramek, Zuegel worked in Silicon Valley, including at the software developer platform Github and blockchain company Bloom Protocol. And similar to California Forever's experience in Solano County, residents in Cloverdale raised questions about Esmeralda's investors. Rumors circulated early on, claiming Esmeralda is backed by venture capitalist Peter Thiel. While Zuegel has refuted that rumor and denied any relations to the conservative libertarian, she has declined to reveal the identities of the project's 19 backers. When the question came up during a project open house in October, Zuegel was nonspecific, saying they "tend to actually be private individuals who live in the Bay Area."
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