Wild West Tech

San Francisco and Silicon Valley are currently experiencing a runaway economic boom and modern-day gold rush caused by the financial success of start-ups in the technology industry. I have been documenting the “dreamers” of this boom who have been flocking to the area to try to strike it rich.

From the original Gold Rush to the Summer of Love, San Francisco is a place where young people have flocked at certain points in history to follow their dreams. Now, a constellation of start-ups and technology giants in the city and Silicon Valley are attracting a new crop of dreamers while redefining, through their products, the very fabric of our society.

The incredible success of some of these companies, which have given birth to thousands of new millionaires, has caused a modern-day gold rush that has gripped San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. Many young entrepreneurs, geniuses and idealists are flocking to the area from around the world with the hope of launching a successful start-up or striking it rich by joining the right company at the right time.

In my work I’ve been consistently drawn to exploring the concept of wealth and the issues that surround it. With my latest project “Wild West Tech,” I’ve turned my attention to documenting the frenzy surrounding an economic boom by exploring the lives and personalities of these “dreamers” as they navigate this rapidly evolving environment.

I’ve been documenting these individuals as they work long hours to build their companies. Their lives are intertwined: they live with each other in co-living houses, work together in co-working spaces, network with one another, compete with everyone, but also party together. The tech boom has contributed to growing income inequality in the area, but many of these young transplants are not among the area’s elite, at least not yet. They often live on the cheap while working around the clock with hopes to build empires.

At the moment the buzz around the industry has created an environment where investors are willing to take big risks on young technology companies, but is this another tech bubble? For every success story there are many more failures, yet most of these dreamers believe that the industry is a true meritocracy: that those who deserve to succeed will do so.