Larry Burtness, Technology Entrepreneur, Forks, Washington

Leaving behind the stress and congestion of urban life and starting over in a smaller, cleaner, friendlier place is an enduring dream for many people. Those who make the move to a rural area often discover that small town life really is the slower, less stressful lifestyle they were seeking. But some new transplants to small towns discover something else: the combination of access to the latest technologies and the experience and talent they've brought along with them can open doors to new opportunities in rural America. 

Larry Burtness, a technology entrepreneur in Forks, Washington, is an expert in finding these new opportunities. When he moved to Forks in 1997, his plan was to concentrate on moving the software development company he developed in Anacortes, to this new, rural location. Through a personal contact, he was asked to take on a project for the Quinault Tribe, transferring data from reel-to-reel tapes into a digital format. That effort led to other technology work including serving as a computer applications instructor at the Forks branch of Peninsula College.

But he didn't stop there; for the past two years, Larry has been the project manager for the new Olympic Virtual Museum, a grant-funded project sponsored by the University of Washington. The museum, which will be located primarily on the Internet, is designed to collect and display artifacts from North Olympic Peninsula history. It will include photos, journals, oral histories and other local treasures and will allow visitors to view and hear them interactively online.

Larry's ability to pursue these opportunities is a direct result of having access to the latest technologies at affordable prices. With these tools, Larry has used the diverse skills he developed over the years as a freelance technology professional in a more urban environment to be an effective entrepreneur in his new rural home.

In addition to continuing to develop and expand the museum, Larry has started work on another project. He's collaborating with his brother, who lives in California, on a business that will provide marketing services throughout the West Coast. He feels it has enormous potential and is looking forward to whatever comes next.