Local tech company expanding with new building in downtown Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno tech and educational company is expanding.

Quiq Labs held a ribbon cutting on Wednesday at their new office in the Factory 41 building downtown, one of the former homes of Bitwise.

As Quiq Labs celebrates its 10th anniversary in business, it is also celebrating growth, moving from a less than 400-square-foot office into a nearly 3000-square-foot office space on Ventura Street Downtown.

"Technology is not dead in Fresno. It's here, we're growing," said Curlen Phipps, co-founder of Quiq Labs.

The organization, founded by Curlen Phipps and Damon Thomas, provides various tech services and education.

"Quiq Labs is a tech company and a tech education company. We teach students from K-12 and young adults graphic design, web design, multi-media, entrepreneurship, communications, podcasting, and drone technology," said Thomas.

The move will allow for the expansion of the services they already offer and will be home to their "Hero Academy," which will give students access to robotics, augmented reality and more.

Quiq Labs already works with students in schools, but this will now allow for field trips and teaching on-site.

"We can bring in adults who need technical education; we can bring in little kids and teach them robotics," said Phipps.

Many of the office spaces in their new location are occupied by former students they mentored, who have become entrepreneurs themselves, like twins Kyreese and Tyreese Bailey.

The boys credit their mom with getting them into a coding program at Quiq Labs, which launched their careers today.

The two now pass on their knowledge to inspire the next generation.

Kyreese creates art and YouTube videos with action figures he paints himself.

"When I see kids and they're amazed to see what I'm doing and they want to do things similar I'm like heck yeah! I'm never going to tell them they can't do it. I'm always going to hit them with that encouragement," said Kyreese.

Tyreese teaching young gamers how to create games.

"I teach kids how to make their own game, as well as programming skills, graphic design, game design, and social-emotional learning in all of my classes," Tyreese explained.

They are just two examples of the impacts of Quiq Labs and the success that Thomas and Phipps hope to expand on in their new office.

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