Meet the local tech entrepreneur who never used a computer until college
Peter Rotich is a successful tech entrepreneur right here in Central Louisiana.
Companies in more than 200 countries use computer software created by the Louisiana transplant and native of Kenya who grew up without electricity or running water and first learned how to type in college.
"I didn't know what a computer was," said Rotich, founder and CEO of downtown Alexandria-based Enhancesoft.
But Rotich's childhood in the rural Kenyan village of Kolong with little access to technology had its advantages.
He recalls reading books cover to cover instead of watching television and how he developed a strong sense of curiosity about technology. He wanted to know what made even the simplest gadgets like watches and radios work.
"That really bothered me," he said.
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That curiosity inspired Rotich to study computer engineering in the late '90s after being accepted into a program at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Back in Kenya, he had started running in hopes of earning an athletic scholarship to pay for college. He ended up getting a full ride.
Rotich can recall a college advisor asking if he had taken any programming classes in high school. At the time, he had never used a computer.
In fact, Rotich "rescued" the first computer he owned from a dumpster, unable to afford anything else.
Rotich described moving from Kenya to New Orleans after high school as "culture shock" but said it helped that the Big Easy lived up to its laid-back reputation.
He still loves the city and might not have left if it hadn't been for Hurricane Katrina.
In Alexandria, Rotich's focus has been on "organically" growing his business. But he says Enhancesoft is already proof a tech start-up with global reach doesn't need a Silicon Valley ZIP code to succeed.
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He hopes Enhancesoft will help promote the tech field locally and expose young people to the opportunities right here at home. Enhancesoft will even sponsor any Rapides student who wants to taken an introduction to computer coding class through Aiken Virtual.
"Rural America is going to be the epicenter of growth for these type of jobs," Rotich said.
In the last year, Rotich has visited every Rapides Parish high school to talk about his company and software called osTicket.
Rotich created the help desk ticketing system more than a decade ago and made it available for free online. For those unfamiliar with the software, Rotich likes to describe it as an online sticky note for human resource and IT employees.
Although Enhancesoft software is free, around 3,000 customers in 94 countries pay for hosting and customer-support services. Clients, who are mostly international, also turn to Rotich and his team when they need new software features.
The software is used by businesses, organizations and school systems small and large like ESPN Radio, Fox Sports, the Louisiana Department of Education and hundreds of others.
Rotich's Enhancesoft team was made up of only a couple people besides himself for some time. Within the last year, he's brought on several new employees.
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But this is just the beginning. With plans to open a European office to better serve clients in other time zones, Enhancesoft will be growing.
The path of entrepreneurship can be difficult, and Rotich stresses that his has been no exception with "a lot of stumbling blocks."
He shied away from telling his story for many years, but is willing to now, especially if it inspires something in a young person. And hearing about someone with humble beginnings achieve what Rotich has might do just that.
"They see it's within their reach," he said.
Rotich's experience has taught him that cultivating curiosity and imagination in the minds of young people is the most important thing. After all, that's what empowered him.
"I didn't take (technology) for granted," he said. "I was naive."
His message to today's youth is, "instead of being users (of technology), be makers."
"The way I look at it is, technology is great. But we've got to use it the right way," he said.
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