Op-Ed | We Need More Inventopias to Foster Economic Development

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Every community needs people who are willing to build something — something bold, something innovative, something that doesn’t yet exist. Inventopia, the nonprofit startup incubator founded in Davis, is one of those rare examples. It has quietly and persistently helped foster biotech and cleantech companies, creating jobs, attracting investment, and returning real economic value to the city. 

So it’s disheartening to see some throw shade on it through unfounded suspicion, insinuation, and political attacks aimed at the very people who’ve poured their time, money, and sweat into strengthening this community.

Let’s look at what Inventopia has accomplished. According to a newly-released economic impact report conducted by the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, Inventopia generated over $100 million in total economic output for the City of Davis over the last six years. 

That includes over $35 million in payroll, 131 total jobs, and more than $230,000 in direct revenue to the City of Davis. 

All this was achieved with a $100,000 loan — not a grant — which Inventopia has been steadily repaying. That’s not just a return on investment. That’s a model of community-driven economic development.

And it was done without profit. 

Tim Keller, the founder of Inventopia, has run this operation as a volunteer for eight years — with no salary and often at significant personal expense. That level of self-sacrifice, especially in an environment as cynical and adversarial as local politics can be, deserves admiration, not baseless suspicion.

Yet instead of celebrating this success story, some in the community have chosen to vilify it. Conspiracy theories swirl around the most innocuous collaborations. People whisper about shadowy alliances and misuse of funds — often without a single piece of credible evidence. These attacks not only slander the individuals involved, they threaten to dissuade others from taking the kinds of risks that innovation requires. Who would want to step forward with a bold idea or a grassroots effort when the public response is hostility instead of support?

As someone who also runs a nonprofit with minimal compensation and relentless demands, I understand what it takes to stay afloat, let alone succeed. It means personal sacrifice. It means enduring long hours, financial insecurity, and public scrutiny — often without recognition or thanks. The idea that anyone doing this work is part of a “scheme” rather than a mission is not just wrong — it’s insulting.

The truth is, we should be encouraging more efforts like Inventopia. In a town like Davis, where economic development often struggles to gain traction amid political division, we need people willing to act. We need spaces where researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs can build the future — whether it’s clean energy, sustainable agriculture, or biomedical innovation. These aren’t fringe projects. These are the exact kinds of enterprises that align with Davis’s values: sustainability, knowledge, and community stewardship.

If we want a thriving future, we need to reward initiative, not punish it. We need to lift up those who are doing the hard work of building and stop indulging those who seek only to tear down. The next Inventopia could be just around the corner — but only if we create an environment that welcomes bold, community-minded innovation rather than chasing it away with cynicism.

Let’s stop the unfounded conspiracy theories and start asking a better question: how can we help?

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