Honoree: Tricia Sanchez
Tricia SanchezPrincipal
C3 Tech
As the daughter of immigrants, Tricia Sanchez comes from a humble background growing up in Santa Ana. Early on in life, she decided that academics would open her doors that would otherwise remain closed and was determined to educate herself. Her hard work, tenacity, and dedication got her admitted to the University of Southern California (USC) on a full-tuition scholarship.
While there, she had to make ends meet by working as a waitress on campus through the federal work-study program. She graduated in 1987 majoring in communications, being the first one in her family to attend and graduate from college. After graduation, Sanchez accepted an opportunity to work at Xerox as an account executive in copier sales. As she gained experience, her devotion to client service catapulted her rise to become a top sales representative in the Southern California region. In 1994, Sanchez and her husband founded Copier Products Group Inc., the predecessor of C3 Tech, a woman- and minority-owned information technology (IT) and office technology company located in her hometown of Santa Ana. As principal, she is responsible for creating and maintaining customer and employee relationships. Her strong emphasis on client service inspired C3 Tech’s name because C3 stands for “Client-Centric Consulting.” Such customer-focused mentality combined with Tricia’s leadership and business talents has led C3 Tech to become an industry leader and pioneer in dark web protection, copier repair, and computer security services. Today, C3 Tech serves more than 300 businesses across Orange County providing critical IT services and protecting companies from crippling disruptions and devastating cyber-attacks. True to her entrepreneurial spirit, in 2005 Sanchez also joined her father Rueben Martinez in his joint venture with Hudson News at the John Wayne Airport. Hudson’s premier level of service resonated with her own business philosophy, and Team Martinez Sanchez and Hudson News have had a thriving relationship ever since. Meanwhile, she continues to score major successes with C3 Tech. Sanchez just won a major copier contract with Orange County that was awarded in April 2023. This deal entails the sale, implementation, and service of over 1,000 copiers and printers throughout the county’s offices.