Creating A Tech Team In A Non Tech Environment

This is a hypothetical post, to fill a knowledge void.

If you found yourself half way between the two coasts, with a company that had a very successful product and a very able management team, and a vision of a very cutting edge, internet based, consumer centric retail and social media platform that was niche market rather than mass market focused exactly how would you begin defining the talent needed and the scope of work necessary to build this vision?

One could contract out to a company such as Hitcents or Rockfish Interactive  but at sometime, after the initial build, staff would have to be hired to maintain, upgrade, support, the various planned projects and then you also have the issue of  continual marketing/advertising and promotions, along with management of communities and databases.  On top of this the projects must integrate with the existing apparel management software, and the projects fall into those that are consumer based and those that are retailer based.

One could also hire their own people and build from within; but the key to success is the realization that within an old economy/old tech company a new economy/new tech company would emerge.

How would you begin?  Where would you begin?  Who would be the most critical component to making this a success and what would be their skill set?