I’ve spent a great deal of time recently thinking about the rate at which people are ready to adopt new ideas and new possibilities, and therefore big changes. Back in 2008, stepping into my new role as CEO of the Austin Technology Council, I heard every excuse as to why tech was not and would […]
Innovation and Invention
For the last few months, I’ve been in Milwaukee diving deeper into the economic potential of the Midwest. I left with a renewed sense of optimism and excitement, specifically with regards to the amount of invention and innovation coming from the region already. Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Ohio all came in higher than anticipated […]
Why the Midwest?
Why will the Midwest experience an economic renaissance through tech? While there is trepidation and concern around the evolution of manufacturing and the rise of a new economic era, there is also excitement within the region. My conversations with numerous employees and industry leaders in the Midwest illuminate a clear intention to evolve Midwestern culture […]
The Methodology – Every City is a Tech City
After many years working with industry leaders as the CEO of the Austin Technology Council, it is clear to me we are living in a new era of economic development and city growth. We are living in the era of innovation. The traditional methods of how we study and measure city growth and development are […]
A Word on Resilience
Resilience is one of the most prized traits in business, specifically in Silicon Valley and within any successful tech ecosystem. The new era of the innovation economy requires us to sail uncharted waters and invent creative solutions to unfamiliar problems. Investors are obsessed with finding entrepreneurs and industry leaders who not only have deep domain […]
On Grit, Motivation, and Becoming a Transformative CEO
To say I didn’t have much experience in tech before becoming the CEO of the Austin Technology Council is an understatement. To be quite frank, I had never worked in tech. Thankfully, however, I was qualified. My work experience ranged from banking, to business and marketing. But what I really believe made my work at […]