{"id":7556,"date":"2017-01-27T14:01:34","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T14:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/?p=7556"},"modified":"2021-01-15T08:28:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T08:28:00","slug":"three-week-seven-city-north-american-innovation-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/three-week-seven-city-north-american-innovation-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"A three-week, seven city North American innovation tour"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7560\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/USTrip-710x397.jpg\" alt=\"North American Hub Tour\" width=\"710\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/USTrip-710x397.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/USTrip-768x429.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/USTrip-1024x572.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/USTrip-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>How does an innovation hub build resilience in regional communities?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>What makes an innovation hub or startup accelerator a success?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>How can we fast-track global impact for local regional startups?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>These are a few of the questions that are top of mind as I head out for a three-week tour of innovation hubs through seven North American cities.<\/p>\n<h2>Why am I going?<\/h2>\n<p>It has been almost 12 months since I stepped into the role of Community Manager for <a href=\"http:\/\/firestation101.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Fire Station 101<\/a>, Ipswich City Council\u2019s innovation hub. Launched in March, 2016, over 100 startups and entrepreneurs have joined and given it a go at building, growing, and scaling their business.<\/p>\n<p>These bold entrepreneurs address challenges in sectors and technologies including automotive, virtual reality, accounting, legal, social enterprise, drones, education, agriculture, project management, recruitment, fitness, gaming, and more.\u00a0We delivered over 100 events, including hackathons, meetups, executive strategy sessions, school programs, and hosted global dignitaries and other local councils. We facilitated the implementation of new companies, employment, investment, and built personal and community resilience.<\/p>\n<p>Even with these outcomes and momentum, we know that we will not get to where we need to go with the same thinking that got us to where we are now. This applies as much to our strategy for year two as it did when the hub launched. So, I am investing in three weeks to experience other models first-hand. I aim to reset, refresh, and challenge my thinking as we prepare to deliver outcomes for our entrepreneur members and the broader community over the next twelve months.<\/p>\n<p>My aims for the trip are to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Establish global connections for local startups,<\/li>\n<li>Bring back new ideas for regional hubs,<\/li>\n<li>Identify where I can personally have the most impact in the next two to three years, and<\/li>\n<li>Gain insights into my PhD research on the connection between regional hubs and community resilience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"slate-resizable-image-embed slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-imgsrc=\"https:\/\/media.licdn.com\/mpr\/mpr\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAkLAAAAJGYwNGNiYTllLTcwOTItNDdkNS05MWQ0LWQ0MDI3N2Q3ZGZmZQ.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\" src=\"https:\/\/media.licdn.com\/mpr\/mpr\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAkLAAAAJGYwNGNiYTllLTcwOTItNDdkNS05MWQ0LWQ0MDI3N2Q3ZGZmZQ.jpg\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>Leg 1: Startup Catalyst<\/h2>\n<div class=\"slate-resizable-image-embed slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-imgsrc=\"https:\/\/media.licdn.com\/mpr\/mpr\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAgkAAAAJGI2ZTVkOWU5LWQ5NWYtNGU2My04OGJmLTA4YzVlZGJhOGQ3Mg.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\" src=\"https:\/\/media.licdn.com\/mpr\/mpr\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAgkAAAAJGI2ZTVkOWU5LWQ5NWYtNGU2My04OGJmLTA4YzVlZGJhOGQ3Mg.png\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.startupcatalyst.com.au\/2017\/01\/20\/were-heading-to-colorado-and-california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">first week of the trip<\/a> is through a program called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.startupcatalyst.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Startup Catalyst<\/a>. Brainchild of investor, startup advocate, and Shark Tank mentor <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stevebaxter.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Steve Baxter<\/a> and managed by CEO <a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/aaronbirkby\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aaron Birkby<\/a>, the Startup Catalyst program takes entrepreneurs, leaders, and investors on tours of global innovation meccas to expand thinking, build capability, and facilitate connections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"slate-resizable-image-embed slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-imgsrc=\"https:\/\/media.licdn.com\/mpr\/mpr\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAhiAAAAJDIxODI2ZTAwLTEzMTAtNGY1YS1hMWZjLWU1NDY4YzIwYWI2OQ.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\" src=\"https:\/\/media.licdn.com\/mpr\/mpr\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAhiAAAAJDIxODI2ZTAwLTEzMTAtNGY1YS1hMWZjLWU1NDY4YzIwYWI2OQ.png\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The tour I am going on is focused on leaders within the Queensland startup ecosystem. Sharing the experience with other leaders from across Queensland will have a multiplier effect for the State as we create a shared vision and raise the overall standard of delivery for local entrepreneurs. I am very grateful for the sponsorship from the Advancing Regional Innovation Program Fund through the <a href=\"http:\/\/advance.qld.gov.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Advance Queensland program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Colorado<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The first stop will be in Denver and Boulder Colorado.\u00a0With a population of only 100,000, Boulder is credited with a tech startup formation rate six times the US national average. Having read investor and entrepreneur Brad Feld\u2019s description of the key attributes of success in his book <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Startup-Communities-Building-Entrepreneurial-Ecosystem\/dp\/1118441540\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Startup Communities<\/a>, I am keen to see the words on paper in real life and understand how the lessons can be applied back in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>Target sites on the Colorado list include: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.boomtownaccelerator.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Boom Town Accelerator<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparkboulder.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Spark Boulder<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.galvanize.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Galvanise<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.techstars.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Techstars<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/shiftworkspaces.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Shift Workspaces<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sheeo.world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">SheEO<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rockiesventureclub.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Rockies Venture Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>San Francisco<\/h3>\n<p>In the startup community, you often hear reference to places being <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/navathwal\/2015\/02\/12\/5-markets-poised-to-be-the-next-silicon-valley-for-real-estate\/#4814a84d1000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">the next Silicon Valley<\/a> or the Silicon Valley of XX (<a href=\"http:\/\/inhabitat.com\/massive-food-hub-in-denmark-is-agricultures-answer-to-silicon-valley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Agriculture<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/topdocumentaryfilms.com\/shenzhen-silicon-valley-hardware\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">hardware<\/a>, etc.). I look forward to experiencing a region that reports an estimated 27,000 startups and 15,000 investors operating in an area roughly equivalent to the Brisbane-to-Gold Coast region, and with a population of roughly 7 million people.<\/p>\n<p>Target sites on the San Francisco list include: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.runway.is\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Runway<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.angellabs.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Angel Labs<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/readwritelabs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">ReadWrite Labs<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/sanfrancisco.impacthub.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Impact Hub San Francisco<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/startuphouse.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Startup House<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/500.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">500 Startups<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hf.cx\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Hackers \/ Founders<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/su.org\/su-labs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Singularity University Labs<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.workshopcafe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Workshop Caf\u00e9<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rocketspace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Rocketspace<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wework.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">WeWork<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Leg 2: Kansas City, Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver<\/h2>\n<p>I added two more weeks and a second leg of my trip to take advantage of being on the other side of the pond.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Kansas City<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Kansas City was added for one visit: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kauffman.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">the Kauffman Foundation<\/a>. I kept coming across the Kauffman Foundation in research on measuring ecosystems, and in particular the connection between innovation ecosystems and social impact. When a visiting entrepreneur from the States mentioned them again, I booked my ticket to Kansas City and then reached out to get a meeting.<\/p>\n<p>I am also looking forward to connecting with the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kcstartupvillage.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Kansas City Startup Village<\/a>, seeing the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.1millioncups.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">1 Million Cups<\/a> presentation, and hope to connect with <a href=\"http:\/\/plexpod.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Plexpod<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kcsourcelink.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">KC SourceLink<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Toronto<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/technology\/torontos-tech-startup-scene-in-a-blossom-state\/article28755915\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Toronto<\/a> is another place where those in the know pointed me towards as a must-visit.\u00a0My site visit list was referred to me by a contact at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.intelligentcommunity.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Intelligent Community Forum<\/a>: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.communitech.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Communitech<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/acceleratorcentre.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Accelerator Centre<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.marsdd.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">MaRS<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/dmz.ryerson.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">DMZ<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Seattle \/ Vancouver<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Seattle and Vancouver are my home towns, having grown up near Seattle and finished high school near Vancouver. I am particularly keen to see where innovation sits in the development of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bcbusiness.ca\/surrey-the-startup-city\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Surrey<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/caed.abbotsford.ca\/innovate-here\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Abbottsford<\/a> up north. I also expect to hit some <a href=\"http:\/\/www.canadianbusiness.com\/innovation\/vancouver-gastown-the-next-tech-boom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Vancouver hubs<\/a> like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hivevancouver.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Hive<\/a> and re-visit <a href=\"http:\/\/seattle.impacthub.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Impact Hub Seattle<\/a> if I have time.<\/p>\n<h2>Come on the journey with me<\/h2>\n<p>So that\u2019s the rough plan, which I expect will flex a bit as soon as I step off the plane.\u00a0My intent is to blog, vlog, and otherwise be a social media pest through the journey.\u00a0I invite you to follow, feedback, and guide me along my journey.<\/p>\n<p>Please do drop me a line if you have any connections, people, or places you think would be important for me to see or if your goals and mine align around making a difference in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How does an innovation hub build resilience in regional communities? What makes an innovation hub or startup accelerator a success? How can we fast-track global&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/three-week-seven-city-north-american-innovation-tour\/\" class=\"bwp-excerpt-more-link\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[193,3],"tags":[71],"ecosystem_role":[],"class_list":["post-7556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-innovation-ecosystems","category-about-me","tag-innovation","bwp-masonry-item","bwp-col-3"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7556"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7579,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7556\/revisions\/7579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7556"},{"taxonomy":"ecosystem_role","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ecosystem_role?post=7556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}