Economic Development Archives - Page 4 of 26

The Texas Aerospace Space

Friday, 20 February 2026 by Paul O'Brien

Synonymous with space, Texas is far more than Houston being informed of a problem, and after an incredible tour of Firefly’s rocket facilities in Briggs, Texas, with Space Force Association, I needed to dig in. Texas got into aerospace the way Texas gets into anything: by building a messy, expensive, politically complicated machine that becomes

Published in Aerospace, Regional Development

1 Comment

Florida, Miami Startups, the Startup Ecosystem: Innovation, Invention, and Building Sustainable Entrepreneurial Capacity

Tuesday, 17 February 2026 by Paul O'Brien

Miami, known for its beaches and nightlife, is far more than the art deco and the party destination rightfully earned wherein you’ll find something that feels like a real startup ecosystem: vibrant, international, and increasingly respected on global rankings. This is the story of how Miami and Florida evolved from a tourism-centric economy into a dynamic

economy ecosystem florida miami startups

Published in Regional Development

18 Comments

New York’s Sector Machines, Explained: The Real Drivers of Startup Economic Power

Wednesday, 11 February 2026 by Paul O'Brien

I’ve found that one of the strengths and distinctions of New York City, from which we might all learn for our own local economy, is that it doesn’t have an ecosystem the way people say it at conferences, like it’s a single organism. A couple weeks ago, we explored here that New York is what

economic development economy ecosystem ecosystem building new york new york city

Published in Regional Development

8 Comments

New York Isn’t a Startup Ecosystem, It’s a Set of Sector Machines

Friday, 30 January 2026 by Paul O'Brien

With such a substantial and dense population, it’s difficult to say that New York City has a startup ecosystem as though a monolithic slice of the economy and yet, it’s precisely because of New York’s urban density that it’s a leading example of an advanced startup community. New York is a rotating set of sector-specific

economic development ecosystem fintech legaltech new york new york city startups

Published in Regional Development

10 Comments

Government Doesn’t Create Wealth, It Decides Whether Entrepreneurs Can

Monday, 26 January 2026 by Paul O'Brien

From the freezing tundra of Austin, Texas, this weekend I was asked, “Is it true that the U.S. became a leading industrial power through entrepreneurship, innovation, and mass production, creating immense wealth?” and it struck me that this city being quiet on a Monday when the northern part of the United States is at work,

entrepreneurship government growth policy public policy

Published in Economic Development

17 Comments

Only 10% of State and National Governments Distinguish Startups from New Businesses

Tuesday, 20 January 2026 by Paul O'Brien

A practical startup economic policy framework for governments that want venture-scale companies Governments around the world love the word entrepreneurship. They put it in press releases, name departments after it, fund “innovation hubs,” and cut ribbons in front of coworking spaces that end up being networking clubs for service providers seeking customers. What almost none

economic development entrepreneurship government policy public policy startups

Published in Startup Ecosystems

15 Comments

What Sinks Startups AND Democracies: The One Thing Founders and Voters Are Starting to See Might Save Us

Monday, 19 January 2026 by Paul O'Brien

We trained a generation to build tools, not understand consequences. Technology keeps revealing just how dangerous that gap has become. American courts have been undergoing an experiment by way of a study that might (should) heavily influence everyone in appreciating how important it is that decision makers are well informed. Finally seeing more light with

entrepreneurship government policy public policy

Published in Economic Development, Insights / Research

17 Comments