Regional Development Archives - Startup Economist

Washington’s Blueprint for Public-Private Innovation for Washington Startups

Thursday, 09 October 2025 by Paul O'Brien

A coalition reimagines the role of cities, universities, and entrepreneurs in shaping the future of downtown Washington D.C. and Washington startups. Just north of the White House, where K Street bends toward Dupont Circle and the stately facades of Farragut meet the hum of D.C.’s intellectual life, something quietly revolutionary is taking shape. The Penn

Published in Regional Development

1 Comment

The Startup Frontier Hidden in America’s Supply Chain

Thursday, 02 October 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Imagine a modest Ozarks town (once underestimated) emerging as a national hub for retail, supply chain, and CPG innovation. Now imagine that the parent company is actively relocating talent, building a new urban HQ, and doubling down on ecosystem development. That’s Bentonville; once pigeonholed as “Walmart’s little hometown,” now staking a claim as one of

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Published in Regional Development

38 Comments

Bellevue, Washington: The Startup City Defining Its Shadow

Tuesday, 30 September 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Bellevue isn’t Seattle and that’s precisely the point. Too often, when people talk about the Pacific Northwest, Bellevue gets treated as an extension of Seattle. But Bellevue has its own history, its own culture, and critically, its own startup identity. Understanding this matters not just for Washington but for cities everywhere trying to grow deliberately,

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Published in Regional Development, Uncategorized

12 Comments

How Hard Tech History Fuels Entrepreneurship – Austin’s Story

Wednesday, 03 September 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Amidst what seems to be a boom of chips in Central Texas, I want to share with everyone, everywhere, how the hard tech of Texas isn’t a result of a recent pivot, there is a history to study in how it grew up around Austin, a history from which we can learn how to build

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Published in Regional Development

29 Comments

Surfing Idaho’s Startup Wave: Boise’s Rise

Thursday, 28 August 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Of course, if you’re like me, when you think of Idaho the first thing that comes to mind is surfing. Sure, you might be thinking, “um… Hawaii? California?” and you’d be right too but if we’re being frank, we entrepreneurial types are a little odd and my mind thinks Idaho. What drives innovation and supports

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Published in Regional Development

16 Comments

Bogotá, Colombia; Latin America’s Next Startup Ascent

Friday, 15 August 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Colombia has always been a country in motion; politically, culturally, and economically. But motion isn’t the same as progress, and progress isn’t guaranteed. For generations, Colombians have adapted to change not because they wanted to, but because they had to. It’s in this crucible of necessity that the country’s entrepreneurial spirit was forged and potential

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Published in Regional Development, Startup Ecosystems

11 Comments

Regional Collapse We Keep Pretending Isn’t Happening

Thursday, 07 August 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Something’s gone wrong in the way we structure governance; so wrong that it’s now normalized for elected leaders to turn to govern through coercion rather than consensus So wrong that the people who actually build and sustain the economy (workers, founders, educators, families) are often the last ones consulted about how that economy is governed.

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Published in Economic Development, Regional Development

28 Comments