Detroit 12

Techonomy Detroit, hosted by the Detroit Economic Club, is a one-day multidisciplinary gathering of national and local leaders about reigniting U.S. competitiveness and economic growth, creating jobs, and revitalizing cities in a technologized age. It brings together executives and thought leaders from technology, business, manufacturing, government and design. TE Detroit aims to help sharpen the dialogue about progress, technology, and the economy during a national political campaign in which jobs are on the top of the agenda.

Techonomy sees tech firmly at the core of all economic and social progress. Our goal is to help leaders and citizens better understand the potential of technology-enabled change so we can consciously harness it and accelerate economic growth.

Conferences

Detroit 12

Why Detroit?

Detroit—the birthplace of assembly-line manufacturing and technologized transportation—was an earlier era’s Silicon Valley. Though its influence and scale have diminished, formidable industrial and cultural assets remain. It has a great airport. Its potential represents in many ways a green field for innovation and transformation.

Detroit’s travails symbolize issues faced by many American cities. In an age of inexorably quickening tech-driven change, how can Detroit’s citizens manifest that change in infrastructure, education, jobs, and services?

The Format

Techonomy Detroit begins with a reception Tuesday evening, September 11, followed by an all- day program at Wayne State University’s Community Arts Auditorium September 12. Keynote interviews, short talks and plenary panels will be accompanied by breakout sessions in the beautiful nearby McGregor Center.

To register for Techonomy Detroit: Hosted by the Detroit Economic Club, click here.

Speakers

Edward Alden

Director, Renewing America Program, Council on Foreign Relations

Tonya Allen

Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Program, The Skillman Foundation

Drextel Amy

President, Michigan Region, Liberty Bank and Trust

Janet Anderson

Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies, Wayne State University

Brian Balasia

Founder and President, Digerati

Jay Baron

President and CEO, Center for Automotive Research

All Sessions

Play all 15 sessions

Business + Innovation

Steve Case & Josh Linkner: Entrepreneurship and American Relevance

September 12, 2012

Steve Case, CEO of Revolution LLC and Josh Linkner of Detroit Venture Partners talk to Techonomy founder David Kirkpatrick about the critical role of entrepreneurship in America, especially in cities like Detroit. Read excerpts from the discussion below, or download the full transcript. Case: I appreciate the fact that Techonomy is shining a spotlight on Detroit. In many ways, Detroit was Silicon Valley 50 years ago. This was the epicenter of innovation. It’s had a tough few decades. But it’s fighting its way back. It’s really the story of entrepreneurship in America and how it is spread more broadly through the nation than we sometimes realize. Silicon Valley is the epicenter of enormous innovation and tremendous companies—it’s something we’re all proud of. But there are also a lot of companies across the nation that don’t get as much attention. If we’re going to get our economy back as a nation and get our unemployment down, the place to focus is entrepreneurship. We didn’t become the leading economy by accident. It was the work of entrepreneurs creating companies and industries throughout the nation. That it is sort of a secret sauce that built the American economy. We have to double down on entrepreneurship in Detroit and Cleveland and St. Louis and Denver and a lot of other places. Linkner: We have to scream from the mountaintops that Detroit is open for business. This is a great place to build a tech company. We still have a lot of work to do to get that message heard,...