The Innovative Heartland of the United States (with Angie Cooper)

America’s heartland is being reborn. From North Dakota and Michigan to Alabama and Texas, entrepreneurship, economic growth, and innovation are taking off.

In this episode of TechEnabled, John is joined by Angie Cooper, Chief Program Officer of Heartland Forward, a “think and do tank” aiming to reframe the narrative about Middle America and improve economic performance in the center of the US. She joins the podcast to discuss the renaissance occurring in the heartland and how Heartland Forward is supporting the next generation of innovation and entrepreneurship. She also shares recent research on regional economic competitiveness which will help shape community strategies as they prepare to compete for new federal funds. John and Angie also discuss the Connecting the Heartland initiative which is supporting community and state leaders to boost internet availability, internet speeds, and adoption rates.