{"id":7906586132717,"title":"Silicon Heartland","handle":"silicon-heartland","description":"\u003ch1\u003eSilicon Heartland\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTransforming the Midwest from Rust Belt to Tech Belt\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/rebecca-fannin\"\u003e Rebecca A. Fannin\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eChronicling her return to America's heartland, CNBC correspondent Rebecca A. Fannin provides an optimistic and engaging look at the current entrepreneurial comeback happening in the Midwest, documenting its transformation from Rust Belt to Tech Belt.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"A book that inspires hope for our future.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eRo Khanna, author of \u003ci\u003eDignity in a Digital Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A must-read for anyone who believes that entrepreneurial success is only possible on the coasts. The Silicon Heartland welcomes you!\"\u003cbr\u003e—Brad D. Smith, president of Marshall University and former chairman and CEO of Intuit\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe American Midwest was once a proud bastion of good-paying jobs and middle-class life. Recently it has come to evoke bleakness: job loss, opiate addiction, despair. But without fanfare, a pivotal movement has grown, quietly transforming the heartland into a high-tech hub.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eSilicon Heartland\u003c\/i\u003e, tech journalist Rebecca A. Fannin returns to her hometown region to report on how tech ecosystems—of entrepreneurial talent, venture capital, accelerators, incubators, universities, and R\u0026amp;D—are retooling midsized heartland cities and Appalachian towns. Remote regions that were nearly forgotten when the money and power shifted to Silicon Valley—and to China—are being rebooted and reenergized like never before. This movement of tech startups burgeoning in Middle America bodes well not only for leading the region to greater heights, but also for boosting our economy and morale nationwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStructured around Fannin’s road trip across Middle America, her stories and interviews with venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and business from the Midwest make for a personal yet comprehensive look at the economic rebirth of a region that has been overlooked and underestimated for far too long. Highlighting the successes and efforts that continue to surprise coastal elites, Fannin introduces the resourceful people and the behind-the-scene stories that are reinventing the American Midwest. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/time-to-think-small\"\u003eTime to Think Small\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/boston-made\"\u003eBoston Made\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e \n[TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eIn the Media\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/delphiinternational.com\/event\/silicon-heartland-transforming-the-midwest-from-rust-belt-to-tech-belt-rebecca-a-fannin\/\"\u003eListen to Rebecca\u003c\/a\u003e on the Warriors for Peace radio show with Donna Seebo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZJwXL_P_vG4\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sKOLZCaII0w\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282636\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/silicon-heartland-cover.zip?v=1661282748\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRebecca A. Fannin, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRebecca A. Fannin is a journalist, author, and media entrepreneur who grew up in the Ohio heartland town of Lancaster. After graduating from Ohio University and working at Dayton’s morning newspaper, she left the Appalachian foothills for new horizons in New York City and Silicon Valley, became a contributor for CNBC, and wrote for \u003ci\u003eForbes\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHarvard Business Review\u003c\/i\u003e. Her research and writing about China’s entrepreneurial boom led to three books that have been published in multiple languages: \u003ci\u003eSilicon Dragon\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eStartup Asia\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eTech Titans of China\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/rebecca-fannin\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Rebecca.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJournalist Fannin (Tech Titans of China) delivers a spirited account of her road trip through the Midwest to survey the region’s tech-driven revitalization. The Rust Belt, she contends, “is making a comeback” in the form of a burgeoning tech industry that has benefited from a recent increase in remote workers who have moved inland from coastal cities, bringing experience and funding with them. Fannin tells the stories of those helping to lead the tech boom, such as a young woman who makes eyeglass frames out of recycled water bottles in Flint, Mich., and a man in Indianapolis who runs a startup that develops sales software for midsize companies. Reporting on the financing of the tech boom, she notes that investors are becoming more willing to fund projects outside Silicon Valley and that tech bigwigs are contributing money to scholarships at Rust Belt schools that boost local talent. To fully capitalize on this economic transformation, she calls for “bolder government plans, increased private capital funding, and a shift to Silicon Valley–type visionary thinking,” in addition to retraining blue-collar workers for tech jobs. As an Ohio native, Fannin’s deep empathy for Midwesterners is palpable, and the frank look at the Rust Belt’s resilience inspires while being realistic about the work ahead. This short but meaty travelogue packs a punch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e978-1-62354-556-7\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePage count: 208\u003cbr\u003e6 x 9\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2022-08-23T15:46:09-04:00","created_at":"2022-08-23T15:07:55-04:00","vendor":"Imagine Publishing","type":"Adult Book","tags":["adult","Browse by Language_English","general nonfiction","technology"],"price":2800,"price_min":2800,"price_max":2800,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":43244351193325,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"45567","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":37727232655597,"product_id":7906586132717,"position":1,"created_at":"2022-08-23T15:29:02-04:00","updated_at":"2022-08-23T15:29:02-04:00","alt":null,"width":1875,"height":2775,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282942","variant_ids":[43244351193325]},"available":true,"name":"Silicon Heartland - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":2800,"weight":369,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":97,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"9781623545567","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":30306117746925,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.676,"height":2775,"width":1875,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282942"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282942"],"featured_image":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282942","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":30306117746925,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.676,"height":2775,"width":1875,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282942"},"aspect_ratio":0.676,"height":2775,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282942","width":1875}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch1\u003eSilicon Heartland\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTransforming the Midwest from Rust Belt to Tech Belt\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/rebecca-fannin\"\u003e Rebecca A. Fannin\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eChronicling her return to America's heartland, CNBC correspondent Rebecca A. Fannin provides an optimistic and engaging look at the current entrepreneurial comeback happening in the Midwest, documenting its transformation from Rust Belt to Tech Belt.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"A book that inspires hope for our future.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eRo Khanna, author of \u003ci\u003eDignity in a Digital Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A must-read for anyone who believes that entrepreneurial success is only possible on the coasts. The Silicon Heartland welcomes you!\"\u003cbr\u003e—Brad D. Smith, president of Marshall University and former chairman and CEO of Intuit\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe American Midwest was once a proud bastion of good-paying jobs and middle-class life. Recently it has come to evoke bleakness: job loss, opiate addiction, despair. But without fanfare, a pivotal movement has grown, quietly transforming the heartland into a high-tech hub.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eSilicon Heartland\u003c\/i\u003e, tech journalist Rebecca A. Fannin returns to her hometown region to report on how tech ecosystems—of entrepreneurial talent, venture capital, accelerators, incubators, universities, and R\u0026amp;D—are retooling midsized heartland cities and Appalachian towns. Remote regions that were nearly forgotten when the money and power shifted to Silicon Valley—and to China—are being rebooted and reenergized like never before. This movement of tech startups burgeoning in Middle America bodes well not only for leading the region to greater heights, but also for boosting our economy and morale nationwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStructured around Fannin’s road trip across Middle America, her stories and interviews with venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and business from the Midwest make for a personal yet comprehensive look at the economic rebirth of a region that has been overlooked and underestimated for far too long. Highlighting the successes and efforts that continue to surprise coastal elites, Fannin introduces the resourceful people and the behind-the-scene stories that are reinventing the American Midwest. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/time-to-think-small\"\u003eTime to Think Small\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/boston-made\"\u003eBoston Made\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e \n[TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eIn the Media\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/delphiinternational.com\/event\/silicon-heartland-transforming-the-midwest-from-rust-belt-to-tech-belt-rebecca-a-fannin\/\"\u003eListen to Rebecca\u003c\/a\u003e on the Warriors for Peace radio show with Donna Seebo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZJwXL_P_vG4\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sKOLZCaII0w\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/silicon-heartland-cover.jpg?v=1661282636\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/silicon-heartland-cover.zip?v=1661282748\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRebecca A. Fannin, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRebecca A. Fannin is a journalist, author, and media entrepreneur who grew up in the Ohio heartland town of Lancaster. After graduating from Ohio University and working at Dayton’s morning newspaper, she left the Appalachian foothills for new horizons in New York City and Silicon Valley, became a contributor for CNBC, and wrote for \u003ci\u003eForbes\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHarvard Business Review\u003c\/i\u003e. Her research and writing about China’s entrepreneurial boom led to three books that have been published in multiple languages: \u003ci\u003eSilicon Dragon\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eStartup Asia\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eTech Titans of China\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/rebecca-fannin\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Rebecca.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJournalist Fannin (Tech Titans of China) delivers a spirited account of her road trip through the Midwest to survey the region’s tech-driven revitalization. The Rust Belt, she contends, “is making a comeback” in the form of a burgeoning tech industry that has benefited from a recent increase in remote workers who have moved inland from coastal cities, bringing experience and funding with them. Fannin tells the stories of those helping to lead the tech boom, such as a young woman who makes eyeglass frames out of recycled water bottles in Flint, Mich., and a man in Indianapolis who runs a startup that develops sales software for midsize companies. Reporting on the financing of the tech boom, she notes that investors are becoming more willing to fund projects outside Silicon Valley and that tech bigwigs are contributing money to scholarships at Rust Belt schools that boost local talent. To fully capitalize on this economic transformation, she calls for “bolder government plans, increased private capital funding, and a shift to Silicon Valley–type visionary thinking,” in addition to retraining blue-collar workers for tech jobs. As an Ohio native, Fannin’s deep empathy for Midwesterners is palpable, and the frank look at the Rust Belt’s resilience inspires while being realistic about the work ahead. This short but meaty travelogue packs a punch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e978-1-62354-556-7\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePage count: 208\u003cbr\u003e6 x 9\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

Silicon Heartland

Silicon Heartland

Transforming the Midwest from Rust Belt to Tech Belt

By:  Rebecca A. Fannin

Chronicling her return to America's heartland, CNBC correspondent Rebecca A. Fannin provides an optimistic and engaging look at the current entrepreneurial comeback happening in the Midwest, documenting its transformation from Rust Belt to Tech Belt.

"A book that inspires hope for our future."
Ro Khanna, author of Dignity in a Digital Age

 "A must-read for anyone who believes that entrepreneurial success is only possible on the coasts. The Silicon Heartland welcomes you!"
—Brad D. Smith, president of Marshall University and former chairman and CEO of Intuit

The American Midwest was once a proud bastion of good-paying jobs and middle-class life. Recently it has come to evoke bleakness: job loss, opiate addiction, despair. But without fanfare, a pivotal movement has grown, quietly transforming the heartland into a high-tech hub.

In Silicon Heartland, tech journalist Rebecca A. Fannin returns to her hometown region to report on how tech ecosystems—of entrepreneurial talent, venture capital, accelerators, incubators, universities, and R&D—are retooling midsized heartland cities and Appalachian towns. Remote regions that were nearly forgotten when the money and power shifted to Silicon Valley—and to China—are being rebooted and reenergized like never before. This movement of tech startups burgeoning in Middle America bodes well not only for leading the region to greater heights, but also for boosting our economy and morale nationwide.

Structured around Fannin’s road trip across Middle America, her stories and interviews with venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and business from the Midwest make for a personal yet comprehensive look at the economic rebirth of a region that has been overlooked and underestimated for far too long. Highlighting the successes and efforts that continue to surprise coastal elites, Fannin introduces the resourceful people and the behind-the-scene stories that are reinventing the American Midwest. 

Maximum quantity available reached.

Listen to Rebecca on the Warriors for Peace radio show with Donna Seebo.


Rebecca A. Fannin, author

Rebecca A. Fannin is a journalist, author, and media entrepreneur who grew up in the Ohio heartland town of Lancaster. After graduating from Ohio University and working at Dayton’s morning newspaper, she left the Appalachian foothills for new horizons in New York City and Silicon Valley, became a contributor for CNBC, and wrote for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Her research and writing about China’s entrepreneurial boom led to three books that have been published in multiple languages: Silicon Dragon, Startup Asia, and Tech Titans of China.

Read more about Rebecca.

  • Coming soon!

Publishers Weekly

Journalist Fannin (Tech Titans of China) delivers a spirited account of her road trip through the Midwest to survey the region’s tech-driven revitalization. The Rust Belt, she contends, “is making a comeback” in the form of a burgeoning tech industry that has benefited from a recent increase in remote workers who have moved inland from coastal cities, bringing experience and funding with them. Fannin tells the stories of those helping to lead the tech boom, such as a young woman who makes eyeglass frames out of recycled water bottles in Flint, Mich., and a man in Indianapolis who runs a startup that develops sales software for midsize companies. Reporting on the financing of the tech boom, she notes that investors are becoming more willing to fund projects outside Silicon Valley and that tech bigwigs are contributing money to scholarships at Rust Belt schools that boost local talent. To fully capitalize on this economic transformation, she calls for “bolder government plans, increased private capital funding, and a shift to Silicon Valley–type visionary thinking,” in addition to retraining blue-collar workers for tech jobs. As an Ohio native, Fannin’s deep empathy for Midwesterners is palpable, and the frank look at the Rust Belt’s resilience inspires while being realistic about the work ahead. This short but meaty travelogue packs a punch.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-556-7

Page count: 208
6 x 9