NGIN is thrilled to welcome Logan City into the Network! Described as a city of innovation, opportunity, diversity, and action, the City of Logan says yes! “We say yes to innovation. Yes to collaboration. Yes to new industry, new jobs and new ideas. Yes to trial and experimentation. Yes to learning. Yes to leveraging technology for community benefit. Yes to co-creating our future city.”

Bill Gates

There is no “there,” there. Organizations that are funded largely are not able to respond quickly and now. The urgency we need requires entrepreneurial spirit and action.

The kind of “ecosystems” that are needed are very different from those that support for the digital and media technologies. Condensed programs aimed at getting an investment in a couple of months’ time just don’t work for chemistry or hardware based technology companies.

I’ve come late to the earth-is-in-danger party. While I started thinking about clean technologies in 2008, I looked at it as a great business opportunity that could also bring much needed economic development. My mantra was: “Let’s take advantage of this huge business opportunity and diminish our dependence on fossil fuels from parts of the world that don’t like us.” I didn’t look beyond the business side of it.

One Sunday morning in March of 2011, I was recovering from a night of partying in La Paz Bolivia. The Bolivian’s throw a pretty wicked Carnival.