Aaron M. Renn

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Archives for July 2008

What is Your Ambition?

July 27, 2008 By Aaron M. Renn

Paul Graham is a noted technologist, venture capitalist, and writer. He may be best known for his essay "A Plan for Spam" which popularized Bayesian spam filtering. His web site contains a collection of his essays, many of which are well worth reading, particularly if you are interested in starting a software business. One recent entry called "Cities and Ambition" caught my attention. Here is the opening: "Great cities attract ambitious people. You can sense it when you walk around one. In a hundred subtle ways, the city sends you a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Urban Culture

Smart Economic Development Strategies: MusicCrossroads

July 27, 2008 By Aaron M. Renn

I didn't originally intend it as such, but this is the third in a series of postings highlighting good economic development strategies. (The first covered Indianapolis' amateur sports strategy and the second its motorsports strategy). Today I'll discuss something I mentioned in passing before, the MusicCrossroads initiative. MusicCrossroads is an organization whose mission is to advance the quality of life for all through the attraction, support and collaboration of leading performing art entrepreneurs and organizations. It is operated by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Indianapolis

More Smart Economic Development Strategies

July 8, 2008 By Aaron M. Renn

In my recent posting about the brand promise of Indianapolis, I advocated that far from rejecting Indy's traditional brand image, the city should instead embrace the best of it, updating it for the future with optimism and ambition. Core to this was motorsports, which is the brand image of Indianapolis for many people, especially outside the United States. There was some lively debate around this in the comment thread to say the least. Interestingly, an article in the Star [dead link] shows that motorsports isn't just a good brand, it's good … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Indianapolis

The Brand Promise of Indianapolis

July 6, 2008 By Aaron M. Renn

After my most recent pecha kucha presentation, someone came up to me and asked a question: "What is Indianapolis' identity?" She noted that when you think "Texas" a whole series of associations comes to mind: ten-gallon hats and cowboys, "everything's bigger in Texas", a certain exaggered masculinity combined with traditional "Yes, Ma'am" manners. But Indianapolis didn't seem to conjure up anything for this person or those she worked with. It was a constant topic of conversation. This is, perhaps, not uncommon in the area. I noted how … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Indianapolis

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About Aaron M. Renn


 
Aaron M. Renn is an opinion-leading urban analyst, consultant, speaker, and writer on a mission to help America’s cities and people thrive and find real success in the 21st century. (Photo Credit: Daniel Axler)
 
Email: aaron@aaronrenn.com
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