Innovation and Entrepreneurship Growing in the US? Yes, look at these surprising states

I was contemplating Thomas Edison, that master of innovation and entrepreneurship and wondered if we had eclipsed the era of inventions in the US. As we invest in improving sustainability, wellbeing and more open opportunities, all essential, are we creating anything new?

Heroes of the Golden Age were innovative industrialists like Edison, Ford, Tesla and I rather imagine that Elon Musk would have felt at home in their company. Space travel drove considerable innovation as we closed the last half of the century and brought us semi-conductors and that drove production of computers, cellphones, microwaves (check out this site for more https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/infographic.view.php?id=11358). But what about today?

I guide several startup inventors and entrepreneurs, assisting them as they bootstrap towards customer identification, prototypes, patents and straight-lining to launch and scale through their need for capital. Areas like Silicon Valley, RTP & Austin are dominating investment attention however in the Delta part of the US, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas, I'm seeing a striking interest in healthcare, technology and agriculture innovation by upstarts with investors. Based on patent activity, Tennessee and Arkansas are bouncing up on the economic trampoline. See all state patent activity here: https://www.patentsview.org/web/#viz/comparisons&cmp=all/state/numDesc/2019

What makes the difference in successfully pushing great ideation forward to product success is often an economic and mentoring support system in the region. In one of the poorest economic areas of the US, several Delta businesses have invested in supporting budding companies focused on innovative and sustainable production that improve area employment opportunities, wage growth and community wellbeing. Founders also tend to stay when the community supports them in corporate infancy...win/win. The Delta IFund is such a system and is inviting entrepreneurs to apply for funding and mentoring support this spring https://www.ifundatwinrock.com/delta-i-fund/

If you might have the next light bulb idea or know someone in the Delta that needs that extra help so they aren't such a drag at the next party, have them apply by February 23rd for the March 28-29 cohort in Cape Girardeau, MO https://www.f6s.com/deltaifund/apply capital and mentors are waiting.