Not long ago Silicon Valley, once an exclusive VIP club, had the feeling that you needed a secret handshake just to get in. Unless you had the golden ticket of attending Stanford or a job at tech giants like Google, well, you were stuck outside looking in. But fast-forward to today, and Silicon Valley is no longer just a place; it’s a cosmic Trust Network, stretching beyond mere geography.
In this age of interconnectedness, you can be an AI guru for Facebook while sipping your coffee in Pittsburgh or lead a startup backed by a16Z from the heart of Austin. These folks might not reside within Silicon Valley’s borders, but they’re undeniably part of the sprawling Trust Network emanating from it.
Across the United States, brilliant minds brim with innovative ideas and relentless determination. Our nation, its people, economy, and technology can thrive exponentially if we break down the barriers and collaborate effectively within this Trust Network. This network, undisputedly, is spreading. Between 2020 and 2022, the largest change in tech sector jobs happened in cities like Denver, Austin, and Salt Lake while coastal behemoths, like SF and NYC were near the bottom of this growth list.
We’re proud to be a key catalyst in the growth of this network. Our investments in building the trust network has created over $60M in impact. Our programs include:
- Making National Headlines: We’ve promoted the national story through 30 news stories in esteemed publications like The Economist, Financial Times, WSJ, BI, Forbes, and more.
- Innovation Storytelling: Over 200 original stories about innovation in the Heartland, championing our partner cities and the exceptional talent within the region.
- Accelerating New Opportunities: We’ve connected over 9,000 job seekers with exciting opportunities at some of the fastest-growing companies nationwide, including the likes of Amazon, Duolingo, and Agility Robotics.
- Connecting Innovation to Capital: Picture this—300+ investors rubbing shoulders with 1000+ startups hailing from 32 states, all under one roof. Our events in cities like Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Cleveland made it happen.
- Bridging the Coasts to the Heartland: We’ve opened the doors to 20 new locations for coastal startups like Wish, Roadrunner Recycling, and Ironclad in places like Indianapolis, Chicago, and Pittsburgh.
When we birthed the vision of One America Works, our goal was to prove that talented people across America were ready, willing and able to make a massive impact on the booming innovation economy. We dreamt of a world where success didn’t depend on your zipcode, and we’ve come a long way.
Today, it’s expected to find someone living in Indianapolis but working for a San Francisco-based company. Pittsburgh-born startups regularly secure investments from VC titans in Palo Alto.
I believe the full potential of the trust network is yet to be seen. We need to keep pushing forward and building a more interconnected country. So what’s next? It’s all about amplifying this connectivity through the power of storytelling and investment.
Let’s keep the innovation engine humming and building our national Trust Network, one connection at a time.
