We've known this since OnMilwaukee.com launched in 1998. And, it's an honor to be a part of the ever-growing and always creative tech sector in Brew City.
Today, though, Milwaukee gets its due once again as it's been named on a new list of "10 Most Unexpected Cities for High-Tech Innovation."
Fact, you no longer have to be in Silicon Valley to run a successful Internet company.
"Silicon Valley has rendered itself obsolete," said techie.com editor-in-chief Dan Blacharski. "With the emergence of cheap, reliable, and available cloud-based infrastructure and services, the tech industry is moving towards the industrial Midwest."
"When we think of high-tech innovation and startup culture, traditionally a handful of cities always come to mind; but today, there's a different story emerging," said Blacharski. "High-tech development and innovation is being democratized, and midmarket cities throughout the US are rolling out new tech parks, incubators, and programs designed to encourage tech development. Newer collaborative technologies and cloud services mean you can launch from anywhere. Can you launch a great tech company in Silicon Valley? Sure. But you no longer have to be there to succeed."
Here's what the site's Rodney Smith had to say about Milwaukee:
"A 5-year-old prediction proves correct as Milwaukee retains and even surpasses its ranking on Forbes’ list of top 10 Up-and-Coming Tech Cities by landing itself on techie.com’s unexpected tech cities list. Milwaukee boasts more than just brewing and drinking culture in Wisconsin suburbia. The city hosts one third of Wisconsin’s technology industry. It is used to being a utopia for technologies pertaining to manufacturing; however, Covenant Healthcare Systems is working with some state-of-the-art technologies that are diversifying Milwaukee’s technology presence in the country.
"People generally don’t expect much booming technology from a city such as Milwaukee because many experts claim manufacturing and industrial focused jobs to be obsolete or on the way out. In many ways, this is true. South Bend, IN, for instance used to boast the Studebaker plant, and that has since gone under and some people still cling to the past views, as in clinging on to an industry that has used up its potential. Milwaukee, on the other hand, has maintained a strong presence in the manufacturing industry by partnering it with high tech facets.
"Quad/Graphics and Wisconsin Energy are booming, and can thank the talents of the Milwaukee schools and residents who benefit from that education for its unexpected, yet much deserved ranking in techie.com’s Top 10 Most Unexpected Cities for High Tech Growth."
Other cities on the list? Chattanooga, New Orleans, Portland, Las Vegas and others. See the full list at the link below.
Congrats, Milwaukee! Keep it up.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
