The Rise of the Rest

West Coast successes such as Apple led people to believe start-ups must launch in innovation hubs like Silicon Valley. Today, however, communities across the United States are increasingly nurturing new businesses. To boost that effort, in 2014 AOL founder Steve Case launched the ongoing Rise of the Rest initiative, a nationwide undertaking designed to shine a spotlight on innovation growth outside of the traditional coastal tech hubs through city visits and events, and capital investments. After seeing the support and energy from the Road Trips, the initiative grew to become a seed-stage investment fund backed by prominent business executives, tech leaders, and entrepreneurs. Here, Case describes Rise of the Rest’s annual innovation competitions and showcases in US cities that don’t usually make the lists of innovation hubs. Like the Johnny Appleseed of innovation, he hits the ground in the middle of the country and encourages innovative businesses to bloom.