Tech is comprised of so many unsung heroes over the past 50 years that we don’t even know where to begin. Margaret Hamilton, one of the NASA programmers most responsible for getting Apollo 11 safely to the moon and back. Arnold Beckman, who helped found and fund Silicon Valley (though he never earned a nickel). Brewster Kahle, who created the Internet Archive which makes an ordered Internet search possible. Chris Betz, a pioneer of electronic trading and the evolution of Fintech, long before it had a name. Brayton Williams, who built one the of largest venture capital firms focusing almost exclusively on Blockchain and Bitcoin. Add to that list Jonathan Aberman, founder and Managing Director of Amplifier Ventures, an investor and advisor to technology startups. His advocacy for years and his report, Building Entrepreneurial Innovation in the Greater Washington Region, for the 2030 Group, is a key reason. The 2030 Group is an organization of Washington Metropolitan area business leaders focused on advancing regional long-range decision making in the region and overcoming the differences between Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Jonathan, his long-term vision and report are considered by many a clarion call that helped, among other things, set in motion the vision for Washington’s successful bid for Amazon’s HQ2.
What we forget about visionaries is that their time is in the future. The present only rewards the lucky ones. After World War II, Washington, DC was known for being a government and real estate town. Seventy-five years later, it is increasingly known for far more. Jonathan is the inspiration for the Forbes piece and in it, he provides keys to how cities can develop successful strategies in the evolving technology lottery.
Happy reading.
Richard Levick
Read More: Amazon Goes To Virginia: How Long-Term Thinking Won The HQ2 Prize
