Monday – March 8, 2010

Today Spotlight Michigan had a productive roundtable discussion with individuals representing a variety of interests in Madison, WI.  Having identified towns similar to the Lansing metro area, the group is attempting to discern which qualities of place are attractive to innovative talent.

As the first stop in a whirlwind tour of five Midwest cities, the individuals we spoke to in Madison provided our group with both positive feedback about our willingness to foster the cultural change needed to promote innovation and some ideas for how to continue this transformation.

Spotlight Michigan was able to quickly identify which individuals and organizations would likely have their respective fingers on the pulse of life in Madison.  In a true testament to the city’s efforts to continually promote itself Allen Dines and Cynthia Sweet of the Office of Corporate Relations hosted our group and spoke primarily about the relationship between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the private sector.  Inclusive in this was a description of how the designation of the University as one of six Ewing Marion Kauffman Campus Grant recipients has helped move the culture in the area towards one of innovation. Also providing information and a general narrative about the city were representatives from the Madison Area Growth Network (MAGNET), Accelerate Madison, and the MERLIN Mentors program.

While each organization has a distinct mission statement and target audience, it was quickly apparent that a different attitude existed regarding the area in general.  Yes, each individual has a vested interest in selling the area to those who have minimal knowledge of it, but even after the meetings we concluded there was a genuine sense of passion from these groups that they really wanted to engage the members of our group in their community – even if we could only experience the city for a short time period.

One clear motif from the meeting involved the necessity of networks and networking on both the individual and organizational level.  We believe it to be true that an emotional connection to a city leads to a willingness to forgive other shortcomings.  This is where Madison excels.  From addressing issues of the trailing spouse to taking the time for personalized tours of the city, Madison is moving in the right direction.  It speaks volumes that a “To Whom it May Concern” email would receive such quick turnaround and bring individuals who have unique yet respected views on what makes their city a vibrant, exciting place to live, work, and play.

It was especially interesting to drive through the city and notice that in many ways it resembles the Lansing area.  Madison residents still pick up a shovel in the winter and deal with gray skies, and yet there is a marked difference in the attitudes of the residents of the city.  Everyone in Madison has something good to say about it – from the presence of farmer’s markets to the pickup volleyball matches one can find any day of the week.  In a very short period of time we quickly gained a small appreciation for the level of pride that exists among those who choose to call this city home.

As we continue to uncover what is working well in towns across the Midwest it will be of particular interest to observe what the next cities on our itinerary have to say about networking and how well they function as an ambassador to their city.  It seems in this case attitude and a willingness to plug someone into a formal or informal network that promotes an emotional tie to an area can lead to a success story for a city with or without a positive employment outlook in the near future.

Next Stop:  Iowa City, IA

Drive Time:  3 hours, 51 mins.