The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream
Today, as I write this, there is an explosion of startup ecosystem development in dozens of cities—a wonderful and largely untold story. From Seattle to Phoenix to Salt Lake City to Dallas to Denver to Miami and all points in between, startups are reimagining cities. The new guard is reviving declining iconic places like Detroit and Pittsburgh, once great centers of in- novation that fell on hard times. They are electrifying smaller cities like Chattanooga and Columbus with tech innovation in critical industries such as insurance, health care, and transportation. They are energizing classic heartland cities like Kansas City, Green Bay, Omaha, and St. Louis with a renewed focus on the future. And they are cracking the equity code, engaging diverse populations in cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, and Tulsa in the opportunity to rebuild America.
It’s often a “pinch me” experience on the bus, as entrepreneurs interact with people—some of whom are their heroes—and have inspiring conversations. Sometimes we talk about the tour as putting kerosene on the fire—trying to create a tipping point and instilling a we-can-do-it ethos that inspires a startup movement that lives on for many years to come.
After we visited Albuquerque, Mayor Richard Berry wrote to me: “I just want to let you know that your visit to Albuquerque changed our city. It was the spark that we needed. You believed in us, and we started believing in ourselves.”
Rise of the Rest has shown us that new job creation can happen everywhere, and it is now happening in countless communities. But it has to be approached in a strategic way. You can’t create lots of new jobs unless you create new companies, and you can’t create new companies unless you create a culture to nurture startups. That means also winning the battle for talent and capital and building communities that support entrepreneurs.
When we look back at this moment in America’s history, all the complicated challenges that face our country may be summarized most simply as a battle between optimists and pessimists. I am an optimist. This book explains why. It is dedicated to the extraordinary entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers I have met on our road trips. The Rise of the Rest is their story. And the story is just beginning.
In many ways, the Rise of the Rest is the answer to the question of whether America can maintain its lead in the world. It’s impossible to read these stories and not be filled with a sense of excitement about the future and an anticipation that, if we stay the course, there will indeed be more to celebrate in 2026, when the startup called America turns 250.
Excerpted from The Rise of the Rest copyright © 2022 by Steve Case. Reprinted by permission of Avid Reader Press. To purchase The Rise of the Rest click here.
