Andy White an entrepreneur, angel investor and car nut. As a founder of SchoolCenter, an edtech content management platform he was able to complete the cycle from struggling startup through exit. The company sold in 2011 and is now part of Blackboard, Inc. During the transition White was able to get a crash course on current startup techniques as an investor and the executive director for the seed accelerator program BoomStartup. This TechStars Network affiliate program was ranked one of the top 15 accelerators in the country.
White’s current position as a partner with the VegasTechFund allows him to help work with and empower amazing founders and startups passionate about building a community-focused ecosystem in downtown Las Vegas. This is one of the most active, early stage seed funds, in the country.
Through his work with startups, White is now focusing on the idea of what it means to apply a startup mentality and practices such as iteration, collaboration, and inclusion to the revitalization of cities. He is exploring how these practices can lead to more tightly unified tech communities that encourage traditional investors to invest in tech startups and to help them bridge the gap between seed capital and additional funding.
Andrew Yang et al: Startups, Cities, and Innovation
The ideas are flowing fast, as is the money. Young (and old) the world over are increasingly drawn to entrepreneurship, and inventive tech solutions are emerging everywhere. Is “Silicon Valley” a spirit rather than a place? What makes a city attractive for company incubation? Is this energy likely to continue, or will cities like Detroit have trouble sustaining it? Will the successful companies of the future stay put or move elsewhere? In this session from our Sept. 16 Techonomy Detroit conference, angel investor Jill Ford, Josh Linkner of Detroit Venture Partners, VegasTechFund's Andy White, and Venture for America's Andrew Yang join moderator Andrew Keen examine how cities can grow and retain talent and innovative companies.
Conferences
Detroit 14
On September 16th, Techonomy returns to Detroit for our third annual Techonomy Detroit conference. We will continue the series of conversations we began at our first Techonomy Detroit in 2012 on how technology can boost U.S. economic growth, job creation and urban revival.
