Northwest Indiana Connections

Once in a long while I get the chance to write on a Saturday morning, today being one of those mornings.  Instead of long form though today, thought I'd give a couple links out and keep moving:

Is it time to raise interest rates?

My own diary of a social morning earlier this week.   

Where are you writing?  Feel free to leave links in the comments, provided you're not just spamming our NW Indiana blogs. 

Northwest Indiana needs leadership

We hear this mantra almost daily from the political scene, from the municipal scene, and a host of other groups that feel we lack devoted and ethical leadership in the region.   My own push lately has been more in the area of technology and tech start-ups.  We really lack anything that even resembles leadership or encouragement here.

The Regional Development Authority and the State of Indiana spend their local money on real estate projects for the most part.  The Northwest Indiana Forum spends a ton of time and effort on recruiting existing businesses to the area and regulatory protection for NiSource and the steel companies.   The local chambers of commerce really can't get along well enough to do anything regional. 

Once in a while we see an incubator formed with some government money, only to use up all the money on office leases and staff and then go back out of business.   Nothing in the form of corporate investment in the tech start-up arena like we've seen in the last decade in Indy.   There were once two Valparaiso tech companies that tried to bring together the masses of possible entrepreneurs, but alas both companies have left that focus and now only care about themselves.  

It really is time ... it's sad when ValpoLife.com is our only great tech start-up story and frankly no one is even telling that story besides them.   Where is the leadership?   Where is the devotion to the jobs that can be created?  Where is the banking support and community investment? 

Steve Dalton
Green Pointe Partners
219-465-8352
steve@greenptdev.com

Where are your favorite connections?

Those of us in Northwest Indiana who are "early adopters" of technology, and social media advocates, or bloggers, or techies ... how do we best connect?  Some local tech leaders have tried and failed to provide long term connections ... Livemercial then Golden then local chambers and entrepreneurial groups.  But they just couldn't pull enough of a critical mass together.

Livemercial and Golden disappeared in one case greed and the other disinterest.  Who will invest in start-ups and tech venture now?  Who will lead the disruption that is necessary for change and income creation?

We're searching for that critical mass, and when we find it Northwest Indiana becomes something much more interesting.

Steve Dalton
Mobile Applications - Build your own Mobile App

Northwest Indiana Soc Media Round Robbin

I made up that title, not even sure what I'll write about today. Iddea Group technology experts, challenged us to speedblog last year. So on this last day before Thanksgiving 2010 a little speedblogging leap frog.

Where are you spending your Thanksgiving? The Dalton family is headed to Indianapolis, actually Greenwood to be specific. Tomorrow morning many of us will head to Broad Ripple for the Drumstick Dash 4.5 mile run in the cold!!! It's been interesting to note the number of Thanksgiving Day runs being held each year, an ever-increasing number.

What's your family tradition?

See Northwest Indiana Conservatives Coalition site for next post in series today ...

Northwest Indiana Mortgages - FHA VA and Conventional loans: Real Estate Pros in NW Indiana

Northwest Indiana Mortgages - FHA VA and Conventional loans: Real Estate Pros in NW Indiana