Ibotta’s Post

Over the past three decades, the Denver metro has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis. Its economy, once predominantly reliant on traditional industries, now boasts diversification across various sectors. Notably, the aerospace industry thrives here, with major employers like Lockheed Martin contributing to the city’s economic vitality. Denver International Airport (DEN) ranks as the 3rd-busiest airport in the U.S. and the 3rd-busiest airport in the world based on total passenger traffic with more than 61 million passengers traveling through it each year. As Denver continues to evolve, its tech scene flourishes, attracting major companies and fostering innovation. The city’s blend of natural beauty, entrepreneurial spirit, and cultural vibrancy positions it as a rising star—a place where economic growth intersects with quality of life. #denver #economy #innovation #frontrange #housing #masterplannedcommunities

My post last week ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gCAJ2yWB asked, "How do we move from the number 8 spot for US Startup Ecosystem Ranking into the Top 5? 1. There are efforts underway to "link Ecosystem Knowledge Hubs/Centers" who have IP that are east of Colorado more closely with the Colorado Community = "Opportunity". Not to mention, Marc Patterson at Endeavor Colorado. 2. The CU Boulder Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative is building funnel and pipeline = "Opportunity" by a) expanding the High School New Venture Challenge with a "eye" to state wide deployment, and b) incubating an adjacent NVC program = more on that from Stan Hickory when he is ready. 3. The CU Boulder Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, Colorado Technology Association, GlobalMindED https://lnkd.in/g8_AruMX and Burridge Center for Finance are all exploring through creative programing, interconnectivity, knowledge hubs and dynamic initiatives ways to unlock doors.....creating "Opportunity". 4. Let's continue to build "Extraordinary Long Term Value". Alison Gerlach reminded me recently that you get there "through preparedness". Now think of the Apollo 13 Mission, ➡️ "Houston we've had a problem here,"- and not "we have". The crew and mission control worked with the assets available and worked the problem (e.g. The Martian). They got to solution through preparedness. Preparedness = "Opportunity"; a theme is emerging. Houston Apollo 13 article line --> https://lnkd.in/gnuKeMEg John Tayer - "We all have an interest in identifying and supporting promising business models from whatever background they emerge!" #techstars #indigenousentrepreneur #BackstageCapital #investing #founder #community #startups #impactinvesting #founders #BoulderVentureClub #deeptech #biotech #agtech #quantum #coloradostartups #givefirst

https://lnkd.in/gehSc2wZ [..]As Flannery began seeking property, it bought so much land, so fast, that it spooked locals who had no idea who the buyer was or the plans it had in mind. Catherine Moy, the mayor of Fairfield, Calif., started posting about the project on Facebook several years ago after she got a call from a farmer about some mystery buyer making offers throughout the county. In an interview, Ms. Moy said she had gone to the county assessor’s office and found that Flannery had purchased tens of thousands of acres.[..] Solano county is where Fairfield and Vacaville is..and is home to Travis AFB. I am not entirely opposed to this concept but I suspect it isn’t what I imagine it is…in my imagination, a new city would be an egalitarian, modern utopia. I would do the same if I had a billion dollars or two to spare. The future is city states and networked small towns of 10k mixed population ..use the same seed idea as the Dunbar Number. Fwiw, I have already designed such cities for my own amusement with high density housing in 10% of the total land and the remaining as forests and food producing acres..underground tunnels for intra city transport and above ground, self driving cars and efficient public transport(maglev)… it will be a three tiered city with skyscrapers, underground city and ground infrastructure. Etc etc. What’s the point of being a billionaire if you can’t even build your own city?

Unveiling California Forever: The Silicon Valley-Backed Utopia in the Making 🏙 ✔️ Source: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e8D9y7Wq 🔑 Key Highlights: ➖ Heavyweight Backing 🌟: Spearheaded by Jan Sramek and financially supported by Silicon Valley bigwigs like Reid Hoffman and Marc Andreessen, California Forever isn't just a pipe dream—it has some serious muscle behind it. ➖ Eco-Friendly Utopia 🌳: With a focus on solar farms and extensive green zones, the city aims to be a self-sufficient, sustainable paradise. Think green energy and locally-sourced food. ➖ People-First Approach 🗣: What sets California Forever apart is its commitment to community needs. Local resident surveys have been vital in shaping the city to include affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, and local job opportunities.

All across Upstate, there’s evidence that businesses have recognized the potential we have to offer and are making investments in sustainable, future-focused projects that will put our region on the cutting edge of technological advancements and poised for long-term growth. It’s critical that we continue to do the work to ensure this upward trajectory continues, and that Broome County can fully participate in the Upstate economic renaissance that is well underway. Read more on why our vision for the Broome Tech Park is vital to sustained economic growth as originally published in the New York Real Estate Journal. https://lnkd.in/eviu39sf

Starting back in 2017, something mysterious was going on just 90 minutes northeast of San Francisco: a secretive group was purchasing farmland – lots of it, some 60,000 acres – in rural Solano County. Many feared it might be a Chinese government plot to try to set up shop near Travis Air Force Base. But as The New York Times' Conor Dougherty (who helped break the story) found out, the truth was even stranger than the rumors. "Like a lot of people, I was chasing it and running into the usual locked doors," said Dougherty. "I got a tip from someone that what was behind the locked doors was the richest people in the world quietly buying all this farmland: Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn and a venture capitalist; Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of the Emerson Collective and Steve Jobs' widow; Marc Andreessen of Andreesen Horowitz, venture capital firm, just really a who's-who of Silicon Valley was involved in this." The Silicon Valley elite who want to build a city from scratch (New York Times) Something else surprising: Within hours of Dougherty's big scoop, this mysterious company launched a website and publicly identified itself as California Forever, an ambitious plan to build a brand-new kind of city for as many as 400,000 residents. https://lnkd.in/guYtZsV5 #californiaforever #tech #billionaires #planning #newcity #california #rural #solanocounty

Don't you hate it when you miss the exit for Utopia and wind up in dystopia? Some Silicon Valley investors are known for their ambitious nature, which can sometimes border on narcissism depending on who you ask. Case in point is their plan to build an entirely new city from scratch complete with the belief that they can do it better than anyone else. The first true test of the grand master plan will soon begin with gathering signatures to get on November's ballot. High housing costs, rising crime...yes, the San Francisco Bay Area has its share of problems. But have no fear! A group of Valley billionaires is here to save the day. Well, under the moniker of California Forever, these investors have quietly acquired land over the past five years in the northern part of the state in a place called Solano County. Known more for rolling hillsides, family-owned farms, and cows mulling around, this place could become a mega suburb with dense housing and walkable streets set on 60,000 rural acres. What this proposed oasis actually looks like remains to be seen, but given the tech pedigree of the investors involved, you can bet technology and office campuses are in the mix. One interesting selling point for Utopia North is the availability of affordable housing. That would seem to be at odds with reality given the tech industry has been mostly responsible for the skyrocketing housing costs up and down the state. And the bigger plan is to woo other industries like defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and biotech to open up offices there. If this feels reminiscent of a storyline from an episode of Scooby-Doo, you're not alone. Meddling kids or not, convincing and securing the approval of Solano County residents who are understandably dubious of the shady billionaires and their secretive plan for a new community whose name sounds like a celebrity cemetery is as ambitious as betting $800 million so far on the idea. Whether you think this is a cult for the wealthy or a potentially viable community for all, the bigger consideration is that these billionaire investors are doubling down on the Bay Area, while others have written it off. You don't need crop circles to tell you that means something https://lnkd.in/gTFXUyDM #realestate #bayarea #siliconvalley #solanocounty #technology #california #cities #culture

In one sense California Forever seems like science fiction. In another, with the rising numbers of the uber-wealthy, it seems very real and possible. If you were to design it, what would it look like? How would you minimize the effect on those already in Solano County? Better yet, how would you improve living conditions and overall society for those current residents and those nearby? How would you emphasize long and short term social goals? How would you plan for them? How would you design it to account for changes in society a century out that we can’t expect today? One gets the sense that many of these things aren’t on the table for those planning CF. They seem to want to plan it for their own convenience and will discard it like a toy they’ve outgrown once they are done. In any case, lots to ponder in the thought of designing your own real life city.

#PlacemakingUS Why is this so disturbing? For me it is another example of #GrossNegligence highlighting the broader societal questions about wealth inequality, corporate power, and community well-being in the face of large-scale developments or market concentrations. The disturbing question about who controls the environment and the development process when, as usual, the local community is excluded from any meaningful participation. In any development project including and more importantly, newly imagined, sustainable development projects, it's crucial for communities to have a say in decisions that can impact their lives and environment. While developers loath having to struggle through the slow iterative process of engagement, when transparency and community involvement are lacking, it regularly leads to concerns about power imbalances and potential negative consequences for the community and the environment, even if the project's goals are “sustainable and environmentally friendly.” Yet, this is the norm so the lack of trust grows leaving us all with a state of deadlock or impasse where no meaningful action can be taken until the underlying issues or conflicts are resolved. If Billionairs want to create a new type of city, why don’t they be transparent and call it a pilot project, share the plans and allow collective input by crowdsourcing- harnessing the collective wisdom of community skills, and contributions of a large group of individuals, typically through digital platforms and gamify the process in order to address problems, generate ideas, or gather information for a particular project or goal. (like how they will harness water from the air rather than the overextended Colorado River) Using Freire’s method of “The Problem Posing Question?” Lol, I’m sure no one has a problem with billionairs dedicating funding to creating a better world for everyone, that’s called Philanthropy.