Venture and Angel Capital Needs to Pay More Attention to Flyover Country Where Great Opportunities are Developing

Venture capital is concentrated in CA and select other markets (blue states). The benefits of the job and wealth creation are not available in flyover country(red states).

In terms of addressing the question, "what impact will Trump’s election have on venture capital?" #ElectionTech, I would argue a slightly different point, "what impact can the venture capital industry have on the electorate."

Thesis: by investing beyond the Bay Area, NY, and MA, the venture industry will play a vital role in spreading the benefits of tech job income and job growth, thereby allowing for broader access to the fruits of the venture-backed economy. More evenly distributed access to opportunity will bind greater numbers of the electorate to the innovation economy and the values and mores that support its innovation and progress. Much has been written about the VC industry’s atrocious track record of hiring women and minorities at the Partner level. Perhaps to gender and ethnic diversity, we should address geographic diversity. Today, flyover country is in real economic pain and access to opportunity, income growth, and the fruits of the technology economy are off limits as capital is not flowing into areas where returns MAY exist.

Will Price
Managing Partner, Next Frontier Capital http://www.nextfrontiercapital.com/

Full Story: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tech-job-wages-5x-non-tech-creation-requires-access-vc-will-price