From Michigan House to the Akron Bounce Booth, Rust Belt startups and supporters were at this year’s SXSWi in Austin in full force! It was truly an awesome show of Rust Belt pride this year and it extended beyond just the locals showing up to support friends and colleagues. Highlights included Michigan House, the launch of the University of Michigan’s School of Information Center for Social Media Responsibility and Akron’s effort to promote the city’s Bounce Akron programing at the SXSW Trade Show.

Michigan House:
We love the manifesto of Michigan House: “BECAUSE THE RUMORS OF OUR DEMISE HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED, AND THE REBIRTH STORIES HAVE MISSED THE POINT. BECAUSE WE BUILT YOUR CAR, YOUR OFFICE, AND YOUR KITCHEN, AND STILL GAVE YOU SLIM SHADY, MADONNA, AND MAGIC. BECAUSE OF SANDY BEACHES. BECAUSE OF ART DECO MONUMENTS. BECAUSE OF FRESH WATER WAVES AND UNTOUCHED FOREST. BECAUSE OUR POTHOLES WILL SWALLOW YOU WHOLE. SEE, YOU’RE TALKING TO WHITE STRIPES AND TEMPTATIONS, MUSCLE CARS AND CORN FLAKES, SO DON’T EVEN THINK OF CALLING IT A COME BACK. CALL IT STILL STANDING. YOU ASK, WHY MICHIGAN HOUSE? BECAUSE MICHIGAN.”

Special guests included Dhani Jones and leadership teams from some of Michigan’s biggest brands and brightest startups like GM to Duo Security. Michigan pride was in the house, from the special programming to the swag shop. Michigan is a special place and SXSW attendees that were from there or live there still, popped in to check out the vibe and fresh ideas coming from The Mitten.

University of Michigan’s Center for Social Media Responsibility
We also sat down with the speakers from the “Infocalypse: The Future of Misinformation & How We Stop It” panel, who are also leaders at the brand-new U-M School of Information’s Center for Social Media Responsibility

Gilchrist, a native of Detroit, also worked in the city for a number of years and has extensive experience as a technology innovator and community organizer. He recently served as director of innovation and emerging technology for the city of Detroit. He is a Michigan grad with degrees in computer science and computer engineering.

The School of Information has launched this project with an investment of its own resources and significant funding support from the Office of the Provost.

Gilchrist co-presented a session titled “Infocalypse: The Future of Misinformation and How We Stop It” at SXSW 2018.

Watch this video and hear Gilchrist speak about the Center for Social Media Responsibility and its mission.

Bounce Akron
We also thought it was great to see Akron having a presence at the SXSW Trade Show. Their booth featured some Akron city government employees that were there to talk about Akron’s rich history as a hot bed of innovation and their Bounce Akron initiative.

Bounce serves community innovators such as startups, founders, universities, corporations, investors and makers by offering programming, event space, private office space, conference rooms, co-working space, a maker space, and an online community.

Bounce Innovation Hub is the region’s first open innovation hub serving northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial and innovation community.

Bounce encourages open collaboration among diverse groups through unique opportunities, programs and events that engage anyone and everyone with a mind for innovation. This includes startup founders, small businesses, large corporations, investors, makers, individual innovators, artists and universities. We aim to create meaningful connections, where new ideas are born through collaboration and relationships with like-minded innovators.

Bounce is here to help grow Akron’s innovation ecosystem.

Overall SXSWi 2018 received the midwest startup scene with open arms!

Brandy Wimberly