For this story, I interviewed Jeff Hintz, Executive Director of Sports Tech HQ in Indiana and VP of Innovation at Indiana Sports Corp.
The organization Jeff leads, Sports Tech HQ, works to make Indiana a global hub for sports technology.
A native of Indianapolis, Jeff has spent his career focused on what sports can do for a community.
He’s a convener and connector, helping sports tech founders relocate, scale, and grow in Indiana.
Making inroads in Indiana has been loaded with lessons.
When I jumped on this particular call with Jeff for our interview, I totally expected to geek out on sports tech.
We did.
But we also got into what makes cities special and successful when they truly lean into their unfair advantage.
You see, nearly 50 years ago, leaders in Indiana decided to lean into sports and, later, sports technology. Not as something charming to do. But to carve out a space to compete at a high level in business creation, attraction, and economic development.
50 years of intention, sometimes bold, occasionally out-on-a-limb decisions. And Jeff was kind enough to talk me through some of them in our conversation.
The thing that inspired me the most from what Jeff shared was the state’s 2050 vision.
And, to be honest, it created a little jealousy because I wish we had that same tenacity for focus here in Milwaukee.
Because Jeff and I got into what it actually takes for a city to build an unfair advantage on purpose. And believe me, it’s not hoping the next tech trend or data center will find its way to you. It’s the ability to draft and hold a plan for decades.
I’m not going to lay it all out here. Because I think you should hear it from Jeff himself.
He gets into the bets, the vision, and more that Indiana has worked through.
And he leaves us with questions for ourselves. For our city.
Give it a listen right here or on Spotify if you’re on the go.
After you listen, go to the comments and let me know what you think is Milwaukee’s version of a 2050 vision. What is our city’s unfair advantage? I think it’s freshwater technology. What say you?
Love you, Milwaukee.
This story is part of my city tech tour, sponsored proudly by Secure Compliance Solutions (SCS).
Yes, access to the Lake gives Milwaukee a big advantage. But what if Milwaukee was just a hub along the "Freshwater Tech" Corridor. If this could be bigger than just Milwaukee or SE WI. Connecting hubs starting in Northern Indiana, up through Chicago, Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Port Washington, Sheboygan, Green Bay. That could be a more robust plan for 2050.
Excellent interview, Steve. I'm reminded of the original Milwaukee7 commissioned study (way back in 2007) called Milwaukee7 Economic Asset & Opportunity Analysis. Among the suggested focus areas was Embrace the Lake: By working toward the role of U.S. Steward to the Great Lakes, we can become the focal point for freshwater research, technology and tourism. We seldom hear about this critical 'unfair advantage', yet it's right in front of us.