The former Rust Belt state is betting its future on a sought-after natural resource — people — guided by one person in particular. Hilary Doe, the first state chief growth officer anywhere, discusses what’s next.

Michigan is putting its future in the hands of a single person — its first-in-the-nation chief growth officer. Hilary Doe, chief growth officer, expressed her excitement about the transformation of Michigan Central Station into a dynamic hub of innovation. This revitalized landmark in Detroit is not only fostering a thriving startup ecosystem, but also pioneering cutting-edge infrastructure projects like the first self-charging road. As a collaborative community for entrepreneurs and innovators, the station is positioning Detroit and Michigan as nationally recognized centers of opportunity and technological advancement.In this episode of The Future In Context, Doe speaks with Governing Senior Staff Writer Carl Smith about what’s new — and different — in her role, and the state’s approach to economic growth and competitiveness.

Here are the top five takeaways from this episode:

1. Revitalization of Michigan Central Station: The station is being transformed into a hub of innovation, serving as a key focal point for Detroit and the entire state of Michigan.
2. Startup Ecosystem Growth: The area around the station, particularly Newlab in the book depository, is fostering a burgeoning startup scene with 99 new startups already established.
3. Innovative Infrastructure: It’s ground zero for cutting-edge developments such as the first self-charging road, which exemplifies the forward-thinking projects attracting entrepreneurs and innovators.
4. Collaborative Community: The station and its surroundings are becoming vibrant ecosystems where entrepreneurs and innovators can connect, share ideas and collaboratively build future technologies.
5. National Recognition and Opportunity: The transformation of Michigan Central Station is positioning Detroit and Michigan as nationally recognized centers for innovation and opportunity, attracting talent and investment from across the country.

Related Link to an item referenced in the episode:

• One State Is Putting a Single Person in Charge of Its Growth Strategy

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

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