Shed The Past

You can't innovate if you're holding onto the past, Linkner said. He used his hometown of Detroit as an example of a city known for automobiles and manufacturing that has had to reinvent itself to pull out of bankruptcy. Detroit Venture Partners, Linkner's venture capital firm in the city, is looking to turn the city into a technology hub and has already seen tremendous growth. Where there once were virtually no technology companies, Linkner said there are now 70 companies within one square block.