Birmingham, Alabama - The 'Silicon Valley of the South'?

[Clayton Mobley]

I may be a little late posting this to the forums, but I wanted to put a (slightly delayed) spotlight on this awesome article that Forbes published in August.

Inside Birmingham's Bid to Become the Southern Silicon Valley

Birmingham has long had a reputation, along with much of the South, for being a bit behind, a bit outdated, a bit backward. Of course, for those of us that live here, nothing could be further from the truth. As this article highlights, there are some big, modern, exciting things happening in the Magic City, and our ambitious new Mayor is focused on bringing Birmingham - and its reputation - into the 21st century. 

Our tech scene may not yet truly rival that of the Bay Area, but the California markets are quickly pricing themselves out of some promising young talent - talent that has started looking east for lower overheads and a more dynamic, inclusive, culture. Birmingham has proven to be a big destination for young professionals with degrees - a group that  starts more businesses at a younger age than previous generations. That's the kind of wave we want to see heading for Birmingham, and business, political, and community leadership are working together to make sure this new generation of innovators finds a home in our revitalized community.

Whether you think CA will remain the Tech Hub indefinitely or not, this piece does a great job of highlighting some of the future-focused businesses and programs being built in Birmingham. We at Spartan are excited about our city's ongoing Rennaissance - both personally and professionally - and I wanted to make sure the community here on BP got a glimpse of what's really going on south of the Mason Dixon.