Nashville’s Tech Future: Why the Pieces Are All Here | Mark Blaze

This is the "it" city I've heard that said I just like to take over "it" and just call it the information Technology city I like the way you think why not I mean this I mean you look at the companies that have in transportation comp data in healthcare HCA and in all forms of logistics Nashville is a thought leader a historic leader in all forms of logistics in Tennessee of course with FedEx etcetera so Tennessee is the greatest place to start and grow a business

Nashville's the absolute greatest place to start and grow a business how are you tapping into the enthusiasm that's already here well I the collaborative nature of Nashville is you know we had a conversation yesterday on using the phrase easy it's simple let's go with simple rather than easy see I do listen to you Johnny and you know I do think it's simple because the elements are all in place we couldn't put the geographic position of Nashville that's something I can't control we can't control just happens to be really good you know so we have that element in place I think some foresight from the leadership of the state

from past years I mean no state income tax I sat at lunch today with someone and he's in from Chicago and I said well let's talk about some things and there's so many elements in place I think personally I'll feel like shame on me if we don't advance as into that position of prominence because it's all waiting to happen so Nashville has tax policy has a cosmopolitan field there's a lot of people from somewhere else here so everybody is comfortable meeting everybody we talked a lot about community in this set of conversations we've had today yes and John coach John Wooden said something like

you can't teach height right and so he could take a 7 foot 2 human being and turn him into a 7 foot 2 and my friend Bill Walton these these you you don't have Nashville has height Nashville has all the natural gifts and all we need to do is learn our eye hand coordination you know how we're passing the ball as teammates you know how are we playing this game what what what are your inspirations for leadership oh my father would be one just just the way he was a very servant leader I've been fortunate through my career

to have some great mentors that I've Learned many great things from recently Learned the premise of a reverse mentor think we've chatted about that which is I'm all in on that learning from younger generations that can help me I believe be a better leader but I think looking at leaders it comes from so many different forms of my life and I'd like to believe I've I've tried to look and be aware of those around me and to pick elements of uh what makes them special cause ultimately I think a good leader is someone Dy said it earlier I mean he he went through a list of things and I do believe it it's

it's being aware of your team recognizing them correctly just being very personal caring for them caring and and ultimately his phrase was be nice hmm I think if that's a pretty good lesson for you for all of us you know whether we're leaders or not the world would be a better place that's why I think Nashville is a great center to do that because that's the community Nashville wants to help and support I mean you we've all lived that and so that's why that opportunity is so great here and to your point yes I would love to see it move throughout society to where it touches all areas

because that's for the good of mankind yeah our our our quality of life here has a lot to do with the quality of government the quality of regional and and

mayoral and city and other types of of leaders coming together together with their industrial counterparts you know the rest of this ecosystem and we haven't spent a lot of time talking today about how our government can be a partner and I don't I don't maybe maybe we could speak a little bit about that I think we're very fortunate and again it goes into the stars aligned we have a mayor that supports technology he has a background from technology absolutely he's a tech dude he's absolutely is and Freddy has an understanding which is a great perspective this city to build from this region

to build from and so we gotta utilize that I think it's public and private investment is critical one of my I mean I love what Jeremy's done and achieved and he'll be the first to tell you he'll line up and talk about how the states had involvement how certain companies private companies have come to the table it's pretty fun when you can do that together what is the spirit of innovation what is the spirit of of of what moves them as leaders and as people participating in this ecosystem so I'm I'm I'm proud to be a part of it I'm I'm here to just shout from the rooftops top of Alliance Bernstein with you about what

what you're doing right and what we're doing what what else could we do is a good question you asked that question when we first got together what else could we do and I think we're doing it today what what else could we do well I think there's I mean I'm not here to say that everything's working in perfection because I told you one of my goals I want us to have that worldwide prominence we're not there at this point um I think it's it's just connecting folks effectively cause the desire is to make Nashville great okay um what else could we do it revolves we talk about human talent it's capital it's

there's so many different elements we just gotta piece together effectively it's like the we've got the jigsaw puzzle someone's given us all the pieces we just gotta put them together to make that final final jigsaw um piece of art yeah it's a piece of art absolutely but it's not like there's not a piece missing from the box in my opinion I think it's all there it's just okay we gotta figure out how to connect them effectively so directly you look out three years from now um what do you see

I'd like to see where we have an ecosystem in place to where we've got a clear process that finds talent it then develops talent and it retains talent uh when I say that there's elements that that's and when we talk about collaboration that's gonna require the school systems higher education employers the city the state uh we've all got to be working in harmony but there's no reason that can't happen because I believe we have goes back to that special special source and the special source is the people that's the special source of of this region

it's the people um both of you have been successful in business you're givers you're not takers I mean and I think that's something that's um I don't say unique because I'm sure there's other places but I don't know whether there's places that do it as well as this community that's her that's her closer there you go thank you for being a part of this experience no I love you for being part of this it's uh you were vital in my mind for this to be where we can fulfill the potential so I appreciate you both we're not done not even started not even close