Silicon Valley has long been a hotbed for entrepreneurs. Recently, however, startups are increasingly flocking to other parts of the West, bolstering local economies in the process.

The city of Boise has evolved into a hub for the tech community in Idaho, sporting co-working spaces and a business incubator. The annual Boise Startup Week is designed to connect entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, and employees, according to Boise State Public Radio. Colorado Springs is also home to an incubator called Milestones for Growth, which KRDO reports seeks to “create a collaborative space for [the city’s] growing tech and manufacturing community.”

The Washington Technology Industry Association and the Canadian government have partnered to create the Canadian Blockchain Market Accelerator in Seattle, which is home to five companies, according to GeekWire. StitchCrew, a similar accelerator in Oklahoma City, recently received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help support that state’s entrepreneurs as well, Tulsa World reports.

While many tech startups still choose to do business in California – like Santa Cruz-based Joby Aviation, which just received nearly $600 million in Series C funding from automaker Toyota – others are expanding operations elsewhere. In Arizona, AZCentral reports that Silicon Valley Bank, food delivery company Door Dash, real estate service Opendoor and cybersecurity firm NortonLifeLock are all increasing their presence in the Tempe area.

Other states boasting rapidly growing entrepreneurism include Kansas, which KCUR estimates is home to around 200 different startups, and Utah, where companies attracted $829 million in venture funding in the first three quarters of 2019, Marker reports.

Western states are also working to make the world of entrepreneurship more accessible to historically marginalized communities. Oregon’s proposed House Bill 4033 would help startup founders from disadvantaged financial backgrounds gain the capital required to get their businesses off the ground. The Wind River Startup Challenge, hosted by the University of Wyoming, gives Native American entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete for $25,000 in seed funding, according to Oil City News.

Drones Provide a Helping Hand: Drones are being utilized for a variety of different applications in San Diego, California. Unmanned aerial vehicles were recently used by the San Diego County Sherriff’s Department to locate encampments as part of the city’s annual homeless count, according to Governing Magazine. The law enforcement agency worked in tandem with the Chula Vista Police Department, who employed a similar method the previous year. Governing also reports that San Diego will be using drones to monitor the city’s water infrastructure, in particular identifying “potential problems for maintenance crews to resolve.”

Business is Booming in Bozeman: For the third year in a row, the city of Bozeman, Montana has been named the country’s strongest small economy by Policom, an independent economics research firm. The rankings include every “micropolitan” area in the U.S., defined as an urbanized area with a population between 10,000 and 50,000 residents. In 2020, the firm determined a total of 542 communities met that criteria, representing 660 of the nation’s 3,142 counties. Other western municipalities listed in the top 10 include Heber, Utah (third), Hood River, Oregon (fifth), Breckenridge, Colorado (sixth), Astoria, Oregon (ninth) and Kalispell, Montana (tenth).

The Homelessness Challenge: In rural areas along the West Coast, dealing with homelessness can be difficult because the communities often do not have the proper resources. Even when they do, deciding how to deploy the resources can be a contentious decision, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. In Shasta County, California, officials are employing a law and order approach: more detention facilities and police. Experts from the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, however, argue that programs that provide free, few-strings-attached housing are a far better option. “It saves communities money,” said National Law Center attorney Tristia Bauman. “In fact, it is the cheapest and most effective intervention, and that is established by a number of national studies.”

Yosemite’s Firefall: From Feb. 12-Feb. 28, an annual natural phenomenon will occur in California’s Yosemite National Park, making a waterfall on El Capitan's granite walls appear to glow bright orange like a stream of molten lava. According to The Press Democrat, the mesmerizing spectacle, popularized in 1973 by National Geographic photographer Galen Rowell, is caused by the waning winter light shining through the falling liquid at just the right angle. Park officials warn, however, that the “firefall” is not viable at all times. If any clouds or haze pass overhead, the effect can be ruined.

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