I Choose Indy!

It may be surprising to some of you who have lived in Indianapolis for any length of time and have come to take for granted many of the advantages of the 12th largest city in the country, but I chose Indy for credibility. Twelve years ago, when AOL was sending out enough floppy disks to shingle a house, I spent a great deal of my time speaking to groups across the state about this emerging technology called the “world wide web.” Invariably, there was some time spent at each event justifying how I could possibly know anything about an emerging technology while living and working in Terre Haute. It just didn’t seem possible. As my previous boss used to quip, “They still think we’re fighting Indians over here.” The fix? Move to Indianapolis and gain instant credibility, just by changing my address.

That was the primary reason I chose Indy, but the reasons I continue to choose it are many and varied. Having started my own company in 1998, I’ve found Indy to be a great place for business. In many ways, we’re spoiled here: We get all the advantages of living in a large city while still being surrounded by people who exude Midwestern charm and integrity. And now that I have four young children, I love the resources that are readily available: the world’s best children’s museum, a dynamic zoo, a growing parks system, educational venues like Conner Prairie sprinkled throughout the metro area, a thriving church and faith-based community, and great schools.

And again, regardless of where you live or where you go in the city, you’re surrounded by those same, unassuming Midwestern folks.

So while there is a growing list of attributes that make Indy such a great place to live, in the end, it always comes down to one thing for me: the people. Smart, hard-working, interesting, dynamic folks who have their priorities straight, look you in the eye when they’re talking to you, and are always willing to lend a hand, whether the task is sandbagging against flood waters, organizing hurricane relief efforts, or simply putting a band-aid on the knee of a neighbor’s child.

Thanks to the Internet, I could choose to do what I do anywhere in the world. But I choose Indy — everyday — for the neighbors.