They've all been torn down. Goodall is president of Innovation Works, one of four regional economic development operations collectively known as Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Goodall says the program was born in 1983, an effort to rebuild an economy reeling from the collapse of the steel industry. The high-tech revolution is fueling the American economy in ways unprecedented since the turn of the century. New major industries are growing overnight.
Billionaires spring from nowhere.
Cities that once were in the doldrums, are now capitals of high technology. Twenty years ago, Minnesota was at the cutting edge of high technology. Read more in our special section, Minnesota in the .Com Age. Goodall's program provides entrepreneurs with assistance and financing designed to keep them going after personal funds run out until they're ready for venture capital. Goodall says even though the Ben Franklin Program predates the Ridge administration, the old and new are built on the premise of collaboration among government, industry, and academia.