A second, separate force that I want to highlight with this site is the force of innovation that exists outside of Silicon Valley.  I spent close to six years traveling the world, giving research grants to university scientists across a spectrum of science and engineering, and one resounding conclusion could be made:  No one place or country has a monopoly on innovation.  Diverse backgrounds and environments yield fundamentally different, and novel, approaches and solutions to problems.  Many times these new approaches eclipse the standard that we are accustomed to and can better all of our lives, however, distance typically slows dissemination.  Through this site, I’ll highlight start-ups from outside the Valley that are changing the world.