Crossing the Cactus: A Blueprint for Tech Commercialization Success Outside Silicon Valley

In Crossing the Cactus, veteran venture capitalist Dave Blivin tackles one of the most persistent challenges in economic development: how to build successful technology ecosystems in regions outside established hubs like Silicon Valley and Boston. While breakthrough innovations emerge from universities and research facilities worldwide, most communities lack the resources to commercialize these ideas locally. The result? Talent and technologies migrate to resource-rich centers, leaving their communities of origin behind.

Drawing on three decades of experience funding early-stage companies, Blivin reveals his fundamental insight: when communities strategically align the three key ingredients—great ideas, experienced management, and sufficient capital—they can create sustainable technology-based economic growth anywhere.

Through compelling case studies including Skorpios Technologies and Bayotech, Blivin demonstrates how regions can identify their unique strengths, attract management talent, and implement funding strategies that keep promising ventures rooted locally. He examines successful ecosystem models like Ohio's Third Frontier and Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Technology Partners, offering practical frameworks adaptable to any region's circumstances.

Whether you're an economic development professional, investor, entrepreneur, or policymaker, Crossing the Cactus provides an actionable roadmap for transforming resource-limited regions into thriving centers of innovation, job creation, and prosperity.

DAVID BLIVIN is the Founder and Managing Director of Cottonwood Technology Funds, which invests in hard science startups. With over 30 years of experience in technology commercialization, Dave has raised over $300M across multiple funds in the southeast and southwest US, along with northwest Europe, and helped facilitate over $3 billion in enterprise value through strategic funding and ecosystem development.