The Great Lakes states are undergoing a major economic transformation.  In the past, we created wealth through large, hierarchical organizations.  These First Curve industrial businesses generated enormous wealth by moving large volumes of products: coal, steel, automobiles.  

Beginning in the 1980s, the accelerating integration of global markets placed these businesses under increasing pressure.  Lower-cost locations provided high-volume products, which displaced U.S. manufacturers. Large U.S. companies began shifting production to these lower cost locations in a continuous search for competitive advantage. 

To cope with these changes, we need to first understand the nature of these shifts. Next we need to devise new strategies -- strategies that leverage the exponential power of networks.

Read more in this overview.