Silicon Valley Rebrands Itself as Good for the Rest of America

"Should I tell the story about the killer robots?" "I love telling this story. A group of roughly 50 people listened raptly as Weinberg, president of a think tank called the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, addressed a public-policy luncheon in San Carlos, California, on Thursday afternoon. The event--whose guests of honor included Democratic lawmakers Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, and Tim Ryan, from the Thirteenth District of Ohio--was meant to foster a lively discussion about connecting Silicon Valley "to the heartland." There would also be a sneak peak of a report showing the economic impact of Bay Area companies on every single congressional district in America. Weinberg began his killer story as the crowd--including the mayor of Akron, Ohio; Silicon Valley municipal leaders; health care executives; business school academics; tech investors; representatives from Oracle and Palantir; and a Teamsters rep--made quick work of the carb-heavy boxed lunches.