Mike Memos

We are looking for the best and brightest startup companies in America ... preferably outside Silicon Valley, Seattle, Boston, and other technical hotbeds. It's not that we are opposed to those places, just that we want to recognize that technical innovations can come from anywhere.

Here is where you can nominate your favorite startup in any of our six categories. Gather the information needed and anything else you want to include (files, videos, etc.) and just shovel it in. Click on the stars in the upper right hand corner of each nomination to rate them.

Tell your friends about this site so they can become involved, too. Come back often to see the companies that have been nominated, to discuss them with other readers, and ultimately to vote on your favorites for me to visit this summer in my RV. The top 24 companies will be featured in a 12-hour reality television series, but only if YOU nominate and vote for them.

As an entrepreneur on the Silicon Prairie, it's exciting to see initiatives like this one from Bob Cringely (supported by the Kauffman Foundation) that are on a mission to highlight startups outside the Valley.

Cringely is a veteran of the information technology field, spending 8 years as a columnist for InfoWorld and nearly a dozen with PBS working with documentaries. This campaign, "Cringely's (NOT in Silicon Valley) Startup Tour," will spotlight startups recommended by the masses and the contributions they make to the U.S. economy.

Ultimately, this initiative will culminate in a 12-hour reality TV series, which Cringely will create for broadcast on a major network. See Cringely's blog for more details, and be sure to nominate your favorite startups. This is another great chance for the Midwest to shine.

Also, thanks to the Kauffman Foundation for continuing to foster collaboration and support for the region's startups and entrepreneurs.