Having lived through the Great Recession 10 years ago in Des Moines, it feels like the following sentence from a CNN story could substitute “Detroit” for “Des Moines.” CNN Money writes: “Just five years after Detroit was forced to file for bankruptcy protection, the city has become a thriving hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.” Now, Des Moines didn’t file for bankruptcy and it’s not as big as Detroit, but this area has been swelling with startups in recent years. Like Detroit, Des Moines relies heavily on specific businesses. For Motor City, it’s the auto industry; for Des Moines, insurance and financial industries are big. The stories we follow for our innovationIOWA enewsletter (sign up at innovationia.com) capture the momentum of entrepreneurialism and innovation in Greater Des Moines. That innovation and creative spirit swelled in the aftermath of the Great Recession. There’s WhiskeyRack, Denim, SmartAg, Happy Medium and many more. While visiting recently with Christina Moffatt (also a small business owner in recent years!)  at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, we talked about the culture of creativity brimming here. Luckily, Des Moines did not suffer financially and economically the way Detroit did. The CNN Money story of overcoming such difficulties is worth reading. As you do, think about how far Des Moines has come.