When you think about the business capitals of the United States, Indianapolis doesn’t exactly leap to mind. For one thing, it’s home to a lot of people who have that Midwestern niceness going on, a sensibility that borders on diffident to someone accustomed to the sharp elbows and self-promotion of the East and West coasts.

“We’re just nice Midwestern people with nice Midwestern values,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, in an interview this month. “I believe in that. It’s real.”

I visited Indiana in January as part of a reporting tour sponsored by Armory Square Ventures called Deep Dives into Secondary Cities and ended up thinking about what kinds of innovation may arise as different places, like Indianapolis, build more momentum in a shifting economy. The old manufacturing and ag centers of the Midwest don’t look like they’re decaying anymore: They look lucky to have infrastructure and a low-cost of living. A culture of investing back in the community and a supportive state government is starting to pay off for this Midwestern state and city.

Read the full story from Forbes here.