It's a factor, but it's not a unique factor. A lot of second-tier cities have elite institutions driving similar growth. Here in St. Louis we have Washington Un

It's a factor, but it's not a unique factor. A lot of second-tier cities have elite institutions driving similar growth. Here in St. Louis we have Washington University (and, perhaps more important, its medical school). Unsurprisingly, much of the startup/tech activity here is centered around the school (both geographically and intellectually). The story is the same in any number of other old U.S. cities.