Two years ago, former journalist and media entrepreneur Dan Pacheco departed the tech startup hub of the Denver metro area to serve as the Chair of Journalism Innovation at the S.I. Newhouse School, Syracuse University. Since then, he and his students have been working to help bring together segments of the local tech-business ecosystem that's been spurring an economic renaissance around Syracuse -- and learning lessons that can apply elsewhere.

"It's amazing to see how much has changed in Syracuse since I got there. The whole community has galvanized," said Pacheco. "There are several coworking spaces and incubator programs now. For instance, in the middle of town there's the Tech Garden. It used to be an old parking garage -- but with state money, they renovated it into a cool hacker space and quasi-incubator, and startups moved in. They bring in speakers and host events. It was all messy and organic at first, but now they've figured out what works."

As in many cities around the U.S., several elements are converging in Syracuse to leverage tech to revitalize the local economy:

• Meetup.com supports community gatherings like Syracuse Tech Meetup -- which this month is having a roundtable discussion on hunger, homelessness and technology.
• Civic hacking events (like the recent HackUpstateseries of civic hackathons) attract avid local participation and help technologists and students get more involved with community issues.
• State economic development programs, like StartUpNY, provide tax and other incentives for startups to locate in certain cities or regions of the state.
• Local makerspaces like SALT, as well as a makerspace operated by a local public library and a brand-new makerspace at Syracuse University, offer low-cost access to tools (including 3D printers and laser engravers), training, and community around creating physical objects.

But also, Pacheco observes that in Syracuse, local history is playing a strong role in shaping the city's tech and economic future.

"You need to pay attention to the history of your town. What do people care about? Often that will correlate with economic drivers and cultural history of community," he said.

"Syracuse used to be a big manufacturing center. There are lots of big old closed factories around town. And the town elders still talk about days when everyone would go to the factory. Here, the concept of 'making' really resonates, so maker culture is becoming a big deal. It's about the factories of future. The whole Syracuse region has a population of only about 600,000, so it's huge for us to have three makerspaces here. Local people are trying to retain something from their past to build their future."

Unlike more affluent startup hubs like Boulder, Colo., the long-term economic and population decline of Syracuse presents opportunities along with challenges. "There are a lot of people who feel really invested in this city, who want to make their community awesome and make sure we don't leave anyone behind."

From a community perspective, one advantage is that the Syracuse (and upstate N.Y.) tech-business renaissance is that it's just beginning. Unlike Silicon Valley or New York City, "There aren't very many egos here yet," said Pacheco. "There are leaders, but it's not a class-stratification of tech elite. It's inclusive more than competitive. So far."

This kind of openness, in the context of a fairly small city, allows collaboration, creativity and serendipity that can encourage more civic hacking and other community-oriented aspects of tech culture.

How can community organizers, educational institutions, local funders, and local governments or nonprofits help foster a community sensibility in an emerging local tech ecosystem?

Pacheco suggests that your first stop should be to attend meetups for tech and maker groups, often listed in Meetup.com. "Go for groups with lots of recent and upcoming events, and with the largest numbers of members. Ask people where they go to hang out with other parts of the tech community, and go there too."

Also, check event listings at local coworking spaces, startup incubators and makerspaces.

"Space is often a big deal. Do you have space to offer for events, even just for a hackathon? Can you help supply wifi and food, drink or prizes? Can you help arrange space or resources for events and groups that bring together tech people with funders and other parts of your community? That's a great way to quickly become a key player with room to influence the way local tech culture develops," said Pacheco.

When involving local institutions -- like universities, school systems, or local government -- in established a community-focused tech culture, it helps to toss out your assumptions.

For instance, the University of Colorado-Boulder is strongly engaged with the local tech startup community. "But that's not coming from the CU business school; it's the law school," said Pacheco. "Look beyond the obvious agencies, schools, departments and programs to find motivated partners and supporters."

Journalism educators can encourage students to attend, participate in and cover hackathons or other local tech events. Pacheco teaches a class in web journalism and innovation, and requires his students to attend at least one hackathon.

"This is a key learning experience for how to collaborate with coders," he said. "Even if they don't code, they'll be surprised how welcome their abilities often are. A hackathon team may need someone to create a strong presentation, or write website copy. A startup may need someone to tell its story."

Pacheco notes that, especially at hackathons, coders generally welcome and value collaborating with people who possess different strengths -- including communication skills. For instance, at the recent Pro Literacy Hackathon in Syracuse, the top two winning teams were led by Pacheco's students.

"They not only won, but they won real money -- a couple thousand dollars! And they won because literacy was a problem that communication students understood: it's about words! They were able to come up with great concepts that the coders were eager to get behind. You'd better believe that made a lasting impression on everyone."