It's not exactly the tech-savvy California coast, but this Midwestern city is starting to make a name for itself in entrepreneurial circles.

The city has made a major turnaround in recent years. It all started with a depressing economic report that showed the region was falling behind on venture capital. The report showed new companies had access to investors who supplied seed-stage money -- the first round of funds. But after that, the money dried up. Startups had to fend for themselves.

To remedy this, big corporations in Cincinnati stepped in to create Cintrifuse, which provides office space and connections to entrepreneurs. Startups also get access to investors nationwide through a special funding program used to draw investments from outside the city.

Smart entrepreneurs combine this help with early stage funding from CincyTech, a nonprofit venture capital provider, and mentoring from classes at The Brandery, a top 10 accelerator.