YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown wants venture capitalists to invest in businesses in the city. 

On Tuesday, Youngstown was the first stop on what is called the Comeback Cities Venture Capitalist Tour.

Valley Congressman Tim Ryan put together the Comeback Cities tour which included more than a dozen venture capitalists. The goal is to show them the investment opportunities outside of major cities.

"How do we get money, jobs, and investment from places like Silicon Valley and into places like the Mahoning Valley," Ryan said.

"That is a key part of the puzzle. That venture capital that allows those startups to grow here rather than seek investment capital in other communities," said Michael Hripko, Vice President of Research at Youngstown State University, who addressed the group. 

The local tour included the business incubator campus and the home of America Makes, innovators in additive manufacturing.

"What I'm seeing here is extremely exciting, manufacturing especially. So I'm looking forward to keeping in touch and looking at investment opportunities here," said Dr. Lan Xuezhao, founding partner of Basis Set Ventures based in San Francisco.

Also in the group was California Congressman Ro Khanna who represents Silicon Valley.  "I look forward to going back to my district in Silicon Valley and telling the stories of what's really going on here," Kahanna said.
 
The visitors also were impressed with a tour of one of the Valley's crown jewels, the Butler Institute of American Art. 

The venture capitalist tour will visit four other cities in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.