The Hoosier Heartland is Buzzing: IU Innovates Demo Day Showcases Indiana’s Next Generation of Founders

This story is part of an initiative led by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here.

Step into The Mill in Bloomington on Friday, October 24, and the air wasn’t filled with the usual hum of a business event, but with the palpable energy of possibility. The occasion was the IU Innovates Student Startup Demo Day, a vibrant mid-semester showcase that felt less like a stiff pitch competition and more like a high-powered, community-led workshop. It was a tangible demonstration that Indiana University is not just discussing innovation; it’s actively cultivating and launching the next generation of founders who will shape the Hoosier state’s economic future. 

The event featured nine student-led startups and brought together a distinguished panel of IU alumni—seasoned founders and funders—all focused on one goal: collaboration over competition. This spirit was set by Executive Director Julie Heath, who explained that the format was designed for students to share specific “asks”—not for funding, but for vital advice, connections, and feedback. This emphasis on helping each other get “unstuck” quickly is core to the program’s culture. Demo Day is about progress, not perfection and the collaboration, energy, and determination in the room remind us exactly why innovation is at the heart of IU’s future. 

This focus on grassroots, impactful entrepreneurship has powerful university backing. President Whitten, in her closing remarks on the IU Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, called the event “inspiring” and celebrated the inaugural class of student entrepreneurs who are “creating a culture of innovation that will lift all of Indiana.  

 

Progress Over Perfection: Meet the Founders 

The diversity of the nine ventures on display underscored the program’s commitment to welcoming students from any school and any business model—from music PhDs to Kelley School sophomores. 

Take Kerry Ao, a junior from the Kelley School of Business. Kerry, already a Forbes 30 under 30 lister, pitched Intertwined, an AI-powered platform that gamifies financial literacy. Intertwined has demonstrated remarkable traction, raising over $400,000 and achieving 900% year-over-year growth in district adoption through partnerships with Microsoft and OpenStax. Kerry captured the sentiment of the day perfectly, noting he was “incredibly inspired” after pitching and making “meaningful connections” through the event. 

Another founder driving momentum is Brian Rosen, a Kelley School junior, who presented Evervive, a non-jittery energy drink formulated with natural ingredients and adaptogens for focus without the crash. Brian’s ambition is already in motion, having completed a 15,000-can production run and planning for retail distribution with Kroger and Walmart. Brian spoke to the community focus, celebrating the event as an “inspiring event” that reinforced the power of peer support. 

The innovation showcased spanned critical areas of modern life, including: 

• Izzy Branam (Senior, IU East/IU Online): Presented RelateXR, an IU IP spinout leveraging VR and AI to treat substance use disorders, backed by $5 million in NIH research grants. 

• Lizzie Cooksey (PhD Candidate, Jacobs School of Music): Showcased the immersive, multi-sensory experiences of the Bourbon & Brass Company, intertwining curated bourbon tastings with sound. 

• Niousha Eslahchi (PhD Candidate, The College of Arts + Sciences): Introduced Bendbond, an ethical, human-centered AI platform connecting users anonymously for emotional wellbeing and community. 

Other featured student founders were: Eli Serrano, Jack Wax, Michael Heiger, and Brie Dillman.  

 

IU Innovates: A Collaborative Engine for Indiana’s Economy 

The Demo Day served as a powerful illustration of IU Innovates in action. Launched in Fall 2023, this university-wide initiative is dedicated to advancing IU entrepreneurs through incubation hubs, resource sponsorship, and storytelling. It is a foundational component of IU’s strategic plan 2030, reinforcing pillars of student success and service to the state and beyond. 

As Executive Director Julie Heath emphasized, the goal is to ensure entrepreneurs “know where to start, and continually access the right resource at the right time.” IU Innovates distinguishes itself through several key features: 

• Open Access Front Door: Welcoming entrepreneurs and aspiring founders from any major or school, across all stages of business (idea/MVP/revenue/scaling). 

• Near-Peer Mentorship: Programs are led by current student entrepreneurs and recent alumni, offering highly relevant, timely advice based on their recent experiences. 

• Powerful Alumni Network: The program proactively partners with the IU Foundation, IU Ventures, and the IU Alumni Association to connect founders with expertise from the 800,000+ alumni base. 

The collaborative hosting of the event with partners like The Mill, which connects founders to the broader community, and the involvement of IU Ventures board members among the panelists, show how deeply this entrepreneurial drive is integrated into Indiana’s wider ecosystem. 

The success of the Fall 2025 Student Startup Demo Day confirms that IU Innovates is successfully fostering a culture of trust and shared growth. It’s a compelling testament that the next big success story for Indiana’s economy is being written right now, by these student founders. 

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Across Indiana, our universities are fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping our state’s future. In collaboration with our university partners, CICP is excited to share and amplify those stories; which highlight students, faculty, and alumni who are turning ideas into action. By celebrating these efforts, we aim to strengthen the connections between higher education, industry, and community, and to shine a light on the innovation happening throughout our state. Click here to learn more about this initiative.