Courtney Kerr, Author at The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership

The “Silver Tsunami” and the Future of Indiana Business: Why You Need to Be at the First Statewide ETA Conference

Courtney Kerr2025-12-20T22:20:39-05:00December 20, 2025|

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. Indiana is standing at the edge of a massive economic shift. As the "Silver Tsunami" approaches—the wave of retiring Baby Boomer business owners, thousands of established Indiana companies will soon need new leadership. “How big of an effect this will have on Indiana is hard to predict, but what is clear is that rural areas have the most at stake. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, so-called Main Street businesses represent 84.8% of total businesses in rural areas and 54.3% of total jobs,” stated Brian Schutt, Director of Indiana’s new Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in an IBJ article earlier this year. In Indiana, these businesses aren’t just numbers [...]

People of Indiana State: Bryce Maxwell

Courtney Kerr2025-12-16T15:16:59-05:00December 16, 2025|

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. For Bryce Maxwell, ‘25, the decision to attend Indiana State University was rooted in family and practicality. Born and raised in Terre Haute, Maxwell chose to pursue a degree from Indiana State because of stories he had heard from family members. “My mom, my dad, and my older brother all went to Indiana State,” he shares. “I had three great examples of success stories, so I thought I’d stay in my hometown. The tuition was great, and I knew Indiana State was a nice school. I could find my way and figure out what I wanted to do.” Finding that way, however, took time. Maxwell entered college unsure of his [...]

PODCAST: Christy Wright on food as the next frontier of health, innovating for the farmer + AgriNovus as a critical ecosystem convener

Courtney Kerr2025-12-16T15:01:56-05:00December 16, 2025|

PODCAST: Melina Kennedy, CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), recently hosted Christy Wright, the newly named President and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana on the Agbioscience podcast. They talk service, food as the next frontier of health and Christy's vision for what lies ahead for Indiana’s agbioscience economy. They get into: Christy’s journey from Director of Global Food Systems at Corteva to taking the reins at AgriNovus this year The “why” behind her desire to lead and serve, now in a leadership role at CICP Her takeaways and high-level overview as she’s been on a road tour 90 days into the job AgriNovus’ Accelerate 2050 report and how it serves as a launching point for the organization’s strategy moving forward How Christy wants to leverage the power of Indiana’s agbioscience ecosystem to drive a new era of industry [...]

16 Tech Concludes Inaugural Program Connecting 25 of Indiana’s Collegiate Founders

Courtney Kerr2025-12-15T10:17:49-05:00December 15, 2025|

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. Ignition, powered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, connected 15 startup companies to Indiana’s entrepreneur ecosystem. 16 Tech Community Corporation celebrated the completion of Ignition, a program designed to support collegiate founders from across Indiana as they build ventures and futures in the state. Powered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Community Collaboration Fund, Ignition fills a critical gap between university-based entrepreneurial programs and Indiana’s larger startup ecosystem. “By bringing together student founders from multiple universities and immersing them in a thriving entrepreneur ecosystem, we’re helping Indiana grow the next generation of talent that will strengthen and stay in our economy,” said Emily Krueger, president and CEO of 16 Tech. [...]

TechPoint announces 2026 Mira Awards Finalists

Courtney Kerr2025-12-11T09:03:34-05:00December 10, 2025|

Winners to be announced at awards gala in April TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, announced today the finalists for the 2026 Mira Awards, known as the “Oscars of Indiana Tech.” The 106 finalists from across Indiana emerged from 231 submissions. Finalists were evaluated by a team of independent judges following live presentations earlier in the month. A total of 17 awards will be presented at the Mira gala at the Palladium in Carmel on April 24, 2026. “Each year, the Mira Awards reveal just how powerful and dynamic Indiana’s tech ecosystem has become,” said Ting Gootee, president and CEO, TechPoint. “These finalists embody the ingenuity, resilience, and collaborative spirit that continue to position our state as a national leader in digital innovation. We’re proud to celebrate their achievements and excited to showcase their impact [...]

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

Courtney Kerr2025-11-26T13:32:10-05:00November 26, 2025|

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. IU Innovates students participate in a demo pitch to a panel of entrepreneurs at Dimension Mill on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Photo by Wendi Chitwood/Indiana University) 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 [...]

Case Study: Internships Help Students Find Careers, Grasp Advanced Manufacturing

Courtney Kerr2025-11-25T09:12:05-05:00November 25, 2025|

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. Background A company launched at the dawn of the 20th century and still owned and operated by its founder’s descendants, Grote Industries has thrived into the 21st century by constantly pursuing innovation. A manufacturer of safety lighting and visibility systems, the company has been recognized as a top employer in the Madison area and as a global leader in its industry. More than a century ago, William Grote saw a future not only in a particular line of products but also in groundbreaking production processes. Even as the company he launched established itself as a leading supplier of visibility and safety products, it also emerged as a manufacturing trailblazer. It was first to introduce injection-molded plastic products to the nation and to create a plastic-injection molding machine. A reflector technology Grote Industries developed decades [...]

CICP, TechPoint Announce Leadership Transition

Courtney Kerr2025-11-20T15:33:47-05:00November 18, 2025|

INDIANAPOLIS (November 18, 2025): The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and TechPoint announced today that TechPoint CEO Ting Gootee will transition from her role at the end of this year, with her last day set for December 31, 2025. “Leading TechPoint has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career,” said Gootee. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and confident that the organization is well positioned for its next chapter of impact. Indiana’s tech community is growing, resilient and on a powerful path forward.” Under Gootee’s leadership, TechPoint has strengthened its position as the central hub for Indiana’s tech and innovation ecosystem, broadening technology’s transformative role across all sectors to drive economic growth. “Ting has guided TechPoint through a period of meaningful progress and transformation,” said TechPoint Board Chair Richard Cardwell. “Her leadership has strengthened our foundation, expanded [...]

Indiana on the Global Stage: Insights from the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2025 in Indianapolis

Courtney Kerr2025-11-18T09:53:38-05:00November 18, 2025|

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. Earlier this year, Indianapolis took center stage as thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and innovation ecosystem builders from over 140 countries gathered for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) 2025. The international event, hosted every other year in a new global city with an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem, brought an estimated 3,000 attendees to the Hoosier State and showcased why Indiana is earning its reputation as a rising hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Ryan Henderson, Conexus Indiana’s senior director of innovation, attended the event and brought back key takeaways across four jam-packed days of programming and collaboration. A Global Spotlight on Indiana’s Manufacturing Strengths and its Entrepreneurial Roots The opening session, Bold Solutions [...]

All Roads Led to Warsaw: BioCrossroads FrameWORX Highlights Indiana’s Orthopedic Leadership

Courtney Kerr2025-11-17T10:15:51-05:00November 17, 2025|

Known globally as the Orthopedic Capital of the World®, the region welcomed more than 200 scientists, researchers, business leaders, and students for BioCrossroads’ quarterly FrameWORX event: The Future of Musculoskeletal Health: Innovations in Orthopedic Medicine and Indiana’s Leadership Opportunity. Held at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana the event placed Indiana’s orthopedic strength in the spotlight by bringing national voices together to discuss the science, industry, and impact of musculoskeletal health. Orthopedics is one of the most important sectors in global health, providing implants, devices, and treatments that restore mobility, reduce pain, and extend quality of life for millions of patients. Warsaw has long been at the center of that mission. It is home to global leaders like Zimmer Biomet and J&J MedTech, alongside a thriving community of mid-sized companies, startups, suppliers, and innovators who design and manufacture orthopedic technologies that are used worldwide. Tens of [...]

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