Courtney Kerr, Author at CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership

Conexus Indiana Launches AI Use-Case Catalog to Help Indiana Manufacturers and Logistics Companies Benchmark AI Projects

Courtney Kerr2026-07-08T09:25:49-04:00July 8, 2026|

New tool compiles real, self-reported AI projects from Indiana advanced manufacturing and logistics companies to help peers get practical ideas on AI projects INDIANAPOLIS – July 8, 2026 – Conexus Indiana today announced the launch of its AI Use-Case Catalog, a new resource that gives Indiana advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML) companies a real-world look at how their peers are putting AI to work inside their businesses. The catalog already includes 100 AI projects submitted directly by Indiana AML companies, including what they built, what it cost and what results they saw. Companies can browse the catalog, filter by cost, function, or sub-sector, benchmark their own progress against comparable projects across the state and get practical ideas on AI projects. “The best way for a manufacturer to learn about AI is to see what a peer down the road actually [...]

Rose-Hulman’s Design Clinic aims to give students real-world experience, create talent pipeline

Courtney Kerr2026-07-06T15:55:13-04:00July 6, 2026|

This story is part of an initiative led by the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here. Rose-Hulman students working on their senior capstone project. (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology photo/Bryan Cantwell) TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has launched a program designed to connect industry partners with students to help solve real-world challenges. Managed through the institute’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, the new Design Clinic gives students the chance to use their senior capstone projects to help area businesses develop solutions such as product development, manufacturing improvements, and automation concepts. Shraddha Sangelkar, associate professor of mechanical engineering and capstone project coordinator at Rose-Hulman, told Inside INdiana Business the program helps companies complete projects that they otherwise may not have time for. “For projects like [...]

Kennedy: BioHeartland will showcase Indiana as ‘absolute powerhouse’ in life sciences

Courtney Kerr2026-07-06T13:27:02-04:00July 6, 2026|

This article was originally published by Inside Indiana Business. Click here to read the original article. INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana life sciences officials say the recent national rollout of the state’s BioHeartland Indiana branding signifies the strengths and assets of the biosciences ecosystem in the state. In May, the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership, or CICP, announced the BioHeartland name with the goal of creating an identity for Indiana’s bioscience innovation. Last week, a contingent of Indiana bioscience leaders showcased the branding at the BIO International Convention in San Diego, California. Melina Kennedy, CEO of the CICP, said on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick that the trip marked the first time in six years that Indiana had a presence at the convention. “What’s kind of interesting is between six years ago and now — there are entities and people there that weren’t in [...]

Statewide effort aims to hasten businesses’ use of AI

Courtney Kerr2026-07-06T11:35:01-04:00July 6, 2026|

This post was originally published by Indianapolis Business Journal. Click here to read the original article. Batuhan Ak, general manager of Yamaha Marine Precision Propellers Inc., says AI helped the company make sense of mountains of data so it could fix manufacturing problems that were leading to defective boat propellers. (IBJ photo/Chad Williams) It’s not much of a stretch to say that artificial intelligence helped Greenfield-based Yamaha Marine Precision Propellers Inc. escape financial disaster. A few years ago, when Yamaha found itself mired in a costly and complicated manufacturing problem it couldn’t solve — an unexpected spike in the defect rate of the boat propellers it produces — the company turned to AI to help uncover the solution. “We had a mission-critical need for the technology,” said Batuhan Ak, Yamaha Marine’s general manager. If not for AI, Ak said, [...]

Celebrating the “Best of Indiana” at the 18th Annual Innovation Showcase

Courtney Kerr2026-06-24T11:05:58-04:00June 24, 2026|

This story is part of an initiative led by the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here. “Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through connection.” When the Venture Club of Indiana (VCI) shared those words on LinkedIn, they captured the exact energy that filled the room last week for the 18th Annual Venture Club of Indiana Innovation Showcase. True innovation isn't just about a single breakout founder or a lone genius working in isolation. It’s about building a connected web of founders, investors, executives, and ecosystem champions who are collectively committed to driving Indiana’s entrepreneurial future forward. With roughly 1,500 startups currently operating across the Hoosier State, the day proved that our ecosystem is maturing into something genuinely formidable. As VCI President & VP of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at TechPoint Chelsea Linder noted, what makes Indiana special is our [...]

AgriNovus taps Purdue DIAL Ventures veteran to lead innovation efforts across state’s agbioscience ecosystem

Courtney Kerr2026-06-18T09:17:57-04:00June 16, 2026|

Former Purdue DIAL Ventures and Serial Startup Veteran Tim Dixon to Focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Joins AgriNovus Senior Leadership Team INDIANAPOLIS – June 16, 2026 – AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, announced today Tim Dixon as its new senior director of innovation – a role charged with accelerating startup and entrepreneurial activity in the state.Dixon joins the AgriNovus team after more than 30 years of experience in the startup space and will lead the organization’s efforts to accelerate commercial innovation and company creation, building coalitions across industry, academia, capital providers, governments, non-profits and donors to drive awareness around the need for agbioscience innovation and the momentum growing around the state.“Tim brings to the AgriNovus team a unique mix of startup experience, strategic vision and a deep understanding of transforming big ideas into real-world impact,” [...]

Indiana’s Advanced Industries: Powering the State’s Future Workforce and Economy

Courtney Kerr2026-06-24T12:09:59-04:00June 13, 2026|

This conversation with Melina Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer at the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), was originally published by Ascend Indiana. Indiana’s advanced industries are driving innovation, economic growth and opportunity across the state. As technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics continue to reshape the workplace, employers, educators and policymakers are facing important questions about how to prepare Indiana’s workforce for the future. In this Q&A, CICP CEO Melina Kennedy explores the role of advanced industries in Indiana’s economy, the impact of emerging technologies on business and talent needs and the steps stakeholders can take today to ensure Hoosiers are equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing world. What are Indiana’s advanced industries, and why are they so important to the state’s economy and long-term prosperity? Indiana’s advanced industries—including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, technology and [...]

Conexus Indiana honors Chip Edgington with 2026 Andre B. Lacy Vanguard Award

Courtney Kerr2026-06-11T11:55:46-04:00June 11, 2026|

Retired FULLBEAUTY Brands executive and longtime Conexus Indiana board leader honored for decades of impact in Indiana's logistics industry INDIANAPOLIS – June 9, 2026 – Conexus Indiana today announced Chip Edgington, retired Executive Vice President of Operations at FULLBEAUTY Brands, has been named the 2026 Andre B. Lacy Vanguard Award recipient, joining an esteemed group of leaders recognized for their extraordinary impact in Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries. Conexus Indiana presents the Vanguard Award annually to a Hoosier leader who champions these industries, models civic leadership and challenges the status quo. The award is named in honor of Andre B. Lacy, a philanthropist and business leader with a lasting impact on Indiana as the third-generation leader of Lacy Diversified Industries Ltd. (LDI). “This recognition means a great deal to me, and I’m appreciative of joining such an exceptional group [...]

More than Startups: Redefining the Entrepreneurial Roadmap in Elkhart County

Courtney Kerr2026-06-15T12:51:20-04:00June 8, 2026|

This story is part of an initiative led by the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here. In the world of economic development, we often treat "startup growth" as the ultimate pulse check for a community’s ecosystem health. It can be tempting to look solely for the next "lone ranger" entrepreneur or the flash of a high-tech unicorn. But what if a region is thriving—boasting high per capita income and declining poverty—while its startup rates remain below average? This is the "Elkhart Paradox" that Dr. Stephanie Fernhaber and her colleagues, Dr. Hessam Sarooghi and Dr. Marleen McCormick Pritchard at Butler University’s Lacy School of Business, set out to explore. In a recent conversation for our INfluence series, Dr. Fernhaber shared how their research challenges the traditional "startup-or-bust" narrative and offers a more nuanced framework for how [...]

Indiana to Host Anthropic’s Claude for Small Business Workshop as Part of IN AI Initiative

Courtney Kerr2026-06-15T12:22:26-04:00June 8, 2026|

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (June 5, 2026) – Indianapolis is one of 10 cities nationwide to host Anthropic's new "Claude for Small Business" workshop series, bringing hands-on AI adoption training directly to Indiana small business leaders as part of the statewide IN AI initiative. The free workshop, scheduled for June 26 in Indianapolis, is part of Anthropic's national spring tour focused on helping small and midsize businesses integrate AI into everyday operations through practical, real-world applications. Anthropic recently launched "Claude for Small Business," a new offering designed to help smaller businesses use AI across finance, operations, marketing, customer service, and administrative workflows through integrations with commonly used business platforms including QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and DocuSign. “We’re excited to bring Anthropic’s Claude SMB Tour to Indiana,” said Lina Ochman, Head of U.S. SMB for Anthropic. “Small and [...]

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