Courtney Kerr, Author at CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership

Rose-Hulman Students Win NCAA Final Four Analytics Challenge

Courtney Kerr2026-04-23T10:15:13-04:00April 23, 2026|

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. Photo courtesy: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology INDIANAPOLIS – There were more than just men’s basketball teams competing for a championship during this year’s NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. A team of Rose-Hulman students claimed the undergraduate title in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Final Four Analytics Challenge, outpacing a competitive field of 157 teams from 15 schools to emerge as one of four finalists to compete Monday, April 6—the same day as the national championship game—and ultimately, the winner. The Rose-Hulman “Data Miners” included senior computer science majors Brian Beasley, Matteo Calviello, and Preksha Sarda, senior biomedical engineering major Tommaso Calviello, and sophomore mathematics major Aron Varga. All five [...]

Purdue University President Mung Chiang is TechPoint’s 2026 Trailblazer

Courtney Kerr2026-04-23T09:40:10-04:00April 23, 2026|

Chiang to receive award at TechPoint's Mira Awards INDIANAPOLIS (April 23, 2026) — Purdue University President Mung Chiang will be honored as the Indiana tech sector’s 2026 Trailblazer at the Mira Awards on Friday, April 24. The Mira Awards gala, known as “The Oscars of Indiana Tech,” celebrate the state’s most innovative companies, entrepreneurs and leaders. The annual Trailblazer Award recognizes visionaries whose contributions have had a lasting and significant impact on Indiana’s technology ecosystem. Honorees are innovative leaders whose work strengthens the state’s competitiveness and fuels long-term economic growth. Since becoming Purdue University’s 13th president in 2023, Chiang has positioned the institution as both an intellectual and industrial engine for Indiana’s rise as a national technology leader, linking discovery, delivery and talent at a global scale. His blend of deep technical expertise and public-policy experience continues to underpin [...]

Student Voices Powering Ball State’s County Ambassador Program and Encouraging Graduates to Make Indiana Home

Courtney Kerr2026-04-21T10:18:11-04:00April 21, 2026|

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. When Isaac Rogers discusses LaGrange County and Brooke Wagner talks about Wabash County, a common theme emerges from their different experiences: pride, curiosity and a growing sense of possibility. Both represent their home counties as County Ambassadors in Ball State University’s County Ambassador Program. The student-to-student engagement program empowers students to share community pride and to encourage their friends and classmates to consider working or living there in the future. While the program is innovative, its impact is best understood through students like Isaac and Brooke, whose experiences show how a connection to place can shape confidence, career paths and future choices. Isaac joined the County Ambassador Program when it [...]

Amplifying Stories of Innovation in Indiana

Courtney Kerr2026-04-21T10:09:55-04:00April 21, 2026|

Indianapolis (April 15, 2026) – Across our state, innovation is happening in classrooms, research labs, and startups — yet too often, the stories of student founders, faculty innovators, and alumni entrepreneurs remain siloed within individual campuses or industries. The CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) has announced the launch of INfluence: Stories of Indiana Innovation, a strategic effort designed to amplify and share these stories of entrepreneurship and innovation happening across Indiana, ensuring the state’s success is visible, connected, and understood beyond individual campuses, industries, or networks. “By creating an interconnected ecosystem that turns ideas into action, we are ensuring Indiana’s innovators and programs have the visibility and support they need to succeed,” said Melina Kennedy, CEO of CICP. “Indiana is no stranger to innovation. From life-saving medicines to advanced manufacturing breakthroughs, discoveries in  agbiosciences to new businesses and technologies, Hoosiers have a long history of turning ideas into impact.”  Early INfluence stories highlight the [...]

Innovation in Our Backyard: Why You Can’t Miss 2026 IDEA Week

Courtney Kerr2026-04-14T15:38:42-04:00April 14, 2026|

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. PBS Michiana recently sat down with Marty from Startup South Bend – Elkhart at Momentum, and the energy in the room is apparent even through their video. [Watch the interview here!] If you haven’t heard the buzz, South Bend is booming—Apple News even recently called it one of the best places to live and start a business. A huge part of that momentum? IDEA Week. What started as a Notre Dame initiative has grown into a massive regional festival of innovation, entrepreneurship, and—most importantly—connection. As Marty put it, being an entrepreneur can be a "lonely road," but IDEA Week is the antidote to that isolation. It’s where you realize you don’t have to "lose your mind" to build a business; you just need the [...]

Ascend Indiana launches statewide initiative to expand student-led businesses ahead of 2029 high school diploma requirements

Courtney Kerr2026-04-14T13:48:43-04:00April 14, 2026|

April 14, 2026 (INDIANAPOLIS) - Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), has launched a new initiative to support student-led businesses, defined as real or simulated enterprises that are designed, managed and operated primarily by students. Student-led businesses generally fall into three categories – school-based enterprise, workplace simulation and student entrepreneurial experience – and meet the state of Indiana’s approved work-based learning requirements for new diploma seals legislated for high school students beginning with the class of 2029. Ascend’s student-led business initiative is backed by new research demonstrating the value of student-led businesses as scalable, high-impact work-based learning opportunities, especially in under-resourced communities. “At Ascend, we believe the most effective way to prepare students for the workforce is simple: give them the opportunity to do real work. That’s why we [...]

Purdue students shine at 2026 Xtern Challenge, present AI solutions at Cummins

Courtney Kerr2026-04-14T11:17:52-04:00April 14, 2026|

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. INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue University students played a prominent role in TechPoint’s 2026 Xtern Challenge, presenting enterprise-focused AI solutions March 6 at Cummins’ headquarters in Columbus, Indiana. Developed in partnership with Cummins, the work-based learning experience brought together 100 students from colleges and universities across the state to tackle real-world problems. Of the 45 Purdue students participating, 22 were based in Indianapolis. “Participating in TechPoint’s Xtern Challenge has given students confidence that the skills they are learning at Purdue and The Data Mine are preparing them to solve real-world challenges in industry,” said Maggie Betz, managing director of The Data Mine in Indianapolis. Designed to mirror professional, cross-functional teamwork, the Xtern Challenge paired students [...]

Eric Christopher named new TechPoint president and CEO

Courtney Kerr2026-04-15T10:56:45-04:00April 6, 2026|

INDIANAPOLIS (April 6, 2026): The CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and TechPoint, the nonprofit industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, announced today that Eric Christopher will serve as TechPoint’s next president and CEO, effective April 7. With more than 20 years of experience securing venture capital and scaling high-growth software companies, Christopher is recognized as a leader across Indiana’s tech community and throughout the tech industry nationally. Having served as a TechPoint board member since 2018, Christopher has led efforts to expand support and resources for local tech talent to fuel sustained economic growth. “Eric brings the leadership and vision needed to build on Indiana’s growing momentum in technology and digital innovation,” said Aman Brar, a member of the TechPoint Board. “As artificial intelligence and emerging technologies reshape industries and create new opportunities, TechPoint plays a critical [...]

Advancing Innovation: Priority Areas for Indiana’s Agbioscience Future

Courtney Kerr2026-04-01T12:35:43-04:00April 1, 2026|

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AgriNovus Indiana research unveils focus areas ripe for startup innovation, launches applications for $75,000 Velocity Accelerator

Courtney Kerr2026-04-14T14:35:38-04:00March 30, 2026|

2026 Velocity empowers innovators to build tech solutions in bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation, food is health INDIANAPOLIS (March 30, 2026) - AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, released new research today identifying critical challenges ripe for innovation that will serve as the foundation for the 2026 Velocity Accelerator, a six-month program that awards entrepreneurs three separate $25,000 cash prizes for their technology solutions in bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health. Conducted by Arrowpoint Labs, the study entitled Advancing Innovation: Priority Areas for Indiana’s Agbioscience Future updates the sector’s economic impact in Indiana, synthesizes insights from key state and national agbioscience leaders and provides problem statements for the innovation community – from students to startups and existing companies – to solve through Velocity. “Velocity is an accelerator that focuses on the core challenges facing our agbioscience industry,” said [...]

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