Courtney Kerr, Author at The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership

16 Tech reports 100 new companies joined the district in the last year

Courtney Kerr2025-10-30T11:24:16-04:00October 24, 2025|

This article was originally published by Inside Indiana Business. Click here to read the original article. Stories of entrepreneurship and discovery continue to rise at the 16 Tech Innovation District in downtown Indianapolis. According to an economic impact report released this week, the district now has 300 companies—up from 200 just a year ago. “Much of that has come from growth in our coworking and makerspace that 16 Tech owns and operates, and that alone has more than 400 individuals who are in it,” 16 Tech CEO Emily Krueger told Inside INdiana Business. “It can represent everything from a startup company or a small business who are members to corporate innovation teams like [Eli] Lilly’s digital health team that’s also located in the building.” A total of 1,200 employees work in the district across research, tech and creative industries. That [...]

IU breaks ground on IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences

Courtney Kerr2025-10-22T10:57:38-04:00October 22, 2025|

This article was originally published by IU News on October 21, 2025. Click here to read the original article. Indiana University has broken ground on the future home of the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, or IU LAB, a central part of IU’s commitment to position Indiana as a global hub for bioscience innovation, talent and commercialization. The new facility in the 16 Tech Innovation District will serve as the home of a first-of-its-kind academic-industry initiative that is harnessing the power of IU’s $1 billion research enterprise to strengthen Indiana’s $99 billion life sciences economy. IU leaders were joined by industry and community partners from around the state on Tuesday to break ground on the five-story, 150,000-square-foot facility, which is slated to open in 2027. “Through initiatives like IU LAB, we are leveraging IU’s world-class research enterprise and cultivating the next generation [...]

Plug and Play Lifetech Announces Inaugural Batch of 12 Innovative Startups in Indianapolis

Courtney Kerr2025-10-22T13:44:50-04:00October 20, 2025|

This article was originally published by The AI Journal on October 20, 2025. Click here to read the original article. Plug and Play, the world's largest innovation platform, today announced the 12 companies selected for the inaugural batch of its Lifetech accelerator program in Indianapolis. The cohort draws from a global talent pool and represents startup companies from eight states and three countries. Over the next four months, these founders will collaborate with Plug and Play's Lifetech partners, including IU LAB, BioCrossroads, IU Health, and Indiana University, to accelerate the future of healthcare and life sciences. The program will culminate with an expo event in February 2026, at which the graduating startups will pitch their solutions to an audience of corporate executives, investors, industry leaders, and the community. "The IU LAB is proud to partner with Plug and Play, [...]

Conexus ‘Future Ready’ report highlights need for talent pipeline in Indiana manufacturing

Courtney Kerr2025-09-24T11:22:38-04:00September 24, 2025|

This article was originally published by Inside INdiana Business on September 2, 2025. Click here to read the original article. Driven by the growth of semiconductor production and buoyed by a diverse number of industries, leaders with Conexus Indiana say advanced manufacturing remains a cornerstone of the state’s economy. However, the initiative’s recent Future Ready report emphasizes the continued struggle to get Indiana’s labor force trained for the increasingly tech-based jobs that will be needed. The report projects the state could generate 178,000 new manufacturing and logistics jobs by 2033, though 85,000 of those are likely to go unfilled if workforce shortages persist. According to P.J. McGrew, senior vice president of talent strategy at Conexus, the key goal is to level up Indiana’s “tech-enabled” workforce. “Eight percent of our manufacturing workforce is around those tech-enabled occupations, compared to 10% nationally. How [...]

TechPoint AI Talent Insights Report

Courtney Kerr2025-09-18T19:06:14-04:00September 18, 2025|

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TechPoint Announces New Team Members

Courtney Kerr2025-09-09T13:29:19-04:00September 9, 2025|

TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s tech ecosystem, today announced two new team members. Ginger Lippert has strategically shifted her focus to Vice President, Marketing and Engagement, and Sally Reasoner returns to TechPoint as Vice President, Talent Strategy. “Indiana is emerging as a leader in the AI economy, and TechPoint’s work across talent, innovation, and community has never been more important,” said Ting Gootee, president and CEO, TechPoint. “I’m thrilled to welcome Ginger Lippert and Sally Reasoner into these critical leadership roles. Together, they will help TechPoint continue advancing Indiana’s competitiveness and growth in this new era of opportunity.” About Ginger Lippert Ginger Lippert, MBA, steps into the Vice President, Marketing and Engagement role after serving nearly a year as TechPoint’s Vice President of Talent, Strategy and Engagement to best align her strengths and experience with the organization’s priorities. A seasoned professional with [...]

Ascend Indiana Adds Three New Members to its Board of Directors

Courtney Kerr2025-09-09T13:37:59-04:00September 9, 2025|

Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), announced today three new members to its Board of Directors. The new board members include Mike Schroyer, president of Baptist Health Floyd and Tony Waterson, president and CEO of Southern Indiana Works. Jason Bearce, vice president of the Strada Education Foundation, also joins as an ex officio member. “We are fortunate to have Jason, Mike and Tony join the Ascend board, which continues to expand in both geographic reach and thought leadership,” said Brad Rhorer, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. “These three new members bring expertise in the areas of workforce development, community development and nonprofit excellence, all of which are key ingredients to delivering our mission to ensure all Hoosiers and all employers are equipped to thrive in Indiana’s evolving economy.” Jason [...]

Conexus Indiana names two to Board of Directors and promotes Snellenberger to Vice President of Partnerships

Courtney Kerr2025-11-17T14:20:50-05:00September 5, 2025|

Marty Brown, President of Kem Krest and Jeffrey Rhoads, Vice President for Research at the University of Notre Dame, have joined the 22-member Conexus Indiana Board of Directors. “These appointments bring valuable expertise and fresh perspectives to our board at a critical time for Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics sectors,” said Jay Wirts, Conexus Indiana president and CEO. “Marty and Jeff are insightful leaders with proven track records in their respective fields. I look forward to seeing how they work alongside our existing board members to help the industry achieve its aggressive goals.” New Board Members Marty Brown brings substantial commercial leadership and strategic experience to his role as President at Kem Krest, a certified minority-owned supply chain optimization firm headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Appointed President in January 2025, he leads the company’s growth strategy, talent development and operational oversight. His [...]

TechPoint opens nominations for 2026 Mira Awards

Courtney Kerr2025-09-02T11:12:45-04:00September 2, 2025|

TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, announced today it is now accepting nominations for its 27th Annual Mira Awards gala. The award submission period will close on Oct. 15, 2025. Companies, organizations and individuals are encouraged to submit for the awards quickly, as each category will accept a maximum of 25 submissions. The nominee submission process, which debuted last year, will include a section on why nominees deserve the award alongside categories to highlight years of service and operation. As part of the award selection process, TechPoint staff will review and forward submissions that meet the required criteria for live interviews with a panel of distinguished industry leaders, carefully chosen to reflect a wide range of expertise and perspectives. These judges will evaluate the finalists during live judging on December 3 and 4, with finalist [...]

AgriNovus Indiana Names Christy Wright President and CEO

Courtney Kerr2025-08-11T10:22:17-04:00August 11, 2025|

AgriNovus Indiana, a non-profit coalition focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today that Christy Wright will be its next president and CEO, effective August 18. Wright brings 15 years of leadership in food and agriculture, having most recently served as the director of Global Food Systems at Corteva Agriscience. “Christy has a focus and commitment to accelerating impact at AgriNovus and driving this critical agbioscience economy forward,” said Karen Plaut, former executive vice president for research at Purdue University and chair of the AgriNovus Indiana Board of Directors. “The AgriNovus Board welcomes her to the team, and we look forward to supporting her leadership to make Indiana a global leader in agbioscience innovation.” In her tenure at Corteva Agriscience, Wright led efforts as director of Global Food Systems, partnering with food and agriculture stakeholders to create a more [...]

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