Courtney Kerr, Author at CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership

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 [...]

The Future of Innovation is Headed to Ross-Ade Stadium

Courtney Kerr2026-05-28T14:49:35-04:00May 28, 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. The Future of Innovation is Headed to Ross-Ade Stadium There is something incredibly special about watching a startup transition from a bold idea into a market-ready reality. Over the last three months, five dynamic companies have been putting in the work as part of Cohort 2 of the Purdue Innovates Accelerator. This cohort was selected from a highly competitive field of over 80 applications. The program is a three-month, investment-based startup accelerator that gives founders up to $100K in funding, tailored strategic support, and a massive network of mentors, corporate partners, and alumni to help them reach critical milestones and scale. On Wednesday, June 17th, these five teams are [...]

The Future is Bright: Meet the 10 Finalists of the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge

Courtney Kerr2026-05-28T14:39:18-04:00May 28, 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. Image credit: STARTedUP Foundation If you ever need a reminder that the future is in good hands, you just need to look at Indiana’s high school student entrepreneurs. The STARTedUP Foundation recently announced the Top 10 Finalists for the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge Finals (formerly known as Innovate WithIN). To say the competition has reached a whole new level this year would be an understatement. We are officially seeing a landmark moment for young innovation in our state. Don’t believe me? Look at the numbers: 1,174 teams submitted ventures this year—more than doubling the 515 submissions from 2025. Student participation skyrocketed by 128%, bringing 2,162 young innovators into the arena. We expanded our footprint to 7 competitive regions by adding West Central Indiana [...]

JagStart winner pursues entrepreneurial dreams with stylish workwear startup

Courtney Kerr2026-05-28T14:56:48-04:00May 28, 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. Image credit: Indiana University Indianapolis Ja’Niya Smith’s business experience and clear vision for Miss CEO Essentials lands first-place finish in IU Indianapolis pitch competition Indiana University Indianapolis sophomore Ja’Niya Smith has always been entrepreneurial. At 13, she started braiding hair under the guidance of her grandmother, a hairstylist. By 18, she had a successful small business, Beautifully Braided, providing natural hair care services such as styling, braiding and extensions from a small salon at her family’s home in Muncie, Indiana. But when she came to IU Indianapolis to major in marketing, management and venture creation at the Kelley School of Business, Smith started considering how to spin off [...]

Ascend Indiana Welcomes New Member to its Board of Directors

Courtney Kerr2026-06-24T12:17:07-04:00May 28, 2026|

Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), announced today a new member to its Board of Directors. Taylor Brown, chief people officer at Heritage Construction + Materials (HC+M), a division of The Heritage Group, is filling the board seat that had been previously held by Christy Wilson. “Ascend’s board of directors provides invaluable insight and guidance, and I am pleased that Taylor will join as our newest member,” said Brad Rhorer, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. “Her expertise in the areas of leadership and talent strategizing is a key ingredient to delivering our mission to ensure all Hoosiers and all employers are equipped to thrive in Indiana’s evolving economy.” In her role at HC+M, Taylor is responsible for leading the division’s people strategy and overseeing its marketing and communications, [...]

Conexus Indiana Expands Advanced Industries Council Meetings to Southern Indiana

Courtney Kerr2026-05-20T10:10:19-04:00May 20, 2026|

New meetings bring council programming directly to southern Indiana, extending the council’s statewide reach INDIANAPOLIS (May 20, 2026) — Conexus Indiana today announced the addition of two southern Indiana meetings to the Conexus Indiana Advanced Industries Council (CIAIC) calendar, expanding access to the council’s programming for industry leaders across the region. The new meetings are a direct response to feedback gathered from members over the past year, including input from two southern Indiana regional dinners and Conexus Indiana board members from the area.The first southern meeting will take place June 3rd at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, Indiana. A second southern meeting is planned for August 20 at Jasper Engines and Transmissions. Both meetings are open exclusively to CIAIC members. The southern Indiana meetings are an expansion of — not a replacement for — the council’s four existing [...]

BioHeartland Launches as the New Identity for Indiana’s Bioscience Ecosystem

Courtney Kerr2026-05-19T10:30:26-04:00May 19, 2026|

New regional identity showcases the state’s ability to invent, make and move breakthroughs across human health, animal health and plant science, positioning Indiana to compete globally for bioscience investment, innovation and talent. INDIANAPOLIS (May 19, 2026) — Today, regional leaders introduced BioHeartland, a new shared identity designed to unify and elevate Indiana’s bioscience ecosystem across human health, animal health and plant science. Developed through a collaborative effort led by the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and its branded initiatives, BioCrossroads and AgriNovus Indiana, in partnership with the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority, BioHeartland was created to give Indiana a more cohesive and unified way to share the state’s story with investors, companies, researchers and talent around the world. For more than a century, Indiana has steadily helped shape global health through leadership in research, development, manufacturing and logistics [...]

CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership joins forces with Google to help reach more Hoosiers as part of IN AI initiative

Courtney Kerr2026-05-14T09:52:04-04:00May 14, 2026|

Google to Offer AI Readiness Workshops for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Statewide INDIANAPOLIS (May 14, 2026) – The CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) today announced an alliance with Google to support the IN AI initiative, aimed at making Indiana the most AI-ready state in the nation. Google will activate a series of AI workshops to help small, medium-sized businesses, and start-ups across Indiana adopt and implement artificial intelligence into their operations. "This collaboration with Google and our educational partners is an exciting step forward in empowering businesses across Indiana to embrace AI technology," said Melina Kennedy, CEO of CICP. "With the IN AI initiative, we’re ensuring that businesses throughout the state have the resources and support they need to thrive in an AI-powered economy, while also reaching the State’s goal of equipping 1 million Hoosiers with the skills [...]

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