Innovation & Entrepreneurship Archives - CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Governor Braun Announces IN AI to Grow Jobs and Wages Through Human-Centered AI

Courtney Kerr2026-04-29T13:09:39-04:00April 28, 2026|

Partnership with CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) Will Reach 1 Million Hoosiers and Engage Thousands of Employers in AI Adoption INDIANAPOLIS (April 28, 2026) – Governor Mike Braun today announced IN AI, a new statewide initiative focused on helping businesses grow, create jobs, and increase wages through the practical application of human-centered artificial intelligence. The initiative will be executed by the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and will work directly with employers across the state to accelerate AI adoption in ways that strengthen businesses and expand opportunity for Hoosiers. “Our goal is clear: grow wages, create more high-quality jobs, and position Indiana for long-term economic growth by making it the most AI-ready state in the nation,” Gov. Braun said. “IN AI is about making sure all of our businesses – from Main Street to large organizations -- have the tools and talent [...]

Rose-Hulman Selected for Prestigious EcoCAR Innovation Challenge

Courtney Kerr2026-05-28T13:23:44-04:00April 23, 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 has been selected to participate in the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, a premier four-year collegiate automotive engineering competition led by the U.S. Department of Energy and industry partners including General Motors, Stellantis, and MathWorks. The selection places Rose-Hulman among 20 universities across North America chosen to help shape the future of mobility by developing advanced vehicle technologies and intelligent transportation solutions. The competition officially launched April 13 with public announcement of participating teams found here. Through the challenge, Rose-Hulman students will architect, design, and integrate a high voltage energy storage system and an electric drive unit into a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) platform enabling teams to explore various propulsion and [...]

Rose-Hulman Students Win NCAA Final Four Analytics Challenge

Courtney Kerr2026-05-28T13:24:05-04:00April 23, 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. 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 [...]

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

Courtney Kerr2026-05-28T13:24:38-04:00April 21, 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. 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 [...]

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 [...]

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