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.

In the world of economic development, we often talk about “innovation” as a destination—a finished product, a funded startup, or a patent-pending technology. But at its core, innovation is a mindset. It is the ability to look at a complex problem and see a pathway toward a solution. For Indiana to remain competitive in a global economy, we need to cultivate that mindset early.

On February 27, the Collegiate Entrepreneur Summit brought together students from across the state (and beyond) to bridge the gap between our world-class lecture halls and the real-world industries that power Indiana. Hosted by INtercollegiate Entrepreneurs, 16 Tech, CICP, and Butler Entrepreneurship, and powered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), the day was a high-energy masterclass in what happens when curiosity meets opportunity.

A Founder-First Approach

The summit breaks the traditional mold of student business conferences. The mantra of the day was simple: No pitch required. No startup experience necessary. The agenda was intentionally designed to be “founder-first,” focusing on practical takeaways rather than lectures.

Highlights included:

  • The Big Picture: An opening keynote with Toph Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures, exploring Indiana’s current innovation momentum and what it means for the next generation of talent.
  • Peer Perspective: A collegiate panel featuring students from IU, Notre Dame, Butler, and Purdue sharing the “boots-on-the-ground” reality of balancing academics with innovation.
  • Choice-Based Learning: Interactive blocks where students could dive into design thinking, investor literacy, creative entrepreneurship, or corporate innovation based on their specific interests.

By bringing students together at 16 Tech—the physical heart of Indiana’s innovation district—we showed them that the resources they need to build a career and a company are right here in their own backyard.

A Week of High-Stakes Problem Solving

While the summit featured keynote insights and panels, the focal point for many was the Anchor & Accelerate: INnovation Challenge.

Presented by Roll Tack Ventures in partnership with CICP and Butler and supported by a powerhouse lineup of sponsors—including Butler Entrepreneurship, the University of Notre Dame ESTEEM Graduate Program, IU Innovates, and the Purdue University Daniels School of Business and Purdue Innovates—the challenge set a remarkably high bar.

More than 30 teams completed the challenge, a feat made even more impressive by the timeline: students had just one week to propose a comprehensive company or solution to a case study they had never seen before. The judges weren’t just impressed; they were floored. The submissions didn’t just stop at “ideas”—they included:

  • Deep-dive research and validated customer outreach.
  • Working applications featuring live data.
  • Verbal commitments from industry partners to review future prototypes.
  • Letters of Intent (LOIs) secured in just seven days.

Celebrating the Winners

The competition was fierce, representing a cross-section of academic excellence from Indiana and the surrounding region. We are proud to recognize the teams that rose to the top:

  • 1st Place: LeanLens – Jenna Burd and Lily Laffond (Butler University)
  • 2nd Place: Harvest HQ – Preston Asher and Trevor Storm (Butler University)
  • 3rd Place: Tri-Know-Cap – Katleho Mokhele, Youssef Al-Dhabi, and Gina Manhica (Earlham College)
  • 4th Place: PDC Solutions – Daniel Bradley, Christopher Montecino, and Peter Reel (Hampden Sydney College, Virginia)

 

Why This Matters for Indiana

As we’ve explored in previous discussions on INfluence, Indiana is at a crossroads. As the “Silver Tsunami“ shifts the landscape of business ownership and leadership across the state, the “who” and “how” of our future economy depend on our ability to retain and empower talent now.

This summit proved that our students aren’t waiting for permission to start solving problems in agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing. When a student team can move from a blind case study to a working app with live data in a single week, it sends a clear message: Indiana’s talent pipeline is not just leaking—it’s surging.

By empowering students from rural campuses and urban universities alike to see themselves as problem-solvers, we aren’t just helping them start businesses; we are ensuring that Indiana’s legacy industries stay resilient. By connecting them with founders, operators, and venture capital today, we ensure that when they choose to build the “next big thing,” they build it right here in Indiana.

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Across Indiana, our universities are fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping our state’s future. In collaboration with our university partners, CICP is excited to share and amplify those stories; which highlight students, faculty, and alumni who are turning ideas into action. By celebrating these efforts, we aim to strengthen the connections between higher education, industry, and community, and to shine a light on the innovation happening throughout our state. Click here to learn more about this initiative.