Ascend Indiana Archives - CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership

Ascend Indiana Welcomes Betsy Davis as Chief Operating Officer

Courtney Kerr2026-09-10T12:09:26-04:00September 9, 2026|

Ascend Indiana announced today that Betsy Davis has joined the organization as chief operating officer. Davis joins Ascend after more than a decade at EmployIndy, where she held a series of leadership roles spanning employer engagement, career-connected learning, talent strategy and career pathways. In her new role, she will work closely with President and CEO Brad Rhorer and the Ascend leadership team to enhance organizational effectiveness, support the team and advance the organization’s mission. “Betsy brings strategic thinking and operational leadership that will be especially valuable as Ascend expands its statewide impact,” said Rhorer. “She has built and scaled initiatives, led cross-functional teams, worked closely with employers and education partners and united organizations around shared workforce priorities. The leadership and partnership-building experience Davis has developed positions her well to help advance Ascend’s strategic priorities.” Davis brings more than 15 [...]

Conexus Indiana Launches First-Ever Statewide Job Board for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Talent

Courtney Kerr2026-09-02T11:23:27-04:00September 1, 2026|

As AI reshapes advanced manufacturing and logistics roles, Conexus Indiana’s new statewide job board connects Hoosiers with more than 9,000 opportunities from over 3,500 employers—helping Indiana build the talent pipeline needed for an increasingly technology-enabled economy.

Indiana’s Advanced Industries: Powering the State’s Future Workforce and Economy

Courtney Kerr2026-06-24T12:09:59-04:00June 13, 2026|

This conversation with Melina Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer at the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), was originally published by Ascend Indiana. Indiana’s advanced industries are driving innovation, economic growth and opportunity across the state. As technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics continue to reshape the workplace, employers, educators and policymakers are facing important questions about how to prepare Indiana’s workforce for the future. In this Q&A, CICP CEO Melina Kennedy explores the role of advanced industries in Indiana’s economy, the impact of emerging technologies on business and talent needs and the steps stakeholders can take today to ensure Hoosiers are equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing world. What are Indiana’s advanced industries, and why are they so important to the state’s economy and long-term prosperity? Indiana’s advanced industries—including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, technology and [...]

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, [...]

CICP 2025 Annual Report

Courtney Kerr2026-05-28T10:12:38-04:00April 29, 2026|

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Ascend Indiana seeks employer input for new Advanced Industries Workforce Report

Courtney Kerr2026-04-23T12:07:32-04:00April 23, 2026|

April 23, 2026 (INDIANAPOLIS) - Ascend Indiana has launched a statewide employer survey as part of its inaugural Advanced Industries Workforce Report, which is scheduled for public release in August 2026. The report will give Indiana its first unified, data-driven view of how workforce needs are evolving across manufacturing, life sciences, technology and agbiosciences, and is being developed in partnership with CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), AgriNovus Indiana, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana and TechPoint – all organizations dedicated to promoting the growth of Indiana’s advanced industry sectors. A key component of the report will include employer insights from the advanced industries. Ascend is asking employers to complete a short (10–15 minute) survey to better understand how jobs are changing across Indiana’s advanced industries and what skills are needed to support technology adoption and innovation. “The Advanced Industries Workforce Report is expected to reveal where demand is growing in Indiana’s advanced industries, what capabilities are most needed, and how to [...]

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 [...]

Ascend Indiana Launches Regional Work-Based Learning Support Network and Resource Hub

Courtney Kerr2026-03-25T16:51:42-04:00March 25, 2026|

Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), announced today a statewide initiative to support Indiana schools and employers in developing and implementing high-quality work-based learning experiences for high school students. In partnership with the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), Ascend developed and launched a comprehensive set of resources that provides step-by-step guidance, examples and design considerations aligned with Indiana’s updated high school graduation requirements. Ascend has also established and equipped a network of regional partners that will coordinate, expand and enable high-quality WBL across the state. As Indiana’s statewide workforce initiative, Ascend developed these work-based learning resources and accompanying network in response to the state’s high school diploma redesign, which requires students graduating with a readiness seal to have completed sustained WBL experiences aligned to career pathways. “Beginning with the [...]

TechPoint Launches Expanded Statewide Tech Job Board Powered by Ascend Indiana

Courtney Kerr2026-03-19T09:47:48-04:00March 19, 2026|

Indianapolis (March 19, 2026) – TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, today announced the launch of the new TechPoint Job Board powered by Ascend Indiana’s on-line job platform, the Ascend Network. The expanded, technology-enabled platform increases available tech job listings from less than a hundred to more than 1,000 across Indiana, creating broader access for job seekers and stronger hiring support for employers. The launch comes as Indiana’s tech sector faces a growing experience gap. According to TechPoint’s recent brief, AI Amplifies Need to Address Experience Gap, early-career workers ages 22–25 experienced a 13% relative decline in employment from late 2022 to mid-2025. As artificial intelligence reshapes hiring needs, employers increasingly seek candidates with hands-on experience, making it harder for young professionals to gain entry into the field. “Indiana’s tech economy is growing, but early-career [...]

Ascend Indiana Broadens its Reach, Adding Three New Members Named to its Board of Directors

Courtney Kerr2026-02-18T09:24:53-05:00February 18, 2026|

Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), announced today three members to its Board of Directors. The board members include Tina Peterson, president and CEO at Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI), Jacqueline Kronk, chief strategy officer at the Office of the Indiana Secretary of Education, and David Umulis, Purdue’s chief academic officer and senior vice provost for Indianapolis. David is replacing board member Dan Hasler (former chief operating officer of Purdue University in Indianapolis) on the Ascend Indiana Board of Directors. “Ascend’s board of directors is in a period of growth and has added key members to help strengthen its position as a statewide workforce development intermediary. Tina brings significant expertise to the board through her regional intermediary work focused on advanced industry sectors, regionalism, transformative school and workforce redesign and placemaking [...]

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