AgriNovus Indiana announces new board leadership, welcomes new directors

2026-02-25T14:35:14-05:00February 25, 2026|

INDIANAPOLIS (February 25, 2026) — AgriNovus Indiana, a nonprofit coalition focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today that Trent Torrance, chief operating officer of United Animal Health, will serve as chair of the organization’s board of directors.     The board unanimously approved Tim Bettington, executive vice president for Center of Strategic Growth at Elanco, as its vice chair. Phil Brewer, vice president of strategy at Keystone Cooperative, and Dr. Bernie Engel, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture at Purdue University, were also approved to the AgriNovus Executive Committee. Stéphane Frijia, president and CEO of Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, and Drew Garretson, vice president of Innovation and Sustainability at Keystone Cooperative, were unanimously approved as additions to the organization’s Board of Directors. The board also approved the addition of Darren Dillenbeck, CEO of BW Fusion, Mike Jacob, board representative [...]

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

2026-02-18T09:24:53-05:00February 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 [...]

Conexus Indiana names four to Board of Directors and announces Executive Committee appointments

2026-02-16T15:38:30-05:00February 12, 2026|

INDIANAPOLIS – February 11, 2026 – Conexus Indiana, a statewide organization dedicated to strengthening Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries, announced today four new members to its Board of Directors as well as three appointments to the Board’s Executive Committee.Michael Daniel, Executive Vice President of Operations for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation; Kierstin Janik, Chief Talent Officer of Heritage Construction & Materials; Mike Wagner, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Jasper Group; and Dr. Ajay Malshe, R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, have joined the Conexus Indiana Board of Directors. Executive Committee Appointments The Conexus Indiana Board of Directors also announced three new appointments to its Executive Committee: Kevin Trivett, Senior Vice President of Device Manufacturing and Packaging Operations, Eli Lilly and Company Scott Meiner, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Lippert Components Susan [...]

TechPoint Releases 2025 Venture Report, Announces Deal of the Year Finalists for Mira Awards

2026-02-02T19:16:27-05:00February 2, 2026|

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 1, 2026) — TechPoint today released its 2025 Venture Report, an annual analysis of venture capital investment trends shaping Indiana’s innovation economy. The report provides a comprehensive look at the national and state levels, highlighting a year defined by recalibration and renewed focus on long-term value creation. New this year, the report also features Indiana’s top venture capital financings and M&A / IPO transactions of 2025, which together represent the finalists for the Deal of the Year Mira Award. Winners will be announced live at the 27th annual Mira Awards on April 24. “After several years of rapid expansion followed by sharp correction, 2025 marked a year of calibration for venture capital,” said Chelsea Linder, vice president of innovation & entrepreneurship at TechPoint. “Investors exited the year with greater clarity around pricing, risk tolerance, and where durable value is being created.” [...]

TechPoint to Focus on Building Indiana’s Human and Digital Foundations for the Age of AI at Community Connect

2026-02-02T15:06:24-05:00February 2, 2026|

New TechPoint report highlights growing need for experience-based AI learning across sectors  INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 1, 2026) TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy and overall tech ecosystem, will host its first Community Connect of 2026, a one-day convening focused on artificial intelligence adoption and closing the experience gap in Indiana’s workforce, on Tuesday, Feb. 3. As AI adoption accelerates across industries, Community Connect will equip participants with practical tools, insights and connections to support meaningful and responsible AI adoption within their organizations. Community Connect is intentionally inclusive of tech and non-tech companies and organizations, recognizing that AI adoption and digital readiness are now essential across every sector of Indiana’s economy. The event is open to employers, educators and community leaders. TechPoint representatives also will discuss findings from its two latest reports. Its AI Amplifies Need to Address Experience Gap brief, examines how [...]

TechPoint Announces New CIO Network Leadership

2026-01-29T16:16:12-05:00January 29, 2026|

New leaders will guide statewide community of IT executives navigating security, innovation and digital transformation INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 20, 2026) TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy and overall tech ecosystem, today announced new leadership for the CIO Network advisory board, which supports a peer community for senior technology leaders from across the state. The CIO Network convenes chief information officers and senior IT executives to share insights, discuss common challenges and learn from one another in a trusted environment. The network supports collaboration among technology leaders as organizations face increasing demands around cybersecurity, infrastructure modernization, talent and emerging technologies. The CIO Network will be led by President Heather Darring, chief information officer at Kappa Alpha Theta, and Vice President Todd Bandauski, chief technology officer at Weaver Popcorn. Darring, who begins her two-year term effective immediately, succeeds Matt Belanger, CIO of [...]

BioCrossroads Launches Startup Hub, a New Centralized Platform for Indiana’s Life Sciences Startup Ecosystem

2026-02-18T16:28:45-05:00January 22, 2026|

INDIANAPOLIS [January 22, 2025] – BioCrossroads today officially launched the BioCrossroads Startup Hub, a new, comprehensive ecosystem platform designed to serve as a centralized front door for Indiana’s life sciences startup community. Built as a continually evolving resource, this online hub brings together funding pathways, mentorship, regulatory and clinical resources, startup visibility, and ecosystem connections in one place.  The platform targets a longstanding challenge within Indiana’s innovation economy: while the state is home to one of the strongest life sciences ecosystems in the country, the resources that support startups have historically been fragmented across many organizations and websites. That fragmentation can slow momentum for founders, limit visibility for investors, and create unnecessary barriers to growth.  The BioCrossroads Startup Hub is designed for the multiple stakeholders critical to a thriving startup ecosystem— researchers and innovators exploring commercialization; investors seeking Indiana-based life [...]

Crossroads Health Ventures Announces First Fund with More Than $21 Million Committed to Strengthen Indiana’s Life Sciences Innovation Pipeline

2026-01-21T12:45:06-05:00January 21, 2026|

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 21, 2026) – Crossroads Health Ventures (CHV) announced its launch of a new early-stage venture fund created to accelerate the growth of Indiana’s life sciences startups and reinforce the state’s global leadership across human, animal, and plant health innovation. The fund has secured more than $21 million in commitments from strategic and institutional partners such as Eli Lilly and Company, Corteva, Elanco Animal Health, Indiana University, Parkview Health, and the State of Indiana through the Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). CHV will begin deploying capital in early 2026. “Indiana is one of the nation’s strongest and most vibrant life sciences hubs, and Crossroads Health Ventures is an important next step in fueling our state’s innovation economy,” said Vince Wong, President and CEO of BioCrossroads and Crossroads Health Ventures. “With the State of Indiana’s transformational commitment and the leadership of [...]

Ascend Indiana Welcomes Three New Members to its Board of Directors

2026-01-07T09:51:33-05:00January 7, 2026|

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 Tony Denhart, executive vice president of Workforce & Talent at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), Gina Ashley, chief operating officer at United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI), and Andrea Morgan, director of Nursing Pipeline at Ascension St. Vincent. Ashley and Morgan are replacing long-time board member Fred Payne (UWCI) and Allison Taylor (Ascension St. Vincent), respectively, on the Ascend Board of Directors. “We are fortunate to have Tony, Gina and Andrea 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, nonprofit [...]

TechPoint announces 2026 Mira Awards Finalists

2025-12-11T09:03:34-05:00December 10, 2025|

Winners to be announced at awards gala in April TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, announced today the finalists for the 2026 Mira Awards, known as the “Oscars of Indiana Tech.” The 106 finalists from across Indiana emerged from 231 submissions. Finalists were evaluated by a team of independent judges following live presentations earlier in the month. A total of 17 awards will be presented at the Mira gala at the Palladium in Carmel on April 24, 2026. “Each year, the Mira Awards reveal just how powerful and dynamic Indiana’s tech ecosystem has become,” said Ting Gootee, president and CEO, TechPoint. “These finalists embody the ingenuity, resilience, and collaborative spirit that continue to position our state as a national leader in digital innovation. We’re proud to celebrate their achievements and excited to showcase their impact [...]

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