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 [...]

CICP, TechPoint Announce Leadership Transition

2025-11-20T15:33:47-05:00November 18, 2025|

INDIANAPOLIS (November 18, 2025): The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and TechPoint announced today that TechPoint CEO Ting Gootee will transition from her role at the end of this year, with her last day set for December 31, 2025. “Leading TechPoint has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career,” said Gootee. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and confident that the organization is well positioned for its next chapter of impact. Indiana’s tech community is growing, resilient and on a powerful path forward.” Under Gootee’s leadership, TechPoint has strengthened its position as the central hub for Indiana’s tech and innovation ecosystem, broadening technology’s transformative role across all sectors to drive economic growth. “Ting has guided TechPoint through a period of meaningful progress and transformation,” said TechPoint Board Chair Richard Cardwell. “Her leadership has strengthened our foundation, expanded [...]

Conexus Indiana honors Mark DeFabis, Former CEO of IDS Fulfillment, with 2025 Andre B. Lacy Vanguard Award

2025-11-11T09:59:17-05:00November 11, 2025|

INDIANAPOLIS – November 11, 2025 – Mark DeFabis, former chief executive officer of IDS Fulfillment, has been named the 2025 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). Previous honorees include Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College; Eric Holcomb, the 51st Governor of Indiana; Thomas V. Easterday, retired senior executive vice president of Subaru of Indiana Automotive; F. Joseph Loughrey, former president of Cummins Inc.; Cathy [...]

12 Regional Groups to be Awarded $1.2 Million for New Statewide Career Apprenticeship Initiative

2025-10-31T14:35:43-04:00October 31, 2025|

Student recruitment for INCAP to begin in early 2026  Twelve regional organizations have been selected to serve as liaisons for student and school participation in the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP), a new pathway to prepare Hoosiers for in-demand careers and help Indiana businesses find and train employees. These organizations will use funding to develop detailed plans for implementing INCAP in their assigned regions. Their role as an INCAP Connector will include recruiting high school students for INCAP apprenticeships, supporting student and school success, and interacting with Industry Talent Associations in six industries that have significant workforce needs: advanced manufacturing and logistics, banking, construction, healthcare, IT, and life sciences. Once their plans are finalized and approved early next year, each organization will receive additional funding to implement their plans. In all, the organizations should receive $100,000 each, for a [...]

Students Apply Data Science Skills to Real-World Energy Challenges at TechPoint’s First Xtern Challenge, Hosted by MISO

2025-11-03T13:37:07-05:00October 30, 2025|

TechPoint’s first-ever Xtern Challenge brought together Indiana’s top student talent for a hands-on, data-driven competition hosted by MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator). The event invited teams to apply their technical and analytical skills to a real-world problem facing one of the nation’s most critical industries: maintaining a reliable and cost-effective energy grid. The new program builds on TechPoint’s mission to expand work-based learning opportunities that connect students with industry partners and help them gain practical experience solving challenges that matter to Indiana’s economy. What is the Xtern Challenge? Launched in Fall 2025, the Xtern Challenge is a series of hackathons, design sprints, and case competitions where students collaborate on real-world business problems designed by Indiana companies and work alongside industry mentors. These events give students a chance to apply their classroom knowledge to practical challenges while learning new tools, gaining feedback from professionals, and building their experience to [...]

Conexus Indiana opens nominations for Rising 30 2026

2025-11-11T10:00:31-05:00October 27, 2025|

Annual awards program celebrates cohort of emerging leaders shaping the future of Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics industries INDIANAPOLIS – October 27, 2025 – Conexus Indiana has opened nominations for the Rising 30 Class of 2026. The sixth annual Rising 30 awards program highlights young leaders who are making a significant impact on Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML) sector and shaping the future of the industry.As part of Conexus Indiana’s mission to position Indiana as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics, the Rising 30 program was designed to celebrate the next generation of innovators, change-makers and leaders who are advancing the state’s AML ecosystem. The program also encourages pathways to success in these vital industries, which employ more than 800,000 Hoosiers and represent a third of the state’s gross domestic product.“Indiana’s young professionals are already reshaping our manufacturing [...]

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