When Jennifer Hunter first considered starting her own business, she didn’t know where to begin. She had an idea, a full-time job, and a sense that something more was possible — but no roadmap. That changed when she discovered the Women’s Business Center at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community.

“In 2018 I started thinking about starting a business,” Hunter said. “I had an idea and a colleague I was talking to about forming a business together. Then I saw an announcement about a women’s business builder program, and I applied with my idea.”

That program, called LAUNCH, accepted 11 women entrepreneurs into a year-long curriculum designed to take an idea from concept to company. Participants worked through business modeling, pricing, marketing, and client development while building camaraderie with peers who were facing the same challenges.

“They took us through the entire process from idea to starting the business up and actually beginning to get clients,” Hunter said. “We met every Friday morning for a year, and the accountability and support were what made it work.”

Building Knowledge and Confidence

Hunter credits the combination of curriculum and coaching from the NIIC for giving her the foundation she needed.

“There’s unique challenges that women face when they’re starting businesses,” she said. “The camaraderie and relationships were so important because we were all hitting those same roadblocks and encouraging each other to keep going.”

Only a handful of participants completed the full program, Hunter said, which made the accomplishment more meaningful. “Most of us were working other jobs while building a business,” she said. “It’s hard to create something you can’t see yet. You have to believe in what you’re building even when you’re not sure it’s going to work.”

For Hunter, that belief took root. She founded Gensyn Design in 2019, a strategy and design firm that helps organizations apply design-thinking, collaboration, and strategic planning to improve how they work.

“The foundation of what I learned through my experience starting with the NIC has really lent itself to the success we’re experiencing and continue to build on now that we’re scaling and growing,” she said.

From Participant to Sponsor

Hunter’s relationship with the NIIC didn’t end with the completion of the LAUNCH program. She attended workshops, stayed in contact with mentors, and built a network of women leaders she still collaborates with today.

“It feels like family with the NIIC,” she said. “When I go in there, it’s a familiar, comfortable place where I feel nurtured and loved. There’s a camaraderie and sense of community that’s such an important part of my identity as a business leader.”

In recent years, that relationship has come full circle. Gensyn Design is now a sponsor of Innovation at Work, the NIIC’s annual celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation.

“It’s thrilling for me,” Hunter said. “I started as someone learning how to build a business, and now I’m supporting the NIIC in helping other women and other business leaders have a similar journey.”

Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Hunter often speaks to others who are considering the NIIC’s programs. Her advice centers on three elements: knowledge, relationships, and experience.

“There’s a knowledge piece — the art and science of starting a business,” she said. “The NIIC provides expert coaches and classes that give you the know-how: how to form an LLC, what legal and financial steps to take, how to write a budget.”

The second piece, she said, is community. “Building relationships and sharing the journey are so important. The life of an entrepreneur can be lonely because your family may not understand why you’d leave a stable job to follow an idea. But at the NIIC, you don’t feel alone.”

Finally, she points to the experience itself — learning through trial and iteration. “The NIIC normalizes that experience,” she said. “You stop thinking of setbacks as failure and start seeing them as learning. From where you start to where you end is going to evolve, and they help you embrace that.”

Looking Forward

As the NIIC celebrates 25 years of innovation, Hunter sees entrepreneurship as essential to the region’s future.

“The future of our economy is based on more entrepreneurship and small businesses,” she said. “The role of the NIIC and other support organizations is vital. I’d love to see us integrate entrepreneurial thinking earlier in education and continue building a culture where innovation thrives.”

She also believes that innovation itself is collaborative. “Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation,” Hunter said. “The NIIC plays a pivotal role in creating spaces where people can come together to innovate. That’s what I hope to see more of.”

Hunter acknowledges that technology — including AI — is transforming business rapidly. “Things are changing at an aggressive speed,” she said. “Organizations like the NIIC, by creating pathways for learning and innovation, can help support individuals and businesses through this disruption. It’ll be exciting to see how they evolve to meet this moment.”

For Hunter, what began as a hopeful idea in 2018 has become a thriving firm and a partnership built on shared purpose.

“I’m six years in, and we’re still growing,” she said. “The NIIC gave me the foundation and the community I needed to believe in my idea — even before I could fully see it myself.”

To learn more about Gensyn Design, visit https://www.gensyndesign.com/