When Lori Zacharias began sketching out U2FP, short for You To Full Potential, she knew she needed structure, accountability and a way to be seen. A friend urged her to call the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community (NIIC). She did, and the first coaching call came quickly.

“They got me in immediately,” Zacharias said. “I wasn’t ready for the big jump, but that first session gave me resources to get started, online foundations, and how to begin putting the business together.”

Zacharias sampled some of the NIIC’s events, then heard a speaker who would become central to her growth. “A year after that I knew I needed a business coach,” she said.

Zacharias said the coaching was practical and focused.

“We would talk about my actions from last time, which gave me accountability,” she said. “Then we would set goals and the steps to make them happen. It was more pencil and paper. This is what needs to happen. Take action.”

That cadence contrasted with the mindset work Zacharias does with her own clients. “What I do is help people get unstuck,” she said. “With the NIIC, it was more facts and implementation, which is what I needed.”

Location and access mattered. Living 45 minutes north of Fort Wayne, Zacharias met on Zoom during the winter and in person when she could, often at Electric Works or the NIIC’s main campus. “You could meet either online or in person,” she said. “I also learned I could go in and work at the NIIC utilizing one of their many conference rooms.”

She describes the NIIC as a professional environment that still feels welcoming. “It’s a space that feels professional but comfortable,” she said. “I could walk in wearing jeans or in high heels with a suit coat and feel comfortable.”

For Zacharias, three of the NIIC’s offerings stood out. “Networking, programs and coaching,” she said. “They have a wide variety of programs — financial, educational, communication, goal setting. The coaching is where you can really get deep into what you are doing and build. And they will help you start to network.”

The people made the difference. Zacharias credits NIIC coaches and staff who, in her words, “care and make it comfortable. They were just so nonjudgmental about where you were, but gave you all the resources,” she said. “If you needed capital, if you needed to figure out a budget, if you needed to learn how to get your voice out in the Fort Wayne area, they helped you get started.”

Zacharias said the center’s culture aligns with the message the NIIC promotes. “It really is a community of innovators,” she said. “They build that foundation through office space, networking and programming.”

She now sends others there. “I’ve already told young people who want to start businesses, go check out the NIIC,” she said. “Try it out. They will help you figure out what you need.”

Asked what she would tell a founder who feels stalled, Zacharias does not hesitate. “If you are feeling stuck, this is the place to go and get yourself unstuck,” she said. “They have good tools.”

Her hopes for the region’s next chapter reflect both her aviation and technology background and her work as a coach. “I want technology to enhance us, not take away from our relationships,” she said. “We need to figure out how to bring relationships and all of this technology into a better space. Do not stall innovation. Use it to help us serve together. But do not let it take away from our humanness.”

She believes the Women’s Business Center programming remains essential. “It is wonderful to have a center where women can feel safe,” she said. “They have grants and offerings that help get women boosted in business. It serves a really important purpose.”

Zacharias credits the NIIC with speeding U2FP’s development from idea to operation. “Where would I be without them,” she said. “I think I’d still be sailing along. I’d still be going, but maybe not at the pace I have.”

Her summary of the NIIC’s value is simple. “They light a fire to take the right action,” she said. “They help you put the pen to paper. And they help you be seen.”

To learn more about Lori and U2FP, LLC visit https://u2fp.net/