01.17.23
New Leadership, New Vision, Collaboration Drive Entrepreneurship for ALL in Northeast Indiana
Tammy Allen, SR. Director | Marketing, NIIC
Supplement: Entrepreneurship for ALL FAQ
FORT WAYNE, Ind.— January 17, 2023, Fort Wayne, Ind. –Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC) is now Doing Business As (DBA) Northeast Indiana Innovation Collective to emphasize its commitment to a new collaborative plan for entrepreneurship support. “We believe all aspiring entrepreneurs deserve the chance to pursue economic prosperity through entrepreneurship. With a new attitude, vision, and brand, NIIC is activating Entrepreneurship for ALL,” said Mike Fritsch, President & CEO, of NIIC.
Approaching this with an entrepreneurial mindset, NIIC challenged the status quo. “Until now, Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs) mainly operated independently. NIIC has partnered with various organizations on projects. Yet, not usually at a community level. As a collective of entrepreneurial stakeholders, we know our success comes from working with others and leveraging all our strengths toward a shared vision,” said Fritsch.
“What if we worked closely with key partners within other communities to provide opportunities for ALL entrepreneurs to experience prosperity through entrepreneurship?”
The plan includes three big initiatives.
- Entrepreneurship for ALL – NIIC has created entrepreneurial support processes tailored for each community to build trust and get potential business builders to engage, start and be successful.
- Collaboration Mindset and Toolset – with a new mindset of collaboration, the NIIC will be launching a collaborative framework to allow support organizations that are members of the collective to work together to support entrepreneurship across Northeast Indiana.
- Better Support for All Types of Ventures – In conjunction with our partners, NIIC is increasing support for all types of ventures including Lifestyle, Small Business, Scalable, Larger Corporations, and Social Entrepreneurs.
Fritsch said, “Based on conversations we’ve had so far, there is broad regional support for the Entrepreneurship for ALL plan, including ESOs, Educational Institutions, Funders, Economic Development Organizations-locally, regionally, and statewide. We expect many impactful announcements and results over the coming months and year.”
Visit NIIC.net for more information. Contact NIIC at info@niic.net to schedule a meeting to learn more and get involved.
About The NIIC
About 20 years ago, NIIC was created to solve a problem. Aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs needed somewhere to go in Northeast Indiana to incubate their businesses. Visionary leaders imagined a place where innovation and economic development intersect for a COMMUNITY. Entrepreneurs and innovators have launched hundreds of new products and patents, created thousands of jobs, and infused hundreds of millions in grants and capital into our economy.
NIIC pulls down barriers (geographic, racial, socio-economic, interest-based). We work with our regional Community of Communities™ to create an ecosystem of Entrepreneurship for ALL. We focus on collaboration and maximizing the impact of our regional partners. As a Venture Hub, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center is now DBA Northeast Indiana Innovation Collective. We’re still NIIC. Together, we thrive—Entrepreneurship for ALL.
