Fueling Innovation & Entrepreneurship
The annual Dr. Daryl Yost Ideas@Work Signature Event Series traditionally convenes up to 500 entrepreneurs, business leaders, and students to fuel the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in Northeast Indiana and the greater region. The Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation serves as the event venue.
This event series features dynamic, distinguished leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ideas@Work bridged to a livestream event with three bonus skill-building workshops. You will find these on The NIIC YouTube Channel (click the Training | Workshops playlist). In 2021, we moved the event to May 12, 2022, due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Read about our 2022 Ideas@Work Event dynamic Keynote Speaker Jay Bailey and award recipents: Cheryl Taylor and 46 Graphics Co-Owners.
You won’t want to miss this! Join the entrepreneurial community, educators, and business leaders to celebrate innovation and be inspired by our keynote speaker.
We encourage event check-in at 11:15 a.m. for the program, which promptly starts at 11:30 a.m. The event ends at 1 p.m. with optional networking.
Interested in sponsoring entrepreneurs to attend or sponsoring the event? Opportunities are available. Contact Jami Thomas, jthomas@niic.net.
For information about sponsoring Ideas@Work, contact Jami Thomas at jthomas@niic.net
Keynote Speaker, James "Jay" Bailey
President and CEO, Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Keynote Speaker, Wendy Kennedy
President and Founder, WKI, wendykennedy.com
Keynote Speaker, Santiago Jaramillo
CEO and Co-Founder of Emplify
Keynote Speaker, Angie Hicks
Co-Founder of Angie's List, Chief Customer Officer of Angi Homeservices
Keynote Speaker: Chuck Surack
CEO and Founder of Sweetwater
Keynote Speaker: J. B. Bernstein
Legendary Sports Marketing Pioneer
Keynote Speaker: Eric Doden
President of Indiana Economic Development Corporation
The Ideas@Work Signature Event Series serves as a platform to celebrate and recognize business builders. Established in 2015, the award was named after Dr. Mike Mirro, a prominent physician, entrepreneur, visionary, researcher and community leader. Dr. Mirro was the founding board chair of The NIIC. Originally, the award was presented to clients of The NIIC student business builder program. This has changed to also include all NIIC clients.
NIKKI & BRET KEISTER, 46 GRAPHICS
ANGELA HARRISON, BAKERSON PIE COMPANY
JILLIAN LEE, UNIQUELEE CREATIONS, LLC.
3B APPS, FOUNDERS NATHAN AND MITCHELL SKEES
JENTRI CRIPE, OWNER/DESIGNER, SPREAD THE SPARKLE
D-N-S DESIGN, FOUNDERS MATT VANLANDINGHAM AND LINDAL WALKER
ASHELY COLEMAN, LA’SHIC, CREATOR OF ORTHOPEDIC HIGH HEELS
Established in 2020 to honor The NIIC’s former colleague and friend, The Dr. Daryl Yost Excellence in Philanthropy Award recognizes an exemplary, innovative philanthropist who leads transformational change in our community.
PAST RECIPIENTS:
In 2022, Mike Fritsch, NIIC President and CEO, presented the award to Cheryl Taylor. “Cheryl is a trailblazer, a pioneer, a philanthropic thought leader, a disruptor, a coach, and a mentor. Cheryl and her team created transformational opportunities to equip leaders to be better leaders. They fostered a culture of care to bend the curve on Allen County nonprofit organizations to be more effective, to embrace community, and more importantly, the collegiality of practice to set a high bar of excellence,” said Fritsch.
In 2020 Maclyn (Mac) Parker, Chair, The Olive B. Cole Foundation, was the inaugural award recipient. Mac is a NIIC Board Member and has been since its inception over 20 years ago. Through his leadership and commitment, he has demonstrated his ability to support The NIIC throughout its life. It’s an honor on behalf of The NIIC Board and our entire organization for this award to be presented to Maclyn (Mac) Parker.
Upon receiving the award, Mac said, “It is a real honor to receive this award, particularly because it is named after Daryl Yost. He was a mentor of many and a good friend to a lot of us.” While accepting the award, Parker reflected on visiting Indianapolis and Chattanooga some years ago and was inspired to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors for Northeast Indiana. This led, in part, to the formation of The NIIC. “New job creation and helping entrepreneurs is important to economic development. The NIIC has fostered that. Karl LaPan has been such a great leader, and The NIIC has done so much in our community, leading entrepreneurship.”