05.11.21

Resiliency Training Available for Indiana Business Owners

Aimed at Increasing Success through Harnessing Failure

May 11, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind.—Entrepreneurship is not easy. It often includes struggling to make payroll, launching products people will buy or chasing that next big idea. Successful business ownership takes resilience. In this spirit, The NIIC created new training for business owners, The Resilient Entrepreneur: Building Success and Surviving Setbacks. Sarah Lance, WBC EmPWR Program Manager, The NIIC, will facilitate and lead the training, which is high-value offered at no charge to participants through the EmPWR Program. Register here.

At the core of this training are the principles taught by innovation and entrepreneurial experts John Danner and Mark Coopersmith, authors of The Other “F” Word, How Smart Leaders, Teams, and Entrepreneurs Put Failure to Work. Designed to help business builders thrive, it provides tools to improve the odds of success by turning failures into strategic resources. “Great innovators build on failure. Through a structured set of immersive, hands-on experiences guided by two of the very best thought leaders on failure, you will activate, upskill, and nurture your business resilience. By doing so, you will anticipate and lean into future pivots, gain business insights, and confidently navigate the choppy waters of change,” said Karl R. LaPan, NIIC President and CEO.

Two live sessions kick off the training, followed by 10 15-minute videos, an application exercise, and discussion. Danner and Coopersmith will lead the two live sessions. “Failure’s like gravity. It’s everywhere—a fact of life for every organization at every organizational phase, from startup to growing business and established enterprise,” John Danner and Mark Coopersmith, The Other “F” Word.

Lance will facilitate the live sessions, with the first one to focus on an overview and key traits of resilient entrepreneurs. The second live session will be a clinic to discuss participants’ specific challenges and general Q&A. These are followed by the training videos and applications, which are available online using NIIC Navigator® Learning Management Tool. Lance recommends augmenting the online training with WBC EmPWR one-on-one coaching.

Register for the program here

About WBC EmPWR Program

The Women’s Business Center (WBC) EmPWR Program is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership and serves clients in 83 Indiana counties. The EmPWR Program brings together the experts, resources, and tools business builders need to get back on track from COVID-19. We specifically serve women-owned businesses – from individual entrepreneurs to businesses with many employees in multiple locations. We work with anyone who needs our support. For more information, visit https://niic.net/empwr/.

 

05.07.21

Partnership Aims to Ease Entrepreneurial Struggle,

LivePlan Now Available for Indiana Small Businesses

May 7, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind.— Entrepreneurs often struggle with the business planning aspects of preparing an investment pitch, the financial statements that accompany them, and walking through crucial elements of their business model. In partnership with Palo Alto Software, The NIIC announces it will provide access to this high-value tool to at least 50 small businesses in Indiana. Access is at no charge for a  defined period of time for accepted participants through The NIIC’s WBC EmPWR Program.

“LivePlan provides structure and consistent methods to navigate the entrepreneur through the maze of choices and decisions to tell their story more credibly with investors, financial institutions, and other stakeholders. If you have struggled in the past or want to have a tool to take your business planning to the next level, LivePlan is worth the time you invest,” said Karl R. LaPan, NIIC President and CEO.

According to Palo Alto Software, companies that plan and track against their plan experience 30% faster growth than those that don’t. LivePlan cloud-based software provides the tools needed for small businesses to achieve this.

• One-page plan template for a fundable business plan;
• A step-by-step planning process, including prompts and tutorials within the platform;
• Automatic financial tools and dashboards for planning, budgeting, forecasting, profit and loss, key financial assumptions, etc;
• Industry benchmark planning, performance dashboards, and smart budgets and forecasts tools; and
• 500+ sample plans.

Sarah Lance, NIIC WBC EmPWR Program Manager, describes LivePlan as an amazing platform, business plan-making magic. “It has tools and features to build your business plan and also to plan for long-term sustainability. I encourage small business owners to either work the plan at their own pace or pair it with WBC EmPWR one-on-one business coaching,” said Lance.

“It is always exciting to see the innovative programs and resources the WBC EmPWR Program discovers and offers to their clients,” said U. S. Small Business Administration Acting Regional Administrator and Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter. “It’s an honor to have them as a resource partner providing ideas, access and solutions to Indiana entrepreneurs.”

The process is easy. Apply here. Please note you must login at least weekly to continue your complementary three-month access. Longer access may be granted if you are making progress toward your plan.

https://northestindianainnovationcenter.formstack.com/forms/empwr_2021live_plan

Login credentials will be sent upon processing of your application.

Contact: Tammy Allen, Director, Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731

About WBC EmPWR Program

The Women’s Business Center (WBC) EmPWR Program is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership and serves clients in 83 Indiana counties. The EmPWR Program brings together the experts, resources and tools business builders need to get back on track from COVID-19. We specifically serve women-owned businesses – from individual entrepreneurs to businesses with many employees in multiple locations. We work with anyone who needs our support. For more information, visit https://niic.net/empwr/.

About The NIIC

499 new products launched, 196 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,351 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $100.4 million in grants and capital.

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. Additionally, the International Business Innovation Association (inbia.org) recognized the NIIC as the 2020 Entrepreneur Center of the Year – Mixed-use and awarded it one of the two prestigious industry awards – the 2020 Dinah Adkins Award. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.

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02.15.21

Build a Resilient Supply Chain Livestream, Butler University Experts to Lead Discussion

February 15, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind.— Effective, resilient supply chain management is vital to business venture growth and success. The disruption of the global supply chain this past year affected a wide range of businesses across many sectors of our economy. Join The NIIC on March 3, 2021, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., for a Livestream lunch and learn to discuss how to Build a Resilient Supply Chain. Supply Chain experts Matthew Caito and Dr. Janaina Siegler from the Butler Lacey School of Business will lead the discussion. Register here.

“Many businesses are seeking answers about ways to prevent some of the challenges faced during COVID-19 Pandemic from happening again. The NIIC Women’s Business Center EmPWR Program engaged experts to lead this lunchtime discussion and to develop a new NIIC Navigator® Online Learning Toolset course focused on Supply Chain Resilience,” said Sarah Lance, EmPWR Program Manager. The NIIC Navigator® content is available through The NIIC.

The Livestream discussion will include managerial perspectives for supply chain leadership, with particular attention given to preparation and resilience. Practical tools and techniques will be provided for handling supply chain risks, disruptions, and recovery in today’s dynamic environment.

While all companies operate within a supply chain of one sort or another, not all companies think about what makes their role in a supply chain unique to them. Understanding what is unique to a company will help managers consider what is important to their supply chains.

Matthew Caito is the Faculty Instructor—Operations and Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics and Data Modeling. He works closely with undergraduate and graduate students to help develop the leadership and business skills needed for success in today’s competitive operating climate.  In addition to his work at the university, Caito is passionate about helping established entrepreneurs and leaders develop their organizations.

Working closely with The NIIC and supporting its mission has proven to be a good fit for Caito and is an additional opportunity to share training and more resources with innovative companies throughout Indiana. When asked about NIIC’s EmPWR Program, Caito said, “It’s a responsibility and privilege to work together to build solid home-grown Hoosier businesses.  The innovation and resilience shown by our state’s entrepreneurs and their willingness to work hard together to achieve meaningful goals make stronger communities for our children and us.”

Dr. Janaina (Jane) Siegler, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor Operations and Supply Chain Management. “I have been an entrepreneur myself for many years before coming to academia. I have some great memories and some very challenging ones, which I chose to address through the EmPWR Program supply chain content. One, as it relates to the knowledge and ability to efficiently manage our inventories and all the costs related to them. And the second is about the importance of understanding our environment, our suppliers, and how our relationship with them can strategically help us or hinder our business development and growth,” said Siegler.

Learn more or register here. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/build-a-resilient-supply-chain-tickets-141138339573

About WBC EmPWR Program

The Women’s Business Center (WBC) EmPWR Program is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership and serves clients in 83 Indiana counties through May 2021. The EmPWR Program brings together the experts, the resources and the tools business builders need to get back on track from COVID-19. We specifically serve women-owned businesses – from individual entrepreneurs to businesses with many employees and multiple locations. We will work with anyone who needs our support. For more information, visit https://niic.net/empwr/.

About The NIIC

499 new products launched, 196 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,351 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $100.4 million in grants and capital.

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. Additionally, the International Business Innovation Association (inbia.org) recognized the NIIC as the 2020 Entrepreneur Center of the Year – Mixed-use and awarded it one of the two prestigious industry awards – the 2020 Dinah Adkins Award. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.

11.24.20

Dissent makes good ideas great

An often-overlooked attribute of a healthy community is the courage of dissent.

Politics teach the way you win is to marginalize dissent. Yet, confident communities tolerate the messiness of disagreement. Dissenters’ views are welcomed as a way to sift ideas, strengthen plans and avoid costly mistakes.

Constructive dissent is less about resistance. It is more about inviting diverse perspectives and contradictory opinions to the table.

Wise leaders recognize the first idea is seldom the best. Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prize founder, said, “If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.”

It turns out he was an optimist. Research suggests three of every 10,000 new ideas survive to become successful innovations.

Many transformative ideas are superficially attractive and short-lived. That’s OK. It is part of a Darwinian “survival of the fittest” process. It weeds out “so-so” ideas. Constructive dissent ensures the strongest, most viable ideas survive.

Testing ideas through constructive dissent requires great energy. When refining an idea, you can’t skip steps that are too complicated.

“Simple can be harder than complex,” Steve Jobs famously said. “You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.”

Constructive dissent is a willingness to abandon well-worn paths to pursue new ones. Dissenters challenge you to revisit assumptions, look in new directions, embrace alternative models and leave behind “me-too” thinking. A senior Disney leader once said: “If you don’t change what you see, what you see doesn’t change.”

Confident communities welcome courageous ideas and constructive dissent. These are not opposing forces. They are the twin gears that drive innovation. Only creativity paired with dissent can empower communities to resist groupthink and confirmation bias.

“Organizations never die from dissent, but many die from conformity,” wrote Jacob Bronowski, the British mathematician and historian.

The same goes for communities. Today’s economic development plans too often look like copied versions of other community playbooks. Such copycat plans don’t fit local culture, competencies and character. Buyer beware.

These plans often create “boat anchors” and eyesores for future generations. “Me-too” communities are no more successful than “me-too” companies or products.

Even good ideas, if approved too quickly, can suck the oxygen out of effective decision-making. Confident leaders don’t allow even the best ideas to stifle innovation, cripple creativity or truncate alternatives.

As Cynthia Rabe warns in her book, “Innovation Killers,” listening to the same old “experts” leads to conformity. Conformity is the death of innovation.

Conversely, as inclusion expert Annie Jean-Baptiste reflects in her book, “Building for Everyone,” “new voices (and new combinations of ideas) are the core of innovation.”

Parkview Field was an idea born of constructive dissent – disagreement with then-dominant views about downtown Fort Wayne. Our community listened to new voices, which resulted in a community asset with a viable business model.

Yet, today it would be unwise to impose new conformity of thought based on the success of Parkview Field. Downtown baseball is more than a “symbol of what can happen when people take a chance.” It’s evidence of the value of constructive dissent.

In the future, when we debate the “next generation” of competing resource priorities – which may look like a downtown arena, riverfront development, an innovation district or similarly large-scale development project – remember to embrace constructive dissent. It is unwise to marginalize alternative voices as “outliers” or dismiss outright all opposing views.

As we redevelop Fort Wayne for emerging economic realities, we must embrace dissenters who question why some ideas die because of “finite resources” while others ride an “investment runaway train.”

Let’s find the courage to welcome and invite dissent. Like Nobel, let’s recognize it is the only way to weed through the thousands of weak ideas to find the one that will move mountains.

11.24.20

Join The NIIC and millions of others in #GivingTuesday global generosity movement on December 1, 2020

For immediate release

November 24, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— This GivingTuesday, The NIIC encourages generosity by sharing client stories that celebrate the tenacity and resilience of Northeast Indiana business builders. Funds raised during this campaign will support the Reimagine Fund, designed to help underestimated founders located in our region who are facing liquidity problems and want to reset and reimagine their business model during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Please visit niic.net/donate/ to support business builders in our region.

The Reimagine Fund was established through the generosity of campaign gifts to The NIIC during the #GivingTuesdayNow campaign in April 2020. The fund supports business founders located in Northeast Indiana who are looking to reset and reimagine their business models.  “Given the severity of the impact of the pandemic on business closures and the liquidity crisis, the generosity of our community is essential to building successful and sustainable business ventures in our community,” stated Karl R. LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC.

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing people, and organizations’ power to transform their communities and their world. GivingTuesday will kick off the generosity season this year by inspiring people to give back on December 1, 2020.

“GivingTuesday inspires people all around the world to embrace their power to drive progress around the causes they care about, not just on one day but throughout the year,” said Asha Curran, GivingTuesday’s CEO and co-founder. “With country and community leaders, millions of organizations, and countless givers of all kinds, GivingTuesday is creating a shared space where we can see the radical implications of a more generous world.”

To support entrepreneurs in Northeast Indiana, visit niic.net/donate. See The NIIC social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube) for more information about The NIIC’s Giving Tuesday Campaign.

About The NIIC

499 new products launched, 196 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,351 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $100.4 million in grants and capital.

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.

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11.16.20

Annual Entrepreneurial Event Honors Entrepreneurs, Inspires to Innovate During a Pandemic

   

For immediate release

November 16, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— At the beginning of this year amidst an emerging pandemic, the projections were bleak for small business owners. Some have not survived. Yet, some have taken the opportunity to reinvent themselves and thrive. Such companies were celebrated at today’s Dr. Daryl R. Yost Ideas@Work Livestream Events.

The Mirro Business Builder Award is named after Dr. Mike Mirro, physician, entrepreneur, visionary, researcher, community leader, and founding board member of The NIIC. The award honors an entrepreneur who personifies core traits of personal excellence, energy, passion, and making a lasting community impact. This year’s award was presented to Angela Harrison, Bakerson Pie Company. “This is a huge honor, and I’m so thankful. Thank you for the vote of confidence through this award,” said Harrison.

The WEOC Launch Women Business Builder Award was presented to four clients who completed this year-long program. The program serves as an accelerator for women who want to start, grow, and accelerate their digital, e-commerce, mobile app or web-based businesses and focuses on mentoring, growth resources, and capital. Award recipients included:

• Angelica Cotton, Owner, Creations by AC, is a custom design store, dedicated to help customers create and order customized products. “During COVID-19, I have learned that people have changed how they spend their money. I have dwindled down my product offerings to focus on products that people truly want,” said Cotton.
• Angela Harrison, Owner, Bakerson Pie Co serves as Fort Wayne’s newest little pie shop, offering carry-out, pie club memberships, and can be found at area farmer’s markets and events. “I am not a lone ranger. I need the brainpower of working with a group. This program was key to me to keep moving forward. It helped me to identify what was essential. I’m thankful for the energy and contributions of the group,” said Harrison.
• Jackie Hook, Owner, High Point Ready, provides equestrian product subscription boxes for the all-around horse and rider. “This program provided a lot of accountability and direction. During the pandemic, my company experienced some shipping delays. I discovered new shipping options to address them. I also did different kinds of boxes, like for North Carolina 4H and 4H youth programs. Those got my company in front of some new markets.”
• Carli Webb, Owner, The Healthy Female Project, is an alternative and holistic health service. “At The Healthy Female Project, we know women want to feel confident in conceiving and growing their babies,” said Webb. The company provides credible, easy to understand, actionable information to do that.

WEOC Founder’s Cup Award is funded through Ideas@Work sponsorships and helps provide access to capital to WEOC Launch Women Business Builders. One founder is selected from each cohort to receive the $500 award. This year’s Founder’s Cup Award recipient is Jackie Hook.

The Dr. Daryl R. Yost Excellence in Philanthropy Award is a new award honoring a former NIIC colleague and friend. Maclyn (Mac) Parker, Chair, The Olive B. Cole Foundation, is the inaugural award recipient. “Mac is a board member of The NIIC and has been since its inception. Through his leadership and commitment, he has demonstrated his ability to support The NIIC throughout its life. It is an honor on behalf of The NIIC Board and our entire organization to award this to Mac Parker,” said Karl R. LaPan, NIIC President and CEO. 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.”

Serial entrepreneur and WKI Founder (wendykennedy.com) Wendy Kennedy inspired the Livestream participants. She emphasized how today’s business builders have to rethink their business models, find alternative revenue streams, expand their business model thinking, and engage their potential customers to find out how their needs have changed to stay relevant. She challenged business builders to be resilient, never quit, and confidently move toward their dreams.

Ideas@Work concludes on November 18, 2020. Two additional upskilling workshops round out this year’s offerings. Creating Exceptional Customer Experience is November 16, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and will be led by LaPan and Ted Baker, CEO/Executive Director, Muncie Innovation Connector, Inc.  Failure in a Culture of Innovation is November 18, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and led by LaPan. Both are Livestream events.

For further information about the bonus upskilling workshops or learn more about the Dr. Daryl R. Yost Ideas@Work movement, visit https://niic.net/ideasatwork.

Cutline 1: WEOC WBC Launch Women Business Builder Program Award to Angela Harrison, Bakerson Pie Company

Cutline 2: WEOC WBC Launch Women Business Builder Program Award to Jackie Hook, High Point Ready

Cutline 3: WEOC WBC Launch Women Business Builder Program Award to Carli Webb, the Healthy Female Project

About The NIIC

467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.

About WKI

Since 2005, WKI-wendykennedy.com inc. has delivered robust, innovative, and visual design thinking frameworks for business builders to ideate and find the business value of ideas. The WKI methodology,  So what? who cares? why you?® has supported thousands of researchers, scientists, engineers, and other innovators across the globe to discover the opportunity their ideas represent and unlock their full business potential. With certified professionals in more than 20 countries, this unique methodology has been used to explore the business value inside early-stage ideas spanning medical devices, alternative energies, robotics, aerospace, drugs, sensors, and more. Customers include the European Space Agency, Air Force Research Labs, The University of Texas, University of Florida (UF) Innovate, University of Nebraska, Community Health Network, The NIIC, and many others.

Contact: Tammy Allen, Director|Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731

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10.05.20

7th Annual Ideas @ Work Signature Entrepreneurial Celebration Event

Featuring Keynote from Global Innovation Leader and Technology Expert Wendy Kennedy

For immediate release

October 5, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— The Indiana entrepreneurial community, educators, and business leaders can celebrate the entrepreneurial community and be inspired to enact winning ideas by Wendy Kennedy, President and Founder, WKI-wendykennedy.com. Kennedy is a global innovation, design thinking and technology expert; an award-winning professor; and author. Her Livestream keynote talk, on November 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., entitled Ignite the Spark—Inspire Innovation During a Pandemic will be an entrepreneurial event you will not want to miss. Registration is open on the Ideas@Work website page on TheNIIC.Org.

The NIIC offers this opportunity to learn from Kennedy through its annual Ideas@Work signature event. “Our world is amid a Great Reimagination—the next wave of business innovation and expansion—triggered by the pandemic. It is up to each of us how we will move forward by sparking innovation in rethinking our business models, reimagining our core business and realizing our individual creative potential. Wendy’s expertise, perspective, and experience will prompt participants to translate ideas into business opportunities,” said Karl R. LaPan, NIIC President and CEO.

This year, as a posthumous honor of The NIIC’s dear friend and colleague, the event’s new name is The Dr. Daryl R. Yost Ideas@Work Event. Dr. Yost was an incredible educator, innovator, and philanthropic leader in our community. He was instrumental in the formation and execution of the Ideas@Work signature event series and inspired students, educators, and leaders to be active participants in The NIIC’s special signature fundraising event.

During this year’s event, the Mirro Founder Award will be presented to a NIIC client to celebrate outstanding accomplishments  during this past year. The NIIC will also introduce a new award at the event: The Daryl R. Yost Excellence in Philanthropy Award.

WKI is no stranger to the Northeast Indiana entrepreneurial community. Four of The NIIC’s leadership team members are WKI Certified Coaches.

“Wendy’s global business building and innovation expertise is a great fit for Ideas@Work because it is more than an event. The WKI methodology has helped innovators put their ideas on the payload of a spacecraft, launch new drug discoveries, and help startups turn their ideas into winning businesses,” said LaPan.

Ideas@Work past keynote speakers include leading entrepreneurs and thought leaders Santiago Jaramillo, CEO and Co-founder, Emplify; Angie Hicks, Co-founder of Angie’s List; Dr. Donald Kuratko (Dr. K.) of The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University; Chuck Surack, CEO and Founder, Sweetwater;  J.B. Bernstein, Legendary Sports Marketing Pioneer; and Eric Doden, President, Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

For further information and to register, see https://niic.net/ideasatwork.

About The NIIC

467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.

About WKI

Since 2005, WKI-wendykennedy.com inc. has delivered robust, innovative, and visual design thinking frameworks for business builders to ideate and find the business value of ideas. The WKI methodology,  So what? who cares? why you?® has supported thousands of researchers, scientists, engineers, and other innovators across the globe to discover the opportunity their ideas represent and unlock their full business potential. With certified professionals in more than 20 countries, this unique methodology has been used to explore the business value inside early-stage ideas spanning medical devices, alternative energies, robotics, aerospace, drugs, sensors, and more. Customers include the European Space Agency, Air Force Research Labs, The University of Texas, University of Florida (UF) Innovate, University of Nebraska, Community Health Network, The NIIC, and many others.

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09.28.20

SBIR Week in the Midwest—Indiana connects entrepreneurs to the country’s largest early-stage funding source

September 28, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— The NIIC (www.niic.net) is pleased to host SBIR Week in the Midwest – Indiana. All events during the week are open to any resident of Indiana or a border state. Click on https://www.sbirroadtour.com/dates/2020-midwest/ and select Indiana to register for the event. “The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Programs provide over $4 billion in early-stage funding to small businesses each year in various technology areas. Examples include unmanned systems, advanced materials, health, cybersecurity, and defense. It is one of the most significant sources of non-dilutive funding available to innovators and business builders,”  said Karl R. LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC.

SBIR Week in the Midwest provides participants with opportunities to join meetings with federal agencies that administer over 5,500 new awards annually and for virtual one-on-one meetings with program decision-makers. Livestream events and meetings include:

• Early Stage Investors Panel, October 19, 2020
• Virtual one-on-one meetings with over 20 federal agencies, October 23, 2020 (deadline to register October 15, 2020, 10 a.m. Eastern)
• How to Successfully Complete an SBIR Quad Chart Webinar (provided and led by The NIIC) on October 13, 2020, from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. eastern time.  The Zoom link for this event is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89382115598.

Each registrant can select up to six agencies for one-on-one meetings and can confirm their technology aligns well with the agencies before selecting them by accessing these five-minute reverse pitches from the agencies on https://www.sbirroadtour.com/about/.

SBIR will post the final schedule for SBIR Week in the Midwest on October 16, 2020. To prepare for the meetings, please review the presentations at the bottom of the resources page for helpful hints@  https://www.sbirroadtour.com/resources/.

To access additional resources curated by The NIIC to assist you, visit https://niic.net/inclusive-entrepreneurship/fast-in/.

About The NIIC

467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.

About the SBIR/STTR Program:
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive United States Government non-dilutive funding source, coordinated by the Small Business Administration. It is intended to encourage domestic small businesses to engage in high-growth research and development (R&D). Funding takes the form of contracts or grants and the awardee projects must have the potential for commercialization while meeting specific U.S. Government R&D requirements. The SBIR/STTR programs include over 4,000 new awards per year. These awards have helped U.S. innovators advance new technologies and have contributed to the creation of thousands of jobs.

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09.25.20

Help available for women starting tech companies

Excerpt

09.21.20

News Release: Registration Opens for Tech Women Business Owners

WEOC Invites Applicants for Launch Women Business Builder Program

For immediate release

September 21, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— Gensyn Design Founder and Design Thinker Jennifer Hunter credits Launch Women Business Builder Program and WEOC Women’s Business Center for supporting her to advance her business. “I would not be where I am—if I would have started at all—without the WEOC and the Launch Women Business Builder Program.  The community of women and the structure it provided to me were essential to getting Gensyn Design off the ground,” said Hunter. Indiana women starting and growing new technology companies are invited to apply through October 9, 2020.

Participants establish and grow their businesses through this three-phase program: Phase 1 Business Model (12-week duration), Phase 2 Implementation (6-month duration), Phase 3 Growth (3-month duration). The program includes one-to-one business coaching, peer-to-peer mentoring, training and workshops, shared workspace at The NIIC, the NIIC Navigator® Learning Management System, potential funding to fuel business growth, and access to the NIIC’s extended talent network.

Cohort six will be announced mid-October, and the program is set to begin the week of October 26, 2020. Up to 10 companies may be accepted into the program. Once accepted into the program, participants invest a $299 program fee. Up to five program participants may be eligible for up to $1,000 non-dilutive funding at the completion of phase two.

Launch Women Business Builders is an initiative of the WEOC Women’s Business Center at The NIIC.

“Thirty companies have participated in this program since it was launched two years ago. These new tech companies have introduced apps or websites for design thinking, real estate, ride-sharing, interior design, e-tail stores, and memberships for education and wellness programs,” said Leslee Hill, Director WEOC. “We are excited to see what industries, products, and services come through our next cohort.”

For more information, visit https://niic.net/start/launch-women-business-builder/

About The NIIC

467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.

About WEOC Women’s Business Center

2,354 women and immigrants served, trained, and counseled—since WEOC Women’s Business Center formation five years ago. WEOC Women’s Business Center serves Northeast Indiana women at all stages of their business ventures. We respond to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs through business growth coaching, training, and entrepreneurial education, connectivity and access to capital. WEOC Women’s Business Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As the Host Organization, The NIIC also provides supplemental funding and complementary resources. WEOC Women’s Business Center is an SBA designated Women’s Business Center—one of two in Indiana. For more information, visit www.inweoc.com.

Contact: Tammy Allen, Director, Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731

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