News Category: Women’s Economic Opportunity Center
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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09.25.20
Help available for women starting tech companies
Excerpt
Indiana women starting and growing new technology companies are invited to apply through Oct. 9 for the Launch Women Business Builders program, an initiative of the WEOC Women’s Business Center at the NIIC.
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 6 will be announced mid-October, and the program is set to begin the week of Oct. 26. Up to 10 companies may be accepted into the program. Once accepted into the program, participants invest in 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 2.
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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09.09.20
Entrepreneurial Workshops to Train to Fund, Pitch, Buy or Sell a Business
For Immediate Release
September 9, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC) will host workshops in September to equip businesses with essential skills in innovation, commercialization, and more. Registration details for all events are available at https://niic.net/our-events.
Money Matters On-Demand Workshop Series
Available through September 30, 2020
Microentrepreneurs and microenterprises gain specialized business-building support about bootstrapping; crowdfunding; friends, families, and fools; and fundamentals of angels.
First Pitch for Microentrepreneurs: Money, Mentors, and More Webinar
September 14, 2:00—3:00 p.m.
This training is available to all Hoosier business owners and is especially suited for entrepreneurs focusing on non-technical, main-street businesses with nine or less employees.
Buying and Selling a Business Panel Discussion
September 15, 8:30—10:00 a.m.
A panel of business owners, along with 1st Source Bank representatives, will provide insight into what it is like to buy or sell a business.
First Pitch for High Growth Ventures Seeking Outside Funding: Money, Mentors, and More Webinar
September 17, 5:00—6:00 p.m.
This training is available to all Hoosier business owners and is especially suited for STEM-related, academic, or third-party ventureable firms seeking outside capital and investment.
SBIR/STTR Essentials of Commercialization Webinar
September 22, 2:00—3:30 p.m.
Becky Aistrup, Managing Partner, BBCetc, will lead training on how commercialization and transition plans can be a key differentiator in the SBIR/STTR programs. The workshop will also address expectations for commercialization plans in Phase I and II projects, where to find cost effective market research, and obtaining quality support and commitment letters.
Pitch Coach Clinic
September 22, 10—11:30 a.m.
In this clinic participants get the opportunity to give their elevator pitches and receive input from Debi Kleinman, Executive Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College, the #1 school for entrepreneurship in the nation. Kleinman leads the Blank Center’s strategy, new initiatives, programs, and team to drive impact through the Butler Launch Pad accelerator and Babson’s highly-rated entrepreneur experiences, such as the B.E.T.A. Challenge New Venture Competition, Rocket Pitch, and the Summer Venture Program. She is also an adjunct professor at Babson’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business and Executive Education Programs for Entrepreneurs.
Group size is for up to 10 participants.
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 20 years 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 by moving ideas into action. The NIIC’s 55-acre campus is a U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone and a designated Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. The NIIC received global recognition in 2020 as the International Business Innovation Association’s Mixed-Use Entrepreneur Center of the Year and recipient of the prestigious Dinah Adkins Award, one of InBIA’s top two honors. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
Contact: Tammy Allen, Director, Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731
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08.26.20
Inclusive Entrepreneurship Programs Create New Opportunities for Hoosiers
For Immediate Release
August 26, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic, U.S. small businesses accounted for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity. Indiana-based nonprofit The NIIC believes small businesses will help to drive the Post-COVID-19 economy. The NIIC is working to narrow the opportunity gap for Indiana business owners through five inclusive entrepreneurship programs. The programs expand services to traditionally underserved groups in Northeast Indiana and across the state. These include:
- Connected Communities Breakthrough
- FAST-IN (Federal State and Technology in Indiana)
- OPENS (Optimized Path for Entrepreneurial Network Success)
- WBC EmPWR (Women’s Business Center Equity & Prosperity for Women Reimagining Businesses)
- WEOC (Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center)
Some examples of these groups include rural business builders, disabled individuals, ethnic minorities, immigrants, ex-offenders, and other historically unserved community segments. The goal is to cultivate hidden entrepreneurial talent and help individuals live fuller, more prosperous, better-connected lives.
“The NIIC is dedicated to economic prosperity and social well-being for Hoosiers. We want to support them to maximize their entrepreneurial potential. This past year, we have focused on equitable assistance and non-traditional support for underestimated entrepreneurs. Through the support of generous funders plus our dedicated staff, our five new targeted and focused programs will broaden networks, strengthen communities, increase access to capital, and stimulate diverse business ventures,” said Karl R. LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC.
Stacey Poynter, District Director, Indiana District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), said, “Access to capital is a barrier to entrepreneurship that the SBA strives to erase. The NIIC has partnered with the SBA for the last five years to provide the Women’s Business Center (WEOC), and I am thrilled they are recipients of our FAST, PRIME, and EmPWR grants as well. By working with partner organizations like The NIIC—who creates innovative and accessible programs for entrepreneurs—we are able to succeed in our mission of helping small businesses start, grow, expand, and recover, thus building stronger and more stable economies throughout Indiana.”
Connected Communities Breakthrough Program is a program funded by Foellinger Foundation and led by Program Manager Julie Sanchez. “There are real barriers to business ownership for many members of our community. Through innovative methods and customized curriculum, Breakthrough Program supports participants along a continuum. We help them to realize that they can be entrepreneurs and own businesses,” said Sanchez. Program participants learn how to launch a business through this program. The first cohort started in June 2020. Cohort two recruitment is in progress. Click here to apply.
FAST-IN Program is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Federal State and Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. The program’s purpose is to increase the number of Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposals successfully submitted by Indiana entrepreneurs. Increased funding through this initiative could lead to more research, development, and innovation in the state.
Jeff Erickson, Principal Investigator, Engine Research Associates, Inc. benefited from the FAST-IN Program by saving valuable work time. “We worked through FAST-IN to submit a recent SBIR application. The program easily saved our company 100 hours of work time. That’s a big deal for a small company like ours. SBIR grants are essential to our company’s growth and research,” said Erickson. Engine Research Associates is developing covert, fuel-efficient engines for unmanned aerial vehicles. FAST-IN is offering various webinars to train individuals how to submit successful proposals. More information is available on The NIIC events website page. https://niic.net/our-events/
OPENS Program is funded by the U.S. SBA Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME). OPENS focuses on connecting low-income microentrepreneurs to vital services, access to capital, and other common start-up barriers to improve new-business formation rates. “Microentrepreneurs typically have five or fewer employees. Access to NIIC resources and support, and exposure to new networks, can be fundamental to their success,” said LaPan.
This program offers no-cost business coaching and start-up training to eligible microentrepreneurs in Northeast and East Central Indiana.
WBC EmPWR is a one-year initiative funded by the U.S. SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO). It runs through April 2021 and focuses on women business owners adapting their businesses for success during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program empowers female founders to innovate, reimagine business models, gain resiliency through tools and resources to create more sustainable and viable ventures. EmPWR is available to Hoosiers living in Indiana who are not served by the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center. Learn more about WBC EmPWR and apply for the program by clicking here. https://niic.net/empwr/
WEOC Program achieved its five-year milestone this year and serves women business owners at all stages of their entrepreneurial journeys. Nearly 2,000 women business owners have participated in WEOC.
WEOC’s Launch Women Business Builder Program serves female-founded digital, e-commerce, app, or web-based businesses at no cost to participants. Participants build a business action plan and complete market research and strategies. They receive management assistance, coaching, strategic planning, and more. The goal is to increase business guidance and education for women of all socioeconomic statuses across 16 Indiana counties.
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 20 years 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 by moving ideas into action. The NIIC’s 55-acre campus is a U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone and a designated Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. The NIIC received global recognition in 2020 as the International Business Innovation Association’s Mixed-Use Entrepreneur Center of the Year and recipient of the prestigious Dinah Adkins Award, one of InBIA’s top two honors. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
Contact: Tammy Allen, Director, Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731
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08.20.20
Opportunity Amid Distress
Great Reimagination aims to jump-start post-COVID-19 economy by innovation
COVID-19 hijacked the American economy. Early estimates suggest more than 20% of small businesses will close permanently. Companies with underrepresented, diverse founders reportedly face even higher closure rates.
Unemployment has surged, and many of the jobs are not coming back. Companies adjust workforces and business models to adapt to new marketplace realities.
The Great Reimagination is a phrase coined at The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center. It describes what we predict is the next wave of business innovation and expansion for Indiana and the world.
It is time to cultivate and nurture a new cadre of generative, courageous, adaptive business leaders – innovators with the passion and drive to redefine business models, redevelop products and reinvent services for a post-COVID-19 economy.
COVID-19 affects companies and our daily lives. Changing consumer behavior creates economic pressure, driving businesses to change, too. The Indiana economy needs revolutionary breakthroughs from inventors and disruptors. It needs to usher in a new generation of entrepreneurs and startups. Economic distress creates opportunity. Opportunity breeds entrepreneurship.
Northeast Indiana remains a dynamic marketplace for cultivating new business growth.
Our region boasts resources to help Hoosiers to innovate through the Great Reimagination. The innovation center brings together workspace, capital, talent and expertise to fuel economic recovery driven by a resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit.
Through national, state, regional and local collaborations, The center inspires, supports and accelerates the hometown team. Over the past several years, underrepresented entrepreneurs have especially been a focus as we work to level the playing field for them. Multiple funders back these individuals through our new and existing programs.
Individuals served through these programs may include women, rural residents, immigrants, minorities, veterans, those with disabilities, the formerly incarcerated and others. Our programs encourage these individuals to overcome barriers to form and sustain business ventures.
For example, our Breakthrough Program, funded by the Foellinger Foundation, connects historically excluded aspiring business owners to sources for advising, training, business planning, assessments, coaching and more.
OPENS – the Optimized Path for Entrepreneurial Network Success – connects low-income microentrepreneurs, whose companies have fewer than nine employees, to vital services, access to capital and business coaching.
The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center is one of two federal Small Business Administration-funded women business centers in the state.
Since its formation five years ago, more than 2,000 female business owners have benefited through workshops, training, business coaching and mentoring.
The center’s newest program emerged as a solution for women business owners dealing with the realities of a COVID-19 economy. WBC EmPWR (Equity and Prosperity for Women Reimagining their Businesses) empowers women to reimagine business models for success despite COVID-19.
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership funds this one-year program that runs through April 2021.
The federally funded FAST-IN Program aids inventors, researchers, scientists and small businesses pursuing funding for research and development through Small Business Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovation Research grants.
Such funding helped Engine Research Associates, Inc. evolve from the founder’s hobby, located in the family garage, into a family-owned business that advances U.S. Department of Defense initiatives.
This statewide program targets Opportunity Zones and underrepresented scientific and professional knowledge workers. The goal is to fund key applied development and commercialization activities. Our center resides in an Opportunity Zone.
The Connected Health Lab is creating a statewide network of researchers and innovators to stimulate cutting-edge breakthroughs to apply Internet-of-Things technology to health sciences to transform health care delivery.
Hoosiers, it is time to step up, make the most of these opportunities and get our economy back on track.
Reimagine a business model to address the realities of our new economy.
Reinvent a product to transform old ways of doing things.
Create a breakthrough idea for a new service to meet consumers where they are today.
Become a business owner who hinges your company’s growth to disrupting established industries.
Start a business to free you from the frustration of your income being dependent on other people’s decisions.
Act on your passion and commitment to launch your own business.
Now is our time. The Great Reimagination offers abundant opportunities to pummel the pandemic, sow seeds of innovation and grow prosperous businesses.
Karl R. LaPan is president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center.
07.31.20
It’s a moshpit for business reimagination
Excerpt
The Equity and Prosperity for Women Reimagining Their Businesses program at the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center plans to bring an Innovation Moshpit Workshop Series to Fort Wayne and much of the rest of the state.
The WEOC at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center describes the workshops as a series of opportunities for small-business owners to mash up unrelated ideas for reimagining their businesses.
The 10-week virtual program co-led by Gregg Fraley, founder of Gregg Fraley Innovation, and Sarah Lance, EMPWR program manager, will take place online through the Stormz virtual meeting platform starting Aug. 12, and will continue through Oct. 7.
Read the full article on KPCMedia.com.
07.23.20
Innovation Moshpit Workshop Series for Hoosier Small Business Owners
Collide Ideas to Reimagine, Reinvent During COVID-19 Pandemic
For Immediate Release
July 23, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.—How often are the words moshpit and innovation used in the same sentence? WBC EmPWR’s Innovation Moshpit™ Workshop Series will be like concertgoers colliding in a moshpit. Yet, the moshpit is the workshop series, convening small business owners to mash-up unrelated ideas and concepts to reimagine their businesses. Registration is open for Hoosier business builders and nonprofit leaders to participate in the workshop series. Enroll on the events page of The NIIC website. https://niic.net/our-events/
WBC EmPWR Innovation Mosh Pit Workshop series begins August 12, 2020, and continues through October 7, 2020. The 10-week virtual program will be co-led by Gregg Fraley, Founder, GFi, and Sarah Lance, WBC EmPWR Program Manager. Workshop participants will move through the Innovation Moshpit’s comprehensive innovation process, which includes three phases. The first phase is exploration or research. The second phase is ideation, otherwise known as brainstorming. The last phase is project planning. Participants could create an entirely new business model, or, a necessary adjustment to the new normal. Participants will develop a solid plan to implement something new, fresh, and exciting for their businesses or organizations.
Participants will use the Innovator Mindset® tool created by Dennis Stauffer to improve their business thinking skills further. Participants will be connected with other non-competitive business peers to network, share problems, brainstorm, and develop solutions that move progress forward and upward.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the economy and our way of life in so many ways. As difficult and frustrating as the COVID-19 pandemic era may be, it provides an opportunity to shake up our businesses to reach new levels of innovation and success. Through the Innovation Mosh Pit Workshops, participants will emerge renewed, with a sense of purpose and redirection,” said Lance. “Creativity and innovation are necessary solutions to succeed now and in the future.“
Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO), the cost to participate is just $30 for the Stormz virtual meeting platform. This program is specifically for women; however, it is also open to everyone with businesses and organizations in 83 Indiana communities served by the WBC EmPWR Program. “COVID 19 is forcing all of us to take a hard look at how we’ve done business in the past, what is working now, and how we will do business in the future,” said SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter. “We’re proud that SBA funding is able to support innovative programs like EmPWR which inspire, teach and support Indiana small business owners.”
Registration for the WBC EmPWR’s Mosh Pit is now open. To register, visit the events page of The NIIC website. https://niic.net/our-events/
Innovation Moshpit™ is a trademark of Gregg Fraley Innovation (GFi). Innovator Mindset® is a registered trademark of Dennis Stauffer.
Contact: Tammy Allen, Director | Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731
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 20 years ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a nonprofit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures by moving ideas into action. The NIIC’s 55-acre campus is a U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone and a designated Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. The NIIC received global recognition in 2020 as the International Business Innovation Association’s Mixed-Use Entrepreneur Center of the Year and recipient of the prestigious Dinah Adkins Award, one of InBIA’s top two honors. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
About WEOC
2,354 women and immigrants served, trained, and counseled—since WEOC’s formation five years ago. The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) serves Northeast Indiana women at all stages of their business ventures. WEOC responds to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs through business growth coaching, training, and entrepreneurial education, connectivity, and access to capital. WEOC 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 is an SBA designated Women’s Business Center—one of two in Indiana. For more information, visit www.inweoc.com.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
07.10.20
NIIC Adds Two
Excerpt
The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center has hired Sarah Lance as project manager and Jennifer Romano as community engagement coordinator for the EmPWR (Equity & Prosperity for Women Reimagining) Their Businesses Program.
The EmPWR Program is a 12-month initiative funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Women’s Business Ownership. EmPWR Program guides businesswomen to innovate, reimagine business models, and gain resiliency, so they thrive and prosper. The program is available to business owners living in all Indiana counties except the 11 served by the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center.
Click here to read the full article on InsideIndianaBusiness.com.
07.07.20
July webinars for business builders, a focus on connected health and digital tools for employment
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
July 7, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center will host two webinars in July for entrepreneurs and business builders.
On July 16, from noon to 1:30 p.m. (EDT), the Connected Health Lab (CHL) of The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center will present Third Thursday Connections, featuring a virtual panel discussion on insurance technology. This is also known as insurtech and is an integral part of the booming industry of virtual health. Brian O’Hara, Strategic Engagement Advisor, FBI, Indianapolis Division, and Greg Perigo, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Indiana Tech, will serve as panelists.
O’Hara has been practicing information security for more than 20 years specializing in security, audit, and risk management in the healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing sectors. A frequent conference speaker, O’Hara is the author or editor of numerous articles and publications and is a Fellow in the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA).
“Insurance companies are using technology in the form of apps, wearables, and telehealth to provide better service and help patients manage their health. In our increasingly connected world, security and privacy are a top priority for both patients and providers,” said Jessica Carender, Partner Engagement Manager, The NIIC. “Our panelists will address what has changed due to COVD-19 pandemic, changes needed, and how innovative healthcare technologies impact individuals.”
To register for this no-cost, live stream webinar, visit https://niic.net/our-events/.
On July 22, from noon to 1:00 p.m. (EDT), the annual Digital Skills Summer School will offer an overview of digital tools for employment. “This is especially relevant for employees who have been furloughed due to COVID-19 pandemic or small business owners who have closed their businesses as a result of the pandemic. We also have clients who offer job-search services and can connect them to these businesses,” said Leslee Hill, WEOC Program Director, The NIIC. Job seekers will learn how to discover new employment opportunities using Google Search. The virtual workshop will also present tips for using G Suite tools to organize the job search experience. In addition, the program will present strategies to improve your resume, tips to help you communicate effectively online, best practices for virtual interviews, and the latest job-search resources from Google and other partners.
“Our live-streamed Digital Skills Summer School program is particularly designed for job seekers, students, and recent graduates,” said Hill. The no-cost webinar is sponsored by WEOC and SCORE Northeast Indiana. Registration is required at https://niic.net/our-events/.
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 20 years 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 by moving ideas into action. The NIIC’s 55-acre campus is a U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone and a designated Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. The NIIC received global recognition in 2020 as the International Business Innovation Association’s Mixed-Use Entrepreneur Center of the Year and recipient of the prestigious Dinah Adkins Award, one of InBIA’s top two honors. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
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