IN Chamber: The Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Elliott Parker: Innovation at a High Alpha Pace Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

Large-scale enterprises (think big companies, leaders in their fields) are built, in Elliott Parker’s words, to execute at scale. Start-ups, he says, are designed to learn, pivot quickly and move fast. Bringing the two together is the focus of High Alpha Innovation, with the goal of launching 100 start-ups within the next five years. It’s a venture studio playbook that High Alpha has used in creating its own portfolio of successful start-ups in recent years. Now, it’s bringing the advantages of existing companies to the mix with a co-creation approach. Parker first came to Indiana for an internship with Roche and returned two-plus years ago to join the High Alpha team.
Learn more at www.highalphainno.com.

Elaine Bedel: Building Indiana’s Brand Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

It began with 2019 legislation to shift tourism efforts. It’s expanded to telling Indiana’s full story – to also attract and retain businesses, students and talent. It is the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC), being led by Elaine Bedel, former Indiana Economic Development Corporation president. Bedel talks about starting with a clean slate (pointing toward a July 1, 2020 debut), seeing the world change beginning in mid-March and adjusting to meet today’s needs. It’s all about changing the external view of the state from “no perception” for too many to a predominantly positive outlook. Partnerships, funding and more are all part of the equation. The success of the IDDC will be critical to the state’s future.

Bruce Mehlman: What today’s reality means for tomorrow Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

Bruce Mehlman possesses a wide variety of experiences in business and government. He uses those to help deliver insightful analysis into national and global trends in business and politics. His quarterly updates are viewed by thousands of followers – more than 110,000 for the most recent version on COVID-19 and its impacts. He talks Congress (the only thing Congress likes more than the way things are done is the way things were done), the race for president (fear of a second pandemic wave and the intersection of public health with politics), technology, disruption and much more. In the end, he gives examples, notes that our country “majors in comebacks” and states that there are reasons to be positive.
View the latest (with prior editions on last slide): https://mehlmancastagnetti.com/wp-content/uploads/After-COVID-Mehlman-Q2-2020.pdf.

Nick Smarrelli: Success in tech and beyond May 26, 2020

Show notes

Nick Smarrelli touts balance and flexibility. Yes, that includes running ultramarathons and endurance races, while he and his wife embrace careers with travel obligations and caring for their three young children. On the business side of the equation, Smarrelli says he’s a big believer in saying “yes”, especially espouses one of GadellNet’s core values in “no excuses” and has the company investing in the recruiting and training of top people in the technology solutions space. Hear how the organization strives to set itself apart and what it did to earn 98% employee retention last year.
Learn more at www.gadellnet.com.

Ali Cudby: It’s all about keeping your customers May 12, 2020

Show notes

That’s the name of the book – literally – as in Keep Your Customers: How to Stop Customer Turnover, Improve Retention and Get Lucrative Long-Term Loyalty. The launch came during the current pandemic, but it’s author Ali Cudby’s career journey and lessons learned that are so important today. She calls herself an “accidental entrepreneur” based on a bra-buying experience in London. Today, her company is Your Iconic Brand and her work involves clients in a number of industries. Spoiler alert: Don’t forget the little things and try to ensure the “ripple effects” are positive ones.
Learn more:
Your Iconic Brand (youriconicbrand.com)
Keep Your Customers book (www.amazon.com/Keep-Your-Customers-Retention-Lucrative/dp/1642796425)

Rob Martens: “ ‘Peak’ing around the corners” of the future of business Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

He’s not the first to note this, but he says it well. “We really know how to build things here. Silicon Valley is very focused on connecting things. There’s a gap in the marketplace for taking those big, complex physical things (that we build) and connecting them to the application layer, with that software layer. This is a huge opportunity for us.” Rob Martens is chief innovation and design officer, among other roles, for Allegion. His job involves taking the door and security functions that have been part of the company for more than 100 years and “futuring” their applications. The Allegion Ventures venture capital firm, the new Pin & Tumbler Studio and more are part of the equation.
Learn more:
Allegion (https://www.allegion.com/corp/en/index.html)
Allegion Ventures (https://www.allegion.com/corp/en/ventures.html)
Pin & Tumbler Studio (https://pinandtumbler.com)

Max Brickman: ‘Venturing’ Into New Territory Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

At age 28, Max Brickman is managing director of Heartland Ventures, a South Bend-based venture capital fund looking to connect Midwestern business strengths with coastal technologies. He founded his first successful business at age 15 and led two more start-ups while a student at Indiana University. Thus, he brings entrepreneurial experience of his own to his company’s efforts. It’s a somewhat unique approach that Heartland takes. Max explains how it works, why he remains bullish on Indiana and the Midwest, and what sees in the months and years ahead. Learn more at www.heartlandvc.com

Ronald Rochon (USI): ‘I Love This Place’ Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

Ronald Rochon terms the University of Southern Indiana campus on the west side of Evansville as a “hidden gem.” Beyond the aesthetic beauty, he says visitors will see an “immediate approach in how people respond to one another. We are a campus of choice, a campus of care and a campus of compassion. I love this place.” Rochon notes USI is home to many first-generation students and large numbers that come from Indiana. While the goal is to prepare them to achieve on a global basis, a significant majority makes the determination to stay close to home in our state. Learn more at www.usi.edu.

Gregory Hess: Wabash College’s Focus and Ambition Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

Wabash College provides what President Gregory Hess calls an “intentionally intimate liberal arts experience.” It is one of only a handful of all-male higher education institutions remaining in the country – a status it is safe to say is not going to change. Hess says a clear mission with a focus on excellence of students allows the college to make a difference. It also prompts alumni to give back at historic levels and in many ways, including a formal network for finding students/graduates a place to stay if in a new community for a job interview. Find out what class Hess loves to teach, his take on the passion for football and other sports on campus and beyond, his favorite athletic teams and his goals moving forward. (Note: After our podcast recording and before its release, Hess announced his departure from Wabash at the end of the current academic year for a position as CEO of IES Abroad, providing study abroad and internship programs). Learn more at www.wabash.edu.

Deborah Curtis: Indiana State University’s strategic approach Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

Indiana State University President Deborah Curtis doesn’t think the college residential campus will ever go away, but acknowledges that the growing “some college, no degree” market requires a pivot in serving those students. ISU boasts unique programs ranging from packaging engineering technology (the only accredited program in the nation) and construction management to insurance/risk management and RN to BSN (for nurses). Curtis discusses the large percentage of students who come from – and remain in – the state. “Our mission is to serve the workforce needs of Indiana,” she says. She focuses on enrollment, communications and fundraising and identifies her two favorite days of the year. Learn more at www.indstate.edu.

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