Ideas in Action

Indiana WIRED has a diverse portfolio of investments and projects. The following are some of the transformational initiatives currently in action.

Creating Globally Competitive Industry Clusters

• Healthy Workforce
  This pilot project will assist up to 14 small to mid size manufacturing companies implement a bundle of innovations designed to increase competitiveness by reducing healthcare costs through technical assistance and skill development. Technical assistance strategies will focus on analyzation of health insurance plan design for efficacy, ergonomic assessment to identify areas for improvement, and an occupational health assessment. Skill development will focus on ways to reduce injuries in the workplace and lifestyle modification. All trainings will be offered on-site and customized to meet the needs of the company. For more information regarding this project, contact Allison Bryan.
  
  
• Energy Efficiency
  A project working with a pilot group of 28 energy-intensive manufacturing firms to implement a bundle of innovations designed to increase competitiveness by immediately reducing energy use and costs through innovation transfer, technical assistance, and skill development. Energy Efficiency Teams from each participating firm will receive intensive training resulting in an Energy Efficiency Certification. For more information about this project, visit our Energy Efficiency Web Site or contact Christy Bozic.
  
  
• Nano-Structured Coatings
  A project working with a pilot group of 14 advanced materials firms in which tool and die work is an integral part of operations. In these firms a cutting-edge new nanotechnology will be introduced and implemented. This innovation will result in significant increases in productivity. The project will include technology transfer, technical assistance, and skill building at all employment levels. For more information about this project, contact Christy Bozic.
  
  
• Supply-Chain Innovations
  A project working with multiple firms, suppliers, and farmers, in several agribusiness supply chains to introduce and implement a bundle of innovations to increase efficiencies at all levels in the supply chain. Innovations will include new business models, systems change, and skill development. For more information about this project, contact Christy Bozic.
  
  

Building an Entrepreneurship Super-Region

• Entrepreneurship Youth Institute
  This project will implement an entrepreneurship program in each of the 49 public high schools in the North Central region. The program will include a entrepreneurship Fall semester boot camp for both teachers and students, tools for teachers to incorporate entrepreneurship principles into the curriculum of both business/economics and STEM, and a Spring follow-up where students present business plans. More information is available here. Jeff Sanson is the contact for this project.
  
  
• STEM-Focused Entrepreneurship Summer Camp
  Each high school in the WIRED region will send teacher-nominated students who excel in STEM disciplines to a week-long entrepreneurship program developed by the Purdue Research Park and the Purdue Research Foundation. Students will work closely with Purdue faculty, PRF staff, and PRP entrepreneurs to build an understanding of STEM-specific entrepreneurship principles. More information about that program is available here and Sascha Harrel is the contact for this project.
  
  
• Regional Business Plan Competition
  Each county in the region will participate in a county-wide “Elevator Pitch” competition with three levels of prizes. The first-prize winners of these 14 county-level competitions will complete regionally in a business plan competition. The regional competition will include three prize levels. Entrants will participate in entrepreneurship education and prizes will be funded by private-sector partners. The Indiana Venture Center is leading this project and more information is available here.
  
  
• Entrepreneurship Business Information Network (eBIN)
  The Krannert Management and Economics Library at Purdue University has information resources that are invaluable for the business information research needed by existing and emerging entrepreneurs. A data map of these resources is available here. Access to these resources is currently restricted to campus. In a unique partnership with Purdue Extension and SBDC, these resources will be made available in each county in the WIRED region - at County Extension Offices and other Purdue-affiliated facilities. Krannert faculty and staff will provide workshops for entrepreneurs to assist them in using these resources. More information about this project is available from Don Koverman.
  
  
• Eureka Winning Ways
  Regional firms interested in top-line growth are participating in a dynamic effort to identify growth strategies related to sales and marketing, new customers and new markets, and new and improved products and services. Participants will include firm teams made up of all employee levels. More information about Eureka Winning Ways is available here and Christy Bozic is the contact for this project.
  
  
• Regional Angel Investor Network
  For the first time, angel investors will be convened from across the region for a workshop facilitated by the Indiana Venture Center. Also invited will be would-be angel investors, especially from the rural agricultural community. This workshop will be the first step in developing a region-wide angel network. More information about the August 1st workshop is available here and Don Koverman is the contact for this project.
  
  
• Wealth Transfer/Community Development Venture Capital Fund
  WIRED is engaging the region’s community foundations in a discussion of the recent wealth transfer study (available here) - conducted by the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance and innovative models for capturing a portion of that wealth for ongoing investment in community-based entrepreneurship and economic and community development. The Community Development Venture Capital Fund is a new model some communities are adopting. More information about that model is available here and Don Koverman is the contact for this project.
  
  
• Energizing Entrepreneurship
  Community Leaders from across the region will participate in a program designed to build community-level and region-level support for entrepreneurship. Program participants will include local elected officials, representatives from business-support organizations, entrepreneurs, and others integral in community support for entrepreneurship. The program is being facilitated by the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and more information about their Energizing Entrepreneurship program is available here. Don Koverman is the contact for this project.
  
  
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Compact
  Local Economic Development Organizations (LEDOs) have negotiated a common statement of the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation as viable economic development strategies and have agreed upon a set of principals to guide and direct their actions toward regional success. A copy of this compact is available here. Ed Morrison can provide more information about this effort.
  
  

Developing 21st Century Talent

• Maturity Matters
  This project focuses on providing information, resources, and education related to mature workers (45-plus). North Central Indiana’s population is aging faster than the nation. This effort works to provide older workers with new, 21st Century skills and in assisting employers to attract and retain older workers. More information about this project is available here and Kathy Burns is the contact.
  
  
• New Tech High
  New Tech High is a new model for high schools. WIRED is supporting the pilot implementation of this model in the Rochester Community School Corporation. Specifically, WIRED is helping to build the capacity of the Rochester High School faculty and in the creation of a way for leadership from other schools in the region to learn more about this model and how it can be implemented in their own schools. Debra Howe, Rochester Superintendent, is the contact for this effort.
  
  

Green Workforce

Innovative training program for Indiana manufacturers in the areas of sustainability, waste, energy efficiency, and green marketing.

Focus on improved and efficient use of human, materials, energy, and financial resources.

Two levels of training:

• Green Generalist - With this training, employees will gain a general understanding of the efficient use of resources with specific focus on the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Completion of this general course will enhance the performance of their companies in the areas of clean manufacturing and productivity improvements.
• Green Specialist – In-depth skills development for the Green Champions of your facility. This training is a deeper dive into Waste Stream Management, Environmental Management Systems, Green Financials while conducting a site-specific Green Audit of the manufacturing facility.

For more information please contact Christy Bozic.

Innovations in Top-Line Growth

Provides business growth services based on the Eureka! Winning Ways. This provides manufacturers within the 14 county WIRED region a program for defining, developing, and delivering new product ideas that have a high likelihood of measurable success and to rapidly move those ideas into profitable business reality via a proven systematic process.

For more information please contact Rich Meyer.