Indianapolis, IN – October 2, 2017 – Centric, Inc. announced today the winners of the 2017 Indiana Innovation Awards. An executive panel of judges sorted and analyzed 48 finalists from this year’s applicants to select just nine of Indiana’s best new innovations.

Now in its seventh year, the Indiana Innovation Awards seek to recognize those individuals and organizations who are successfully leading the innovation charge in our state. Winning innovations were judged on how well it meets an unmet need in the market, how unique it is, what new value was created for the end user and what financial evidence or market acceptance information does the innovation have to support it.

Winners represent a cross-sector of Indiana industries including education, manufacturing, technology and more. The official 2017 Indiana Innovation Award winning innovations are:

• Garden Party Botanical Hard Soda – DrinkGP, LLC (Indianapolis, IN)
  Already a recipient of Beverage Industry magazine’s 2016 Innovation of the Year award, Garden Party Botanical Hard Soda is revolutionizing the Flavored Malt Beverage (FMB) category in the adult beverage industry. They are achieving this by taking the same craft approach to FMBs that has already been applied to every other category in adult beverages. Garden Party’s 100% all-natural ingredients, culinary inspired flavor profiles, and generous 8% alcohol content, along with their unique packaging and branding design set them apart.
• Workforce Development Pipeline – Hillenbrand (Batesville, IN)
  Manufacturing is a critical need workforce area in the state of Indiana. Currently, manufacturers across the state do not have enough employees to meet the production demand. Hillenbrand created a workforce development pipeline starting as early as 4 years old through college to grow their workforce locally. Hillenbrand established multiple programs within their community and have partnered with multiple institutions from the local school corporation, to Ivy Tech, to local non-profits and other businesses. Their programming was created to drive Hillenbrand’s future workforce, but has also created a symbiotic relationship within the community.
• Mimir Classroom – Mimir Corporation (West Lafayette and Indianapolis, IN)
  Mimir Classroom provides instructors with tools to efficiently teach computer science courses of any scale without compromising the quality of education for students. The platform currently supports 60 programming languages and is used by more than 70 universities. Mimir has already received significant industry recognition from Techpoint, Y Combinator, Thiel Fellowship, Forbes magazine and more. The company moved its headquarters to Indianapolis in 2017 and announced plans in July to add more than 100 jobs by 2021.
• Fuzic – Fuzic, Inc. (Fishers, IN)
  Launched in early 2017, Fuzic is redefining four-wall marketing. By combining fully-licensed music and professional voice talent into a software as a service (SaaS) platform, businesses can now effortlessly control customer engagement. Fuzic is already operating in over 300 location-based businesses where users set the tone for their retail spaces through access to an unprecedented music library of over 50,000 fully-licensed songs from 200 genres. Customized messaging, produced and recorded by the largest independent network of professional voice talent, is then fused between songs to give voice to a businesses’ brand.
• Beyond Spaceship Earth Interactive Exhibit – The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
  “Beyond Spaceship Earth” is an immersive exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis that opened in June 2016. It tells the dynamic story of space exploration from NASA’s Project Mercury program, which sent the first Americans into space, to the International Space Station (ISS). The exhibit experience provides opportunities for children and families to gain a deeper understanding of the many ways science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) contribute to our efforts to explore and understand what lies beyond our planet. “Beyond Spaceship Earth” received more than one million visitors between its opening in June 2016 and the end of June 2017 and has been featured extensively in local and national media.
• TxJet – Indiana Donor Network (Indianapolis, IN)
  Indiana Donor Network is one of 58 organ procurement organizations (known as “OPOs”) in the United States. They are also the only OPO to operate its own aircraft. TxJet was launched in 2014 to decrease “cold” time on organs (the time between when the organ is recovered from the donor and when the organ is transplanted in the recipient) while also decreasing the expense associated with flying. As a result, Indiana Donor Network has become the go-to for organ aviation needs across the country. To date, TxJet has flown the equivalent of 20 trips around the earth and delivered nearly 625 lifesaving organs.
• 21st Century Charter School at Gary – The GEO Foundation (Gary and Indianapolis, IN)
  21st Century Charter School at Gary is a free public charter school committed to ensure that all students show growth in character, academics, life skills, the arts, and wellness using teaching skills tailored to meet the needs of each student. It is one of a very few schools offering a Middle College program, which allows qualifying high school students to take real college courses for real college credit – and it’s free of charge to students and their families. The program has spread outside the state of Indiana and is now also running in Colorado and Louisiana.
• WorkHere Mobile App – WorkHere (Carmel, IN)
  WorkHere is the first mobile job app that puts the full power of your smartphone or tablet to work finding nearby places to work. Its GPS-powered job search makes nearby opportunities easy to find. For a person making $15.00/hr, the cost of a 10-mile commute can consume up to 25% of their paycheck. By reducing a commute by just one mile, that person can save over $397/year. Over 120 employers in Indiana are using WorkHere to find staff and over 40,000 in the state’s workforce are using it to find jobs.
• Auto-Stackable 15L PET Bottles – Dow AgroSciences (Indianapolis, IN)
  Dow AgroSciences developed a new agrochemical packaging system that features lighter weight, square PET bottles that are auto-stackable without the need for an outer cardboard box for transport. These ergonomically-designed bottles are up to 30 percent lighter-weight per liter than the currently-used HDPE jerry cans, reducing the carbon dioxide footprint by 20 percent per liter of product content over the bottle’s lifecycle and eliminating up to 40 metric tons/year of corrugated paper. The innovation was named the 2016 Best Packaging Innovation by Agrow Awards and a Diamond Finalist Winner in the 2017 DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.

All 2017 Indiana Innovation Award winners will be celebrated at Centric’s Day of Innovation conference on October 12 at Butler University. To learn more about the Indiana Innovation Awards, please visit centricindy.org/awards. To purchase tickets for Day of Innovation, please visit dayofinnovation.com.

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Centric, Inc. is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that Connects, Educates and Celebrates innovation-minded thinkers in an effort to improve the success rate of innovation in Indiana. Centric’s mission is to increase recognition of Indiana as a global center of innovation by equipping individuals and organizations with the critical thinking skills and cultural frameworks needed to drive innovation forward. Centric fosters a community of individuals who are passionate about helping each other, their companies and their communities succeed. Learn more at CentricIndy.org.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – September 26, 2017 – YouthBuild Indy is currently seeking 17-24 year-olds who want to reconnect to work and education during their Fall program. With oversight from EmployIndy, Marion County’s workforce development board, YouthBuild offers participants opportunities to earn their high school equivalency (HSE) diploma (formerly GED) while also learning life and career skills for their future. Participants earn money while working and have opportunities to earn certificates in various fields:

• General Construction
• Welding Tech
• HVAC Apartment Tech
• Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)
• Logistics Associate

The program lasts 6-9 months and has an 81% graduation/certificate rate. It is open to Marion County residents age 17-24 who do not have a high school diploma and meet certain income requirements.

For many, it has been a transformative experience to truly turn their life around, including 2016 graduate Brianna Ingram. Brianna enrolled in YouthBuild looking for stability and a chance to control her own future. In Brianna’s words, “YouthBuild Indy gave me a second chance when I didn’t get to pick my first chance.” Since participating, she has earned her HSE, found full-time work in software technology, and earned a scholarship to Ivy Tech for software development. But perhaps most importantly, she recently bought her own car with her own money. “If I am ever in the position, I would invest personally in YouthBuild,” she adds.

There are only 35 spots available, and applications are due by October 6th, 2017. Visit youthbuildindy.org to get started, or contact at 317.602.3260 or info@nullyouthbuildindy.org.

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About EmployIndy
EmployIndy guides the local workforce ecosystem and makes strategic investments to remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. As the workforce development board for Marion County, guided by 21 business, civic, education and non-profit community leaders, EmployIndy invests $17 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually.

For More Information:
Joe Backe
317.713.7601
jbacke@nullemployindy.org

This press release was published by the Indy Chamber

(INDIANAPOLIS) – Today, the Indy Chamber publicly announced the Anchoring Revitalization Program, a sweeping strategy aimed at redevelopment, local hiring and business opportunities around Marion County’s major institutional employers.  Today’s announcement comes after a half-day session with partners and participating anchor institutions to plan the next phases of the program as momentum builds behind a push to encourage anchor employees to live closer to work, spurring neighborhood revitalization across the urban core.

The Anchoring Revitalization Program is a three-pronged approach, with “Live, Buy and Hire” strategies that engage some of the city’s largest university and healthcare campuses, community and cultural institutions that can act as civic and economic “anchors” to the often-challenged areas surrounding them:

• The “Live” strategy is incentivizing anchor institution employees to purchase or repair a home close to their work. The strategy, which is expected to support more than 125 homeowners, is being facilitated and financed by the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP).
• The “Buy” strategy will increase spending on local goods and services by strengthening supplier relationships among anchors and Indianapolis-based businesses, incentives administered by Develop Indy and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
• The “Hire” strategy aims to further develop the talent pipeline for anchor institutions, focusing on critical workforce needs with targeting training programs to boost hiring from nearby neighborhoods. The “Hire” incentives are being administered by Ascend Indiana and EmployIndy.

This effort was announced alongside several community partners who are guiding the conversations and strategies including: Ascend Indiana, Develop Indy, EmployIndy, Greenstreet, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP), and Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Indianapolis (LISC).

“The Anchoring Program is part of our Accelerate Indy strategy to rethink economic development,” said Michael Huber, President & CEO of the Indy Chamber.  “Our anchor institutions can be catalysts for homeownership, employment, homegrown enterprise and investment in our urban core – which is itself the ‘anchor’ of our regional economy.”

The Anchoring Revitalization Program has enlisted some of Indianapolis’ most impactful institutions to participate. These include: Butler University, Community Hospital East, Crown Hill Cemetery Foundation, Eskenazi Health, Health and Hospital Corporation, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis Museum of Art, Marian University, and the University of Indianapolis.

“About three years ago, we convened a small group of thoughtful leaders to help us devise what this anchoring revitalization program could look like,” Huber explained.  “We’re pleased by the enthusiasm and engagement of our institutional partners, and encouraged by the ‘Live’ pilot program led by INHP.  Today we have a growing list of success stories of employees who have purchased or repaired a home near their workplace – adding to the livability of their neighborhood and our city.”

“As the program continues, we hope to expand the number of participating institutions. This program is based in the idea of being open to conversation on new ideas, and our goal is to bring all our anchors together in that conversation,” said Mark Fisher, Chief Policy Officer for the Indy Chamber.

PARTNER STATEMENTS

The following statements are representative experiences of our partner organizations and participating anchor institutions so far with the Anchoring Revitalization Program.

“When we were approached with this program and asked to be an anchor institution, the benefit to our employees was obvious, so for us, there was no question that we would participate. The program has helped four on our staff purchase a home, and three more have made exterior repairs.  It’s a compelling benefit that we’re able to offer employees. It’s made a positive difference in the lives of our staff and will, ultimately, have a positive impact on our east side community.”

Scott Teffeteller, President, Community Hospital East

“Our anchor institutions in Indy have a lot of potential to impact economic development locally. Through the live, hire, and buy strategies included in the Anchor Revitalization Program, there is an opportunity to influence the growth of the surrounding communities that has never been explored before. The momentum of these communities will create an opening for us as a City to attract and retain talented workers that will grow our economy.”

Ian Nicolini, Vice President, Develop Indy

“The initial success of the ‘Live’ strategy is a direct result of our local anchor partners’ commitment to community development and their desire to enhance the quality of life for Indianapolis residents. Our anchor institutions are making it possible for their employees to take advantage of the benefits of living close to work, including increased disposable income and a stronger connection to their neighborhood.”

Moira Carlstedt, President and CEO, INHP

“IUPUI has leveraged our resources to maximize our positive impact on the local economy, including a number of staff members taking advantage of the Anchor Housing program to purchase and renovate homes in the area around campus.” Chancellor Paydar continued, “We look forward to building on our partnership in this initiative for the benefit of the community.”

Nasser H. Paydar, Chancellor, IUPUI

“LISC is excited to be part of creating practical ways for anchors to direct more of their purchasing power to benefit neighboring businesses and their employees”

William Taft, Executive Director, LISC

“Whether employees are already homeowners or want to purchase today or in the future, INHP’s comprehensive lending, mortgage and credit advising and home-buying education services are designed to help clients become and remain long-term, successful homeowners. We are proud to be working with Crown Hill Heritage Foundation’s anchor housing program as it will offer funding to any Indianapolis resident hoping to move into the neighborhood.”

Michael McKillip, President, Midtown Indy