STARTedUP Foundation

📢 Up next: Region Four! On April 15 at 9 AM, we’re heading to Purdue University Northwest in Hammond for the second stop of our Innovate WithIN 2025 regional competitions in partnership with The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest. 📍Not sure where your region is? Check out the map below and come cheer on your local student innovators! 🚀 Meet the student founders ready to pitch their big ideas! Region Four is creating real-world solutions so swipe through to meet the competitors representing Northwest Indy! 🙌 Huge thanks to our judges and speakers: Dr. Kristin Burton, DJ Moore, GoGo (Gloria) M., Julie Rizzo, Michael Vesich, Kenneth (Chris) Holford, Rachel Clapp-Smith 🎓 We’re incredibly grateful to our Scholarship & Incentive Partners for helping students turn passion into opportunity: Indiana Institute of Technology, Purdue University Northwest, The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest, DePauw University, Grace College & Seminary, and Purdue University Fort Wayne. 🫱🏼🫲🏽 Major shoutout to our statewide sponsors for their dedication to Indiana’s Butler University & Butler University - Lacy School of Business | Circular Venture Lab | Indiana Economic Development Corporation | Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) | Telabotics See you in Hammond! Let’s build something great!

We’re kicking off our 2025 Innovate WithIN regionals in West Lafayette with Purdue Innovates's Region 2 on April 14th! 📍Not sure which region you're in? Check the map below to find your region and join us in cheering on your local teams! 🎉 Check out the teams! These students are ready to bring bold ideas to the stage — get ready to meet some of Indiana’s brightest young entrepreneurs. 🙌 Thank you to our judges and speakers: Jacob Brejcha, Anurag Garg, Lucas Woody, Eric Lankford, Brooke Beier, Kelly Blanchard Shoutout to our Scholarship & Incentive Partners who are empowering students to chase their dreams: Indiana Institute of Technology, Purdue University Northwest, The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest, DePauw University, Grace College & Seminary, and Purdue University Fort Wayne And a special thanks to our statewide sponsors for investing in Indiana’s next generation of innovators: Butler University & Butler University - Lacy School of Business | Circular Venture Lab | Indiana Economic Development Corporation | Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) | Telabotics Let’s launch the 2025 regionals in style, West Lafayette!

This is one of our most COMPETITIVE and CONNECTED regions! We cannot wait to see what these schools are bringing to the table 💪 

🎉 Get ready Indiana! The Innovate WithIN’s Regionals are here 🎉 Each year, thousands of students submit their biggest, boldest ideas. Now, the top 60 teams—10 from each region—will present live for a chance to win $1,000 per student and advance to the State Finals at Butler University - Lacy School of Business in June! Come see a LIVE regional event near you and cheer on these amazing young innovators! Hammond: April 15, 9 AM | Region Four Purdue University Northwest | The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest Fort Wayne: April 17, 9 AM | Region Five Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana Evansville: April 18, 9 AM | Region One Old National Bank West Lafayette: April 14, 9 AM | Region Two Purdue Innovates Indianapolis: April 21, 9 AM | Region Three Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indianapolis | Indiana University Indianapolis | IU Innovates Jeffersonville: April 22, 9 AM | Region Six Maker13 Only one team per region advances to State Finals—but don’t forget the four wildcard spots, too! Who will make it to Butler and compete for the grand prize? ✉️ Find your region and RSVP today! ✉️ https://lnkd.in/gxYA4muS A huge thank you to our 2025 partners and sponsors for making these events possible! Butler University & Butler University - Lacy School of Business | Circular Venture Lab | Indiana Economic Development Corporation | Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) | Telabotics

🔴 Innovate WithIN Alumni Join Y Combinator! We couldn’t be prouder to share that 2024 Innovate WithIN state champions Ethan Hilton and Tolen Schreid, co-founders of Caseflood.ai (YC W25).ai, were accepted into Y Combinator! 🔗 Check out their Y Combinator Launch Profile & give them an upvote! https://lnkd.in/gTruUQsw

🤖 Innovation Cobot Workshops We are proud to share that we, in partnership with Telabotics and Vincennes University, have been leading the charge in equipping students with advanced manufacturing skills through 'collaborative robots' or cobot - workshops! Throughout these hands-on training events, we’ve reached over 300 students with lab-based robotics training and exposed nearly 900 more to cutting-edge career pathways in advanced manufacturing. By collaborating with passionate educators and local manufacturers, we’ve sparked excitement for STEM careers and Industry 4.0 skills across the state! Thanks to everyone who played a role in bringing this initiative to life. We’re building a stronger future for Indiana—one workshop at a time!

🏆 This week has been full of wins! 🎉 We are thrilled to be named the #Mira2025 Talent Impact of the Year award winner! This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our team— Hunter Stone, Allison (Lindenschmidt) Curtis, Kristin Fuller, Kevin Schamel, McKenna Houston, and Ava Wettrick—and the 100+ dedicated teachers in our network who empower thousands of students across Indiana and beyond! But the celebrations don’t stop there! 🎉 McKenna Houston was just named the 2025 United Way Elevate Nonprofit Employee of the Year! 🙌 🎉 Faith N. Spencer & IronWorkz Co took home the Mira Community Impact Award! 🎉 Our student alumni Isaiah "Izzy" Branam and Caylyn Pruitt were nominated for a total of 5 Mira awards! 🎉 Sarah Ackerman, one of our incredible Fellowship teachers, was a Mira Resilience Award nominee! This week has been a powerful reminder of the talent, innovation, and impact coming from our students, teachers, and team. We are beyond grateful for this recognition and proud to be shaping Indiana’s next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. If you’re interested in mentoring a student or supporting a teacher, let’s connect—DM us! 🚀

On this month’s Fellowship call, we welcomed David E. Weekly, head of Capital One Lab, to share his perspective on fostering innovation in legacy institutions, and how educators can apply those same principles to transform their classrooms! So, here’s what David shared: 🤖 AI as a tool, not a crutch. Trust us, there is no substitute for a great teacher (except a great sub, of course!). David noted the power of AI tutors, but warned that outsourcing thinking to AI could be harmful. In fact, David believes that teachers will play a key role in ensuring AI enhances learning rather than replacing critical thinking skills. 💡 Showcase small wins to gain buy-in People fear failure, especially when standardized processes are used as a measuring stick for students, teachers, and administrators. We can combat this fear by framing entrepreneurship as an experiment rather than a big, risky endeavor. How? Instead of asking for massive changes, start with small, visible wins: 💡 A student-led project that benefits the community. 💡 A teacher-tested lesson that boosts engagement. 💡 A simple policy tweak that improves collaboration. Why it works: Once people see results, they are far more likely to support future innovation efforts. 🔄 Mastery not classroom compliance Broader educational efforts should move at the speed of a student mastering a concept, not just the speed of the school calendar. David also commented on the benefits of incorporating metacognition and spaced repetition into classrooms. 🎉 We also had some amazing community wins & celebrations! 🎉 ✅ Terre Haute North students secured approval for a student-led broadcasting program ✅ A fellowship student won a $500 grant for their startup idea through Believe in a Dream! ✅ AMP Lab is hosting 48 business leaders to mentor students & develop real business ventures. ✅ Cross-disciplinary projects are thriving, with students building furniture for city parks & learning practical design skills! Huge shoutout to our teachers who continue to break barriers, create opportunities, and build the next generation of innovators. You are the real MVPs! 💬 What’s your biggest innovation takeaway from this month?

🥳 Here’s the official launch of the Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship Caucus! With over 100 students, educators, and legislators in attendance, the witnessed an undeniable energy! We are so proud to see Indiana leading the way in fostering youth innovation, entrepreneurship, and real-world learning. This bipartisan movement is a testament to what’s possible when students, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders come together to build a future where young Hoosiers have the support and resources to turn bold ideas into reality. A huge THANK YOU to Carey Hamilton, Greg Goode, Fady Qaddoura, and Craig Snow for co-chairing this initiative and championing the next generation of innovators. Your leadership is making a lasting impact! 🌟 Let’s keep this momentum going because Indiana’s future is bright!  

Celebrate our outstanding Central Indiana nonprofit professionals.   Meet the finalists for ELEVATE's Nonprofit Employee of the Year Award! These exceptional individuals go above and beyond to make a difference in their organizations and our community.   Vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice Award — every dollar counts as a vote, supporting our basic needs initiative to help individuals and families overcome barriers.   Cast your vote and buy your tickets: https://lnkd.in/ghvcwheN   #UnitedForCommunity #UnitedForOurNeighbors #uwciELEVATE