Mission:
The Indiana Venture Center, Inc. works independently, as well as in collaboration with universities and other organizations, to increase the number and the quality of successful entrepreneurial, high growth companies in Indiana. The Center thereby catalyzes the establishment of a more creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial educational and business climate in Indiana.

Vision:
The Indiana Venture Center will help to create a new business culture in Indiana that nurtures creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship which will help to accelerate economic growth in Indiana.

Background – Why we do what we do:
Indiana is beginning to feel the pressures of a lagging economy, and the “brain drain” is leaving Indiana companies searching for high knowledge employees.  Over the past 20 years, the state of Indiana has fallen behind most of the United States in economic development, especially in non-manufacturing, high quality, high paying, knowledge jobs.  One main reason for this decline is the state is lacking a coordinated effort to assist high growth, knowledge-based start-up and expanding companies in their development. 

Statistics show that Indiana is struggling.  If improvements are not seen in the near future, Indiana’s downward descent will be irreversible.   

• Indiana leads the nation in the number of high paying jobs lost from 2000 to 2003: over 159,000 high knowledge, high paying jobs.
• Indiana leads the nation in the number of engineering college graduates each year; however, over 66% of all Indiana engineering graduates leave the state.
• Over 60% of all college graduates leave Indiana due to the perceived lack of high quality, high paying job opportunities.
• Indiana has a false reputation where change, high technology, and risk taking are concerned.

The Indiana government is beginning to recognize these fatal symptoms and has realized that improvements are necessary for the state’s health.  Over the past two years, the Indiana legislature has taken action to improve the economic climate:

• $75 million in new funding for the 21^st Century Fund
• Elimination of the Inventory Tax
• Elimination of the Gross Income Tax
• Adoption of a Venture Capital Gross Income Tax Credit
• Creation of $75 million to $100 million in early stage capital in the Fund of Funds

Seeing the need for a coordinated effort to assist entrepreneurs in creating and growing companies, the Indiana Venture Center was born.  The Indiana Venture Center, a privately funded not-for-profit organization, serves as a catalyst for the creation and growth of entrepreneurial, high growth businesses in Indiana.  The Indiana Venture Center will work to increase both the number and the quality of successful entrepreneurial companies in Indiana and to provide new career opportunities to students and out-of-state alumni.

The Indiana Venture Center is working to revive the health of Indiana.  Through numerous services, the Indiana Venture Center plans to create an environment that fosters the entrepreneurial spirit and encourages both personal and professional growth:

• Accelerate the creation and development of high growth companies
• Create Indiana opportunities to retain and attract knowledge workers
• Build a collaborative alliance of universities within Indiana that:
  • Connects talent within universities to high growth companies
  • Enables sharing of best practices among faculty and students
  • Advances technology development and commercialization
• Change Indiana’s false reputation by stating the facts:
  • Indiana has a very knowledgeable work force
  • Indiana is home to many world class universities
  • Indiana has a strong existing technology base
  • Indiana is centrally located
  • Indiana has one of the lowest costs of living in the United States
  • Indiana has a strong history of successful risk taking

To accomplish these goals and improve Indiana’s economic climate, the Indiana Venture Center has assembled a team of outstanding, knowledgeable employees.  The Indiana Venture Center staff is knowledgeable in all aspects of business, such as planning, hiring, and financing.  Their actual business experience has given them contacts to key members of the entrepreneurial community throughout the state.

Meet the people at the Indiana Venture Center.