Mike Wolanin | The Republic Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, welcomes guests to the Women in Leadership luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Edinburgh, Ind., Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and its regional partners have received a $40,000 grant for a new program supporting entrepreneurial growth.
The initiative, Lean Startup Academy & Pitch, is one of 16 projects receiving grant awards from the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s Community Collaboration Fund. The grants, which were announced by the IEDC on Friday, are intended to “accelerate entrepreneurial activity and resources statewide.”
According to a project description, Lean Startup Academy & Pitch will enable 45 entrepreneurs in Bartholomew, Jackson and Jennings counties to participate in “intensive programming to start their businesses and leverage their learnings to pitch investors for funding.”
“We’re going to begin opening up applications and recruiting entrepreneurs here in the next few weeks,” said chamber director of entrepreneurship Dan Nash.
The search will run through the end of January 2024, with the chamber hoping to select 15 entrepreneurs per county for a total of 45 participants, he said. The startup academy will run from February to April, with the pitch competition planned for late May. The competition is expected to feature prizes worth $15,000 or more.
Nash said they hope to do the program once a year, depending on how much funding is available and how the first cohort turns out.
“It’s an exciting opportunity because it will mark the first time we’re able to partner with Jackson and Jennings County on entrepreneurial development,” said chamber president Cindy Frey.
The project will bring together entrepreneurial support groups from all three counties, she said. She added that academy participants will receive a stipend.
Lean Startup Academy & Pitch is part of the first round of grants awarded through the Community Collaboration Fund. The IEDC launched the pilot program this summer, inviting entrepreneur support organizations to submit small business-focused services and programming for funding awards between $5,000-40,000, with a match of at least 25% required.
“Indiana has been recognized as the best state in the U.S. to start a business, and we’re leaning in even further to ensure that all Hoosiers have equal access and opportunity in their entrepreneurial journey,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg. “The Community Collaboration Fund is yet another resource that community-focused entrepreneur organizations across the state can leverage to provide direct support to aspiring entrepreneurs, startups and growing small businesses and to help ensure the continued success of Hoosier innovators statewide.”
