Indiana highlights Hoosier business owners, celebrates state’s historic investments in entrepreneurs during Global Entrepreneurship Week

In honor of Indiana’s business owners and their impact on the state’s economy, Governor Eric J. Holcomb proclaimed Global Entrepreneurship Week in Indiana this week (Nov. 18-22, 2024).

“Entrepreneurs have an immeasurable impact across our state every single day,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg. “I’m proud to honor the contributions to their communities and to set aside a week to celebrate their tremendous hard work. Entrepreneurs build the communities where people want to live, work and visit.”

Along with the announcement of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the IEDC released its third edition of Entrepreneurship Indiana. This entrepreneurial yearbook, published in partnership with PATTERN, honors the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and aims to inspire future founders and innovators. Past editions of the yearbook are available online and feature entrepreneurial success stories, highlighting the ambition, commitment, and resilience of entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and industries across the state. Indiana will also host more than 100 Global Entrepreneurship Week events across the state, with more than 25 events happening in Muncie and Bloomington.

Indiana is committed to investing in the growth and success of the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which continues to inspire entrepreneurs, fuel innovations, create quality jobs for Hoosiers, and attract record levels of capital investment. Indiana ranks second among the Best States to Start a Business by Forbes and 11th in CNBC’s top places to do business.

Two years ago, the IEDC launched ConnectIND, a tool for current and future entrepreneurs designed to connect founders with the right resources at the right time to start and grow a business. It is the first statewide listing of resources, programs, and services for entrepreneurs. It provides visitors with curated connections to Indiana’s robust network of support organizations, mentors, accelerators, capital opportunities, and more. So far, ConnectIND has curated over 62,000 sessions and site visitors, more than 1,900 registered users, and 113,000+ site views.

The state's entrepreneurial ecosystem significantly impacts the state's economy and its communities. Indiana's youngest companies (under five years of age) account for most of the state's net new job growth, creating more than 58,000 new jobs in 2022, which was 63% of the net new job growth. In 2021, Hoosier companies under five years of age contributed an estimated $11.5 billion to Indiana’s GDP. At the local level, one successful new company increases the median household income of surrounding households, driving community well-being.