News

June 14, 2013 - Elevate Ventures is looking for 25 local companies to participate in its Economic Gardening Program. The program is designed to give existing companies tools and knowledge that can help encourage growth. The program is administered by a team of specialists from the Edward Lowe Foundation and is free to participating companies.

June 4, 2013 - A new state program aims to bolster promising businesses owned by women, minorities and veterans in need of investment. The Indiana Diversity Investment Fund, launched Tuesday, will provide capital to the businesses as well as link them with private investors, according to Elevate Ventures, a nonprofit organization that administers venture capital funds for the state of Indiana. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. is also coordinating the fund.

June 4, 2013 - The Indiana Economic Development Corp. is launching a $1 million investment fund targeting businesses owned by women, minorities or veterans that have high growth potential. The IEDC is partnering with the private investment manager Elevate Ventures on the Indiana Diversity Investment Fund. The fund will be a subprogram of the Indiana Angel Network, a seed and early-stage program that’s part of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative.

June 3, 2013 - SOUTH BEND -- The organization that manages Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund has a new pot of money available for budding companies, and it also has a new entrepreneur-in-residence working in the north-central part of the state.

May 27, 2013 - Elevate Ventures plans to award up to $100,000 in northeast and north central Indiana to high potential startup companies this year. Ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, the High Potential Start-up Grants are designed to help “imagining” or “early incubating phase” companies.

May 16, 2013 - Elevate Ventures has added Kelly Schwedland as an entrepreneur-in-residence for its Northwest and North Central Indiana regions. As an entrepreneur-in-residence for the nonprofit statewide venture development organization, Schwedland will work alongside Elevate Ventures’ clients, advising emerging and existing high-potential businesses, and strengthening their operations.

May 14, 2013 - "Indianapolis-based RepuCare Inc. Chief Executive Officer Billie Dragoo will take the reins of the National Association of Women Business Owners at an event this month in California. Governor Mike Pence says Dragoo will "shine a spotlight" on Indiana in the national role."

May 14, 2013 - (Indianapolis, Ind.) - "Here’s what you need to know. The Innovation Showcase is July 11th, 2013. Applications are open now for companies who want to exhibit and pitch. The top presenting companies are competing for over 60K in cash and prizes. It’s free (but competitive) to exhibit and pitch."

February 24, 2013 - "It’s one thing to build a chassis. But it’s quite another to build a chassis manufacturing company. Entrepreneur wannabe Robert Frost knew how to do the former, but he wanted to do the latter. So Frost turned to business experts, including Elevate Ventures Inc., for advice. The result, Kendallville-based Wolfpack Chassis LLC, is launching a production line to manufacture chassis, the supporting frames for recreational vehicles and manufactured homes. Frost, Wolfpack’s president and CEO, said the company might never have gotten off the ground without guidance – and greenbacks – from Elevate Ventures, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit."

January 31, 2013 - "A Noble County company has received $755,000 in seed funding from Elevate Ventures and private investors. Officials with Wolfpack Chassis are using the funding to secure a building and plan to hire about 20 workers for two initial assembly lines. Chief Executive Officer Robert Frost hopes the operation can start producing prototypes within the next week."

November 26, 2012 - "An initiative to support Indiana-based companies with high potential is aiming to expand an effort now underway in northern Indiana. Elevate Ventures Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hourigan says the organization intends to have a quick start strategy in southwest Indiana funded by the end of the year. That is in advance of implementing a Regional Entrepreneurship Action Plan."

October 25, 2012 - "On Thursday, NIPSCO contributed $175,000 to the Elevate Ventures movement to advance Northern Indiana’s entrepreneurial movement during a luncheon at Blue Chip Casino."

March 1, 2012 - "[Elevate's] resources could mean connecting a business with investors or expertise and advice from a seasoned professional, such as one of Elevate’s entrepreneurs-in-residence. Charlie McGill, executive director of the Entech Innovation Center in Valparaiso, serves as one of Elevate’s EIRs in Northwest Indiana."

March 1, 2012 - "Since the inception of the REAP in 2010-2011, Elevate Ventures has been doing amazing things for Northern Indiana. They created QuickStart...They initiated the formation of the Northeast Regional Advisory Board...They launched EIR Assistance and Economic Gardening Programs...As a result in this growth, Northeast Indiana is working on funding its first two companies within the next quarter!"

January 5, 2012 - "Elevate Ventures, a statewide business development and investment group, will provide entrepreneurial assistance to Entech Innovation Center in Valparaiso. Charlie McGill, who has been Entech’s executive director, will become a part of Elevate Ventures at the Entech Center."

January 23-29, 2012 - "Republican State Sen. Brent Waltz has filed a bill that would require the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and businesses seeking awards from the 21st Century fund to match the state’s money with outside capital at a four-to-one ratio. "

February 23, 2012 - "Elevate Ventures is an initiative within the Indiana Economic Development Corp. designed to assist entrepreneurs with research, marketing and funding for new business creation and growth. "

February 28, 2012 - "Touché Lighting Controls received assistance from the alliance and Elevate Ventures, a statewide organization that provides services to startups and emerging companies. “Touché Controls has been working with Elevate Ventures through its economic gardening program to allow the company to continue expanding its presence in the marketplace,” Robert Clark, the entrepreneur-in-residence for Elevate Ventures' northeast region, said in the statement. “Additionally, we hope that our experienced staff will help Touché complete a national marketing strategy."

February 28, 2012 - "...Elevate Ventures, which operates one of its three regional branches in the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center. Elevate Ventures nurtures and develops emerging and existing high-potential businesses into high-performing, Indiana-based companies."

February 29, 2012 - "...Elevate Ventures, an Indiana economic development company, has signed on as a gold sponsor. "Elevate Ventures supports start-ups," he said. "Resources include seed and early-stage capital, experienced advisers and a network of community-based angel funds supported by the federal and state resources.""

February 29, 2012 - "...Elevate Ventures, a non-profit organization that operates one of its three regional branches in the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center on Stellhorn Road, is helping ESI with funding sources and with a national marketing strategy."

February 29, 2012 - "...Elevate Ventures, an incredible team of experts, entrepreneurs in residence and venture partners whose sole mission is to connect investors with innovators, and nurture that relationship from R&D to ROI. Elevate also works with the Indiana Small Business Development Center in assisting entrepreneurs through a corporative partnership. Essentially they fill in the information gap between people with the means to invest in something solid, and the people with solid ideas that need investors to begin their journey."

March 1, 2012 - "Elevate Ventures detailed its efforts to connect promising entrepreneurs with the resources to succeed at a Thursday reception in Merrillville. Resources could mean connecting a business with investors or expertise and advice from a seasoned professional, such as one of Elevate’s entrepreneurs-in-residence."

March 2, 2012 - "A program to spark entrepreneurial growth in northern Indiana launched this week. The initiative is being led by Indianapolis-based Elevate Ventures, which provides business development, investment and advisory services to start-up and emerging companies. The new initiative is based on the Regional Entrepreneurship Action Plan, which Elevate Ventures formed to facilitate the development of high-growth firms."

March 3, 2012 - "Elevate Ventures could draw an additional $30 million in matching federal and private funding to support entrepreneurs statewide, Indiana Economic Development Corp. officials say. The new entrepreneurship initiative, which broadly will go by the name Invest Indiana, also would match promising firms with experienced entrepreneurs and investors to provide needed advice to grow their firms."

March 11, 2012 - "Elevate Ventures, the entrepreneurial organization based in Indianapolis that has the responsibility to carry out this plan. It sets itself apart from other venture capital organizations by placing seasoned professionals such as Charlie in strategic regions across the state. Charlie and other entrepreneurs in residence can be an invaluable resource to start-ups and already successful companies that have commercialized their products and services."

March 31, 2012 - "A Merrillville resident who invented a safe way to wash jewelry in the dishwasher captured first place in The Big Sell Entrepreneurs in Action competition Saturday at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza. Judges for the competition included Donald Babcock, director of economic development for NIPSCO; Charlie McGill, entrepreneur-in-residence for Elevate Ventures' northwest region."

April 3, 2012 - "The event, hosted by Innovation Park at Notre Dame and sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to entrepreneurship, brings creative thinkers together to conceptualize and launch companies during Startup Weekends around the world, co-organizer Melissa Parker said. Tim Braun, an entrepreneur-in-residence at Elevate Ventures, Dave Brenner, president and CEO of Innovation Park, and Mike Vogel, entrepreneur-in-residence at the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, will serve as judges for the event."

April 14, 2012 - "The Corporate Partnership for Economic Growth (CPEG), a collaboration of more than a dozen leading institutions, has organized to establish a unified regional presence to encourage entrepreneurship and attract business and talent to the area. Agencies involved include the Economic Development Corp. of Elkhart County, Elevate Ventures, Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., the Marshall County Economic Development Corp., North Central Indiana Small Business Development Center, and Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County."

February 28, 2012 - "Elevate Ventures represents an opportunity for Northern Indiana to enhance its entrepreneurial ecosystem and for our community to demonstrate a commitment to local entrepreneurs whose companies have high growth potential” says Shawn Peterson, President and CEO of CPEG"

April 20, 2012 - "A new initiative to finance business startup and growth in north-central Indiana is raising $1 million to leverage $5 million of private and state money for development in the region. Elevate Ventures, an agency hired last year to manage Indiana's 21st Century Fund, is leading the effort. The fund in the past two years has shifted from making grants to funding investments."

April 21, 2012 - "OrthoWorx, a community-based initiative located in Warsaw, has provided matching funds of $12,500 to enable Kosciusko County to participate in the first phase of the Regional Entrepreneurship Action Plan. 'We applaud Elevate Ventures’ efforts to bring a broader array of educational programs and other resources to the table for entrepreneurs both in Kosciusko County and throughout the region,' said David Floyd, OrthoWorx chief executive officer. “We are pleased to partner with the Corporate Partnership for Economic Growth and the other committed donors in Kosciusko County to capture this regional opportunity."