Sec. Chambers Announces First-Of-Its-Kind Entrepreneurship Portal Launch To Fuel Startup, Small Business Ecosystem

In line with Commerce Secretary’s 5E focus, state invites current, aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators to leverage new tool, ConnectIND, to power growth.

Today, Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers announced the launch of ConnectIND, a digital portal designed to increase support for entrepreneurs and founders and power Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The new tool, which was first announced during Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2022, is the first portal of its kind to provide comprehensive, statewide resources designed to connect current and aspiring entrepreneurs to the right resources at the right time.

“Hoosier entrepreneurs are drivers of Indiana’s economic growth, leaders of innovation, and builders of Indiana communities,” said Sec. Chambers. “An essential piece of our 5E strategy is entrepreneurship, and we’re committed to giving entrepreneurs the tools needed to succeed. ConnectIND is a result of Indiana’s focus on entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and it represents a critical step forward in fostering connectivity across the state.”

ConnectIND, built in partnership with Baltimore-based company EcoMap, is designed to support founders and small business owners throughout their entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to growth and maturation. The portal, which was developed and will be maintained by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), is the first of its kind statewide listing of resources, programs and services for entrepreneurs, providing visitors curated connections to Indiana’s robust network of support organizations, mentors, accelerators, capital opportunities, space, licensing and permitting, community connection and more. ConnectIND also offers a matching tool and dedicated, statewide team of ecosystem navigators through the Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to help entrepreneurs narrow in on the right tools for them.

“The state’s entrepreneurship portal is a great solution to address gaps in our startup and small business ecosystem, and it will create accessibility and connections to resources that we’ve yet to see in our community. I look forward to seeing how it will help our businesses thrive,” said Brigid Morrissey, co-founder of The Root, a coworking space in New Albany, Indiana.

Now live, the state is inviting entrepreneurs and ecosystem stakeholders to leverage and help further build out the platform.

Entrepreneur support organizations: Create and customize an organization profile to help entrepreneurs find you and access your resources. Get connected to other entrepreneurial ecosystem stakeholders and access a directory of entrepreneurs across Indiana to fuel your initiatives.

• Entrepreneurs: Connect with the portal’s ecosystem navigators – real people with unique, robust knowledge of Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem who can provide information and help you connect with resources. Or, use the portal’s matching tool to cut through the noise and get connected to the right resource for you at the right time.
• Aspiring entrepreneurs: Explore ConnectIND to learn more about Indiana’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and find the people, organizations and resources near you to inspire and help you on your journey.

Indiana is committed to investing in the growth and success of the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which continues to inspire entrepreneurs and fuel new innovations, create quality jobs for Hoosiers, and attract record levels of capital investment. Indiana recently ranked as the No. 1 State to Start a Business by Forbes and as a Global Top 40 Emerging Ecosystem by Startup Genome while six of the state’s cities were named among the 2022 Best Startup Cities in the Midwest with Indianapolis ranking No. 3. 

The state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has a significant impact on the state’s economy and its communities. Indiana’s youngest companies (under five years of age) account for the majority of net new job growth in the state, creating more than 36,000 new jobs in 2019 alone. 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 wellbeing.