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Graduating from high school and starting college.
When you graduated from high school, what did you think you wanted to be as an adult?
I initially wanted to go to law school but ran short on money so decided to start working after I got my bachelor’s degree.
Was there an event in the last 20 years that had a great impact on your aspirations and/or career path?
Within my first 18 months of working for a large corporation, I was fortunate enough to receive a management opportunity. The experience of impacting an organization, and, more importantly, coaching and mentoring a team, was motivating. I am fortunate that I had great mentors and was given an opportunity to manage a team that was open to my 24-year-old passion.
Where/what do you want to be 20 years from now?
To own a company that runs itself and, on the personal side, get my law degree.
Owner, CSCI Consulting Inc.
Age: 38
Some people build a business from the ground up. In 2002, Michele Meyer started her information technology company, CSCI Consulting, in the basement of her Fishers home. Today, CSCI employs about 100 people, who provide custom software for federal and state agencies.
The “office” has moved to East 56th Street near CSCI’s biggest client, the U.S. Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
“I always had the intent of owning a company,” said Meyer. “I saw the opportunity and went for it.”
CSCI is recognized for its robust growth. It was No. 1 on IBJ’s list of fastest-growing local private companies in 2010, with revenue of $12.43 million.
“We definitely want to get bigger,” said Meyer, noting that CSCI opened an office in Ohio in December and placed its first people in Washington, D.C., earlier last year.
A military brat who grew up in Berlin, Germany, Meyer and her family moved to Georgia when she was ready for high school. She stayed for college, majoring in history and political science at Georgia Southern University.
Meyer and her husband, Roger, who also is part of the CSCI corporate team, have five girls and one boy, ages 10 to 21.
“We got really lucky because my youngest was born when my husband’s oldest was 8; they’ve always been really close,” she said.
Although she says she’s not a morning person, she works out at 5:30 a.m. at Indy Adventure Boot Camp.
She is active in the Indianapolis and Fishers chambers of commerce, and the United Way of Central Indiana.
“Part of what I love about the United Way is that it gives great team-building opportunities” for companies, she said. She is a new member of the United Way Tocqueville Society.
She also volunteers with Girls Inc., and provides sponsorship for Lawrence Young Life, a multicultural program. She also participated in a plane-pull fundraiser for Special Olympics.•
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