JUNE 1-7, 2015
The pace of business has never been faster. A new product or service can lay waste to competitors in a matter of weeks or days. In this week’s special issue, IBJ embraces innovation. Mason King explains how local companies known for liquid thinking accelerate meaningful change. J.K. Wall digs into the days when Indianapolis was known as a hub for innovation, and shows how those early successes point the way forward. The issue also profiles little-known trailblazers at the forefront of their fields, and provides analysis from big thinkers like Scott Jones, Chris Baggott and Justin Christian. Click here to access the whole package online.
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Pace-setting firms share advice on diving into change, accelerating innovation
IBJ picked the brains of Indianapolis-area firms and organizations known for liquid thinking to discover how they open the spigot on innovation.
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Indy’s Golden Age in 1920s shows way forward
In the 1920s, Indianapolis was one of the most innovative cities in the nation. But after “the dark tragedy of the roaring twenties,” Indianapolis lost its edginess for decades and only recently has begun to regain it.
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Co-working perks include collaboration
I recently spent a few hours at the newest, oldest and biggest co-working spaces to see what all the hype is about.
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Can innovation be taught? Yep, say professors
What do the Indiana entrepreneurship programs—two of which are nationally known—have to show for their efforts?
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CHAMPION OF INNOVATION: Rose-Hulman sophomore leads design of Web-connected wheelchair
It’s never too late to reinvent yourself. Or in the case of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology mechanical engineering sophomore Tim Balz, too soon.
Read MoreCHAMPION OF INNOVATION: College-sports guru puts Final Four on map
Tom Jernstedt has his fingerprints on almost every aspect of the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments—not to mention the association’s move to Indianapolis.
Read MoreCHAMPION OF INNOVATION: Researcher churns out patents, producing millions in revenue
Dr. Keith March at the IU School of Medicine is almost like a medical superhero, churning out patents at warp speed.
Read MoreCHAMPION OF INNOVATION: Mom builds business around homemade tube-feeding food
Julie Bombacino developed a nutritional food blend for her disabled son that’s now turned into a full-fledged business producing packets for people who need feeding tubes to eat.
Read MoreCHAMPION OF INNOVATION: Consultant helps companies see green in ‘green’
Vasiliki ‘Vicki’ Keramida isn’t big on multitasking. A nationally recognized environmental engineering expert, she believes the only way to find innovative solutions to a Big Problem is to give it your undivided attention.
Read MoreCHAMPION OF INNOVATION: Engineer develops wallet-size plan to fix health care
In his engineering career, Robert Higgs has earned patents for the processes used to make everything from the heat shields on the Space Shuttle to the impact-resistant plastic covering car headlights to the Fig Newton.
Read MoreCHAMPION OF INNOVATION: Entrepreneur rolls with telecom changes
Albert Chen, founder and CEO of Telamon Corp., made lots of course corrections during his decades-spanning career.
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PELLEGRINO: Where do entrepreneurs go wrong when innovation is a core value?
The optimism bias creates a common expectation and perception of innovation value versus real value.
Read MoreBAGGOTT: Which innovation does agriculture need most?
The reality is that food and agriculture present us with a greater opportunity for entrepreneurship and wealth creation than the Internet did back in 2000.
Read MoreCHRISTIAN: How are innovative mind-sets created?
Countless examples of business successes are the by-product of mistakes, blunders and miscalculations.
Read MoreBRICKER: What separates actual innovators from those who just talk about it?
Innovation is about matching need with execution. It’s about changing the conversation and following through.
Read MoreLANGHAM: Will drones disrupt logistics?
With e-commerce growing at an exponential rate, and with economic factors such as truck driver shortages, it makes sense to look at how drones can be used as an asset in logistics and distribution.
Read MoreJONES: Is computer literacy required for innovation?
In driving today’s innovations, we sometimes take for granted that computers are woven into just about every aspect of our personal lives and businesses.
Read MoreFAKLARIS: Can virtual reality be a ‘killer app’ for journalists to tell great stories?
Recent experiments show VR can be an effective “you are there” storytelling technique for journalism.
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EDITORIAL: Innovation happens in diverse places
The city has a chance to once again become known for innovation. But only if it can avoid serious missteps like the one we saw earlier this year with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Read MoreMORRIS: Innovation in news media
The Washington Post is today’s biggest laboratory for how our business will operate in the future.
Read MoreKENNEDY: Change impatiently confronts government
Innovations typically introduce new ways of doing things we’re already doing—we Google that question rather than consult a reference book, or we socialize via Facebook rather than face-to-face.
Read MoreCOOK: Don’t hamstring development incentives
Is the Legislature doing enough to fund Skills Enhancement Fund and EDGE? The answer, in big bold letters, is no.
Read MoreSKARBECK: Robo-advisers might alter investment landscape
Startup firms like Betterment, Wealthfront, Hedgeable, TradeKing Core and Motif Horizon have been joined by industry giants Vanguard, Schwab and Fidelity in offering platforms that provide low-cost, algorithm-based portfolio management run on computers.
Read MoreBOHANON & STYRING: ‘Creative destruction’ blows a powerful gale
Innovation is capitalism. Only under capitalism does innovation flourish.
Read MorePence works hard to attract new jobs
Pence’s leadership and hands-on approach in securing jobs for Hoosiers hasn’t been limited to just domestic success.
Read MoreIn BriefBack to Top
Downtown building tenant adds beehives to rooftop
The roof of The Buick building at 13th and Meridian streets features two honey beehives, occupied by more than 20,000 bees apiece.
Read MoreLawsuit says Mourdock gave chief deputy 3-year contract
A lawsuit by former Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock's chief deputy challenging his firing claims the official gave him a three-year, $300,000 contract before he resigned from office last year.
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Baggott launches food-tech company ClusterTruck
Chris Baggott, one of ExactTarget’s three co-founders, said the main ingredients of the new startup are food trucks, delivery-only kitchens and Uber drivers. He predicts it will be a $1 billion company.
Read MoreStrapped for pilots, Republic asks partners to reduce flights
Republic CEO Bryan Bedford told investors that crew-related flight cancellations rose throughout the first quarter and continued at a high level in April and May. The labor shortage will reduce revenue by an estimated $15 million this year, the company said.
Read MoreIndiana securities commissioner abruptly resigns
Carol Mihalik, who took the position in November 2013, stepped down Friday without explanation, according to the office of Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson.
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