Lesley Weidenbener: ‘We’re a meritocracy’
It’s a common refrain about Indianapolis: You can come here from anywhere and become part of the fabric of the community.
Lesley Weidenbener
Articles
Former Phoenix Theatre space is now a warm, industrial condo
Dark steel beams, exposed ducting and stainless industrial-style appliances are warmed up by worn leather furniture and soft area rugs.
Lesley Weidenbener: Reporters, social media and maintaining trust
When you work in news—or at least in a newsroom—you give up the right to publicly express opinions about a lot of things.
Lesley Weidenbener: Indiana 250 nominations are already inspiring us
Nominations for IBJ Media’s inaugural Indiana 250—a list meant to showcase the most influential people in Indiana—have started rolling in, and it has been fascinating to learn more about the people making an impact throughout the state.
Lesley Weidenbener: Here’s one small idea for Circle Centre Mall
Let’s create a place where downtown visitors can get a sampling of what the city’s museums have to offer—and then, if those visitors are interested in seeing more at any one museum, we help them get there.
KAR shares rise 40% after Carmel firm says it will sell ADESA
The Carmel-based auction services company declined to say how many of its 1,000 employees in Indiana would be affected by the transaction. But it said the buyer—Carvana Co.—will not require any employees to relocate.
Carmel-based KAR Global agrees to sell ADESA auction unit to Carvana to focus on digital marketplace
About 4,500 employees of ADESA and KAR will be transferred to Carvana as part of the sale. That’s just under 50% of the company’s total head count. According to IBJ research, KAR has about 9,600 employees worldwide and 1,150 employees in Indiana.
Lesley Weidenbener: Looking back over IBJ’s 2021 coverage
More investigative and enterprise journalism is on the list of what we’d like to do more of this year, and we are strategizing ways to make that happen without sacrificing the daily news you expect from us.
Q&A with Vernon Williams about the OnyxFest for Black playwrights
Williams, who is also communication and engagement strategist at IUPUI, said the program—sponsored by the Africana Repertory Theatre of IUPUI—has helped develop playwrights in Indiana and new theater fans.
Lesley Weidenbener: New awards programs, new email for new year
Watch for a new weekly email newsletter called After Hours that will be packed with info about what to do when you’re not at work. The newsletter will be written by IBJ reporter Dave Lindquist, who has decades of experience writing about music and pop culture.
Lesley Weidenbener: Getting a better look at Cook’s Indy project
Cook made minority vendors a priority in part because the project is in the Devington neighborhood, where 86% of residents are people of color, mostly African American.
2021 Newsmaker: Alan Bacon, Mali Simone Jeffers, GangGang co-founders
Mali Simone Jeffers and Alan Bacon had the idea for cultural startup GangGang just more than a year ago, while sitting together one night on their couch: Why not incubate the creative economy and culture like you might a technology company or sector, while promoting equity along the way?
2021 Newsmaker: John Kite, Kite Realty Group Trust CEO and chairman
Indianapolis-based Kite Realty Group Trust announced in July that it would merge with Oak Brook, Illinois-based Retail Properties of America Inc. in an all-stock deal worth $2.8 billion.
2021 Newsmaker: Eric Tobias, Scott Dorsey, Mike Fitzgerald, Kristian Andersen; High Alpha partners
The pandemic has not slowed Indianapolis-based venture studio High Alpha—and in fact, the move to remote work and increasing dependence on technology has probably sped up its activity.
2021 Newsmaker: Pamela Whitten, Indiana University president
The IU board of trustees announced in April that Whitten—then the president of Kennesaw State University in Georgia—would take over as president on July 1.
2021 Newsmaker of the Year: Ryan Vaughn, Indiana Sports Corp. president
The Indiana Sports Corp. hosted the entire NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which is why IBJ has named its president the top newsmaker of 2021—although we know he would want to share the credit with others.
Q&A with Homer Somerville, a construction veteran
His company is one of about two dozen minority-owned or disadvantaged subcontractors who are working on a $15 million manufacturing facility that will produce medical devices for Bloomington-based Cook Medical.
Q&A with David Bodenhamer, executive director of Polis Center
Some 32 years ago, when IUPUI recruited David Bodenhamer, it was at least in large part to build an Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, a project that was part of the school’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Lesley Weidenbener: The dread that comes with a COVID surge
Omicron’s ability to spread quickly and to more people is a scary proposition considering how crowded hospitals already are.
Lesley Weidenbener: Let’s find big ideas to rejuvenate downtown Indy
We’d like to hear about your proposals. Watch for information soon about how you can submit your big ideas for downtown—and in the meantime, get creative!