Fast 25
On May 14 we unveiled our exclusive ranking of fastest-growing privately held companies. Companies are ranked based on their revenue growth over a two-year period. We also recognized Justin Christian, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of BCfoward, as the inagural winner of the Mickey Maurer Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Honoree
IBJ's Mickey Maurer Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Justin Christian
Bio
Justin Christian founded BCforward in 1998 after graduating from DePauw University with a BA in Computer Science.
Justin leads the overall BCforward corporate strategy and develops executive-level relationships with its customers and corporate partners. He serves as a member on the boards of the Lumina Foundation, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, AAA Hoosier Motor Club, and The DePauw University Board of Trustees, among others. Justin is also a member of the Business Equity for Indianapolis Taskforce. In 2020, Ernst & Young (EY) named Justin a National Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner.
He and his wife live in Zionsville, Indiana, with their four daughters.
Speakers
Fireside Chat
Justin Christian
Fireside Chat
Nate Feltman
Fireside Chat
Mickey Maurer
IBJ’s Mickey Maurer Entrepreneurship Award
IBJ’s Mickey Maurer Entrepreneurship Award will annually honor an individual who embodies the American spirit of entrepreneurism by establishing and nurturing a successful business venture or ventures that contribute to the central Indiana community. In choosing an honoree, IBJ will consider the size and importance of the company or companies, the founder’s impact on developing or encouraging other entrepreneurs, and the honoree’s involvement in the community.
The award is named for Mickey Maurer, who has launched, owned and invested in several important companies in Indiana involved in cable television, film production, radio broadcasting, newspaper publishing real estate and banking. Maurer and partner Bob Schloss acquired IBJ Media in 1990 and owned it in whole and later in part until March 2024, when Nate Feltman took full ownership of the company. In 1993, Maurer and his cousin, Morrie Maurer, co-founded The National Bank of Indianapolis, where Mickey remains a board member. Maurer, an attorney, also served as Indiana secretary of commerce in the administration of Gov. Mitch Daniels and founded a not-for-profit corporate retreat called Mickey’s Camp.