Talent & Workforce

Since 1974, the Kelley School of Business on the IU Indianapolis campus has been shaping business in the city. With robust academic programs, translational research that addresses grand challenges, and growth-focused industry partnerships, Kelley Indianapolis is a vital driver in central Indiana’s talent and workforce development. That’s one reason we are Indianapolis’ business school—for 50 years and counting.

Re-envisioning business education to cultivate bold leaders

The Kelley School is renowned for its rigorous academic programs that blend theoretical knowledge with practical application and produce highly prepared talent that is essential to the state’s vitality. And in Indianapolis, we’re all in on our commitment to an applied business learning environment that takes advantage of the city’s growing tech, biosciences, advanced manufacturing, sports, and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

We foster entrepreneurial exploration and empower students to leverage new opportunities that can drive economic growth and job creation.

After winning a pitch competition at Elevate Ventures, 2022 finance graduate Anna Dorris worked with a venture capital firm to beta launch her new company, Everewear Inc., an AI-powered shopping platform that curates a selection of secondhand clothing based on each customer’s unique style, size, and budget. The 2024 TechPoint Rising Entrepreneur of the Year nominee went from zero to 100 customers in six months and has raised more than $80,000 in institutional investments.

Anna is among the 85% of Kelley Indianapolis graduates who build careers in Indiana.

Innovative research that drives meaningful change and opportunities

Kelley Indianapolis researchers are tackling big questions and uncovering new solutions that help make sense of today’s complex world.

Operations and supply chain professor Amrou Awaysheh, for example, studies how firms integrate and manage socially responsible practices in their operations and supply chains to enhance profitability and improve firm valuations. He’s led projects that have achieved tens of millions in cost savings and created thousands of job opportunities.

Faculty leaders in the school’s Center for Excellence in Manufacturing partner with advanced manufacturing and logistics companies and organizations across the state to generate new knowledge that increases competitiveness and productivity. That work includes understanding and creating pathways for the adoption of Industry 4.0 principles and practices.

Collaborations across industries for greater economic empowerment

One of the most significant ways Kelley Indianapolis contributes to the talent pipeline is through strong industry partnerships. Last fall, we announced the Business Plus Program, our latest initiative that strengthens the link between the school and industry, creates new student learning opportunities, and meets the region’s talent needs.

Business Plus includes a co-op option in which students alternate between semesters of academic coursework and full-time paid work at prominent Indianapolis companies, including Eli Lilly and Company, KSM, and Elanco. As students apply what they learn in real time, businesses benefit by engaging talent at an earlier stage in employee development.

The goal of Business Plus is to cultivate a diverse talent pipeline that provides an advanced applied business learning environment for students and offers Indiana companies a competitive source of highly skilled students with business and management capabilities. It demonstrates the school’s commitment to student success and collaborations that strengthen the vitality of the city and state.

Long before Business Plus, Kelley Indianapolis began partnering with global corporations and small businesses alike to give students a space to put their knowledge into practice.

For example, students in our top-ranked Evening MBA Program worked with a fitness and wellness center to scale its business revenue in preparation for an equity investment. Another student team recommended a menswear boutique consolidate its downtown and northside operations to better serve customers and retain employees. Both are among hundreds of strategic consulting projects that are removing barriers and fueling growth for minority- and women-owned small businesses. 

When you’ve done business in Indianapolis as long as we have, you create momentum that drives growth and provides access. And that translates to a skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of an evolving market. Kelley Indianapolis creates the leaders of tomorrow, today.