HUNCKLER: Old-style bootstrapping is alive and well in tech
Indianapolis-area entrepreneurs are finding ways to fund their companies.
Entrepreneurship
Articles
Town, gown and techies team up in Bloomington
Technology Partnership aims to boost sector, recruit employers and talent.
Young Indy-area tech entrepreneurs enjoy deep support
MyJibe co-founder Mike Langellier is among a new generation of tech entrepreneurs in the Indianapolis area that benefits from a host of support their predecessors never enjoyed.
Ex-grocery exec Danny O’Malia providing service advice to sports franchises
Danny O’Malia, longtime leader of his family’s Indianapolis-based grocery store business, now offers his customer-service-driven advice through his own consulting firm.
Startups launch apps to facilitate good deeds
Two startup firms, Cause.It LLC and Trensy LLC, have created tools that link charitable behavior and consumption. Like the hit app Foursquare, the newcomers encourage users to “check in” when they show up at events or complete activities so they can earn rewards offered by local businesses.
Entrepreneurs see early success with new liqueur
Blue MF is a vodka-and-rum-based liqueur concocted by three Indiana University fraternity brothers turned entrepreneurs. Their firm, Indianapolis-based More Fun Liqueur, launched its signature drink in October and now is seeking investors to help fund expansion.
Arts groups run by founders lay groundwork for next generation
Succession planning is critical for any organization but even more so when the person making the hand-off is the creator and driving force, and several local arts groups are still led by their founders.
Forget the glass ceiling … how about the ‘pink ghetto’?
What do you make of the criticism that there’s a "pink ghetto" of women-owned firms somehow less worthy than the myriad male-led tech startups that garner so much attention and praise?
Serial entrepreneur builds more than business
Westfield resident Jenn Kampmeier is a CEO—that’s “chief everything officer” in the get-it-done world of startups—who prefers an even-loftier title: Mom.
Marketer applies engineering skills to lead creative firm
Kathy Cabello left a lucrative IT career to start Cabello Associates Inc., a marketing consultancy celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Startup coaches clients on dating
Miss Pivot is a social-skills training company that offers one-on-one coaching from professional “wing” women, group classes on topics like starting conversations, and now a mobile app that promises users the knowledge they need to “Fire Cupid.”
DeveloperTown sees sale of first company it helped fund, coach
Daily Lunch Deal sold last month after just a year in business, marking a milestone for its venture-firm mentor.
Techies aim to make money from memories
Two DePauw University graduates are launching a website they hope will preserve the world’s memories, through a virtual bank of shared experiences.
Travel club startup patterned after Ambassadair trying to raise $5 million
A former employee of Ambassadair travel club is trying to raise $5.3 million to finance the first six months of a business created in its image.
Small businesses angle for piece of the big game
More than 400 companies statewide qualified for this year’s NFL Emerging Business program, an initiative that aims to open doors for minority- and women-owned enterprises seeking a sliver of Super Bowl spending.
Entrepreneurs take risks without betting the farm
Some small-business owners are taking divergent paths to build revenue during difficult economic times. Some are adding products and services, while others are focusing on core competencies. What’s your take on the different strategies?
Extras help small firms boost business
Small businesses like KnowSweat Workouts increasingly are adding products and services to keep revenue flowing during tight economic times.
New venue will give startup crowd a place to socialize, share ideas
A group of angel investors, entrepreneurs and high-tech aficionados on Jan. 18 will launch the Speak Easy, a 5,750-square-foot space on the southern edge of Broad Ripple that will serve as a gathering place for those active in the startup community.
Entrepreneurs aim to deliver custom beverages
Mad scientists, rejoice: An Indianapolis startup is rolling out a make-your-own-soft-drink campaign its founders hope will become the YouTube of the beverage industry. They left Thursday night on a 6,000-mile promotional tour.
Pair hopes to find niche in commercial real estate
First project for startup Loftus Robinson Development is a small conversion in Broad Ripple.