Posts in category: Member News

Eligible small businesses may apply for up to $15,000 to support app or technology development, business management systems, grant writing services and more

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 18, 2022) – The Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) today announced applications are open for the Indiana Technical Assistance Program (INTAP) through Feb. 20, 2022. This statewide initiative connects small businesses with critical professional assistance to complete growth and improvement projects.  
 
“INTAP helps small businesses grow and thrive by helping them complete critical growth projects they might not otherwise be able to pursue,” said Indiana SBDC State Director and Vice President of Small Business David Watkins. “Small businesses can utilize this program for a variety of professional assistance, everything from product prototyping to inventory control systems. I strongly encourage small business owners to learn more about this program and see how it could help take their business to the next level.” 
 
Through INTAP, eligible small businesses may apply to receive up to $15,000 in professional services from a qualified vendor to complete growth and improvement projects that require specialized assistance or technical expertise such as app or technology development, intellectual property legal assistance and grant writing assistance for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs. The program is administered in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington’s Cook Center for Entrepreneurship, which houses the South Central Indiana SBDC regional office. 
 
INTAP has assisted 128 businesses with completing projects since the program was launched in 2017, 68 of which were completed in 2021. To be eligible for INTAP, Indiana small businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Be or become an Indiana SBDC client,
• Have a physical presence in Indiana,
• Use a vendor physically located in Indiana,
• Be able to complete the project within five months and before Dec. 31, 2022,
• Be an eligible project type, and
• Be able to demonstrate a positive impact after completion, including but not limited to new job creation, increased production or sales, or new market expansion.

Indiana companies are encouraged to learn more about eligibility requirements and submit applications online. 
 
Success Story: Lafayette-based startup Sunny (rebranded from Menstrual Mates) partners with developer to design data-informed self-care product
Hoosier Heartland Indiana SBDC client Sunny, a socially conscious self-care startup, delivers eco-friendly products, honest education and global giveback. The company utilized INTAP in 2021, working with Indianapolis-based product development firm Glassboard to finalize the design of its menstrual cup expected to launch by the end of 2022. Sunny also received investment from Elevate Ventures, Indiana’s venture development partner. 
 
The Indiana SBDC, which is a program of the IEDC, helps businesses start, grow, finance, innovate, and transition through no-cost, confidential business advising and training. For more information on resources and programs for small businesses, visit isbdc.org. To become a client of the Indiana SBDC, contact the regional office nearest you.

About Indiana SBDC
The Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) is a program of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts. The Indiana SBDC helps entrepreneurs and small businesses start, grow, finance, innovate, and transition through no-cost, confidential business advising and training. With a network of 10 regional offices through the state, the Indiana SBDC creates a positive and measurable impact on the formation, growth and sustainability of Indiana’s small businesses. 
  
The Indiana SBDC is funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. For more information about the Indiana SBDC, visit isbdc.org.   

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Media Contact: 
Melissa Thomas (IEDC) – 317.750.4792 or mthomas@iedc.in.gov

The company is finding success in an overlooked sector of industry

MEDIA CONTACT: alex.reed@vsimple.com

NEW ALBANY, IN — Jan 4, 2022 — Workflow efficiency software provider Vsimple announced today it has closed a fundraising round led by Airwing Ventures. Its eponymous platform was built to prepare distributors, dealers and manufacturers—industry segments often ignored by technology companies—for the future of work.

Focusing on the underserved market was a conscious decision, says Vsimple Co-Founder and CEO Buddy Bockweg. “Our team has collectively spent decades in the industry, so we feel uniquely positioned to help our customers in a meaningful way.”

With the additional funding, Bockweg and team will continue developing new features for its platform as well as increase its efforts to connect with industry professionals. “We were impressed with Vsimple’s workflow platform and the demonstrable ROI customers are reporting; there is real product market fit,” said Dan Beldy, Partner at Airwing Ventures. “Partnering with organizations to understand their specific industry needs and delivering a solutions-oriented service is the hallmark of all successful SaaS companies.” Airwing was joined in the fundraising round by Render Capital, Elevate Ventures and several others.

Vsimple’s software pulls all of the workflow that happens in an organization—order and quote management, documentation, stage gate approvals, communication and collaboration, data reviews—into one digital place. Bockweg claims the solution isn’t a replacement for Enterprise Resource Planner (ERP) or Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) platforms, but a revolution of the way work traditionally gets done. “Bouncing between emails, spreadsheets, phone calls and shared drives is normal in a lot of environments,” Bockweg notes. “This can really inhibit high growth companies, especially if they aren’t able or willing to hire more and more people to manage the chaos.”

On top of streamlined communication, document storage and project management, the platform delivers insights and data which can be hard to extract from emails, spreadsheets and shared drives. Beyond the core tenants of the platform, Bockweg says the secret to their success so far has been their hands-on style of engagement. “We sit with teams and help map their processes and procedures—current and ideal—before we ever get into implementation,” he explains. “We then spend time onsite during and after implementation, putting a heavy emphasis on training and support. It’s all about delivering results for our customers.”

The results being reported by customers have been staggering. ProLift Toyota Material Handling, an eight-location forklift dealer with hundreds of employees, has been using the platform for several months and has increased its total number of users by more than 10x since initial implementation. Customers have also reported organization-wide email traffic reduction of more than 55%, 2x faster order processing time and overall operational efficiency gains of more than 30%. “Vsimple is quickly staking their claim as a leading software solution for manufacturers and distributors with their easy-to-use platform and process,” said Patrick Henshaw, Managing Director of Render Capital. “We’re delighted to play a role in the growth of such an innovative local startup and we believe the future is bright for Vsimple’s team, product, and customers.”

With early traction and an infusion of capital, the company expects to post triple digit growth over the next 12 months with a combination of existing customer growth and new client onboarding. “We’re encouraged by what we’ve seen this year, but nowhere near a point of satisfaction,” Bockweg says. “Our mission is to build something of tremendous value for our customers and our community.”

About Vsimple

We’re quick to acknowledge Vsimple is not a typical software company. And we fully embrace that. Most of our team’s prior experience comes from within the industries we now serve:  companies that move and make things. Building software is only part of the equation. The most important part is the willingness to go deep with customers. Understand who they are, what they worry about, and how we can help them, not just sell to them. And that’s what we’re about—people helping people. At Vsimple, it’s our mission to deliver the future of work, today.

Sellersburg, Ind. – Dec. 3, 2021
Clark County REMC’s board of directors named Jason Clemmons chief executive officer of the not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative. Clemmons, whose first day is Jan. 3, will replace retiring CEO David Vince.

“I am excited to be a part of Clark County REMC and serve their membership in this capacity,” said Clemmons. “Clark County REMC has a longstanding commitment of service to its communities, and I look forward to continuing this commitment in the future.”

Clemmons has 17 years of electric cooperative industry experience, most recently as vice president of marketing and member services at RushShelby Energy in Manilla, Ind. He joined that East Central Indiana electric cooperative in 2004 as its marketing, member service, and energy efficiency manager.

He is a graduate of Ball State University and earned a Management Internship Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Clemmons also completed the Rural Electric Leaders in Training Exchange program and is a recipient of the C. Tom Taylor Member Services Award, an award that recognizes outstanding contributions to electric cooperative member services.

Clark County REMC, located in Sellersburg, Ind., is an electric utility cooperative serving over 22,000 consumers in parts of Clark, Floyd, Scott, Jefferson and Washington counties. The electric cooperative maintains over 1,800 miles of energized line. For more information about the cooperative, visit clarkremc.coop.

Awarding $315,000 to benefit nonprofit organizations in Jefferson County, KY

Louisville — On November 3, 2021, the Louisville chapter of Impact100 will host its Annual Awards Event virtually and will grant three (3) nonprofit organizations $105,000 each.

The Louisville chapter of Impact100, founded by mother and daughter duo, Dani Kannapell and Carey Goldstein, came to fruition in the Fall of 2019, with the mission of creating A Community of Women Transforming Lives Through Collective Giving. The model is simple – 100 women (more or less), donate $1,000 to create a $100,000 impact grant for their community. “When you give a $1,000 you HOPE it makes an impact, however, when you give a $1,000 through Impact100 Louisville you KNOW it will make a direct impact to our community,” said Deon Stokes, Communication Chair. Carey Goldstein, Co-President states “the ability to see 100% of your donation at work in your community is what makes Impact100’s mission so unique.”

Impact100 Louisville is just one of the 60 chapters of Impact100. This year Impact100 celebrates 20 years of local impact, having given away over $100 million collectively. What started out as one woman’s vision to empower women through philanthropy has evolved into a global movement that is transforming lives and communities. “Today, so much of what we read, see, and hear is distressing, but Impact100 is a place of hope and possibility,” Wendy Steele, Founder of Impact100 said. “My hope is to celebrate and encourage these tremendous women to keep making a difference in their own backyards.”

This year 315 women gave $1,000, to create a $315,000 grant to benefit
nonprofit organizations in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

Impact100 awards from the following five (5) Focus Areas: Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Recreation, or Preservation, Family, and Health & Wellness. The top five nonprofits from each focus area selected for voting are:

Muhammad Ali Center⁠
Arts and Culture – Expansion of the Ali Stingrays Swimmer Scholar Program, which is an innovative after-school swimmer scholar program for underserved students of color residing primarily in Louisville’s West End.
The DeCode Project
Education – Start-up funding for the King Elementary Literacy Program, where a majority of students are not reading at grade level, to work towards eliminating educational inequities.
Parks Alliance of Louisville
Environment, Recreation, or Preservation – The Maple Street Park Nature Playground and Outdoor Classroom, which will transform 20 acres of vacant land in the West End into a world-class community greenspace, to address racial, health, and economic equity.
LaCasita Center⁠
Family – Expansion of hospitality services to enlarge their on-site kitchen and food pantry facilities to fight food insecurity and hunger in our Latinx community.
Have a Heart Clinic⁠
Health and Wellness – Expansion of free cardiovascular services, including access to care, psychotherapy, and screening to uninsured and indigent patients in downtown Louisville.

Impact100 Louisville will announce this year’s grant winners at its Annual Awards Event on November 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. et hosted by its Big Impact sponsors GE, Norton Hospital, and Republic Bank. The virtual event will also celebrate Impact100 Global and will detail the impact that the organization has made in its first 20 years. The event will also highlight the more than $500,000 that the Louisville chapter has donated to the local nonprofit community in just two years.

Please consider covering or attending this inspiring event – in whole or in part. For more information and for event link please contact info@impact100louisville.org or visit www.impact100louisville.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Denzinger Family Dentistry and Joyous Noise Ministry PRESENT ROCK ON WATER FESTIVAL, AT JEFFERSONVILLE RIVERSTAGE SEPT 11, 4:00 P.M. – A FREE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT! This is the ninth year for this FREE, annual event! This is the largest FREE Christian Music Festival in the Region.

Rock On Water Festival is a non-profit, non-denominational music ministry based in Jeffersonville, Indiana. We invite the community, church groups, families and anyone else to experience ROCK ON WATER, a FREE, family-friendly evening of live entertainment on Saturday evening, September 11th, featuring Building 429, Chaotic Resemblance, Matt Moore, The Scally Brothers, and Garrett Dearing. Bring your whole family to the RiverStage in Jeffersonville, Indiana. This family-friendly, church-friendly, FREE event is sponsored by Jeffersonville Parks Department, Childplace, and Denzinger Family Dentistry.

The CONCERT will START at 4:00pm and early arrival is strongly recommended so you can get a seat on the lawn. Lawn Chairs and Coolers permitted. Food available for purchase on site. No Pets Please

The Jeffersonville RiverStage is located at West Riverside Drive between Pearl and Spring Streets in downtown Jeffersonville, Indiana. More information is available at www.rockonwaterfestival.com

For information regarding Rock on Water, please contact info@rockonwaterfestival.com or see the website www.rockonwaterfestival.com. You can also call 502-802-1648.

SERVPRO disaster mitigation specialists in the New Albany-area urge residents to create a disaster management and recovery plan before the unexpected happens

New Albany, IN (Grassroots Newswire) August 20, 2021 – September is National Preparedness Month, part of the ongoing “Ready”¹ initiative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). According to FEMA’s “Are You Ready”² guide, the first step in effective disaster preparedness is to understand your specific risks – first by identifying the hazards that could possibly affect you and then by evaluating your actual vulnerability to those sources of danger.

“Once you understand your risks, you can effectively plan to mitigate them by decreasing your vulnerability and then manage their consequences quickly and effectively if the worst does happen,” say the disaster mitigation specialists with SERVPRO® in the New Albany area. “Of course, individual home or business owners’ risks vary depending on their location, but regardless of where you live or work, FEMA’s guide has some basic steps that everyone can take to prepare for the unexpected.”

1. Create a family communication and shelter plan.
2. Sign up for emergency alerts, including FEMA alerts³.
3. Build your savings if possible and keep a small emergency fund of cash on-hand at home.
4. Create an Emergency Financial First Aid Kit⁴: Gather and safeguard critical documents like deeds, medical information, insurance policies, and a list of your household belongings.
5. Create an emergency kit⁵ with basic tools and enough food and water to last 72 hours and keep the contents fresh and up to date.

In addition to the planning tools and checklists provided by FEMA, businesses like SERVPRO that specialize in disaster mitigation and restoration offer free tools that make disaster recovery easier. The free SERVPRO READY app⁶ allows home and business owners to store essential contact and property information electronically where it can be accessed in seconds with a mobile device. New Albany-area business owners who designate their local SERVPRO franchise as their disaster mitigation and restoration provider benefit from a no-cost assessment of their facility along with help completing a comprehensive Emergency READY Profile® (ERP) to be stored in the READY app.

“The uncomfortable truth is that no amount of preparedness will prevent disasters from striking, but preparedness can help disaster victims survive and then recover,” says Rick Isaacson, CEO of Servpro Industries, LLC. “When disaster strikes, sometimes it’s difficult to even know where to start picking up the pieces. Having critical documents and details at your fingertips helps, but so does having access to professionals who know how to help you return to normal, ‘Like it never even happened.’ The disaster remediation specialists at SERVPRO know what to do when you don’t know which way to turn. They are there to help when you need them.”

For more information on SERVPRO® and the SERVPRO Emergency READY Program, please visit https://ready.servpro.com. For more information on SERVPRO in the New Albany area, please contact one of the local business owners below.

* For SERVPRO®, of Clark County, please contact Jason Wilson who can be reached at (812) 949-2201 or jasonwilson.servpro@gmail.com.
* For SERVPRO®, of Floyd County, please contact Jason Wilson who can be reached at (812) 949-2294 or jasonwilson.servpro@gmail.com.
* For SERVPRO®, of Harrison, Perry, Crawford, Orange, Washington, Scott, please contact Jason Wilson who can be reached at 812-952-3444 or jasonwilson.servpro@gmail.com.

¹ https://www.ready.gov/calendar
² https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/are-you-ready-guide.pdf
³ https://www.fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-app-text-messages
⁴ https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/ready_emergency-financial-first-aid-toolkit.pdf
⁵ https://www.ready.gov/kit
⁶ https://ready.servpro.com/home/mobileapp

About SERVPRO
For more than 50 years, SERVPRO has been a trusted leader in fire and water cleanup and restoration services, mold mitigation, and biohazard and pathogen remediation. SERVPRO’s professional services network of more than 1,900 individually owned and operated franchises spans the United States and Canada, responding to property damage emergencies large and small – from million-square-foot commercial facilities to individual homes. When disaster strikes, homeowners, business owners, and major insurance companies alike rely on SERVPRO to make it “Like it never even happened.”

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The Zotec Foundation, the corporate foundation and philanthropic arm of Zotec Partners, grant will provide students with access to school-based therapy during a challenging year.

For immediate release (08/12/2021)
Misty Ronau
Youth Link Southern Indiana
Development and Communications Manager
(502) 387-6617
mronau@cisclark.org

Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Zotec Foundation, the corporate foundation and philanthropic arm of Zotec Partners, Youth Link Southern Indiana (formerly Communities In Schools of Clark County) will continue their partnership with Centerstone to provide school-based mental health therapy to students in Clark County.

Youth Link Southern Indiana Executive Director, Tabitha Underwood said “school-based therapies are the services provided by our organization that are rated most in demand among school administrators. Partnering with clinicians to provide school-based therapy eliminates barriers for families needing to access services, including the inability to pay, lack of available clinicians in the community, or missing time from school to attend treatment.”

Youth Link Southern Indiana is excited for the 2021-22 academic year and the return to the consistent schedule, and providing access to services that families depend upon. To learn more about Youth Link Southern Indiana and the many ways they support students and families in Clark County, visit www.cisofclark.org