Indiana Wesleyan University will feature free entrepreneur coaching
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) announced $1.05 million in grant awards to accelerate entrepreneurial activity and resources statewide through its new Community Collaboration Fund (CCF). Indiana Wesleyan University’s Kokomo Thriving Center was one of the recipients and will use the grant to fund entrepreneurial coaching locally.
The overall investment will help power 32 community-led projects focused on entrepreneurial education, connection, and acceleration across Indiana, with a particular focus on underrepresented founders and underserved markets.
"Indiana already ranks No. 2 in the nation for starting a business, and these unique and collaborative projects are set to propel our entrepreneurial ecosystem to even greater heights,” said Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg. “Through the Community Collaboration Fund, we’re accelerating 32 new projects aimed at filling critical gaps and providing more direct support and resources for our entrepreneurs and small businesses at every stage of their journey, ensuring that all Hoosiers have the tools needed to innovate, grow, and succeed.”
Thanks to the $40,000 grant, the Kokomo Thriving Center’s Thriving Entrepreneurs Coaching Program will operate as a hub for entrepreneurial support, offering a range of services centered on executive coaching tailored specifically for entrepreneurs. The program seeks to bridge the gap between traditional business education and the practical support needed for entrepreneurs to thrive in a dynamic environment.
“I touched base with many organizations, asking if they had clients interested in being an entrepreneur and starting their own business or organization,” said Dr. Liz Kerns, IWU Kokomo Thriving Center Director. “Every single organization I spoke to said yes. From that, I believed if the IWU Kokomo Thriving Center could offer a series of free, one-on-one executive coaching sessions and ongoing weekly coaching sessions/conversations, it would be a great program.”
Kerns applied for the grant and received it, and the Thriving Entrepreneurs Coaching Program will begin accepting referrals in September. Participants will receive up to four free one-on-one coaching sessions and free weekly group conversations and professional development webinars, beginning in October.
The sessions and webinars are open to any who are referred into the program, regardless of geographic location. One-on-one coaching sessions can be held in-person or virtually.
Kerns disclosed that the Indiana Small Business Development Center, United Way serving Howard and Tipton Counties, the Kokomo Housing Authority’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program, WorkOne, and the Excel Center already have agreed to participate in the program. Additional referrals will be accepted.
The Community Collaboration Fund was established in October 2023 by the IEDC. It provides matching grants to support new community collaborations, services, and programming that will benefit Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with a focus on education, connection, and acceleration.
The IEDC received more than 80 applications for its 2024 CCF grants. From the submissions, 32 projects were chosen based on their ability to fill gaps across the entrepreneurial ecosystem, support non-traditional markets and collaborate across boundaries.