A weekly take on business news in central Indiana. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.
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At a time when 60% of counties in the United States have no daily newspaper to hold governments and corporations accountable, we have to start asking why. The biggest reason: the rise of big tech. When 90% of all new digital ad revenue is swallowed by Google and Facebook, it’s becoming impossible to fund the kind of reporting that has uncovered corruption, solved crimes, and literally saved lives. I was never interested in the business side of journalism. I believed in the separation of chur ...
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Copper State of Mind: public relations, media, and marketing in Arizona
HMA Public Relations | PHX.fm
Copper State of Mind is a public relations podcast for Arizona executives, business owners, and directors of marketing and communications who want to increase the effectiveness of their PR, media, and marketing campaigns. From messaging and media relations to content strategy and crisis management, the dollars your organization spends on integrated marketing communications are an investment that helps boost your brand, break through the noise, and drive business results. Join Abbie Fink, Pre ...
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Press Fix is a production of JournoDAO where we explore the intersections of decentralization, media and independent journalism. Can decentralization save local media and rebuild connection at the community level? Join us and find out.
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Why You Should Act Now to Help Save Public Media with Alice Ferris
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24:51
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24:51There is an urgent threat facing public media in the United States: a proposed federal budget cut that would not only threaten its future, but also "claw back" funding that's already been awarded to public television and radio stations across the country. Read the transcript and notes for this episode on our website. Adrian McIntyre opens with a pe…
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Reimagining the Future of Local Journalism in Arizona with Chris Kline
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22:38Local news is facing serious challenges everywhere, with more than half the counties in the United States lacking any source of community reporting. Chris Kline, CEO of the Arizona Media Association, joins us to talk about the Arizona Community Collaborative and its efforts to revitalize local news in Arizona with a bold, statewide storytelling ini…
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Master’s Degree or Nah? The Value of Lifelong Learning In and Out of the Classroom
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26:13Abbie and Adrian discuss the value of postgraduate degrees, questioning whether formal education is necessary for success in today’s job market. Abbie emphasizes that while she values her Master's degree for personal growth, she believes that education doesn’t always have to come from traditional institutions. She talks about the importance of trad…
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Would You Rather Hire a Robot or a Recent Grad?
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15:34Abbie and Adrian discuss the perspectives of recent college graduates and the unique challenges they face in today's job market. In an era where technology has rendered remote work more accessible, new grads are asking critical questions about workplace culture and the boundaries of work-life balance. Abbie shares her thoughts on the relevance of w…
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Abbie and Adrian discuss the importance of showing appreciation through small yet impactful gestures. While many people recognize the importance of these actions, consistently putting them into practice can be a challenge amidst the chaos of everyday life. Abbie shares a personal experience from a recent business trip, emphasizing how simple acts, …
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Could proposed tax credit upgrade help make Indiana a film and media hub?
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34:26In this era of online entertainment, you could switch to a steaming service this very second and watch one of many classic movies filmed in Indiana. You would be hard-pressed to find many movies and TV shows that recently were filmed in Indiana—even those where the stories are set in Indiana. Other states, including several of our immediate neighbo…
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Metrics vs Meaning: Measuring the True Impact of PR & Communications Campaigns
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26:29Abbie and Adrian talk about bridging the gap between what can be measured and what truly matters in communications and public relations. They discuss how the phrase "what gets measured gets managed"—often wrongly attributed to Peter Drucker—can be misleading since not everything that truly matters can be quantified and counted. Abbie shares her exp…
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Born in Mumbai, local TED expert bringing global sports leaders to Indy
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41:02Neelay Bhatt was born in Mumbai, India, and didn’t move to Indiana until 2006, after he finished a graduate degree in sports administration. But he found a home here because he speaks the language of sports and developed a strong network of local sports executives. In 2023, he founded a consultancy in Carmel that focuses in part on master planning,…
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Pete the Planner on the Social Security cliff and potential for benefit cuts
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41:44Since 1940, Social Security has provided a modest amount of money every month to retirees from a fund that collects payroll taxes on those who are still working. But the ratio of people who are employed to people who are retired has shrunk significantly in recent generations. According to the Social Security Administration, the fund will be deplete…
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The End of Celebrity Endorsements? Meet the New Brand Champions
22:06
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22:06This episode explores how employees can become powerful brand ambassadors, influencing public perception and enhancing brand communication. Abbie and Adrian discuss findings from a PR Week/Cision study showing that today's audiences increasingly trust employees' voices over paid celebrity endorsements. This change marks a notable shift in consumer …
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Former NBA exec on joining Pacers’ parent firm, Caitlin Clark’s potential, deal with Kevin Hart company
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49:28Joey Graziano was a senior vice president for the NBA with global responsibilities when he began working with Pacers Sports & Entertainment on the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. The way he tells it, Graziano soon became convinced that the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever and the city of Indianapolis on the whole presented enormous potentia…
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Tech founder on building teams, loving pivots, fostering startup hustle in high schools
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50:25Scott Lingle grew up in Indianapolis with parents who were always looking for a side hustle and ways to eliminate debt. Their entrepreneurial pursuits included flipping houses—"I lived in 20 houses growing up," Lingle says—and rehabilitating a host of other products for resale. Scott Lingle knew early on that he wanted to be in sales. After a disti…
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AI in PR: Embracing Opportunities and Addressing Concerns
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22:55The 2025 Comms Report by Cision and PRWeek highlights the significant impact of AI on the PR industry, touching on both the opportunities and concerns AI presents. Abbie and Adrian discuss how AI is becoming an integral part of their workflows, while also addressing fears about job security and budget impacts. They emphasize the importance of adapt…
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Third-gen Indy hotelier on industry ups and downs, $43.5M Ball State project
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47:03Based in Indianapolis, the Schahet family has been managing and developing hotels since the 1960s. The family firm Schahet Hotels currently has nine properties in its portfolio, mostly in central Indiana, with a 10th hotel under construction in Muncie and an 11th in the final planning stages. There’s still room in the lodging industry for mom-and-p…
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Marsh Davis on a career saving Indiana landmarks, bringing right people to the table
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49:06Indiana has been a national leader in historic preservation for decades. Hoosiers have a strong record for studying, cataloguing and saving homes, churches, farms, factories, covered bridges, monuments, courthouses, hotels, libraries and even entire commercial districts and neighborhoods deemed to have historic value. Since being founded in 1960, t…
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Are Not Dirty Words
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25:38Abbie and Adrian discuss the backlash against Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) programs amidst changing federal policies and ongoing cultural debates. They explore the tension between maintaining an inclusive workplace and the pushback against such initiatives, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue, factual evidence, and con…
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The risks tariffs pose to Indiana’s manufacturing-heavy economy
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32:04Podcast listeners might remember about three months ago when regular guest Pete the Planner predicted that President Donald Trump’s plans for tariffs could have a pronounced effect on some elements of Indiana’s economy. Trump wasted little time once his second term began last month, imposing or thratening to impose a barrage of tariffs on many of A…
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With billions at stake, hyperscale data centers become charged issue in Indiana
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33:29You don’t need to be too technically savvy to pick up on the charged atmosphere surrounding large-scale data centers. Various technology-heavy industries need data centers as a kind of way station and storage point for all the electronic information they generate and process. As technology evolves at a breakneck speed, the size of these centers gro…
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Rebuilding Trust in Government, NGOs, and the Media: Is It Even Possible?
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24:01Abbie and Adrian talk about the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer report, which reveals rising global grievances and declining trust in institutions. They explore how businesses, governments, and NGOs can rebuild trust amidst economic and social challenges. The discussion centers on the role of transparent communication, responsible leadership, how gene…
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A preschool, a church, a pickleball palace—tracking the transformations of Indy’s vacant Marsh supermarkets
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33:22Founded in central Indiana, Marsh Supermarkets Inc. at its peak operated well over 100 stores, with a critical mass in the nine-county Indianapolis metro area. In 2017—11 years after a private equity firm took ownership—just 63 stores remained. Marsh declared bankruptcy in May 2017. From those 63 stores, Marsh closed the majority and sold 26 to Kro…
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The latest on downtown soccer stadium, $78M Fever facility and Simon hotel/concert venue
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41:36It’s time to unpack the latest developments in Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plan to establish a Major League Soccer team in downtown Indianapolis. Among other things, the team needs a stadium to play in. The city earmarked about 16 acres in the southeast quadrant of the Mile Square and held discussions with MLS officials. We were left with a cliffhanger: Ca…
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The Importance of Mentoring in Our Lives and Careers
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18:38It's National Mentoring Month, and Abbie Fink and Adrian McIntyre talk about the transformative power of mentoring and its impact on their personal lives and professional careers. They discuss the essence of mentorship, emphasizing the importance of both giving and receiving guidance. They reflect on their own experiences with mentors, highlighting…
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Pete the Planner on Trump's second term, rising inflation and the impact of the LA wildfires on housing
31:15
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31:15The official release date of this episode is Jan. 20, which not coincidentally is Inauguration Day. President Trump will outline his vision for second term, but we already have a sense of what to expect in terms of economic policy. Four of the biggest themes are prioritizing tax cuts, decreasing regulation in several major industries, increasing ta…
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Inside the mind of a rising Indy apartment developer
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43:06After five years leading apartment development for Indianapolis-based real estate firm Birge & Held, Jarod Brown decided he wanted a business with his name on the door. So he struck out on his own in late 2022 and soon hung his shingle for Brown Capital Group on an historic building in Broad Ripple. As a developer, he hit the ground running with an…
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Celebrity Reputation Management and the "Dark Side" of Public Relations
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24:45A high-profile legal battle has erupted in Hollywood involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, following allegations of sexual harassment during the production of the film It Ends With Us. Abbie Fink and Adrian McIntyre talk about the complexities of reputation management in the public relations field, raising ethical concerns around the tactics u…
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Dave Lindquist previews can't-miss entertainment in 2025
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29:162024 was a big year for entertainment in Indianapolis. Taylor Swift came to town for three concerts of course. But major sports events including NBA All-Star Weekend, the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials and Indianapolis 500 included multiple concerts and arts events. Even celebrations around the eclipse featured music and the arts. So will 2025 be a l…
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What Does the $15m ABC News Settlement Mean for the Future of Journalism?
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22:17The recent $15 million settlement between ABC News and President-elect Trump has sparked significant concern about the future of objective reporting and press freedom. Abbie and Adrian discuss the implications of this case, exploring how such legal actions can influence journalistic integrity and the delicate balance between business interests and …
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Mission of Indy furniture maker ‘is about building other people up’
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36:43Indy-based Furniture maker Purposeful Design LLC—which lives under the umbrella of the nonprofit Sagamore Institute—works with local relief organizations to recruit people who have struggled with addiction, homelessness, incarceration and other obstacles to self-sufficiency. As apprentices and craftspeople, the workers learn skills that can help th…
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Holiday Marketing Madness: Can We Cut Through the Noise?
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21:32The holiday season presents unique challenges for communications professionals as we navigate a crowded landscape of messaging and marketing. With many shoppers planning their purchases well in advance—some starting as early as Labor Day—it's crucial for brands and organizations to strategize their communications well ahead of time. Abbie emphasize…
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Josef Newgarden, Indy 500 champ and avid investor, also races against S&P 500
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33:18IndyCar and Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden doesn’t take his hands off the steering wheel when he leaves the cockpit of his No. 2 Chevy. He enjoys being a very hands-on caretaker of his career, business interests and financial life. As he says in his IBJ Podcast interview this week, “Maybe I’m just too type-A, but I want to know where every dolla…
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The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy
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22:27The decline of local media outlets in the United States poses significant threats to democracy and community engagement. Abbie Fink and Adrian McIntyre discuss the phenomenon of "news deserts," areas devoid of reliable local news sources, drawing on a comprehensive study by Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated…
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Why size matters when it comes to concert venues in Indy
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42:23Indianapolis-based concert company MOKB Presents recently announced plans to open a 1,200-capacity venue in early 2026 at the former site of Well Done Marketing in Fountain Square’s Murphy Arts Building. The plans for a new indoor venue means outdoor concerts at shows at the Hi-Fi Annex — located in the parking lot outside the Murphy building — wil…
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Inside jeweler’s decision to close one of downtown’s oldest businesses
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36:58Windsor Jewelry has operated within a stone’s throw of Monument Circle since the year 1919. Some of its client relationships go back five generations. It has been owned by only three people: its founder, Sig Asher; then Asher’s son-in-law, Herman Logan; and then Greg Bires, an employee who bought the business from Logan in 1998. It has survived the…
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Public Relations in a Polarized Post-Election Environment
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24:51As the United States navigates the turbulent waters of a presidential transition, the ripple effects of the presidential election will be felt across the globe. A growing division in society—fueled by media that profits from polarization—calls for a reevaluation of how businesses and organizations communicate. In this episode, Abbie and Adrian talk…
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Pete the Planner on Trump’s potential impact on investors, taxes, inflation and the auto industry
34:18
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34:18Donald Trump is headed for a second term in the White House. The pundits have had ample opportunity to dissect the political implications of his victory. For this week’s podcast, we wanted to explore the potential financial repercussions of a new Trump administration. There’s no mystery about his fondness toward tariffs—the taxes applied by the gov…
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Inside the plan to extend life expectancy for residents of five Indy neighborhoods
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37:57
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37:57One way you can gauge the health of a city is the number of cranes on its skyline. One of the biggest contributors of cranes over downtown in the last two years has been the $4.3 billion IU Health hospital campus under construction just south of Methodist Hospital. It’s a generational development for that side of downtown, but IU Health officials w…
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Navigating Ownership Transitions: Behind the Scenes of a PR Firm Buyout
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29:19Abbie Fink, the new sole owner of HMA Public Relations, shares her journey of transitioning from vice president to president and the challenges she faced during this significant change. Abbie and Adrian discuss the intricacies of business ownership, including the emotional and financial aspects of Abbie buying out her business partner, Scott Hanson…
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What Indy tourism guru Chris Gahl learned from his father’s murder, surviving cancer
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43:11Last week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast featured Chris Gahl, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Visit Indy, unpacking the strategy for promoting Indianapolis to a worldwide audience during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. As promised, we have a follow-up interview with Gahl this week that is so different from last week’s that we neede…
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How Taylor Swift will give Indy a massive platform to promote itself
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38:15Does anyone need reminding that Indianapolis is less than two weeks away from hosting Taylor Swift and the last U.S. dates for the Eras Tour? There of course are three shows scheduled Nov. 1, 2 and 3 in Lucas Oil Stadium, and more than 50 related events planned across the city to entertain fans over what essentially will be a major holiday downtown…
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What’s the potential impact of Lilly’s $4.5B ‘medicine foundry’ in Lebanon?
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28:18The LEAP Research and Innovation District under development near Lebanon represents a shift in the way economic development officials are working to attract companies to Indiana and create jobs. Its detractors have objected to the strategy by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to corner thousands of acres of rural land for the project. Some are…
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Indy food bloggers ‘A Couple Cooks’ on becoming internet famous, publishing new cookbook
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45:00Sonja and Alex Overhiser are among the most influential chefs in Indiana, but you won’t find them working in any restaurant. From the kitchen in their home south of Broad Ripple, they have created, tested and posted more than 3,000 recipes to their 14-year-old food-influencer website, acouplecooks.com. It logs millions of pageviews per month, while…
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From the Army to finance to tech to owning an excavation firm, Andrea Sloan says ‘yes’ and takes chances
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44:46Readers of IBJ’s annual lists of fastest-growing Indianapolis-area companies might be familiar with GroundBreakers, formerly known as GroundBreakers Hydrovac Excavation. Between 2021 and 2023, its annual revenue grew 143.1% to $18.9 million, which was good for 10th place on our most recent list. All of that growth came under President Andrea Sloan,…
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Fever’s sales guru on preparing for Caitlin Clark, using data and AI to win over fans
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56:30The Indiana Fever's 2024 season has been transformational for the team on the court, in the box office and in the revenue column, in particular with the advent of two major difference-makers. One, of course, is all-star rookie Caitlin Clark, and the other is the rapidly advancing technology that the sales and marketing teams use to entertain—and re…
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Orr fellows leverage networking to boost value of tech, entrepreneurial positions
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46:31Now in its 23rd year, the Orr Fellowship program has helped develop an astounding number of leaders in Indiana’s tech and entrepreneurial ecosystems. It now counts 624 alumni who have worked at—and in some cases founded—nearly 300 significant companies and organizations. The program was established in 2001 to help develop the early careers of promi…
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Pete the Planner on the best places to stash your cash
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38:10On Sept. 18, we will learn whether or not the Federal Reserve will lower its federal funds interest rate for the first time in four years. It could be one of the biggest financial events of the year, leading to lower interest rates for lending and quite possibly a big bump in spending in the U.S. economy. In this episode of the podcast, our concern…
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'Swiftianapolis,' 10 more can't-miss arts events, and what they all say about Indy
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41:51We are in the era of peak entertainment. Through our phones, computers and televisions, we have access to nearly every movie, album, TV show, book and video game ever created. You'd think many of us would decide it isn’t necessary to leave our homes. In the Indianapolis area, that apparently is not the case. IBJ just published its 2024-25 arts and …
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Why is Indiana’s population growth in danger of cratering while the Indy area adds 405K people?
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35:36Indiana University demographers released projections last week that show the state's population growth cratering until it hits near-zero growth by the 2050s. In fact, more than two-thirds of Indiana’s 92 counties will see losses in population over the next 30 years, according to the estimates from the Indiana Business Research Center at the Indiana…
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Fever emcee’s story of getting the gig is the ultimate in moxie, initiative
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52:06You easily could argue that the biggest business newsmaker of the year so far in Indianapolis is the Indiana Fever. It started with drafting Caitlin Clark in April, leading to an explosion of interest in women’s professional basketball with sold-out stadiums and best-ever TV ratings for the spor—and now the news that the Fever will host the 2025 WN…
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JW Marriott’s manager on surviving pandemic, saving March Madness and facing new competition
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54:48One easily could argue that the most significant real estate development in central Indiana from the last 15 years was the JW Marriott Indianapolis, which opened in February 2011. With more than 1,000 rooms over 34 glass-encased floors, it instantly became the tallest and largest hotel in central Indiana. It also played an outsized role in the city…
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Simons building hospitality ecosystem by fieldhouse with plans to add luxury hotel, concert venue
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32:22The footprint of the Indiana Pacers on the southeast side of downtown Indianapolis would roughly correspond with a size 6,329 athletic shoe. Gainbridge Fieldhouse actually is owned by the Marion County’s Capital Improvement Board, which owns most of downtown’s major sports and convention facilities. But there’s no doubt that its primary occupants a…
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