Old National Bank donated $10,000 to PNW’s Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center to support women-led ventures.
The Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center provides manufacturing opportunities, fosters entrepreneurial ventures and hosts training opportunities. Through the center’s concept-to-commercialization (C2C) program, entrepreneurs are guided to bring their innovations to market.
Among the entrepreneurial ventures rendered through the C2C program, eight of the top 10 that received funding were led by women. Among those women entrepreneurs, seven of eight are women of color.
PNW will use the funds from Old National Bank to recruit and support women entrepreneurs seeking to commercialize their visions and change the Region’s business landscape.
“Old National Bank’s generous gift is important not only for how it will strengthen local entrepreneurs in reaching their goals, but also for its focus on serving underrepresented groups,” said Niaz Latif, associate vice chancellor for commercialization and research and the center’s executive director, in a press release. “Individuals with innovative ideas will have valuable assistance to develop marketable products and launch companies to commercialize their visions.”
Old National Bank is proud to help fund the university’s work supporting women entrepreneurs and underrepresented groups, said Monica Rubio, Old National Bank’s community lending market executive and Northwest Indiana market president.
“We cannot wait to see the applications that result from these entrepreneurs and future leaders,” Rubio said.
Old National Bank has over 280 banking centers throughout the Midwest. Old National Bank was founded in 1834 on the shore of the Ohio River in what would become Evansville. Today, the company has dual headquarters in Evansville and Chicago.
Purdue University Northwest has campuses in Hammond and Westville. The Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center is on the Hammond campus. Purdue University Northwest serves snpiy 8,900 undergraduate and graduate students.
(Photo provided by Purdue University Northwest)
