Economic development is more than just attracting new businesses. It also is creating spaces and opportunities for people to enjoy life outside of work. Having offices in places that offer lively entertainment, sports, theater and arts options makes it easier to hire and retain employees. Communities in the Region are embracing that notion and prospering because of it.
Businesses also benefit from regional events, like a youth swim meet I attended in Valparaiso. Parents stayed at hotels and ate at restaurants. In the third installment of our series on economic development, we explore these many options to enjoy life.
Several of this issue’s stories focus on technology, including our cover story. Attorneys in the Region are considering the benefits and problems that come with using AI. They are cautiously optimistic but leery of its limitations. Our information technology story offers advice on how to keep data protected and workers trained so they can spot the latest scams and phishing tactics, while Nate Uldricks says the Region needs a “tech mindset.”
We also look beyond traditional post-secondary education in a story about alternate career pathways for youth in the Region. Uthiverse founder Ken Barry says it best that students aren’t “anti-college; they’re anti-student loans.”
And then we offer some advice from financial planners in the Region, who say that uncertainty is always part of starting a new business. Politics and economic chaos are just noise when an entrepreneur has a solid business plan and sticks to it — capital helps too.
Chesterton is hoping businesses will take that advice and join them in big plans for the downtown, which is undergoing large capital improvements. Our “Future Of” series features the latest developments and plans for growth.
We also talk with Samantha Burgett who started The Community Change Center after mentoring youth in a juvenile detention center. Veronica Banks helps Region executives find the perfect job here. The RDC is starting a new fund to help small businesses. State Rep. Patricia Boy got her start at Jewel in our latest Career Path column. And our Viewpoint comes from Keith Kirkpatrick who says the seeds of entrepreneurship can start early — let’s all help them grow.
Enjoy this issue!
Read more stories from the current issue of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine.
Entrepreneurial roots
Tech progress for everyone
Silicon Valley lessons
Humble beginnings
Home grown lending
Creating second chances
Cultural cultivation
Passionate about people
Chesterton: Big downtown plans
Cyber preparedness
Stay the course
Beyond the bachelor’s
