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Board Room Briefs

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Board Room Briefs

Ironworks Hotel Indy gets AAA rating

Ironworks Hotel Indy, the first boutique hotel on Indianapolis’ north side, has earned the AAA Four Diamond Rating for the first time since opening in 2017. Ironworks Hotel Indy is the eleventh in Indiana to receive the Four Diamond rating. Only six percent of hotels in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean receive this accolade from AAA. The hotel also received the Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping Award, which recognizes rated hotels for cleanliness and condition.

“We’re thrilled to receive this renowned rating in our first eligible year since opening the hotel,” said Amy Isbell-Williams, general manager of Ironworks Hotel Indy. “This rating is a direct reflection of our staff’s unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional and memorable experience for all our guests.”

Oak Street Health teams up with Aetna

Oak Street Health and Aetna announced a network agreement in Indiana and Michigan. Aetna Individual Medicare Advantage members and retirees who receive coverage through Aetna Group Medicare Advantage plans will now also have access to Oak Street Health’s primary care centers.

“Expanding our partnership with Aetna will bring our proven model of preventive, personalized care to Aetna’s members in Indiana and Michigan,” said Rafe Petty, division president of Oak Street Health.

Aetna, a CVS Health business serving an estimated 39 million people, joins a health care provider in Oak Street Health that has used measures such as 24-hour access to a physician and community health events to reduce Medicare hospitalizations in other Oak Street facilities by more than 40 percent.

“By working together with Oak Street Health, we will be able to collectively help deliver improved outcomes and a superior experience to our Medicare members, meeting them in their communities where many of the conversations between patients and providers occur,” said Gregg Kimmer, executive director and general manager for Aetna Great Lakes Individual Medicare Advantage plans.

Verizon retailer employees 

give back to community

TCC, a Verizon retailer based in Carmel, announced in April its employees have provided more than 13,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to students across the state and donated more than 1,000 supply kids to Indianapolis-area nurses, teachers, veterans and animal shelters. TCC in 2013 launched Culture of Good, a company-wide movement that encourages employees to invest in their communities. TCC launched its philanthropic arm, TCC Gives, in 2016.

Cummins to expand along I-65

Cummins announced in May it plans to expand its presence along the “Cummins Corridor,” which stretches along I-65 and includes Indianapolis, Greenwood and its headquarters in Columbus. As part of the plan, Columbus will be the primary North American manufacturing center and corporate hub for the Electrified Power Business with a significant presence at the Columbus Engine Plant.

Cummins, which currently employs over 10,000 people, will have a new office building for digital and information technology employees in Greenwood, and it’s in the process of building additional space at its Distribution Business headquarters in downtown Indianapolis.

“Today is a significant milestone and a day of immense celebration as we commemorate 100 strong years of Cummins operating in the Hoosier state and look forward to 100 more,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Cummins has from their beginning been a major force to Indiana’s strong advanced manufacturing sector, and we are so grateful for their commitment to continuous education and training for employees, particularly helping prepare workers for the jobs of the future.”

Memory centers gets superior designation

American Senior Communities honored eight memory care centers in Indiana with Purple Butterfly Memory Care Centers of Distinction, which designates centers that have become top providers. Those centers are: Rosegate Memory Care Center in Indianapolis, Country Meadows and Heritage Park in Fort Wayne, Salem Crossing in Salem, Westview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Bedford, Cypress Grove Rehabilitation Center in Newburgh, East Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation in Elkhart and Lake Pointe Village in Scottsburg.

Memory care centers provide 24-hour residential care to those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Centers must meet state and federal standards, but these eight centers surpassed those standards.

New arts organization in Indianapolis

Aurora PhotoCenter announced it will launch this summer in Indianapolis with a community workshop and exhibition by tintype artist Keliy Anderson-Staley. Aurora, founded by photographers Adam Reynolds, Craig McCormick and Mary Goodwin, will serve as a bridge between artists and the greater photographer community. Its founders hope Aurora can be a place where artists meet, share work, create and find inspiration. Aurora will spend its first year focusing on photography as a form of art and expression.

“Photography was once a medium permanently documenting history, family and places,” McCormick said. “Today it is a momentary medium ruled by innuendo. Through Aurora, we hope to explore how photography becomes art in fast and slow times.”

Indiana Humanities awards grants 

to 18 nonprofits

Indiana Humanities awarded nearly $45,000 in grants to 18 nonprofits across the state, including libraries, schools and museums. Action Grants offer up to $3,000 to support nonprofits that sponsor public humanities programs such as exhibitions, workshops and lectures. Historic Education Preservation Grants provide up to $2,500 for programs that educate citizens about historic places and the need to protect them.

“Funding a wide range of thoughtful and creative programming that connects so many Hoosiers to the depth and breadth of the humanities is core to our mission,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “We are encouraged, every year, by the innovative programs proposed by the grantees and the opportunity to touch the lives of residents all over Indiana.”

Foster youth nonprofit changes name

Indiana Connected By 25 is now known as Foster Success. The nonprofit, which serves foster youth, changed its name but reaffirmed its mission to support Indiana foster youth who age out of foster care without permanent families. The organization also moved to 16 Park Community Center, 546 E. 17th Street, in Indianapolis.

“The one thing staying the same is our commitment to ensuring foster youth transitioning out of care are educated, financially stable, employed and supported,” said Brent Kent, CEO. “Our name may change, but our positive impact on those who need us will not.”

Hoosier startup expands

Synapse Sitters, an online network for families of children with special needs to find qualified sitters, announced in April it has expanded into Lafayette and South Ben-Mishawaka. The company was launched in April 2018 in Indianapolis. Synapse Sitters connects specialized sitters with families that have children on the Autism spectrum and those who have Down syndrome, ADHD, Asperger syndrome, sensory processing disorder, cerebral palsy or other behavioral and emotional needs.

“I started the company after I had trouble finding a qualified sitter to watch my young son with autism,” said Marie Maher, founder of Synapse Sitters. “Sitter after sitter would either turn down the job or just never come back. I knew there had to be a better way to get a break and practice self-care, while ensuring my son was safe and well-cared for. When I couldn’t find one, I created one.”

Neighborhood improvement

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Indianapolis hosted its third annual Love Thy Neighbor Awards in April and gave $15,000 to projects that are developing their neighborhoods to make them more desirable places to live, work, learn and play. The award winners were: Indy Urban Acres, The Build Fund, HAND’s Home Place Gardens and Starfish Initiative. Each was awarded $2,500. Those at the event also voted for an additional project, Brookside Community Play, to receive $5,000.

Diversifying the tax industry

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Diversifying the tax industry

By Brittany Sabalza

EVERY YEAR, MILLIONS OF TAXPAYERS FILE their income tax returns, as a civil and legal obligation. Though taxes are a big headache, income taxes are very necessary. The roads, schools, even federal, state and local governments are supported by our tax dollars. Our tax system is how we support the many “moving pieces” of this country and the tax industry is made of fearless tax professionals who take on taxation one tax code at a time. 

From tax preparer to enrolled agents, tax pros are the backbone of the tax industry. Tax pros provide a variety of tax services such as tax preparation, tax resolution, tax planning, tax consulting and internal audits, covering areas such as tax compliance or tax consultancy. 

A tax career can be a very rewarding, as there are a variety of paths one can take to advance his or her career. To make your big break into the tax industry, consider starting your tax pro journey as a tax preparer. Becoming a tax preparer is a great way to jump start your tax career. Tax preparers are the frontline of tax preparation. Answering taxpayer questions, organizing documents and preparing tax returns based on tax regulations, tax preparers assist individual and business taxpayers understand their tax situations and remain compliant with their tax obligations. And since nothing in life is certain except death and taxes, I think it’s safe to say that a tax career can be considered pretty stable.

Getting your feet wet in tax preparation is the perfect way to introduce yourself to the tax code, while you gain hands on tax preparation experience and get your foot in the tax industry door.

Some employers offer on-the-job tax training for new hires. You can also take seasonal tax courses at a local tax chain or through an online course. Check to see if the course provider is an approved IRS continuing education provider on the IRS website. Tax preparers are not regulated by the IRS, meaning there is no required certification but voluntary tax certifications exist if you want to have a competitive edge. Tax training is necessary to be knowledgeable as a tax preparer and a knowledgeable tax preparer is very valuable. A comprehensive tax course will teach you to prepare basic individual tax returns. Tax certifications offer a deeper understanding of tax and expand the scope of returns that the preparer can handle. To file taxes a preparer should obtain a PTIN (Preparer Tax ID Number), which can be obtained through the IRS.

Though you may start seasonally, it’s a great way to earn cash full or part time. Further advancing your tax knowledge can lead to year-round tax employment. The tax industry offers tremendous growth potential. A degree in taxation, accounting or finance is highly regarded in the tax industry but a career can be created even without a degree. Many tax pros receive a series of certifications after completing their degrees but most people don’t realize you don’t need a degree to obtain the majority of these certifications. The tax industry is a place where your tax expertise and experience alone can win you a leading position, making this a great career for those non-degree holding professionals, looking for a growth-oriented career. As a tax pro you could have opportunities with government agencies, tax firms, or you can open your own tax business.

According to Data USA, the average tax preparer salary is $54,089 and growth is predicted to be 10.8 percent among tax preparers over the next 10 years.

The tax industry, as well as the accounting industry lack diversity, and minority tax pros are in demand. Of tax preparers approximately 30 percent are a minority with 10 percent being African American but we often become preparers and go no further in tax. The tax and accounting industries significantly lack racial diversity across the board and certain firms are working to increase diversity. According to the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA, nabainc.org), the United States had less than 1 percent of African-American CPAs when the association was founded in 1969. Four decades later, barely 3 percent of CPAs are African Americans; 4 percent of CPAs are Asian, while 1 percent are Latino. You can be the start of diversity while pursuing your dream career. Large and small tax firms are working to diversify staff, while more and more minority taxpayers are looking to support minority tax businesses and tax professionals.

Consider a career in tax, make money and make a difference all at the same time. I

Brittany Sabalza, enrolled agent, is director of continuing education for Pro Tax Solutions Indianapolis and a tax columnist.

One Indianapolis school prepares students to be global citizens

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By Brittany King

Elizabeth Head

When Elizabeth Head graduated from University of Northern Coloradowith a degree in Spanish, she set her sights on Costa Rica.

“The plan was to be there for two months,” she recalls.  “But then I realized I was staying next to an international school and went to be a teacher. I thought I’d just teach for a little while, but one thing turned into another and I ended up staying for 20 years.”

During her two decades in Costa Rica, Head came to know and love international schools. Most recently, she served as the general director of Pan-American School San Antonia de Belen in the central valley of Costa Rica. Prior to that, she was Pan-American School’s vice principal of primary and preschool. She also co-owned and cofounded Lighthouse International School in Guachipelin, Costa Rica. The school opened successfully with full enrollment in grades Pre-K through 12 in 2008. 

Head loved her time in Costa Rica, which made the decision to move with her two children to Indianapolis all the more difficult. But as she began to learn more about the International School of Indianapolis (ISI) and the diversity of the student body and faculty and staff, she realized it was a place where she and her family could thrive.  

On Jan. 2, 2019, Head became the International School of Indianapolis’ first female head of school in its 25-year history. Head plans to increase awareness about the school across the state and the Midwest, unite all of the students on one shared campus and continue providing language immersion and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs for ISI’s Pre-K through 12th-graders.

Top of mind for Head is getting the word out about the benefit of getting an ISI education. Currently, all 550 students are part of the IB program, a curriculum that helps students develop strong academic, social and emotional skills. All of ISI’s students are also part of a rigorous language immersion program where classes are taught in both English and one of the three language tracks (Spanish, French or Mandarin). ISI is the only school in Indiana to offer education options like this and one of a handful in the Midwest. Most schools reserve the IB program for their brightest students, but ISI believes all students are capable of the challenging coursework, allowing them to be better prepared for college well before their peers who may not have access to an IB curriculum until their junior year of high school. 

The school also focuses on diversity and inclusion, which Head wants to continue during her tenure. All of the language teachers are natives from a country that speaks the language they are teaching and more than 50 nationalities are present between the students and staff. This is what helped Head make the decision to take the position at ISI, diversity and inclusion is woven into the school’s fabric.

“Global mindedness is simply part of a functioning society. This isn’t something special that a school should be doing,” she says. “Children have to see the world as this way, they have to see diversity as just life. The way we function and the way we live is by being part of an international society. It’s essential for life skills that all children need to grow up with to be successful in the future.”

Beyond marketing the school and its programs across the state, ISI is currently having a capital campaign to unite the two campuses into one campus on Michigan Road where the middle school and high school are currently housed. The school has a goal of raisingmoneyto build a lower school by 2025. Head and her staff are also participating in a listening tour to help shape the strategic objectives she will oversee.

“I’m thrilled to be at ISI and I’m looking forward to the future and the legacy that we’re building here,” she says. “I’m honored and excited to be part of building that future because of the impact this school has on children’s lives and the Indianapolis community.”

Mentors catalyze learning outside the classroom

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Mentors catalyze learning outside the classroom

By Gisele Garraway 

One of my first (and favorite) bosses often sagely pronounced:  “People rise to the level of your expectations for them.”  We owe all kids, especially kids growing up in poverty and adverse circumstances to set high expectations for their academic success. My personal experience demonstrates adult mentors  — caring supporters outside a child’s family — can have a durable and transformative effect.

I was blessed with parents who took my academic development very seriously. Every day after work my father would ask: “Did you get your lesson?” He’d grown up in the segregated South being forced to drink from separate water fountains and attend separate and unequal schools; so, he desired a different future for me. 

During my grade school years, my dad religiously attended PTA meetings and rose to become president of the Virginia state PTA to fight for quality education in our small town. Meanwhile, my mother worked part time to ensure she was home to oversee homework. She often lamented her career options were limited without a college degree; she wanted a different future for me.

My parents’ involvement and high expectations spurred academic success for me. They ensured I had perfect attendance and devoted time to study; so, consequently my report card was littered with As. At the end of one marking period, I informed them that since a classmate’s parents paid them a cash bounty for every A and every B grade, they owed me a hefty sum. They scoffed that it was my JOB to learn. Equally important to these unabashed high expectations, was the learning that happened outside of home and school. Several mentors from my community stepped up to invest in me and provided invaluable life lessons beyond “book” learning.  

One mentor exemplar was Mrs. Bessie Williamson. In the sixth grade, I was one of the final two in the city spelling bee but ultimately lost to Tommy Maddox, a kid from the wealthy side of Petersburg. The next Sunday morning at St. Stephen’s Episcopal, parishioner Bessie Williamson approached me saying she’d read in the newspaper that I lost to “that boy” and that it was “a shame” because she was certain he wasn’t smarter than me. I had my doubts. Her hypothesis was that I wasn’t prepared. She told me to have my mother bring me to her senior living center every Friday afternoon. For several months, Williamson drilled me on spelling concepts and made me read everything. The following year in seventh grade, I again found myself on stage next to Tommy Maddox as a spelling bee finalist, but this time it was I who took home the trophy and advanced to the state competition. My failure was an opportunity for a mentor to step in and develop my potential.    

There’s not enough space here to relate anecdotes of countless community members who encouraged me and mentored me. Hearing their words of admonishment and confidence buoyed my efforts for years when I was away working to maintain my college scholarship. Knowing I had a community of folks back in Petersburg who believed in me (some who didn’t look like me!) gave me great hope when I encountered difficult college and career challenges.

Today, I have the good fortune to work for Starfish Initiative. We prepare, inspire and encourage academically promising, low-income teens to college and career success. We match every teen with a college-educated mentor. Ninety-eight percent of our scholars enroll in college. While there are indeed gaps in educational opportunities in wealthy vs. lower income zip codes, there is no substitute for a community of mentors ready to speak hope and to pour into young people. Mentors can provide extracurricular experiences and character building opportunities to practice intra- and interpersonal skills. The National Mentoring Partnership reports that youth who are mentored are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college, 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly and 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions. 

We can all do our part like Mrs. Bessie Williamson and help unlock the potential in the teens in our neighborhoods. Become a mentor!

Gisele Garraway is president and CEO of Starfish Initiative.

The state’s future workforce

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The state’s future workforce

By Chrysa Smith

Diversity is a significant buzzword these days. In every employment sector, leaders have signed on to provide more opportunities for more people. Not only is it a suggestion for inclusion, but in some cases, a mandate. At colleges such as Indiana University-Purdue University (IUPUI), it is becoming more ingrained into the education system

 “Research tells us that the greater the diversity of an institution, the higher the level of employee satisfaction, better classroom outcomes and greater campus engagements — and students who leave with degrees and experiences that have prepared them to work across multiple differences,” according to Karen Dace, Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at IUPUI.

The university, recognized as an urban public research (and academic health services) school of higher education, boasts an enrollment of about 29,000 students and is a six time Heed Award Winner (Higher Education Excellence in Diversity). The award is given out from Insight into Diversity magazine, a 40-year-old publication with a focus on intercultural engagements. The university’s mission, according to the institution, is “to advance the state of Indiana and the intellectual growth of its citizens to the highest levels nationally and internationally through research and creative activity, teaching and learning civic engagement.” 

 What this has translated into is learning about the histories, cultures and contributions of communities around the world. 

“Through the Diversity Speaker Series, students, staff, faculty as well as Indianapolis community members have the unique opportunity to engage nationally and internationally recognized experts including Kimberle Crenshaw (professor and civil rights advocate), Winona LaDuke (writer, environmentalist, economist), Maria Teresa Kumar (American political rights activist) and Wes Moore (author and CEO of New York’s largest anti-poverty organization),” Dace says.

Moreover, the Social Justice Book and Lecture Program invites authors to meet with first-year students. And, they have instituted a White Racial Literacy Project in order to improve race relations. Heritage month celebrations, culturally based student organizations and a multicultural center add to the mix.

As for their faculty Dace says “Multiple semester and year-long programs provide intensive leadership trainings. Three-and-a-half day intensive discussions are available through the Office of Intercultural Literacy, Capacity and Engagement through the Inter-Group Dialogue (IGD) Program, which offers facilitated discussion on challenging issues.”

IUPUI is on the list of top 200 national universities, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, is in the top 30 graduate nursing programs and the number one school of philanthropy in the world. From 2002-2017 the percent of total students of color rose from 20 percent to 26 percent. The one-year retention rate for all students of color rose 3 percent from 2010-2016. The four-year graduation rate rose 7 percent for students of color from 2008-2013 . And the number of doctoral degrees rose over 16 percent from 2007-2017 for the same population.

Their prediction for future workers looks promising. According to a recent study, IUPUI grads fare well in their chosen career and salary, with a 91 percent retention rate for grads staying in Indiana and 65 percent in the Greater Indianapolis area. Their diversity training is extensive. And that’s great news for Indiana’s future.

Boardroom Briefs

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Boardroom Briefs

Horizon Bank donates to women’s shelter

Horizon Bank in Michigan City donated $7,500 to Stepping Stone Shelter for Women, an emergency shelter for women and their children who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. The shelter will use the money to offset the cost of everyday expenses that can sometimes be an obstacle of its services. “Horizon is happy to provide financial assistance for the Stepping Stone Shelter, to help with operational costs,” said Jim Neff, president of Horizon Bank. “This organization is an invaluable resource in supporting women and children in our community. Their assistance helps save and improve lives every day.”

Franciscan Alliance, Adult and Child Health announce partnership

Franciscan Health Indianapolis and Adult and Child Health have partnered to better address the needs of people in Central Indiana. As part of the partnership, Franciscan Health, which provides faith-based health care, will transfer ownership and operation of a health clinic it has managed since 1997 to Adult and Child Health. Beyond the transition of the health clinic, Franciscan Health and Adult and Child Health will still work to improve communication and coordination of care for their shared patients, with the hope of closing health care gaps in underserved and low-income communities.

Indiana Wesleyan receives accreditation

The business and accounting degrees within the DeVoe School of Business at Indiana Wesleyan University-National and Global (IWU) recently received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The accreditation will last for 10 years. ACBSP accredits programs that have at least one graduating class, have collected data and assessed the program for three cycles and meet accreditation standards. In addition, the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accounting programs also received a separate accreditation from ACBSP.

Facility undergoing renovation

Aspire Indiana/Aspire Indiana Health’s federally qualified health center in Anderson is currently undergoing a $1.35 million reconstruction update. The health center will be partially closed, but services won’t be interrupted throughout the renovation. The project will reconfigure the interior of the building with a streamlined layout. 

New resource for Hoosiers with disabilities

AWS Foundation created the Indiana Disability Resource FINDER, a free online program developed with the state of Indiana and nonprofit organizations to connect those with intellectual, developmental or physical disabilities, their families and caregivers to services and programs to support them. FINDER gives 24/7 access to almost 2,000 service providers across the state.

Fitch gives highest rating to Community Justice Campus 

The Indianapolis Public Improvement Bond Bank’s two Community Justice Campus (CJC) bonds received a AAA rating, the highest rating possible, from Fitch Ratings Service. The bonds, 2019A and 2019B, total more than $623 million and will fund the consolidated adult detention facility and courthouse and an assessment and intervention center, which will be built on a 140-acre site.

Indy Rainbow Chamber of Commerce hires new executive director

Indy Rainbow Chamber of Commerce hired Joey Amato as the new executive director. Formed in 2002, the bi-partisan Indy Rainbow Chamber is an organization for LGBTQ business owners, employees and allies. The organization promotes Indianapolis and Central Indiana as a welcoming place to live, conduct business and visit.

Oak Street Health partners with Lyft

Oak Street Health has partnered with ride-sharing service Lyft to improve access to health care for Medicare recipients in Indianapolis. The service will be available at all four locations in the city. Oak Street Health already has complimentary transportation for patients to get to and from their appointments, which over half of the clinic’s patients use, but when those vans are in high demand an employee can schedule a ride through Lyft. A pilot program began in September 2018 and more than 100 patients used the service in January. “Partnering with Lyft ensures that accessibility will never be a barrier for Medicare beneficiaries in the Indianapolis community seeking quality primary care,” said Brian Clem, president of Oak Street Health Indiana and Ohio. “Lyft shares our commitment to improving the lives of others, and we’re excited to keep seeing a positive impact with the program.”

DeKalb Health, Parkview Health become partners

DeKalb Health and Parkview Health announced a strategic partnership that will expand health care services in DeKalb County. DeKalb Health is a 56-bed, acute health care facility that will benefit from the much larger Parkview Health that serves northeast Indiana and parts of northwest Ohio. “The decision to affiliate with Parkview Health will allow us to carry on our mission in a time where the health care industry is radically changing,” said Tasha Eicher, president and CEO of DeKalb Health. “We are looking forward to partnering with a health system that has demonstrated their commitment to high quality care and lives out their mission to provide excellent care to every person, every day. We believe the affiliation will strengthen our ability to provide high quality care to DeKalb County and preserve our service to the community for many years to come.”

Steel Dynamics acquires Texas company

Steel Dynamics in Fort Wayne acquired United Steel Supply, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and is a leading manufacturer of flat roll steel used for roofing and siding. Steel Dynamics purchased 75 percent of the equity interests of United Steel Supply for $134 million and has the option to purchase the remaining 25 percent in the future. “We enthusiastically welcome the employees and customers of United Steel Supply into the Steel Dynamics family,” said Mark Millett, president and CEO of Steel Dynamics. “… We look forward to growing with United Steel Supply and to providing our high-quality flat roll steel directly to this important market segment.”

Hoosier made

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Hoosier made

By Jaylon Jones

Henry Bohman began beekeeping as a way to replace sugar, which was rationed during World War II. In the mid-1980s, Bohman’s bees died, and the Bohmans quit the beekeeping business for 25 years until Henry’s son Joe started the business again. Joe started with six hives and as the number of hives grew, more family members joined the business. Today, Bohman Bee Co., Hanover, has more than 200 hives throughout southern Indiana.

Bohman produces raw honey as well as specialty honey such as bourbon barrel-aged honey and blackberry honey.

Established in 1980 by Renee Gabet and her daughters, Annie Oakley Natural Perfumery develops fragrances, skin care and bath and body products for men and women. The women created and blended fragrances and essential oils by hand in their kitchen. Based in Ligonier, Annie Oakley is created and packaged in the United States.

In addition to their scented products, Annie Oakley offers aroma necklaces that diffuse essential oil or custom blended fragrances on a felt pad. 

Annie Oakley also offers tours. The Sensory Tour allows guests to tour the facility and create a custom essential oil body spray, organic body oil and spa products and sample new fragrances.  

Sacs and Co. started in 2006 after sisters Lauri and Marta began making candles, soap, bath tea and tub tingles for Christmas gifts. They expanded the idea into a business that focused on natural products. Sacs and Co. became certified advanced soap makers in 2011 and were selected as an Indiana Artisan soap and candle maker in 2008. In addition to a variety of soap for all skin types, Sacs and Co., Winona Lake, also makes handcrafted soap with scents for men. 

It all began when as a teen Brooke Schmidt made mints for her sister’s wedding shower. In 2004, as an adult, Schmidt began selling almond toffee, caramels, pecan turtles, mints and other candies. In 2007, Schmidt opened Brooke’s Candy Co. inside her childhood home. The business shared the home with her parents until 2014 when it moved into a larger building in 2014. Schmidt’s sister, Dana Vicars, joined the company, and the two started Brooke’s Naturals, which manufactures all-natural, gluten and rice free products for wholesale distribution. As the wholesale business continued to grow, Schmidt and Vicars closed a retail store in Terre Haute, to focus on the wholesale market. Their products are available in stores such as Target, Kroger and Giant Eagle Market District.

After a meal of moo goo gai pan, founder Mike Fry ate a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant in Fort Wayne. As he ate, he contemplated a way to change fortune cookies from bland and boring to fun, flavorful and colorful. Fry spent many years perfecting his recipe and baking the cookies. He was the first-non Asian to make fortune cookies, and he invented a fortune cookie machine. Fry died in 2012, however, his wife, Erin, continued the business. Fancy Fortune Cookies, Indianapolis, offers cookies in a variety of flavors and colors. Cookies can be customized and ordered for specific holidays. Fancy Fortune Cookies also offers giant fortune cookies.  I

Coding boot camps: skills for today and tomorrow

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Coding boot camps: skills for today and tomorrow

By Ben Lashar

WHETHER YOU’RE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT trying to determine your next move, an adult looking to change careers, or you want to update your skills — or you’re a parent who wants to prepare your student for the future job market — coding boot camps teach skills such as coding, web development and working with databases that can create job opportunities. 

Coding boot camps cost less and take less time than a traditional four-year college. Many even offer deferred tuition or income-sharing agreements, allowing for students to pay tuition out of their new paycheck after they completed the course. According to Course Report, coding boot camp graduates earn $70,698 on average during their first job after the camp, so the camps are an option for those struggling to find a high paying job.

Nucamp, Indianapolis, Carmel and Fort Wayne 

Nucamp specializes in making coding instruction available to a wide variety of people. Students dedicate eight to 14 hours a week to online coursework and then meet in person once a week on Saturdays. In addition, classes cost less than $2,000. The low cost and flexible times expand accessibility to those who want to learn computer science but cannot afford to quit their jobs. At the end of the course, Nucamp students create a portfolio project to share with employers. 

Coder Dojo, multiple cities

Many coding boot camps foster talent in children. For example, Coder Dojo teaches children from age 7 to 17. The dojo begins exposing children to Scratch, a coding program designed for children. Then students move to more complex projects as their skills grow. Indiana has more Coder Dojo locations than any other state, with locations including but not limited to Indianapolis, Evansville, Kokomo and Columbus.

Kenzie Academy, Indianapolis

Kenzie Academy resembles a combination of coding boot camps and traditional colleges. Students spend two years learning skills such as software engineering and digital marketing. Kenzie is initially free to join because students pay Kenzie out of their paychecks from their new tech job, which the school guarantees to be at least $40,000 or students don’t have to pay. In addition, Kenzie offers earn and learn programs that allow students to make a living while attending classes.

Code Ninjas, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, West Lafayette and Zionsville 

Coder Ninjas take advantage of children’s natural love for gaming, using games to teach children age 7 to 14 coding skills. Children can enroll in camps, individual lessons and even coding-themed birthday parties. Classes range from JavaScript to Minecraft and teach students math, teamwork, digital literacy and more. 

New Horizons Computer Learning Center, Indianapolis 

New Horizons has more than 250 locations internationally, including one in Indianapolis. It offers education in Adobe, Salesforce and Microsoft, providing more than 40 percent of all authorized Microsoft training. Classes can be either in person or online, and prices vary depending on the program. 

South Bend Code School, Bloomington, Elkhart, Fort Wayne and South Bend

South Bend Code School offers two different programs depending on age. Children ages 7 to 12 learn the basics of coding while building games and websites in a collaborative environment. Teenagers ages 13 to 18 gain real life experience working with professional level tools in order to create a portfolio.

Eleven Fifty, Fishers

Eleven Fifty teaches a variety of courses, and is Indiana’s first registered apprenticeship program, which means it guarantees apprenticeships with partner companies. For $13,500 students can take courses full time for 12 weeks or part time for 24 weeks. Eleven Fifty offers several scholarships and opportunities to make tuition more affordable. The Academy G.I. Bill Fund allows veterans to attend for free.

Overcoming the skills gap

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Overcoming the skills gap

By Ben Lashar

IT IS HARD TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEES without resorting to obvious platitudes. Of course, no business owner could find successes without quality employees. Even the coldest utilitarian recognizes the need for a skilled workforce. What’s less obvious is the recent increase in the value of skilled labor.  

For many, the conversation about job skills is not about how potential employees can better compete with each other for a limited amount of jobs. It is about how employers can compete with each other for a limited amount of workers. A skills gap looms between what skills the workforce possesses and skills employers seek. Many organizations and businesses across the state are trying to create ways to fill that void found in various fields.

WHAT’S THE SITUATION?

Two main factors caused Indiana’s skills disparity: low unemployment and changes in what skills are in demand. According to Fred Payne, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (IDWD), Indiana’s unemployment rate is 3.6 percent, which lands just below the national average of 3.7 percent. Many Hoosiers benefit from the low unemployment rate, but low unemployment also means less people actively looking for work, making the search for qualified workers much more difficult. 

To further complicate the matter, some of the highest demand jobs, such as technology and health care positions, require skills not many job searchers have. Even less specialized fields are starting to seek employees with different skill sets. Payne says the number of manufacturing jobs is growing in Indiana. However, Dr. Kathleen Lee, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis, adds a caveat: manufacturing in 2019 requires more technical know-how. Manufacturing companies now need more employees trained in areas such as IT and robotics, not just laborers. 

“This isn’t grandpa’s manufacturing,” Lee says. “This is the manufacturing of today and the future.”

The inability to find and hire qualified employees can be frustrating or prohibit productivity. However, many organization are solving the skills gap.

THE EFFORTS OF EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS

Educational organizations are a resource for filling skill gaps both big and small. Sometimes these organizations take the form of traditional four-year colleges. Others offer a shorter and more specialized education. Either way, post-secondary education, in whatever form it takes, will likely become an even more essential part of developing job skills in the future.  

“This is one thing for sure: that many of the jobs that will be available in the next 10 years will need some degree of post-secondary education,” Payne says, adding that Indiana aims for 60 percent of Hoosiers to have a post-secondary education by 2025.

Some post-secondary institutions such as Purdue Polytechnic Institute specialize in programs for high demand area. The college not only features stronger STEM leanings than liberal art programs, but also follows a problem-solving philosophy. 

Students use a capstone project to help a business solve a real-life problem, proving their value to potential employees. Brooke Huntington, assistant dean for Purdue Polytechnic Institute, credits student’s problem-solving prowess in part to the college not neglecting the humanities while teaching STEM. 

“We recognize that we are solving problems that aren’t just tech related,” Huntington says. “They often are related to human issues, so we work very closely with our counterparts in liberal arts and the humanities across our campus and outside.” 

At Ivy Tech, every program features an advisory board consisting of people in that field. The board ensures students learn the skills needed for present day and the future of their intended career. 

Ivy Tech also assists businesses just as businesses assist them. The college helps make businesses skills-rich by training current employees in technical skills. They offer programs where businesses can hire Ivy Tech to train employees in anything from navigating new software to using 3D printing. 

“We might get a call from a company, who is, for example, is updating their entire computer system using a new software package or something and needs training for in-house employees just to get that new very specific skill set, so we might go onsite then,” Lee says.

KENZIE’S NEW MODEL

After a history in both Wall Street and Silicon Valley, Chok Leang Ooi created a business to address gaps in the tech industry through training talent overseas. He eventually came to an important conclusion. 

“Why are we looking so far away when there’s so much untapped talent in our own country?” Leang Ooi says. “Particularly in the Midwest where the economy is going through a major digital transformation.”

Leang Ooi went on to become CEO and founder of Kenzie Academy, Indianapolis, a middle ground between a traditional college experience and a coding boot camp. Kenzie looks more like a tech startup than a school. There are no lecture halls, dry speeches or teachers. The schooling consists of industry professionals teaching through project-based lessons. 

Kenzie addresses the skills gap by lowering the barriers to a technical education, with price being one of the biggest obstacles. Instead of student loans, students pay Kenzie a percentage of their paycheck for four years if they get a position after graduation. If they don’t find work in their field, they don’t have to pay.

Kenzie also makes it easier to earn a living while studying for two years by offering earn and learn programs in which students get jobs in a tech call center, for example. Hours are built around their school schedule. Not only do earn and learn programs ease financial concerns, but such programs also teach soft skills like customer support. 

Kenzie might be only two years old, but it already is showing success. Kenzie currently has 120 students and Leang Ooi expects the number to grow to 300 by the end of the year. In addition, over 50 percent of Kenzie’s first round of graduates found a job with a salary around $50,000 a year the same month they graduated. 

INCENTIVES OF NEXT LEVEL JOBS

In addition to educational organizations, the state also attempts to fill in skills gaps with programs such as Next Level Jobs, Gov. Eric Holcomb’s job training program focused on developing job skills agenda. An important part of Next Level Jobs is the Employer Training Grant, which reimburses employers for offering on-the-job training for high-wage and high-demand sectors: advanced manufacturing, building and construction, health and life sciences, IT and business, transportation and logistics, and agriculture. 

The grant awards employers up to $5,000 for every employee trained with a total maximum of $50,000. In order to count, the training must exceed 40 hours, be completed within 12 months and not related to human resources or informal job shadowing. Currently, around 450 companies participate in the Employer Training Grant such as Tyson Foods, Allegion, Farmers Insurance and Indiana University Health. These employers are training around 7,000 employees. The resulting workplace training can be both an attractive feature to prospective hires and a way to improve workplace output. 

“You’re seeing employers really being creative and trying to make sure they’re retaining employees and ensuring they’re doing all they can to recruit and attract employees.” Payne says. “That’s where we, the state, have helped”  

THE POSSIBILITIES OF ON THE JOB TRAINING

Be it through a partnership with schools, government programs or independent efforts, many businesses have found addressing a skills gap is not just about discovering new employees. It’s also about cultivating current ones.

Cummins has embraced on the job training. The company is located in Bartholomew County, which has between two and three percent unemployment, so discovering new hires equipped with the necessary skills is challenging. Cummins adopted what its Southern Indiana Placement Services manager Harold J. Wilson calls a “hire and develop” philosophy to address the problem.

Not only does Cummins have trainers whose sole job is to help new hires, but the company often pairs new employees with older ones in mentorship programs. Programs can both teach employees about their current job and/or help them on the path to getting better jobs in the company.

“We have a lot of opportunity for career growing and opportunities to do more than what they are hired to do,” Wilson says. “A lot of the people we have coming to us today have a little work experience and have worked for a lot of other companies, but when they come to Cummins, I believe that they’re more focused on wanting a career. They don’t want necessarily a job. They want to grow.”

For example, Cummins offers an industrial electricians training program because there are very few industrial electricians in the workforce. Without this apprenticeship program, Wilson says the gap in the company would be “significant.” 

BUILDING A JOB PIPELINE

There are ways for employers to attract quality workers other than making a job posting and hoping for the best. Praxair, an industrial gas company with locations across Indiana and U.S. headquarters in Connecticut, has the Praxair’s Skills Pipeline workforce development program. The program not only for Praxair employees, but individuals from the community, looking to increase their marketable skills. 

Praxair’s Skills Pipeline workforce development program is a collaboration between Praxair and Ivy Tech that helps people develop manufacturing skills. Tamara Brown, Praxair’s director of sustainable development and community engagement, identifies five key pillars of the program. The first is community events or advertising the program through avenues such as school visits and job fairs while educating about possible career paths. The second is instructorships where Praxair helps fund resources for schools to teach these skills. Pillar three involves scholarships that make the program affordable. The fourth pillar is continuing education where the program builds on people’s existing skills. Professional development, or bringing in guest lecturers involved with Praxair, is the final pillar. 

“If you will give your hard work and your dedication to finishing the program, then you really are unencumbered in terms of the cost of the program,” Brown says. 

While not everyone who attends the program ends up working for Praxair, it has been a useful employee development tool. Brown notes that one Praxair location once suffered from a severe lack of welders, much like the rest of the industry, as older employees retired and no new employees filled that void. The workforce development program helped Praxair create a new pool of welders. 

THE FALLACY OF A SUPERSTAR TEAM

Perhaps one of the simplest yet most effective ways to solve a skills gap in a company is to rethink hiring practices. Businesses owners often fall into the trap of thinking of the perfect hire: an over-achieving leader with a list of impressive accomplishments and complete knowledge of his or her field. Tiffany Thompson, chief recruiter at Damar Staffing Solutions, warns against being too attached to that image of an employee because it can cause employers to overlook other potential hires.

“You can’t run an organization of only superstars because the competitive make up of those kinds of people ultimately don’t get things done,” Thompson says.

A team of only average Joes also fails to be optimal because the workers might not aspire to excellence. Thompson instead recommends hiring a diversity of personalities. A healthy combination of the two groups leads to a well-balanced and productive workforce. 

Thompson also urges employers to consider both hard and soft skills when hiring. Hard skills are important, but they are also teachable. Soft skills are much harder to teach, so employers can mold prospective hires who excel in this area into a good employee. Thompson says critical soft skills of a good employee include focused, detail oriented, able to listen and showing a willingness to learn. 

“You’ve got to be prepared to understand that you’re not going to get every individual that has all the boxes checked come in the door, so don’t even set yourself up to expect that,” Thompson says. “And understand that a good employee is someone who falls within those four attributes, and you can build from there.”

Minority-owned business shares benefits of cbd oil

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Minority-owned business shares benefits of cbd oil

By Sarah Jameson Felder

A DESIRE TO DITCH THE prescription medications Amy Sawyer used since childhood because of the side effects the medicine caused led her to herbalism. After studying herbalism for 10 years, a friend suggested she try CBD oil. Once she tried it, Sawyer says she knew she had to share her discovery with others — but there was one, not so tiny problem. CBD oil comes from cannabis sativa and people naturally assume it’s marijuana.

It’s not.

Cannabidiol oil, or CBD oil, is a cannabinoid compound found in cannabis sativa and is extracted from hemp. To be clear, hemp is not marijuana and has no or trace amounts of the psychoactive compound THC, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. THC in marijuana creates the mind-altering high. The endocannabinoid system, which is in the central nervous system, has receptors specifically for cannabinoids.

“Since this industry is so new there’s a lot of misinformation,” Sawyer says. “That’s why we call our medicine hemp based. CBD is part of that.”

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill in March 2018 legalizing CBD oil with no more than 0.3 percent THC and meets certain label requirements. 

Realizing the potential market for CBD oil, high prices and lack of transparency in labeling ingredients, Sawyer, 31, and the friend who introduced her to CBD oil Jaimeson Wright, 28, started Rooted Scales in 2018. 

“[We’re] a hemp lifestyle and wellness company based here in Indianapolis,” Sawyer says. “Our mission is to provide all natural, organic high-potency hemp products as well as educate our community on the benefits of hemp medicine,” Sawyer says.

Besides educating people on what CBD oil is — and is not — Sawyer says she helps people understand how to purchase quality products. It’s easy to be confused.

“The product needs to be healing and not have anything that would be contradictory to the healing,” Sawyer says. “For example, we keep the chlorophyll. It has a little bit of a bitter taste, and it makes the oil a brownish-green, most companies take that out.”

After noticing products on the market with confusing labels and unnecessary additives, Sawyer and Wright decided to go into business together. The planning time was all of a month.

“I think it was like a God thing,” Sawyer says. “I think it was just the time that we needed to go and just start. … Start up costs were probably $10,000. I would say that’s probably over the course of five to seven months.”

While her entry into entrepreneurship was quick, Sawyer says she’s preparing her business for long-term success by partnering with health care practitioners to offer a discount of 20 percent, and military members also receive a 45 percent discount. Sawyer also is looking forward to when Rooted Scales can grow their own hemp instead of buying it from hemp farmers, which will make her product more affordable and spell longevity for the business.

Sawyer advises new entrepreneurs to work with people you can trust, remember why you started the business and allow God to guide you — especially during the tough times — and market your business.

“Social media is a thing,” Sawyer said. “Make sure that no matter how much you don’t like it, make sure you use the marketing tools that are available for us to use as a society.

Make sure to invest in a website. … There’s just so much to know; trying to do it yourself can lead to so many more headaches.”

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