“We are thrilled to embark on this exciting partnership with the STARTedUP Foundation,” said Jason Whitney, Chief Venture Officer at IU Ventures and Executive Director of the IU Angel Network. “By joining forces, we can amplify our impact, providing aspiring student entrepreneurs with the resources and mentorship needed to turn their dreams into reality.”

Mota spoke with Inside INdiana Business about his work at Signature School, his former students’ successes, and his involvement in the STARTedUP Innovation Educator Fellowship.

A New Tool To Fight Drug Addiction—Using Virtual Reality—Emerges From A University-Based Startup

After a March award of $100k from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the team demonstrated significant progress and was awarded an additional $100k prize for their efforts.

The trio beat nine Indiana high school teams and received thousands of dollars in scholarships and funding. Hilton and Schreid spoke with Inside INdiana Business about winning the state competition and what’s next for their business.

Ethan Hilton, an incoming first-year student at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, along with his teammates Tolen Schreid, an incoming aerospace engineering student at Purdue University, and Emily Rudolph, an incoming engineering student at Notre Dame, has won the 2024 Innovate WithIN competition, the largest high school pitch contest in the nation, with over 3,000 teams competing in 2024.

The year's biggest competition for the next generation of Hoosier entrepreneurs brought new ideas for stopping school shootings, making roads safer and AI legal assistants.

Teams from Northwest Indiana earned several honors during the 2024 Innovate WithIN State Finals on June 21 in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis-based STARTedUP Foundation has revealed the 10 finalists for this year’s Innovate WithIN statewide pitch competition.

INDIANAPOLIS — You’ve heard of “Shark Tank,” but some Indianapolis students got their own chance to pitch their business ideas to some sharks of their own.

Ten teams of Lake County high school students did their best to pitch their problem-solving entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges Friday at Purdue Northwest as part of the Innovate WithIN regional pitch competition.

Kerry Ao and Naina Muvva learned that 80% of Americans can't identify basic financial literacy concepts. In response, they created Intertwined, an educational software platform that utilizes AI, pre-ChatGPT, to adapt the platform based on how each student interacts with the curriculum.

RELEASE: The STARTedUP Foundation’s Innovate WithIN is the largest high school pitch competition in the country and has grown year-over-year - with 2024 being another record breaking year. There were nearly 3000 students who signed up to compete with a 28% increase in the number of teams who submitted a finalized pitch, including a one-minute sizzle reel and lean business model canvas.

RELEASE: In a groundbreaking partnership, G-Unity Foundation, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, and The STARTedUP Foundation are coming together to ignite the spirit of entrepreneurship among Indianapolis youth. This dynamic collaboration aims to leverage the unique strengths of each organization to provide young innovators with unparalleled opportunities for growth and development.

This newsletter features Innovate WithIN kickoff, the 2023-2024 Innovation Fellows, statewide resources, new sponsors, and statewide Innovation Workshops!

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA (WBIW) - In partnership with the City of Bloomington, The Mill and Ivy Tech Bloomington, the STARTedUP Foundation performed an Innovation Workshop for three local high schools: Bloomington High School South, Edgewood High School, and the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship.

In an age defined by rapid technological advancements and shifting educational paradigms, the role of educators has never been more critical. The 2023-2024 STARTedUP Foundation Indiana Innovation Educator Fellows program represents a beacon of hope for the education sector, offering a unique opportunity for 35 educators across Indiana to embrace innovation, adapt to changing circumstances, and empower the next generation with the skills they need to thrive in a complex world.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Helping students view the world with an entrepreneur’s mindset. That’s the goal of a program hosted by the “STARTedUP Foundation.” News 8 Anchor Phil Sanchez goes UnPHILtered tonight with CEO Don Wettrick, and one of his former students, Kerry Ao, who went through the program.

The countdown is over and excitement is in the air as Innovate WithIN officially kicked off year seven on August 15, 2023! In an era driven by innovation, where creativity and entrepreneurship are the keys to success, Indiana's students and teachers have been presented with the opportunity to hone their skills and embrace their entrepreneurial spirit. This program is designed to ignite the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among Indiana's high school students and is poised to inspire and empower a new generation of visionary leaders.