Billie Dragoo: Indiana is focused on entrepreneurial ecosystem

One thing I’ve learned during my years as a founder, business owner and mentor is that there’s no traditional path to entrepreneurship. Some entrepreneurs inherit a family business, some see a solution they can’t ignore and some, like me, are pushed by circumstance — a layoff, a relocation, a life that suddenly looks nothing like the plan.

I took a risk. A lot of risks, actually. But what drove me to start RepuCare was the opportunity to create a better life for my family and to provide more opportunities for my children. That combination — the appetite for risk, the drive to build something of your own, the willingness to bet on yourself despite the unknown — is the thread that connects entrepreneurs and business owners across every industry, every background and every community.

What can make taking those risks feel more possible is a state government that works for businesses, cultivating the kind of environment that encourages entrepreneurs and provides them the kind of stability they can rely on to start and grow their companies, no matter the size.

That’s something Gov. Mike Braun understands personally. Like me, he’s a builder. Before stepping into politics, he spent decades growing a small business in his hometown of Jasper into a national industry leader. His views on entrepreneurship, small business and economic development were shaped in the trenches, where he learned firsthand what it takes to hire the first employee, survive the lean quarters and scale with intention.

Today, Braun is leading Indiana with the thoughtfulness and intention of an entrepreneur. He knows that no two founders are alike, and he is making sure Indiana has something to offer every one of them. For the Main Street entrepreneur opening a bakery or a hardware store that fills a real gap in their community, Indiana is a state that wants to make that possible. For the startup founder with a bold idea and a pitch deck, Indiana is ready to help you find funding and reach the next milestone. And for the growing company wrestling with the challenges of adopting next-gen technologies, launching products or scaling into new markets, Indiana has the resources designed for your evolution.

The governor’s commitment to entrepreneurs is not just rhetorical. In 2025 alone, Indiana served more than 10,000 founders and small businesses and supported the launch of 450-plus new businesses through the Indiana Economic Development Corp., the Indiana Small Business Development Center and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Through those agencies, the state is providing free business counseling, training, resources and even funding at every stage of the journey.

Braun’s genuine and practical focus on the full business ecosystem is borne out by recent initiatives. Keep IN is expanding pathways to entrepreneurship through acquisition, opening the door for a new generation of owners while ensuring legacy Hoosier businesses stay here and remain staples of their communities. IN AI is looking toward what’s next and working to future-proof our economy, helping entrepreneurs and businesses harness artificial intelligence — not as a distant concept, but as a tool accessible to companies of every size.

Like me, the governor is a founder who grew into a business leader, and now he’s paying it forward on a statewide scale. Under his leadership, Indiana is not just a place where businesses survive. It is a place where, no matter your journey, you have the ecosystem, the community, the mentorship and the resources to succeed. You have a governor with the conviction that every entrepreneur’s journey is worth supporting, and he’s implementing the policies and the programming to back it up.

Here, in Indiana, you can build something that matters.•

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Dragoo is founder and CEO of RepuCare. Gov. Mike Braun appointed her to the Indiana Economic Development Corp. board in January 2025.