Defensive moves blocked most anti-business legislation, commerce leaders say
Business leaders say they had to play defense with the GOP-dominated state Legislature for most of this year’s legislative session but emerged mostly successful.
Indy Chamber
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IBJ Podcast: Why business execs are pushing back against legislative interference in Indy
More than 60 business and not-for-profit executives have signed a letter telling lawmakers to back off proposals that would restrict or usurp power from city government in Indianapolis.
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More than 60 execs sign letter urging lawmakers to resist ‘heavy-handed limits’ on Indianapolis government
The letter—signed by leaders at Eli Lilly and Co., Elanco, OneAmerica, Anthem Inc., IU Health, Salesforce and Roche Diagnostics, among others—acknowledges that the city faces economic, housing and crime problems, but the executives say they believe local officials are the ones best equipped to tackle those challenges.
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UPDATE: Council approves $25M to make federal paycheck loans available to small businesses
The Indianapolis City-County Council voted unanimously Friday morning to provide Indy Chamber with $25 million that will enable the business-advocacy group to quickly offer forgivable loans to small businesses in Marion County backed by the federal Paycheck Protection Program.
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Articles
Programs aim to bring diversity to work-procurement table
Two new supplier-diversity programs are launching in Indianapolis as local companies and other organizations try to make good on their equity promises from last year.
Indianapolis group wants sections of I-65, I-70 underground
Rethink Coalition Inc, in partnership with the Indy Chamber, put together a $2.8 billion proposal to rebuild the “Inner Loop” partially underground, which the researchers say would connect communities and save far more room for economic development and green space.
Indy Chamber’s chief policy officer named CEO at Indiana Association of Realtors
In announcing Mark Fisher’s selection on Thursday, the Indiana Association of Realtors praised his experience in a wide range of policy matters important to the group and its members.
IBJ Podcast: Indy Chamber’s shift in focus pays dividends
Guest host Lesley Weidenbener interviews Indy Chamber CEO Michael Huber and the group’s director of economic development, Vincent Ash, about the programs that won it Chamber of the Year honors.
Michael Huber: Let’s use the tournament to sell Indy, attract talent
There’s a saying about successful college athletic programs: “They don’t rebuild, they reload.” After a year of unprecedented economic disruption and hardship, Indianapolis is well-positioned to both rebuild from COVID and reload with talent to drive our economy forward.
Chamber to spend millions in quest to attract residents
The Indy Chamber is in the early stages of a $6.1 million, five-year, online effort whose goal is easy to understand but tricky to achieve: Persuade people to move here.
Indy Chamber to push for higher state cigarette tax, expanded pre-K
The business-advocacy organization also said it re-elected board Chairman Dennis Murphy of IU Health and the rest of the board’s executive committee.
Indy Chamber announces leadership change at Develop Indy
Indy Chamber executive Ian Nicolini has moved into the organization’s long-vacant role of chief operating officer, and Portia Bailey-Bernard has taken over Nicolini’s former position as the chamber’s economic development leader.
Money still available for PPP loans, but deadline looms
Indiana lenders had secured a total of $9.5 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans for their borrowers as of Saturday, according to the Small Business Administration.
IBJ Podcast: Indy Black Chamber of Commerce wants city support
Host Mason King talks with the Black Chamber’s Larry Williams about why he thinks the city should be working more with his organization—and providing it funding. And King also talks with Angela Smith Jones, the deputy mayor of economic development, about the reasons the city is working with Indy Chamber.
New group pledges $500,000 to struggling minority businesses in Marion, Hamilton counties
For its first investment, Impact is partnering with Indy Chamber’s Business Ownership Initiative in its effort to deliver rapid release response loans of $1,000 to $25,000 to businesses in need.
Beyond COVID podcast: Indy Chamber is trying to help companies stay on their feet through the shutdown
Indy Chamber CEO Michael Huber talks about the programs, what kinds of companies need them most and how the experiences have changed the way he’s thinking about his organization and what its mission will be going forward.
City, Indy Chamber aim to raise $10M for rapid-loan fund for small businesses
Nearly $3 million has already been committed to the fund, including $1 million from Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc. and $1.5 million from the city of Indianapolis.
Q&A: Polina Osherov on St’artUp 317
Pattern Indy Editor-in-Chief Polina Osherov sat down with IBJ to talk about the third season of St’artUp 317, a program by the magazine and Indy Chamber that pairs underused first-floor commercial spaces in commercial corridors with artists, creators and producers looking for retail space.
‘Make ’Em Clap’ to legislative updates
Indy Chamber Chief Policy Officer Mark Fisher injects a little fund into the organization's legislative updates in the form of hip-hop references.
Mentor program seeks to boost Hispanic-owned businesses
The soaring Hispanic population can be a powerful engine for growth in the Indiana economy—potential that some of the state’s best-known businesses are embracing.
IPS, Indy Chamber outline unconventional 3-year partnership to cut spending
The staff members and consultants would help the district implement some of the chambers’ broad recommendations for hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts in the coming years, including possible school closures, reduced transportation, and staff reductions.
Chamber’s music initiative aims to turn up volume on Indy’s scene
The business advocacy group is working with city officials and a consultant to develop a strategy for promoting Indianapolis’ musical assets—and then writing the next verse in a higher key and more robust tempo.
IBJ EXCLUSIVE: Emails reveal plans, intense ‘war room’ effort to lure Amazon’s HQ2
Records provided to IBJ give behind-the-scenes insight into the all-hands-on-deck effort to attract the $5 billion project to Indianapolis, including setting up secret meetings, weighing several possible sites, and discussing “creative” incentives such as building a charter school on the prospective campus.