In this episode, we sit down with Julie Heath, vice president of entrepreneurial ecosystems at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, along with Elisabeth Nieshalla, Taylor University student and entrepreneurial fellow at IEDC. They talk about the role talent plays in the success of Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and IEDC’s new partnership to bring Xtern to young startups.

10 years ago, roughly half of Indiana’s college graduates remained in the state upon graduation. This number was even lower for STEM degrees, as many of these students found opportunities and offers in major tech hubs. 

It was in the face of this problem that TechPoint launched the Xtern program, a 10 week internship program that employs hundreds of college students in roles at local tech companies. 

In this Circuit mini-series, X Years of Talent, TechPoint interviews the major players in Indiana’s tech landscape from talent organizations to the people who were there at the beginning of Xtern. We look back at the past decade of Indiana’s talent initiative and look towards the future of Indiana’s tech workforce. 

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