Community Connect logo

PRESENTED BY

Built For What's Next

Indiana's Next Chapter in Companies, Capital and Community

November 4 | Butler University

Community Connect brings Indiana’s founders, investors, corporate innovators and university entrepreneurship leaders together.

The day is built around the partnerships and capital shaping the state’s next chapter, including curated Venture Connect meetings between founders and investors.

Wednesday, November 4 | 9 am - 3 pm

Butler University – Atherton Union Reilly Room
704 W Hampton Dr, Indianapolis

Community Connect attendees from different organizations and backgrounds participate in a small-group discussion around a table.
Attendees speak with Comcast Business representatives at a sponsor booth during TechPoint’s Community Connect event.

Built for Everyone Shaping Indiana's Next Chapter

Founders & Startup Leaders

Meet with investors, connect with corporate partners and see how Indiana is building the infrastructure for company growth.

Investors

Meet promising Indiana startups and scale-ups through curated one-on-one Venture Connect meetings, alongside a broader view of the state’s innovation pipeline.

Corporate & Innovation Leaders

See how startups, venture firms and established companies can work together to solve real business problems and create new growth.

Higher Education Entrepreneurship Leaders

Connect university founders, technologies and venture funds with the investors, partners and resources that move ideas from campus to market.

Indiana Tech Community

Hear TechPoint’s vision for the state’s tech future and meet the companies and people building what comes next.

Venture Connect logo community connect

Where High-Potential Companies Meet Investors

TechPoint connects venture capital and investment firms from across the country with promising Indiana startups and scale-ups. Venture Connect uses curated, one-on-one meetings to help founders meet investors whose interests align with their companies.

Registering for Community Connect doesn’t automatically include Venture Connect. Select the ticket type for Startups or Investors at registration, and TechPoint will follow up to coordinate participation.

How Venture Connect Works

1

Register to Attend

Register for Community Connect and indicate interest in Venture Connect.

2

Look Books Distributed

TechPoint compiles participating companies and investors into a Look Book.

3

Preferences Submitted

Companies and investors review the Look Book and submit meeting preferences.

4

Schedules Distributed

Participants receive their meeting schedule about a week before the event.

5

Venture Connect Meetings

Investors and companies meet in back-to-back, 20-minute sessions.

6

TechPoint Tracks Impact

TechPoint follows up to track introductions, partnerships and investment.

Two Venture Connect participants have a one-on-one conversation across a table with a laptop during a TechPoint event.

Full Agenda and Speaker Lineup Coming Soon

We’re finalizing the day’s speakers and schedule. Check back for updates, or register now to be notified when the agenda is live.

Sally Reasoner of TechPoint speaks into a microphone during a Community Connect event.

Agenda

Sally Reasoner, TechPoint’s VP of Talent Strategy, will open the day with an overview of the day’s format and objectives. She’ll also discuss the ways workforce development and AI adoption are more connected than ever.

Dr. Latha Ramchand, the inaugural chancellor of Indiana University Indianapolis, on the role of higher education in preparing talent for a rapidly-changing workplace. She’ll discuss why stronger connections between employers and students matter more than ever.

In this conversation, panelists from education and the workforce will discuss:

  • How AI is changing work inside organizations
  • Which skills are becoming more valuable as AI capabilities expand
  • What employers are looking for in early-career talent
  • How organizations are approaching workforce development and training
  • Where human judgment, communication, creativity and problem-solving remain essential
  • Advice for students preparing for the future of work

Participants move to assigned tables, with groups curated to include employers, educators, community leaders, Xterns and emerging talent in each group. Each table will have a facilitator and a scribe responsible for capturing key insights. Groups will have diverse levels of AI experience and adoption.

The goal of this session is to move beyond AI hype and explore how organizations are adapting work, talent and workforce strategies. We’ll capture common themes, notable examples, workforce implications and questions raised by students and employers.

What has AI already replaced? Tasks, workflows or activities that are now automated. Examples of productivity gains or operational improvements. What work is disappearing or changing.

What are you trying to get AI to replace? Repetitive or low-value work. Current challenges and barriers. Areas where organizations are actively experimenting.

What can’t AI replace? Skills, experiences and capabilities that remain uniquely human. What employers will increasingly value in future talent. How education and workforce systems should respond.

Participants will engage directly with Xterns as they showcase what they are building with AI. Employers and community leaders are encouraged to ask questions, provide feedback, explore how students are applying skills in real-world settings and better understand the strengths and perspectives of emerging talent.

The session is designed to create meaningful interaction between employers and the next generation of Indiana’s workforce.

Networking and informal discussion.

As AI changes how work gets done, organizations must rethink not only how they develop talent but how they create new ideas, products and businesses. This keynote will explore:

  • Key themes surfaced throughout the day
  • The relationship between workforce capability and innovation capacity
  • Why problem-solving, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking are becoming increasingly important
  • How emerging technologies create opportunities for new companies and new industries
  • What Indiana must do to remain competitive in the next era of economic growth
  • Why talent is not the finish line but the starting point for innovation
  • Indiana’s innovation paradox: strong research and industry assets that too rarely become new products, companies and jobs
  • How connecting talent, researchers, employers and entrepreneurs can unlock more of Indiana’s potential
  • What Indiana must do to turn its existing strengths into long-term economic growth

TechPoint’s Ginger Lippert will share top insights from the day, connecting ideas shared to what employers, educators and students can do next. She will preview the next Community Connect and introduce opportunities for continued engagement with TechPoint and the tech community.

Presenting Sponsor

Keynote Sponsors

TABLE SPONSORS

Sponsorship Opportunities

Become a Sponsor

Showcase your brand in front of Indiana’s tech leaders. See how sponsoring a Community Connect event can increase your visibility and impact and even provide opportunities for thought leadership.

Be Part of What's Next

Register today to join founders, investors, corporate leaders and Indiana’s tech community on November 4 at Butler University.

Search