November 23, 2015 – Muncie, IN – Muncie Innovation Connector recently hosted the Excellence in Innovation Awards at the Horizon Convention Center. The purpose of this inaugural event was to recognize leaders in business innovation including those who are well established and others who are emerging.

Ted Baker, Executive Director of the Innovation Connector, served as the evening’s emcee. Keynote speakers for the evening were Ontario Systems co-founders, Wil Davis and Ron Fauquher. The duo recounted the challenges they faced and the lessons they learned as they launched their software company, literally out of a garage. They also challenged the crowd of more than three hundred in attendance to learn from every experience, take the time to hire the right people, be committed to developing your staff, create a sustainable organization, understand your corporate and individual purpose, and always innovate.

 

Awards were presented in three categories throughout the evening. Attendees celebrated five business owners and organizations with the Excellence in Innovation Award. These businesses have survived many challenges over the years to remain solid anchors for the business community in East Central Indiana. Also accepting an award was local high school student who was presented with the first ever Young Innovator’s Award. Lastly, the Innovation Connector awarded five emerging businesses with the top prizes in the 2015 Big Idea Pitch Competition.

These five recipients were honored as inaugural Excellence in Innovation Award Winners and inductees into the Innovation Connector’s “Innovation Wall of Fame”.

• Thomas Office Solutions, Muncie, IN – represented by Gary & Michael Thomas
• Little Diecast Corp, Albany, IN – represented by John Littler
• Jacks Camera Shop, Inc., Muncie, IN – represented by Mike Powell
• Carrera Manufacturing Inc., Portland, IN – represented by Jim Hiester
• Boyce Systems, Daleville, IN – represented by Mike Galliher

The Young Innovator Award was presented to John Pugsley from Daleville High School.

In the spirit of innovation, the five finalists of The 2015 BIG Idea Pitch competition delivered their business ideas in live; two-minute pitches to all in attendance. A panel of distinguished judges then awarded the following winners later in the evening. Big Idea Pitch winners walked away with prize packages totaling nearly $40,000 in cash and services.

• First Place: Brent Allred & Tyler Harris – Avec Audio
• Second Place: Alex Call & Hunter Radke – Healthy Cookie
• Third Place: Mark Ullom – Digital X-Ray Holder
• Fourth Place: Greg White – GW Hops & Honey
• Fifth Place: Johnell Kelley – Royale Curves

“The Excellence in Innovation Awards and the finals of the BIG Idea Pitch Competition met all of the criteria we established, including the number of businesses and individuals that were involved,” stated Innovation Connector Executive Director, Ted Baker. “Our region has a strong base of entrepreneurial and innovative leadership, and these two events were intended to highlight and encourage this strength. The Innovation Connector will continue to create opportunities for local entrepreneurs to develop and grow their business ideas and businesses right here in East Central Indiana.”

The 2015 BIG Idea Pitch and the Excellence in Innovation Awards were presented by the Innovation Connector and sponsored in part by First Merchants Bank, Ball State University, Ball Brothers Foundation, Indiana Michigan Power, MutualBank, Whitinger & Company, Star Bank, Ontario Systems, Whitinger Strategic Services, Ivy Tech Community College, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, LEAP Managed IT, and Defur Voran.

Sean Brady loves beers. He loves the art of crafting special beers. Sean changed his hobby into a business model and New Corner Brewing Company was formed. However the details of starting a business were somewhat overwhelming for Sean. Focusing on being part of Muncie’s downtown was important to Sean and the development of his business. Since winning the BIG Pitch, Sean has found new ways to connect to the Muncie community. He now regularly features his four different hand-crafted beers at gatherings and events which continually opens his business to new clientele. Sean is still currently working hard to build out his near-downtown location and expects to open in the near future. Sean attributes his involvement in the BIG Pitch to opening his craft to new client markets and has made many great relationships as a result of the competition. The cash prize, as well as the awarded services, was instrumental in assisting Sean to master a few new challenges and hurdles.

“Toy Story” was the first movie Nick and Patrick Rieth saw in theaters. Now the brothers are on the other side of the camera, with their own Muncie-based film company called Rieth Brothers.

“Since a young age, we’ve been in love with movies and the power of story,” Patrick, a junior animation major, said. “We want to use the power of story to help people deliver messages.”

Starting their own business took the Rieth brothers 15 minutes and $90. The two started the company in May 2014 through the services of Innovation Connector. Innovation Connector is a business incubator in Muncie that supports start up businesses and helps them grow.

The Rieth brothers won Innovation Connector’s “The
BIG Pitch” idea competition in October 2014. They’ve been working with Ted Baker, Innovation Connector’s executive director, ever since. The competition provided the brothers with connections and opportunities they didn’t have before.

Nick, a Ball State alumnus, and Patrick are starting to get their footing in the film industry. They are currently doing a lot of “bread and butter” work, including weddings, events and training videos. They’ve not been able to create as many creative projects as they’d like, but these kinds of projects are in the works.

“We’re definitely looking forward to what we have planned this fall,” Nick said.

One creative project the brothers recently made is a parody of Taylor Swift’s song “Bad Blood” called “Dad Bods.”

When it comes to schedules, Nick and Patrick’s are jam-packed. Aside from running their business, Patrick is a full-time student and works with Ball State’s Digital Corps while Nick works as a redshirt at Brothers Bar and Grill.

Nick’s schedule can change from week to week, which doesn’t bother him in the slightest.

“That’s part of the fun of it,” Nick said. “I like knowing my schedule, but also like having a varied schedule.”

Patrick said owning a business requires “way more hours than you’d think.” The hours depend on the work that needs to be done. Some weeks can be slow while the next week requires 50 hours of work.

“The hours don’t count, it’s what you do that counts,” Patrick said. “If you can perform when it matters, that’s what’s the most important.”

And the brothers can do that, Baker said.

“Nick and Patrick are awesome people to work with,” he said. “They want to learn and make their business successful.”

Baker works with the Rieths as a facilitator and coach and answers questions when needed. He monitors their company’s processes.

“It’s their business; it’s not my business,” Baker said. “I’m here to guide them into the best practices.”

The brothers are taking advantage of Innovation Connector and other resources in Muncie to expand their company.

“Muncie’s definitely on the upswing in the small business community,” Nick said. “It’s really cool to see all the growth that’s happening and to be able to be a part of that.”

 

Miller Kern. “The power of a story: brothers build a business in film after winning competition” Ball State Daily Published 08/21/15 8:45am http://www.ballstatedaily.com/article/2015/08/reith-brothers-company

 

July 7, 2015 – (Orlando, Florida) – The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA), an international non-profit organization and global advocate for stakeholders within entrepreneur-driven economic ecosystems, recently completed its board elections and five new board members were elected to three year terms. NBIA’s board of directors is comprised of 15 members who are elected by members. The newly elected board members will begin their term October 1, 2015.

An NBIA member since 2010, Ted Baker is in his fifth year as CEO and Executive Director of the Muncie Innovation Connector, a technology incubator and coworking space in Muncie, Ind. Ted previously built, grew and sold several successful businesses and has remained involved with several community economic development projects. David Fonseca serves as Associate Director of the Innovation Center and an Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. An NBIA member since 2010, David is an experienced innovation activist who has presented at NBIA events in Mexico, the U.S. and Russia.

Gail Gillian-Bain is President of the Canadian Association of Business Incubation (CABI) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and has been an NBIA member since 2009. With CABI, Gail has expanded the association’s events offerings to include regional LINK and leadership summits, a food incubation international program and an expanded annual conference. An NBIA member since 2010 while with TechTown Detroit, Leslie Lynn Smith now serves as the President of EPIcenter, a collaborative and community-wide strategic initiative led by Memphis Bioworks Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.  Jorge Varela founded numerous startups before becoming involved with the incubation industry, and served as a mentor and advisor to the University of Texas at Arlington in 2009. In 2012 Jorge became the Assistant Director at TECH Fort Worth, and is currently the Executive Chair of the Alliance of Texas Angel Networks

“NBIA’s board is a working board and these new board members will play a vital role within the association by bringing new perspectives that are critical in ensuring NBIA serves the needs of our membership,” says Kirstie Chadwick, NBIA President and CEO. “As our governing body, the board sets policy and directs the Association’s affairs, and I am confident that David, Ted, Gail, Leslie Lynn and Jorge will be wonderful additions to the team.  I am very excited to work each of them over the next three years.”

The five new board members will replace the following members whose terms have expired. Two served on the executive committee – Tom O’Neal as Board Chair and Darlene Bourdreaux as Second Vice Chair. The remaining three include Sandra Cochrane and Russ Yelton.  Karl LaPan will also leave his emeritus position as the most recent past board chair, which will now go to Tom O’Neal. The remaining active term board members include:

• John Hanak, Entrepreneur in Residence and Venture Funding Relations Officer, The Purdue Foundry, West Lafayette, Ind.
• Chuck Wolfe, President, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, Calif.
• Charles Ross, Director, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Atlanta, Ga.
• DeAnna Adams, Interim Incubator Professional, Hattiesburg, Miss.
• Jamie Coughlin, Director, New Venture Incubator Programs, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, N.H.
• Terry Howerton, Partner, TechNexus, Chicago, Ill.
• Devon Laney, President & CEO, Innovation Depot, Birmingham, Ala.
• Jeff Milanette, President, Innovative Partners Incubation, Annapolis, Md.
• Catherine Pommier, Director, Montpellier Mediterranee Metropole, Montpellier, France
• Rick Roeser, Business Development Specialist, Wisconsin Business Innovation Corp., Spooner, Wis.

The Board of Director’s, NBIA’s governing body, comprises 15 members who are elected by the membership. NBIA’s president & CEO also may appoint up to two members. It is a working board, not an honorary body. It sets policy and directs the Association’s affairs; conducts strategic planning; sets financial objectives and monitors their achievements; shapes, approves, and evaluates programs and activities of the Association; and hires and evaluates the performance of NBIA’s chief staff executives. The Board also advises NBIA staff on issues pertaining to the entrepreneurial support ecosystem.

Each year NBIA fills five Board positions, as one-third of the voting members rotate off the Board or seek re-election to a second term. NBIA Board members serve three-year terms and can be elected to only two consecutive terms. Terms begin Oct. 1.

Board members are elected to represent NBIA’s membership at large and not a particular nation, state, regional interest or other constituency. NBIA seeks candidates who have been active NBIA members for several years and who have sufficient professional experience to serve on an international board.

Members of the Board influence the direction of the Association, so they must first be familiar with NBIA operations, services and members. NBIA aims for a well-balanced Board representing the diverse interests of the 1,900 members of the Association. Therefore, NBIA seeks candidates from a variety of backgrounds, including different:

• types of entrepreneurial support programs (mixed-use, technology, special focus, private, venture capital and others)
• relationships to the industry (program managers, developers, sponsors and other stakeholders)
• geographic locations

Candidates who are incubator managers should represent financially sound incubation programs with the resources necessary to support Board service.

To learn more about NBIA’s board of directors, or to read the current board member bios, click here.

 

About NBIA:

The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) is an international non-profit organization and global advocate for incubators, accelerators, educational institutions and regional economic development stakeholders. With nearly 2,000 members across over 60 countries, NBIA provides its members with essential information, education, advocacy and networking resources to bring excellence to the process of assisting early-stage companies succeed. Visit www.nbia.org to learn more.