Entrepreneurship at Indiana University Bloomington

Indiana University's entrepreneurship ecosystem is anchored by the Kelley School of Business, which consistently ranks among the top business schools nationally and has a particularly strong undergraduate program. The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Kelley runs the curriculum and programming, while the Shoemaker Innovation Center provides physical space for student ventures. What distinguishes IU from peer Midwest schools is the breadth of its academic programs - the Jacobs School of Music, the Media School, and the School of Public Health create interdisciplinary founding team possibilities that purely technical schools lack.

The Kelley School's Entrepreneurship Immersion program places MBA students in startup roles, giving them hands-on experience before they launch their own companies. The annual Indiana University Venture Competition draws teams from across the university, and the Kelley Venture Fellows program connects students with local and national investors. IU's Innovate Indiana program coordinates technology commercialization across the university, and the Shoebox Innovation Center is expanding to support more student ventures.

Bloomington is a classic college town with a high quality of life and extremely low cost of living. The local startup scene is small but growing, supported by the Mill (a co-working and community space) and Dimension Mill (a makerspace for hardware projects). Indianapolis, one hour north, provides access to a larger market with growing startup infrastructure.

IU student founders in 2026 benefit from Kelley's strong business training and the university's growing investment in entrepreneurship infrastructure. The 50K IU Grand Challenge provides significant prize money for student ventures, and the Johnson Center's mentorship network connects students with experienced founders and investors. IU's strengths in media, music, and healthcare create unique startup opportunities in creative tech, edtech, and healthtech.

The practical advantage is cost: Bloomington is one of the most affordable college towns in the country, meaning student founders can build with minimal overhead. The challenge is market access - Bloomington is small, so founders need to think about distribution beyond the local market from day one.

• Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Kelley)
• Kelley School of Business - MBA with entrepreneurship focus
• Entrepreneurship Immersion program
• Innovate Indiana - university-wide tech commercialization

• Shoemaker Innovation Center - student venture workspace
• The Mill - Bloomington co-working and startup community
• Dimension Mill - makerspace for hardware projects

• Kelley Entrepreneurship Club
• Hoosier Entrepreneurs
• IU Venture Club
• Innovation Living-Learning Center

• ExactTarget (Scott Dorsey - Kelley)
• Angie's List (Angie Hicks)
• Formstack (Ade Olonoh)
• Lessonly (Max Yoder)

Bloomington's startup ecosystem is intimate and collaborative, centered on the Mill and Dimension Mill co-working spaces and the university's own incubation facilities. What it lacks in scale it makes up for in supportiveness - the community is tight-knit, and experienced founders actively help newcomers. Indianapolis, accessible by a one-hour drive, provides significant additional resources: High Alpha is one of the most successful venture studios in the Midwest, Elevate Ventures provides state-backed startup funding, and companies like ExactTarget (acquired by Salesforce for $2.5 billion), founded by IU alum Scott Dorsey, demonstrate that Indiana can produce major tech exits. For IU founders, the strategic path is to develop ideas and early products in Bloomington's low-cost environment, then connect to Indianapolis for growth-stage resources and talent.

Bloomington has a small but growing startup community. Indianapolis, one hour north, has a more developed tech scene with High Alpha venture studio and Elevate Ventures. Indiana is a low-cost, business-friendly state.