2022 Annual Luncheon

The 2022 One Region Annual Luncheon, with presenting sponsor Purdue University Northwest, once again gathered over 550 leaders from the Greater South Shore to cultivate a coordinated environment where ideas flourish, technologies emerge, and an aligned Midwestern hub is strategically created along the extended shores of Lake Michigan. Today’s innovation frontier has changed and Northwest Indiana’s role in connecting the broader ecosystem starts with the emergence of its own.

Author and venture capitalist Alexandre Lazarow spoke about the new playbook for innovation and startup success that has emerged from beyond Silicon Valley, the inspiring potential of an aligned ecosystem from Northern Indiana, Chicago, and Milwaukee, and what Northwest Indiana can learn from global entrepreneurs in this new frontier.  

We also heard from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and experts in the innovation space who shared their advice and perspective about how we can connect and support innovators along the Greater South Shore. Read more in this NWI Times article.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development spoke about the roles of Northwest Indiana and the Greater South Shore and the importance of collaboration and equity when connecting an innovation ecosystem for economic growth.

Keynote speaker and author of Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs – From Delhi to Detroit – Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley, Alexandre Lazarow, spoke about the importance of global entrepreneurs and cultivating an innovation ecosystem in NWI.

Susan Brehm, Regional Director of the U.S. EDA, Sandee Kastrul of i.c. stars, Khalif El-Amin of Young Enterprising Society, John McDonald of NEXT Studios, and Marie Foster-Bruns of One Region discuss key components of building an ecosystem in the Region.