Earlier this month, Indianapolis took center stage as thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and innovation ecosystem builders from over 140 countries gathered for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) 2025. The international event, hosted every other year in a new global city with an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem, brought an estimated 3,000 attendees to the Hoosier State and showcased why Indiana is earning its reputation as a rising hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Ryan Henderson, Conexus Indiana’s senior director of innovation, attended the event and brought back key takeaways across four jam-packed days of programming and collaboration.

The opening session, Bold Solutions for a Thriving Future, featured Governor Mike Braun in conversation with top executives from Indiana’s leading global corporations: Jennifer Rumsey (Cummins), Ivan Tornos (Zimmer Biomet), Sonny Beck (Beck’s Hybrids) and Patrik Jonsson (Eli Lilly and Co.). The discussion explored each company’s entrepreneurial origins and the pro-business environment that’s allowed them to thrive here—highlighting Indiana’s manufacturing ecosystem, its talent pipeline and its industrial infrastructure. The conversation also turned to the future, as leaders reflected upon major challenges ahead, including responsible AI development, equitable access to medicine and climate action.

Indiana’s research universities took the spotlight on day two. Indiana University President Pam Whitten shared how IU is transforming its strategic priorities to align with more risk-taking and creative activities by intentionally supporting faculty and student entrepreneurs through new initiatives like IU Innovates. Purdue University’s Dean of Engineering Arvind Raman followed with an update on the state’s growing semiconductor ecosystem, including Purdue’s growing role in preparing the next generation of microelectronics talent and its support of the historic $4 billion SK hynix investment in West Lafayette.

As higher education institutions continue aligning their missions and talent pipelines with state economic development priorities, it’s clear they’re becoming more than talent producers—they’re expanding their role as key drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Sessions throughout the week also explored what it takes to create thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems. A standout panel moderated by TechPoint’s Chelsea Linder focused on best practices for building regional innovation economies—emphasizing collaboration, capital, talent and measurable impact. Innovate Alabama’s statewide grant strategy, the Innovate Alabama Network, offered a compelling example of successful entrepreneurial ecosystem development, particularly through its support of rural entrepreneurship and new initiatives focused on its key pillars: people, places and resources.

The session concluded on how Indiana can continue to lead—by cultivating its entrepreneurial networks, like the Indiana Founders Network, as well as developing a culture that empowers entrepreneurs in every corner of the state.

A fitting close to the week came with a conversation about the future of entrepreneurship education in a post-AI world. Policymakers and educators discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping curriculum across K–12 and post-secondary institutions—both as subject matter and as a tool for learning. With AI-driven startups on the rise, including here in Indiana (noted in TechPoint’s 2025 Venture Capital Report), the consensus was clear: education systems must keep pace with AI and entrepreneurship education to prepare the innovators of tomorrow.

The GEC also featured homegrown innovation during the Venture Club of Indiana’s annual Innovation Showcase, where 22 Indiana-based startups pitched to investors and the GEC audience. Governor Braun and Aaron Gillum of 50 South Capital opened the event with remarks on the role of entrepreneurship in job creation, emphasizing Indiana’s continued focus on public-private investment strategies. The winning companies included Prediction Guard in the Digital Tech category and Kovina Therapeutics in Life Sciences—proof that Indiana’s entrepreneurial pipeline is as strong as ever.

GEC 2025 hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) was about more than convening leaders to explore bold solutions to global challenges—it was evidence of the momentum building across Indiana’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. From manufacturing and life sciences to AI and semiconductors, Indiana is positioning itself as a place where startups and global companies alike can grow, evolve and lead.

At Conexus Indiana, we’re excited to build on this momentum and continue working alongside our industry partners to shape the future of advanced manufacturing and logistics in Indiana.