The 2020 Indiana Business Outlook Panel to Be Held at The Commons in Downtown Columbus on November 13

(COLUMBUS) – The Division of Business at IUPUC is hosting its annual Indiana Business Outlook Panel on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at a new venue this year, The Commons at 300 Washington Street in downtown Columbus. The event, sponsored by Centra Credit Union and co-hosted by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and the IUPUC Division of Business, begins at 7:30 a.m. with a hot breakfast buffet, followed by the speakers at 8:00 a.m.

“This year’s Business Outlook Panel will be better than ever,” said Dr. Frank Wadsworth, Head of the Division of Business at IUPUC. “We have a great lineup of panelists and a new venue this year that we hope is more convenient for Columbus-area business people and provides a more comfortable setting with better opportunities for networking.”

The cost to attend is $25 for individuals. Also new this year is the opportunity for organizations to be table sponsors for $350, which includes premium reserved seating for eight plus the company’s name and logo in program materials, social media, the website, and public service announcements. All proceeds from the event help to fund scholarships for students in the Division of Business at IUPUC.

Since 1972, experts from the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC), a part of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, compile, analyze, and interpret international, U.S., Indiana, and local economic data and prepare predictions for the coming year. IBRC representatives traverse the state during November to present their forecasts in communities across Indiana. 

At each tour stop, IBRC panelists are joined by a local expert who provides projections for the community. IUPUC Visiting Assistant Professor of Management, Steve Mohler, will provide the local outlook again this year.

The Full List of Panelists Includes:

Local Outlook – Steve Mohler

Steve Mohler is a visiting assistant professor of business at IUPUC. Mohler holds MBAs in Finance, Marketing, and Accounting and is currently working toward completion of his DBA. Mohler’s research focus is small to medium enterprises and the correlation of social media marketing with sales growth. Mohler leads micro and macroeconomics, introduction to business and management, marketing, and strategy courses for IUPUC.

Prior to transitioning into the academic environment, Mohler held marketing and finance positions with small to medium firms in Indiana and Fortune 500 companies in Indiana and Ohio. Mohler is a native of Columbus where he resides with his wife.

State of Indiana Outlook – Sun Yoon

Sun Yoon joined the Indiana Business Research Center in 2018 as an economic research analyst. Her primary role at the IBRC is to evaluate training programs outcomes and investigate education outcomes. She also contributes in the development and implementation of the tranche method of occupation assignment from the Workforce Data Quality Initiative grant.

Before joining the IBRC, Yoon worked at Navigant Economics specializing in data analysis involving antitrust and intellectual property litigations. She also co-authored a paper with Justin Arnold (M.D.) from the George Washington University to perform a cross-sectional study of pediatric dermatology hospitalizations.

Yoon holds a Master of Science in Economics from Georgetown University. She received a B.S.B.A. in Finance with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Richmond.

U.S. & International Outlook – Dr. Ellie Mafi-Kreft

Dr. Ellie Mafi-Kreft is a clinical associate professor of business economics and public policy for the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Upon coming to the U.S. from her home country of France, Mafi-Kreft received her B.S. (1999), M.A. (2002) and Ph.D. (2003) from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. She has been teaching at the Kelley School of Business since 2006 and she researches monetary institutions and the relationship among business and government.

Financial Markets Outlook – Dr. Ryan Brewer

Dr. Ryan M. Brewer is an associate professor of finance at IUPUC where he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in corporate finance, investments and derivatives since 2009 and served as Director of the IU MBA Columbus program since 2018. Brewer holds Ph.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Indiana University Bloomington.

Prior to professional school, Brewer worked for five years as a risk manager for a Fortune 50 Corporation in Michigan and Indiana. Brewer’s work on valuation, economic damages, economic impact, and forecasting has been published 22 times in peer-reviewed academic journals and his work on valuation has been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal on twelve occasions. Brewer’s work has also been showcased in the Chicago Tribune, Chronicles of Higher Education, on CNN, MSN, MSNBC, ESPN, Sporting News, and in a host of regional business periodicals across the United States.  

For more information and to purchase tickets or sponsor a table for the event, go to iupuc.edu/events/business-outlook-panel.

About the Business degree programs at IUPUC

The Division of Business is a leader in preparing students for challenging careers in business. Students can earn an Indiana University Bachelor of Science in Business or Master of Business Administration entirely on the Columbus campus. In addition to a common business core, the B.S. degree offers concentrations in accounting, finance, health services administration, innovation management, management, or marketing. IU MBA Columbus reflects the academic quality and prestige expected of an Indiana University graduate program with a focus on the decision-making skills needed for successful leaders. Small cohorts of 18 to 24 students from a wide range of cultures, undergraduate degree programs and careers, make a real impact for regional businesses and nonprofit organizations through applied projects that develop creative business solutions to tough local challenges. For more information, go to iupuc.edu/business/.

About IUPUC

Surrounded by the architectural beauty of Columbus, Indiana, IUPUC is a welcoming campus, offering individual experiences for dreamers, doers, and leaders to learn, discover and contribute in one’s own way. Our small campus provides big opportunities for students to discover who they are and who they want to be. Undergraduate and graduate students have access to degrees from both Indiana University and Purdue University and can complete undergraduate degrees in business, communication studies, elementary education, English, general studies, mechanical engineering, nursing, psychology or sociology and graduate degrees in business administration, mental health counseling, and nursing. For more information, go to www.iupuc.edu.