INDIANA – Governor Mike Braun marked Global Entrepreneurship Week by recognizing the critical role of Hoosier entrepreneurs and showcasing new initiatives designed to solidify Indiana’s position as a top state for starting and growing a business.
The Governor, who identifies as a Main Street entrepreneur himself, highlighted several programs and new structures to support small business success.
To bolster the entrepreneurial landscape, Governor Braun created the first-ever Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Indiana. He also launched Power Up Indiana, a new initiative that provides incentives for employers to upskill, retrain, and promote their employees.
“We’re working to make Indiana the best place in the country to start and grow a business, and with the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Power Up Indiana, READI 2.0, and our new jobs-and-wages-centered economic development model, we’re well on our way to achieving that goal this Global Entrepreneurship Week,” said Governor Braun.
Building on a Record of Results
Indiana is already seeing measurable results, ranking near the top nationally in the Global Entrepreneurship Network’s (GEN) state leaderboard.
Key program accomplishments highlighted by the Governor include:
- Indiana Small Business Development Center: Assisted 5,817 entrepreneurs and helped launch 372 new businesses in 2025.
- Community Collaboration Fund: Invested $1 million statewide in projects ranging from Fort Wayne’s SEED/Brightpoint childcare-business accelerator to Muncie’s Innovation Connector and Purdue Northwest’s Baby-Boomer Succession Accelerator.
- gBETA Indiana: Helped 30 companies raise $500,000 and created 27 new jobs this year across high-tech, agbioscience, and Main Street industries.
- STARTedUp and Innovate WithIN: Programs cultivating entrepreneurship skills reached 13,640 Hoosier students this year, with Innovate WithIN seeing 1,854 students participate in the nation’s largest high school pitch competition.
The Office of Commerce’s READI 2.0 program is also supporting community growth across the state.
Hoosier Entrepreneurship by the Numbers
The Governor emphasized the massive impact of small businesses on the state’s economy:
- Prevalence: There are over 591,000 small businesses in Indiana, accounting for 99.4% of all businesses in the state.
- Workforce: Small businesses employ 1.2 million Hoosiers, representing 43% of the workforce.
- Survival Rate: Indiana’s startup and small business survival rate ranks in the top 5 nationally, with 84% of businesses remaining open after one year.
- Job Growth: Businesses under five years old account for 74% of new job growth in the state.
