Website
www.indychamber.com
Primary Contact
Mark Fisher
VP, Government Relations & Policy Development
Contact via email
Mission statement
The Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Inc., or Indy Chamber, is a not-for-profit organization that exists to serve as a voice of progress and improvement in the region, uniting business and community to maintain a strong economy and quality of life. The Indy Chamber’s advocacy efforts, networking events, economic development initiatives, and other member benefits position members, business leaders and the community for success.
Actions
Actions are activities derived from the Plan 2020 planning process that a partner has committed to implement.
Indy Chamber is working on the following actions:
Strategy
Develop sustainable funding model for multimodal transportation infrastructure, operation and maintenance.
Action
Advocate for strategic needs-based, data-driven, infrastructure investment as it relates to multimodal infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, greenways, transit, bike and pedestrian facilities) that supports community-led redevelopment strategies and promotes a healthier city
Start Date:
June 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
80%
Strategy
Support and expand existing multimodal transportation efforts through partnerships and coordinated marketing.
Action
Develop and lead the transit referendum campaign effort
Start Date:
January 1, 2015
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
100%
The transit referendum was passed by Indianapolis voters in 2017, and the City-County Council subsequently voted to enact the tax increase, providing a new revenue stream for infrastructure investment in Marion County. In addition, federal transit grant funds were released to implementing partners, allowing the continued construction of the Red Line bus route. The Indy Chamber continues to collaborate with implementing partners (such as Indy Go, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Indy Connect) to support transit development.
Strategy
Engage the private sector to become committed to a culture of exceptional quality and design.
Action
Organize a group of stakeholders that offers research and ideas toward a culture of good design
Start Date:
January 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2018
Progress
80%
The Indy Chamber continues to recognize good design in construction, landscape design, placemaking, and the built environment through partnerships with AIA and its Monumental Awards annual event.
Strategy
Engage the private sector to become committed to a culture of exceptional quality and design.
Action
Edit the language of the Public Art category within Monumental Awards to include Creative Placemaking
Start Date:
January 1, 2016
Completion Date:
November 30, 2016
Progress
100%
The Indy Chamber has amended the language of the Public Art Category within Monumental Awards to include Creative Placemaking. The winners of the Monumental Award in 2016 (Revitalization of Speedway’s Main Street) and 2018 (The Ruins at Holliday Park) were Creative Placemaking projects.
Strategy
Engage the private sector to become committed to a culture of exceptional quality and design.
Action
Support the development of guidelines for enhanced design elements, inclusion of public green space and art, and sustainable practices as suggestions of receiving city TIF funds.
Start Date:
March 1, 2016
Completion Date:
September 30, 2017
Progress
80%
The Indy Chamber continues to work to integrate higher design concepts into the ongoing City of Indianapolis economic development projects and incentives. Additionally, the City hired Kate Warpool, Administrator of Construction Services, to lead the design efforts.
Strategy
Increase the number and type of high quality internships for college students, those pursuing technical training, and recent graduates.
Action
Partner with organizations to support the increase in the number of Indianapolis businesses offering high quality internships to college students and to recent college graduates and support efforts to expose interns to civic engagement opportunities and cultural offerings
Start Date:
March 1, 2016
Completion Date:
March 31, 2019
Progress
80%
The Indy Chamber continues to work with its partners to attract and retain businesses in Indianapolis. Through the Job Ready program with Employ Indy participants learn soft-skills necessary for employment and earn digital badges, which are recognized by employers throughout the region. Project Indy, a collaboration with the City of Indianapolis and GIPC, offers opportunities for work experience and summer employment for youths in Indianapolis. Also, Indianapolis Public Schools has recently required all graduates to experience work-based learning placements with Indy employers, which the Indy Chamber is helping to facilitate. Finally, the Chamber works with its members on the STEM Partners program to place STEM professionals in classrooms, collaborating with STEM educators to create industry-education connections, relationships, and career opportunities.
Strategy
Boost attainment of associate's and bachelor's degrees at Marion County campuses.
Action
Support efforts to retain college graduates by implementing programs that encourage and provide community service, leadership, and internship opportunities for college students and recent graduates
Start Date:
January 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
75%
During the summers of 2017 and 2018, the Indy Chamber partnered with the Indiana INTERNet to convene community leaders at the Fountain Square Theater to formally introduce INTERNet interns to the city. The Chamber has also continued to work with Ascend to build pipelines from education institutions to employers. Work continues with regional economic development partners and the No Mean City initiative to attract and connect top talent to employment opportunities.
Strategy
Leverage the economic strength and place-based nature of Indianapolis' anchor institutions to expand neighborhood-based pilots for hiring and training unemployed and underemployed residents in the neighborhood where the business is located/locating.
Action
Partner with EmployIndy to convene anchor institution human resource leaders to identify the challenges and opportunities to training, hiring and retaining workers from the surrounding neighborhoods
Start Date:
January 1, 2017
Completion Date:
March 31, 2017
Progress
30%
The Indy Chamber, Employ Indy, and a coalition of community partners are finalizing a community strategy on inclusive growth, which will prioritize workforce training, hiring, and retaining workers from neighborhoods surrounding anchor institutions. In addition, the Chamber continues to convene leadership from anchor institutions to update on and advance the Indianapolis Anchor Revitalization Partnership. Finally, Ascend and the Indy Chamber continue to partner around enhancing workforce training and hiring pipelines.
Strategy
Leverage the economic strength and place-based nature of Indianapolis' anchor institutions to expand neighborhood-based pilots for hiring and training unemployed and underemployed residents in the neighborhood where the business is located/locating.
Action
Create employer education and outreach effort among Indy Chamber members to enlist more private sector employers voluntarily adopting “ban the box”
Start Date:
May 1, 2016
Completion Date:
January 31, 2017
Progress
80%
The state of Indiana prohibited local Ban-the-Box ordinances in 2017. The Indy Chamber continues to advocate around this issue, as well as calling for policies that support individuals re-entering communities from incarceration. Programmatically, the Indy Chamber supports successful reentry through the Re-entry Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, participation on the Marion County Re-entry Coalition, work with the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and by opening Job Ready soft-skills badging to individuals in re-entry to assist with obtaining employment.
Strategy
Strengthen business retention and expansion resources through a professionally staffed business retention and expansion program/division.
Action
Identify and help secure sources for local flexible funding (separate from city funding) to support business growth and retention goals which cannot be met with existing incentive programs and existing capital pools
Start Date:
March 1, 2016
Completion Date:
March 31, 2018
Progress
50%
The Re-entry Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, the Business Ownership Initiative, and the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center all provide funding or assistance in accessing funding to start and strengthen businesses in the Central Indiana region. The Chamber is working to develop further resources documenting the full range of capital lending available to businesses in the region.
Strategy
Strengthen business retention and expansion resources through a professionally staffed business retention and expansion program/division.
Action
Expand and enhance the number of staff people devoted to Indianapolis business retention and expansion efforts
Start Date:
September 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
100%
The Indy Partnership, Develop Indy, and the Business Ownership Initiatives (BOI) all assist with business retention and expansion (BRE) efforts. BOI has also been certified as a US Small Business Administration intermediary institution.
Strategy
Leverage the purchasing power and professional services needs of Indianapolis' anchor institutions in support of business growth and startups and innovation.
Action
Create a system for identifying local goods and services that meet anchor institution purchasing needs, and provide the technical assistance and access to capital to support local supply chains and specialized industry clusters that can meet anchor purchasing needs
Start Date:
January 1, 2017
Completion Date:
March 31, 2017
Progress
30%
The Indianapolis Anchor Revitalization Partnership continues to progress with the “Buy Indy” strategy. Supply and demand studies are underway to generate insights into the vendor/buyer landscape in Indianapolis, and the Indy Chamber is hiring a Director of Procurement to oversee Buy Indy Projects. In addition, several anchors – such as IU Health and Community Hospital East – have already incorporated local vendors into their food purchasing programs.
Strategy
Spur business growth through the innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities created by business needs of anchor institutions.
Action
Provide technical assistance and access to other needed supports for innovators and other small businesses linked to innovation districts
Start Date:
March 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
50%
The Indy Chamber is hiring a Director of Procurement for the Anchors Partnership who will also assist in linking businesses to anchor opportunities. The Business Ownership Initiative also continues to connect local vendors to these contracts, in addition to holding “How to do Business With” events, spotlighting best practices for obtaining anchors as customers. Finally, the Indy Chamber continues to partner with 16Tech and support the corporation’s development of an Indianapolis innovation district.