Spring is coming: Time to Plant Seeds for New Crop of Hoosier Business Leaders

By: Scott Brenton - Chief Operating Officer, Angie's List

In less than two months, a new crop of graduates will emerge from Indiana colleges and universities armed with great educations, fresh energy and an abundance of ambition. Unfortunately, many of these bright young people will find themselves knocking on the doors of companies that are more cost-conscious than ever, as well as competing with more experienced professionals for positions that are sure to be in short supply.

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Thankfully, 16 of our state�s most outstanding graduates won't be engaged in this battle because, as members of the 2009 Governor Bob Orr Indiana Entrepreneurial Fellowship, they have jobs waiting for them -- jobs for which they were hand-picked by executives at Indiana�s fastest growing companies.

During their two-year assignments, Orr Fellows benefit from challenging work and unique exposure to executives and other senior-managers at their respective host companies. Fellows also meet regularly with Indiana�s most accomplished business and community leaders to discuss leadership development. In addition, fellows participate in community service projects, including mentoring at New Tech High School through a partnership with Junior Achievement and the TechPoint Foundation.

Since its inception in 2001, the Orr Fellowship has fulfilled its mission to keep Indiana�s best and brightest graduates in the state by placing 65 fellows at sponsoring Indiana companies.

After completing the program, past fellows have gone on to pursue graduate degrees at Harvard Business School, the Kellogg School of Management, the Johnson School at Cornell University and Georgetown University, found their own start-up companies, and hold key positions at companies across the state.

The Fellowship's goal is to help shape tomorrow's business leaders by exposing them to the fantastic resources offered by our great state and by encouraging these ambitious young-professionals to build sensational careers right here in Indiana. Unfortunately, the program is virtually unique in Indiana. We need more like it.

In difficult times, investing in tomorrow feels like a luxury that very few of us can afford, but we, as leaders, mustn�t fall into this trap. There's a deep well of young talent being produced by Indiana�s colleges and universities. Our state�s future prosperity is dependent on how much of this talent we retain. It's in everyone's best interest to dip in - TODAY.

Scott Brenton is COO of Angie's List, a co-founder of the Governor Robert D. Orr Fellowship and a member of the TechPoint board of directors.

Companies currently participating in the Orr Fellowship include:

Angel Learning

Angie�s List

Ascendium

Author Solutions

BlueLock

Brightpoint

Cannon IV

Cantaloupe.TV

ChaCha

City Securities

Compendium Blogware

ExactTarget

RICS Software

Sigma Micro

T2 Systems

WebLink International

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