Greater Lafayette Commerce chooses local entrepreneur as its next leader
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Greater Lafayette Commerce has named a local entrepreneur, civic leader and investor as its next president and CEO.
The chamber and economic development organization announced that Mikel Berger of West Lafayette will assume the position on Aug. 18.
Berger has spent more than 20 years in various areas of business and nonprofit leadership, most recently founding MB Works, an advisory firm focused on helping small businesses navigate ownership transitions. He previously co-founded Little Engine Ventures, an Indiana-based investment firm that acquired and operated 17 companies across the Midwest, as well as DelMar Software Development and the MatchBOX Coworking Studio.
“Economic development is more than business,” Berger said in a statement. “It’s about building the kind of place where families choose to live, where talent from around the world sees opportunity, and where progress is powered by strong, intentional partnerships.”
Berger succeeds Scott Walker, who led Greater Lafayette Commerce for more than a decade before stepping down earlier this year.
Greater Lafayette Commerce engaged executive search firm Jorgenson Pace Inc., based in Greensboro, North Carolina, to help it find the organization’s next leader. A committee made up of leaders representing Lafayette, West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College and the Purdue Research Foundation helped guide the search.
“Mikel brings a unique combination of vision, entrepreneurial spirit, and proven leadership,” Tim Schooler, chair of the search committee and market president at Centier Bank, said in a statement. “His deep knowledge of our community, paired with his experience building and investing in local businesses, made him the ideal choice to lead Greater Lafayette into its next chapter.”
Berger holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Purdue University.