Indiana Tech names leader for Junction 36 initiative
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Indiana Tech this week announced that Nate Cheviron has been tapped to serve as executive director of its Junction 36 initiative.
First announced last August, Junction 36 will serve as an advanced manufacturing innovation center located at the Electric Works mixed-use innovation district in downtown Fort Wayne.
The Fort Wayne-based technical institute said Cheviron will lead the development of community partnerships, programs and services provided by Junction 36, and fundraising efforts to support the initiative.
Cheviron ran his own business coaching and consulting firm for the last 10 years, and also was co-founder and CEO of Cheviron Enterprises, a holding company comprised of multiple businesses primarily in the real estate industry, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Indiana Tech says Cheviron’s background in technology-driven business developmetn, and operational strategy and leadership aligns with Junction 36’s mission.
Nate’s entrepreneurial background, engineering and technical experience and passion for this project and the advancement northeast Indiana overall stood out among the many excellent candidates for this critical position,” Indiana Tech President Karl Einolf said in a news release. “He’ll help us turn our ambitious vision for the initiative into a real-world operation that will serve as a great asset to our area’s students, entrepreneurs and companies for years to come.”
Junction 36 is launching with the help of a five-year, $21 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.
The initiative will utilize Building 36 on the Electric Works campus, which will serve as a “center for hard tech and advanced manufacturing innovation that will help grow local companies by connecting them to university-led research, development, and training,” Indiana Tech said.
The building, which Indiana Tech is in the final stages of acquiring, will facilitate research and development, testing and prototyping, small-batch production, workforce training, a creator space/makerspace, and automation development.
The initiative will also feature a Talent Connection program designed to provide unique learning experiences for students in the region, including a fellows program to keep top talent in the region. A Public Workshop program is also in the works to help diverse learners and entrepreneurs access support and “overcome systemic barriers to advancing their education.”
While the building at the Electric Works campus won’t be ready until late 2026 due to renovations, Indiana Tech said the Junction 36 initiative will begin programming and events at other parts of the district, as well as the school’s main campus, beginning in mid-2025.
“Northeast Indiana has been longing for a facility of this kind to drive innovation, collaboration and economic growth in our region,” Cheviron said. “This is a unique opportunity to build something truly transformative—where industry and education converge to create lasting impact.”
Cheviron will begin his new role on Feb. 10.