>> EACH WEEK A GROUP OF INSIDERS JOINS ME TO OFFER PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE WEEK'S TOP STORIES.
THIS WEEK'S SOUNDING OFF ON INDIANA'S VENTURE CAPITAL ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING. AND THE INDIANA PACERS, THEY'RE
HEADED OVERSEAS. JOINING ME THIS WEEK ON THE INSIDERS, WINSTON TERRELL GROUP PRINCIPAL ROBIN WINSTON, ALSO
MURRAY CLARK AND SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION ERIN ALBERT. WELCOME TO THE INSIDERS FOR ANOTHER EDITION.
I GUESS THE BIG TECH NEWS CERTAINLY THIS WEEK, ZYLO, A TECH COMPANY, A SPIN-UP COMPANY FROM HIGH ALTA HERE IN
INDIANAPOLIS ANNOUNCING ONE OF THE LARGEST SERIES B FUNDING EFFORTS, $22.5 MILLION GOING INTO ZYLO.
THEY'RE GOING TO GROW. THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE A NATIONAL BRAND BASED HERE IN INDIANAPOLIS.
MURRAY, AS I TALKED TO ERIC CHRISTOPHER ABOUT IT, HE SAID THE MONEY, THE SIZE IS IMPORTANT.
BUT HE SAID EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, THE INVESTORS IN THAT ROUND FROM THE BAY AREA AND OTHER PLACES OUTSIDE OF INDIANA.
>> WHEN YOU HAVE INVESTORS FROM THE WEST COAST, ILLINOIS, HIGH ALPHA WAS ONE OF THE EARLY RECIPIENTS OF NEXT LEVEL
FUNDING. I THINK THIS IS MEANINGFUL AND ILLUSTRATES THE ECOSYSTEM OF TECHNOLOGY AND INVESTMENT IN THE
STATE IS GROWING. >> HOW ABOUT THAT ECOSYSTEM? MURRAY BRINGS UP WHAT I THINK IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT.
CONTINUES TO GROW. IT DIDN'T REALLY USED TO BE HERE. NOW EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK WHETHER
IT'S CO-WORKING SPACE OR VENTURE CAPITAL SUPPORT GROUPS, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE, IT'S OUT THERE.
>> AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO EXPLODE IN GROWTH. THERE'S DEFINITE DEMAND AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE DEFINITELY NEED TO PULL IN THOSE FUNDS AND RESOURCES AND COMPANIES. THEY'RE ON BOTH COASTS, BUT IT
WOULD BE EVEN GREATER IF THEY WERE HERE IN THE MIDWEST. >> ROBIN, CAN INDIANAPOLIS WITH THAT SILICON PRAIRIE?
[ LAUGHTER ] BECAUSE YOU TALK ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES HERE, COST OF LIVING, COST OF DOING BUSINESS, COST OF
TALENT TALENT. IS THAT -- >> IT'S TREMENDOUS INSTITUTIONS
LIKE PURDUE AND BUTLER AROUND US, I THINK IT CAN BE. WE'RE A GREAT LOCATION. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW IS MORE
OF AN INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE. USED TO BE WE WERE CHASING SMOKESTACKS. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT
FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND CENTRAL INDIANA. >> ANOTHER EXAMPLE I THINK OF THAT ECOSYSTEM, IU VENTURES,
USED TO BE IU RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION. THIS ANGEL NETWORK THEY'VE CREATED WHERE THEY'RE INVESTING
IN STARTUPS, IN COMPANIES, MAKING INVESTMENTS IN AND OUTSIDE OF INDIANA, BUT THE KEY IS THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE AN
INDIANA UNIVERSITY CONNECTION. >> RIGHT. THAT IS AN INTERESTING ADJUSTMENT, RIGHT, FOR IU.
BUT THE FUNDING CRITERIA THAT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS THAT THE RECIPIENT HAS TO HAVE A CONNECTION.
AND THAT'S BEEN WITH THIS LATEST $500,000 GRANT, THAT'S THE CASE. EVEN THOUGH THE COMPANY HEAD QUARTERED IN BOSTON.
THEY'RE IU GRADUATES. >> CAN THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS IN INDIANA LIKE IU AND PURDUE IN PARTICULAR, BUT MANY OTHERS,
PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS WELL, REALLY KIND OF LEAD THIS TECHNICAL REVOLUTION REVOLUTION, IF YOU WILL IN
INDIANA, WITH THINGS LIKE THIS? THE IU VENTURES. THERE'S THE RESOURCES AND TREMENDOUS ASSETS FOR THE STATE.
>> I THINK THE -- I THINK THE TEMPLATE'S CHANGING HERE, RIGHT? I THINK HIGHER ED HAS TO ADJUST AND MODIFY.
I THINK WE SEE THAT IN WEST LAFAYETTE, RIGHT? IT'S GREAT TO SEE IT IN BLOOD WORK -- BLOOMINGTON.
IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS HERE KIND OF LEADING THE WAY IN THE MIDWEST. >> CHANGING DYNAMIC IN TERMS OF
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE. THIS WEEK NEWS THAT ELEVEN FIFTY CODING ACADEMY IS MOVING, KEEPING A PRESENCE IN FISHERS,
BUT ALSO PUTTING THEIR HEADQUARTERS RIGHT IN DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS. $5 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THAT.
AS YOU LOOK AT THAT, ERIN, THESE GRADUATES, THIS CODING SCHOOL GETTING 70, $75,000 A YEAR COMING OUT OF THE SCHOOL.
>> YEAH, IT'S A PHENOMENAL STORY. I LOVE THAT WE HAVE THIS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
AVAILABLE TO OUR WORKFORCE. WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE OF THAT. AGAIN, THAT SUPPORTS THAT TECH ECOSYSTEM.
>> LOOK AT THE DIVERSITY OF WHAT HE'S DOING IN CODING. YOU HAVE WEST GATE HOOKED UP POSSIBLY WITH GARY AND
EVANSVILLE AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. PEOPLE WILL BE WELL VERSED, BUT THEY'LL ALSO BE DIVERSE.
I SAW THE PICTURE YOU HAD ON THE STORY TODAY. IT'S GOING TO REFLECT THAT BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN, YOU
CAN'T DENY IT. >> AGAIN, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT, MAKING THAT STATEWIDE IMPACT AND FOOTPRINT.
SPEAKING OF STATEWIDE GOING TO THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE, ROBIN, I'LL START WITH YOU ON THAT, THE RENAISSANCE DISTRICT
NEWS THIS WEEK REPORTED ON DEVELOPERS THERE SAY, HEY, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, WE'RE GETTING FUNDING, THIS THING IS A GO.
IT'S THE OLD STUDDEBAKER FACILITY. COULD BE KIND OF A TECH CENTER. >> AND IT USED TO STANDALONE.
IT HAD JUST BASICALLY BEEN ABANDONED. THEY MADE IT A PRIORITY, THE RETROFIT OF IT.
IT'S BEEN A CATALYST FOR GROWTH DOWNTOWN. THE DIRECTOR SAID HE SAW SOMETHING HE REALLY WANTED TO
MAKE AN IMPACT IN. NOW IT'S BECOMING MORE PEOPLE CENTRIC ON THE NEXT DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF IT.
>> AND YOU'RE, ERIN, A SOUTH BEND NATIVE. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> YOU REMEMBER RIDING YOUR
BICYCLE. >> WELL, DRIVING PAST BECAUSE IT WAS DOWNTOWN AND A COMPLETELY ABANDONED BUILDING.
SHOUTOUT TO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES IN SOUTH BEND STILL. THIS IS A SWEETHEART STORY. THAT AREA OF THE CITY WAS REALLY
KIND OF DESOLATE FOR MANY DECADE DECADES DECADES. THEY'RE INFILTRATING WITH MORE
TECH OPPORTUNITIES. >> SOUTH BEND AIRPORT RESPONDING TO GROWING NUMBERS, INVESTING IN SOME INFRASTRUCTURE
IMPROVEMENTS. THEY SAY THEY'RE ON PATH, I THINK TO HAVE MAYBE A RECORD YEAR PASSENGER-WISE.
>> SOUTH BEND DEFINITELY NEEDS, I THINK, MORE OF THAT SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE. AIRPORT IS DEFINITELY ONE OF
THOSE THINGS. I MEAN, WE HAVE A PHENOMENAL AIRPORT HERE WITH IMD IN INDIANAPOLIS, BUT WE NEED MORE
CONNECTIVITY POINTS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD TO BE A GLOBAL POWERHOUSE. >> YEAH.
IN NORTHERN INDIANA, THAT AREA, THAT REGION, THE RV CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. BEEN A LOT OF FOCUS THERE.
THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" DID A BIG PIECE ON DECLINING SHIPMENTS OUT OF ELKHART. BEING A PRECURSOR MAYBE TO
RECESSION. >> YOU KNEW THAT WAS COMING RIGHT? IF THEIR SALES DROP THIS MUCH,
HERE WE GO. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> IT IS REESZBLY REASONABLY GO INDICATOR.
THERE IS ACTIVITY UP THERE. WINNEBAGO BROUGHT NEW MAR, A HIGH LEVEL RV MANUFACTURER. THAT WAS A PURCHASE EARLIER.
SO THERE IS STILL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY UP THERE IN INVESTMENT. >> MURRAY, GIVE YOU THE LAST ONE QUICKLY.
THE PACERS ARE HEADED TO INDIA. PROOF THAT THE NBA IS BECOMING MORE OF A GLOBAL KIND OF SPORT. INTERESTING, THE PACERS.
BIG IMPROVEMENTS IN BANKERS LIFE FIELDHOUSE, THE NEW TRAINING CENTER AS WELL. THEY'RE LEADING A TRANSFORMATION
OF THAT AREA. >> THEY'RE AN ANCHOR INSTITUTION IN THAT AREA. THAT QUADRANT OF DOWNTOWN HAS
COME SO FAR. THEY'RE VITALLY IMPORTANT.