The partnership between Indiana University and the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council (Mid-States MSDC), a regional organization that serves as a bridge between minority-owned businesses and major corporations in Central Illinois, Indiana, and Eastern Missouri, extends almost half a century.
Additionally, IU is the only Higher Education Business member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, or NMSDC, to which Mid-States MSDC belongs. This fact led to a key collaboration between IU Supplier Diversity, Kelley School of Business, and Mid-States MSDC that developed over the past few years.
In 2020, the Kelley School of Business and Indy Chamber of Commerce formed a joint venture, called Enterprise Corps, intended to bolster local business success in historically marginalized communities. Separately, the Mid-States MSDC was forming Accelerate 100+, a five-module, 12-months asynchronous program designed to increase economic success for diverse businesses by providing professional development, contracting opportunities, best practices, and access to capital, and mentoring that meets each participant’s individualized needs.
While these programs had similar goals, they worked independently and without knowledge of each other.
Until the end of 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, Mid-States MSDC and IU once again came together, linking their programs to further benefit local diverse businesses. Regional businesses owned and operated by women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, and service-disabled veterans start with the Mid-States Accelerate 100+ program which teaches them organizational strategy, engagement tactics, and tactical decision-making, and ends with an Executive Certificate in Business Strategy provided by Indiana University.
After completing the 12-month program, businesses have the option to continue through the Kelley School of Business Enterprise Corps Program which provides additional support until companies reach 10 million in profitable revenue. During this time, businesses have access to a team of Kelley MBA students, providing real world experience in business growth and management for IU students as a capstone course, and assistance for diverse companies building themselves from the ground up.
Together Mid-States MSDC and IU are strengthening community ties, bolstering diverse businesses, and ensuring a bright future for regional economic growth.
Forty-five minority-owned businesses earned their Executive Certificate in Business Strategy as recently as this month! Participants were awarded this certificate after completing three days of programming on the Kelley School of Business campus at Indianapolis.
Interested in learning more about these programs? Visit Mid-States MSDC’s Accelerate 100+ webpage, contact James Knight, Accelerate 100+ Program Manager, for more information on the Accelerate 100+ program. To learn more about Kelley Enterprise Corps, reach out to Phil Powell, Associate Dean of Academic Programs.