South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership

“We think about the physical economy, there’s nobody that makes things better than people here in Indiana,” said Elevate Ventures CEO Toph Day.

IDEA Week will take place over the coming days in South Bend and Elkhart. The annual event is focused on innovation and business development, with presentations, panel discussions and concerts.

"This is a livable, walkable community," said Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson. "It is the prescription for new urbanism."

"The headline is how do we go, really, from good to great," said Taryn MacFarlane, vice president of regional initiatives at the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership. "How do we accelerate and support this sector that’s got a strong connectivity with the region, that, really, there’s room for growth?"

Entrepreneurs, students, and community leaders will gather in South Bend this week for IDEA Week 2025, a four-day event focused on innovation, technology, and business development.

Big changes are coming to Mishawaka’s 100 Center, a historic 170-year-old building, thanks to a $5.6 million boost from the Indiana READI 2.0 program.

The South Bend-Elkhart region’s annual startup summit, Founder Factory, returns Wednesday for its final year.

The South Bend area was one of seven regions to receive the maximum $50 million in grant money last December. And on Monday, the regional development authority announced how it’s distributing $40 million of that money locally.

Back in December, the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Development Authority received $50 million in state economic development funding. But the projects now...

South Bend-Elkhart Regional partnership CEO Regina Emberton is stepping down in February to become the CEO of ChoiceLight, an area public-private…