IN Chamber: The Podcast

Beth Keyser, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana, says her life’s work has been focused on “improving the health of humanity.” In her nearly 10 months in her current role, she has emphasized those words to Anthem’s nearly 5,000 Indiana associates. She says it is reinforcing that Anthem is not just a health insurance company, but a health-focused one. The strategies are not ne...

Growing up in a housing project in Terre Haute and seeing his mother faced with a $400 gas bill she could not pay left a lasting impression on AJ Patton. Today, he is blending entrepreneurship, clean energy, neighborhood revitalization, new jobs and more through 548 Capital in hard-hit communities in Chicago. A Black man, he was on the receiving end of hundreds of “No’s” when it came to raising mo...

“It’s a really, really, really big world out there and there are a lot of customers in it.” That is among the parting shots during an engaging conversation with Mark Klein, regional director for the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Klein adds that companies, no matter their size or product line, should not be afraid to ask for help. While exporting may not be for everyone, there are more t...

Indiana’s first Secretary of Education makes it immediately clear that she is passionate about her profession. “I go to bed thinking about it. I wake up thinking about it. And sometimes, in the middle of the night, I wake up thinking about it.” Jenner outlines her experiences – both in the classroom and with community partners in administrative roles – her relationship with Gov. Eric Holcomb (her...

Brittany Moser lived her life to the fullest before it was cut short by disease at age 32. Her father, Phil, a Steuben County resident his entire life, was along for many precious moments as his daughter’s best friend. Not only did Phil (and family/friends) complete the list of Colorado outdoor adventures that he/Brittany had begun, but he is determined to honor her in a special way. Since Brittan...

Despite being part of two World Championship teams with the Toronto Blue Jays and having a successful pitching career, Todd Stottlemyre was suffering greatly on the inside in 1993. He talks about the source of his anger and guilt – and, more importantly, what he did at that time that changed his life forever. Stottlemyre shares his story as part of a fictional book that all can relate to. The Obse...

From previous career roles at United Way and in health care, Brock Hesler has always been in a position to help others. That has continued during his nearly seven years at the Indiana Chamber. The game plan: Listen to current and prospective members, target the two or three ways the Chamber can best assist them and spring into action. It’s a strategy that works well, whether in “normal” times or t...

The phrase above is how many people look at the process of making a choice. Tyler Ludlow, founder and chief decision scientist at the Decision Skills Institute, says his role is to help turn decisions from “burdens into opportunities for growth.” It’s big for businesses – Ludlow applied his trade at Unilever and Eli Lilly – and individuals. Ludlow notes that it’s also important to decouple the dec...

Steve Down, president of Herff Jones, says he can’t imagine a business more centered on high school and colleges being open and operating as normal than his organization. But when a pandemic hits, memorializing and commemorating a school year only grow in importance. Innovation took over, with creative solutions to completing yearbooks, virtual book signings, delivery of various items and virtual...

Call it an unbeatable combination. Trine University student Lydia Tremaine, 2018 Miss Indiana, won the 2019 Miss America talent competition singing Frank Sinatra’s My Life. Especially resonating with her is the lyric: “Each time you find yourself flat on your face, you pick yourself up and get back in the race.” A few minutes later, in describing the takeaways from her year on the road as the titl...

That headline is a self-description for DuJuan McCoy, an Indianapolis native and owner of Circle City Broadcasting (WISH-TV and MyINDY-TV 23). He has been the standard bearer for Black ownership in the television industry. Although progress has been slower than we would prefer, he sees that evolving and progress being made. McCoy’s recent announcement of the new Multicultural News Network can ulti...

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry admits that for many years the three rivers flowing through the city were considered “enemies”. Now, after nearly two decades of transformation, they are embraced for a variety of recreational opportunities. Downtown has experienced a similar revival, with the Parkview Field minor league baseball stadium serving as a catalyst. Henry says people are living, working and pl...

For Brad Bostic, it’s personal. In the early 2000s, he saw his mother suffer from colon cancer. And while the medical professionals worked diligently to help her, the silos and systems in place were frustrating. Bostic wants efficient, effective and personalized health care for all. His company, hc1, strives to help make that happen through accumulating and analyzing lab test data. It has 23 billi...

The spotlight has shined brightly on Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box. She would prefer being behind the scenes working with her team and digging into the numbers but accepts the upfront role as part of dealing with COVID-19. The “overwhelming negative response to being asked to wear masks” has been surprising, she says, and the uncertainty – “the only guarantee wit...

Dave Ricks came to Indiana twice for family – undergraduate studies at Purdue (a tradition on his father’s side) and graduate work at Indiana University (following his now wife of 24 years). He stayed the second time, beginning his career at Eli Lilly and Company, which produces medicines for 40 million people every day. Ricks and Lilly quickly sprang into action at the start of COVID-19, creating...

Listen and learn. Listen and adapt. Listen and entertain the world. Samantha “Sammy” Johnson-Helms has achieved so much in her 31 years with only more accomplishments to come. Valuable lessons from a business career at Catalent (formerly Cook Pharmica) come into play every day in her role as principal clarinet – and now also executive director – with the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra. She details...

Laura Merrifield Wilson’s fear after the “dumpster fire” first presidential debate is that those not fully engaged already will be “turned off from politics.” She shares, in her view, the one state to watch most closely on election night as well as whether the “crumbling of the blue wall” that took place in 2016 will continue. The University of Indianapolis political science professor dives into c...

The relationship (economic and beyond) between Indiana (as well as the entire United States) and Canada is a critical one. One of the traditional partners in helping ensure continuity in that relationship is the Consul General of Canada to Detroit. Joe Comartin – a lawyer, Member of Parliament and university professor throughout his career – currently serves in that role. He talks supply chains, t...

Here is the Kimberly Lewis story in two quotes: Before: “My one goal back then was just to meet my need for drugs. Everything in my life surrounded my addiction.” Today: “I’m learning how to live sober for the first time in a very long time. I’m always looking at myself and being responsible for my actions – just wanting to be better each day.” Lewis went from an addiction to pain medication to he...

Brian Cuban, the brother of Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, is in his 13th year of recovery from eating disorders, as well as extensive drug and alcohol abuse. He is a strong national voice on the topic and will be detailing his story at the September 16 Indiana Employer Opioid Summit ( www.wellnessindiana.org/event/indiana-opioid-summit) . He doesn’t shy away from the pains ex...

A snapshot is defined as a brief look or summary. That’s what the Indiana Chamber has done this year with the new report Indiana Vision 2025: 2020 Snapshot. It analyzes 10 states, instead of all 50 (as in the biennial full Report Cards). It uses 32 (or about half the typical total) of the key metrics in four drivers. Chamber President Kevin Brinegar and Adam Berry, vice president of economic devel...

Andrea Butcher has been assisting clients with human resources, talent, leadership and coaching needs for more than 20 years. But all those face never-before-seen challenges in the current times. “Leaders are tired; it’s hard,” she says. But she has been impressed with their agility. In her own podcast, she shares lessons learned from leaders who, in her words, “lean into the challenge; step into...

Large-scale enterprises (think big companies, leaders in their fields) are built, in Elliott Parker’s words, to execute at scale. Start-ups, he says, are designed to learn, pivot quickly and move fast. Bringing the two together is the focus of High Alpha Innovation, with the goal of launching 100 start-ups within the next five years. It’s a venture studio playbook that High Alpha has used in creat...

It began with 2019 legislation to shift tourism efforts. It’s expanded to telling Indiana’s full story – to also attract and retain businesses, students and talent. It is the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC), being led by Elaine Bedel, former Indiana Economic Development Corporation president. Bedel talks about starting with a clean slate (pointing toward a July 1, 2020 debut), s...

Bruce Mehlman possesses a wide variety of experiences in business and government. He uses those to help deliver insightful analysis into national and global trends in business and politics. His quarterly updates are viewed by thousands of followers – more than 110,000 for the most recent version on COVID-19 and its impacts. He talks Congress (the only thing Congress likes more than the way things...