Join us for Innovation Week at The Mill, where creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation collide during Global Entrepreneurship Week!
This dynamic event features workshops, pitch competitions, and networking opportunities designed to turn big ideas into bold action. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, innovator, or investor, this is your chance to connect, learn, and accelerate your growth.
Register for Innovation Week!
NEW EVENTS!
Monday 11.18
9:30 AM | How to license Intellectual Property (IP) from a Federal Lab
Nida Shaikh, TechLink
How to License Intellectual Property from Federal Labs: Through technology transfer, TechLink can assist businesses of all sizes to partner with DOD labs to significantly cut time and resources from their R&D efforts, bringing new products and services to market with speed and efficiency.
10:15 AM | Entrepreneurship Lessons Learned
Jason Evatt, Airborne Outfitters
As a successful NSWC Crane licensee and entrepreneur, Jason Evatt, has plenty of scar tissue from his experiences on his entrepreneurial journey. Learn from a small business owner who is developing federally developed IP and why he has charted this course for his business.
11 AM | Bridging Capital
Panel Moderated by Steve Bryant, Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Panel Members: Cy Menign, Elevate Ventures; Alyssa Robertson, National Security Innovation Network; Flywheel Fund
Financing your idea can be difficult, meet a few experts who can give you ideas of how you can potentially bridge capital to cover immediate needs of your business until you find long-term funding.
12:45 PM | Cooperative Research & Development Agreements 101
Maria Duran, NSWC Crane Technology Transfer Office
Financing your idea can be difficult, meet a few experts who can give you ideas of how you can potentially bridge capital to cover immediate needs of your business until you find long-term funding.
1:15 PM | Federal Lab Opportunities
Annie Bullock, NSWC Crane
The Federal Lab Consortium consists of 300+ Federal Lab with Technology Transfer programs. Learn more about the Federal Labs and resources that can be made available to you and your business.
3 PM | Market Research
Hayley Cranfill, South Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Not sure if there is a place for your idea? Leverage the SBDC team to learn more about the market you would like to enter with the IP and its feasibility and demand.
Wednesday 11.20
9 AM | Commercialization Ideation Session
David Scott, Techlink
How to leverage DOD licensed technologies to build your business, increase the size and commercial attractiveness of your business, and improve the transfer of DOD licensed technologies to the commercial sector to benefit the American public and U.S. military.
10 AM | How to Develop your Pitch Deck
Parker Busick, gBeta alumnus
Refine your pitch deck or build one for the first time with the assistance of an expert. Increase the attractiveness, delivery and increase your chances of catching the attention of your audience!
2 PM | SBIR/STTR Opportunities
Autumn McCombs, NAVSEA
Learn about America’s seed fund that supports startups and small business with research and development funding and chart a path to Commercialization.
2:45 PM | Federal Programs for Small Businesses
Panel Moderated by Matt Burkett, ARI
Panel Members: Kaylee Diamond, NSWC Crane Small Business Deputy; Lindsay Maliqi, Small Business Administration (SBA); APEX Accelerator; Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Learn about opportunities available to start-ups and small businesses interested in leveraging local and federal resources for their business as well as opportunities to do business with the Federal Government.
Thursday 11.21
1 PM | Navigating the Small Business Innovation Research Journey Webinar Mr. James O. Wilson, USPTO, Assistant Regional Director Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office
This discussion will highlight the role of women
1:30 PM | Indiana Programs that Support the Veteran and Veteran Spouses as an Entrepreneur
Panel Moderated by Kaylee Diamond, NSWC Crane Small Business Deputy
Panel Members: Courtney Zaugg, VentureVets; Laura Schfsnitz, SBA; Heath Murray Defense Innovation Networking Group (D!NG)
Learn about projects and programs set to propel our entrepreneurial ecosystem for veterans, spouses of veterans and those interested in entering in the defense sector.
2:15 PM | Intellectual Property (IP) as a Business Strategy
Mr. James O. Wilson, USPTO, Assistant Regional Director Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office
An overview of the four major types of IP and discussion on why innovators and entrepreneurs should consider them in their business plan
3 PM | Indiana Programs that Support the Entrepreneur – Panel Moderated by Panel Moderated by Matt Burkett, ARI
Panel Members: Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC); Blaine Parker, Radius Indiana; Steve Bryant, SBDC; The Mill
According to Forbes Magazine (October 2024) “Indiana ranks second in 2024, as a highly favorable state for starting a business.” Learn about different programs and agencies responsible for helping create Indiana’s Business Friendly Environment.
FEATURED EVENTS
November 17
Doors: 2:30 PM
Event Time: 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
In partnership with NSWC Crane, join us for the kick-off of a week-long design sprint with an unparalleled opportunity to access advanced technology developed at NSWC Crane and test if there’s a market to commercialize it for.
November 18
Doors: 7:30 AM
Event Time: 8:00 AM
Celebrate the start of Innovation Week with a proclamation from Bloomington Mayor, Kerry Thomson at The Forge.
Doors: 9:30 AM
Event Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Join us for a morning of panels, workshops and networking designed specifically for collegiate founders. Registration is open to any founder currently enrolled in an Indiana college or university.
For a more detailed agenda, more information, and to register, click here.
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Joining an accelerator can help you pressure test your product market fit and reach top investors and mentors. But joining at the wrong time can be an expensive mistake. Vance Dekker at Techstars NYC will discuss when to consider an accelerator, what indices accelerators use to predict startup success, and best practices to make your application stand out.
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Join Jacob Schpok, Partner and Head of Platform, and Landon Young, VP of Pre-Seed, from Elevate Ventures as they give feedback to pitches from collegiate founders. After pitches, Jacob and Landon will have an open Q&A followed by open networking.
Part of PROPELS Sprint Week
Doors: 4:00 PM
Event Time: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Spend time with the Crane inventors and researchers who developed the IP you’ll be working with.
Doors: 6:00 PM
Event Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
As part of The Mill’s Innovation Week, this event will showcase the innovative work happening with Paragraph and their companies. Enjoy drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and a sneak peek of what’s to come.
November 19
Doors: 8:30 AM
Event Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Top companies from Crossroads Fall Pitch Competition will compete live at The Mill.
Doors: 5:00
Event Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
This event is all about company building! So come ready for networking, a fireside chat with a startup expert and hearing a pitch from a local founder.
Crossroads Pitch Competition finalists will also be announced!
Doors: 5:30 PM
Event Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Morgenstern Books
849 S. Auto Mall Road
Bloomington, IN 47401
November 20
Doors: 8:00 AM
Event Time: 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
INVITE ONLY. Co-hosted with the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, this is our annual celebration of the best places to work in Bloomington.
Doors: 10:30 AM
Event Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
The Crossroads Idea Competition is your chance to showcase that idea and get feedback from expert judges. This is a great first step before you move onto a pre-accelerator like B-Start, gBETA, or Crossroads Pitch Competition.
Doors: 11:30 AM
Event Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
We hope you’ll join the Bloomington Remote community for our monthly Remote Work Meetup Lunch! The Mill will provide a seasonal-themed entrée, and we would love attendees to bring a favorite holiday treat to share with the group - side dishes, beverages, and/or desserts are all welcome!
All remote workers are welcome to partake in this Friendsgiving celebration! Register here!
The Bloomington Economic Development Corporation invites you on an exclusive site of Phoenix Closures. Phoenix is an innovative full-service packaging manufacturing company specializing in injection-molded closures for the food & beverage, home & personal care, consumer healthcare, and chemical industries. In addition to stock and custom continuous thread, dispensing and child-resistant closures, the company also offers the following services: innovative closure and package design, technical field support, and personalized customer service. The company's origins date back to 1890.
- Bus loads at 12:30 PM at The Mill
- Arrive at Phoenix Closures at 1:00 PM
- Tour concludes and bus loads at 3:00 PM
- Returns to The Mill at 3:15 PM
RSVPs are required! Get more info and RSVP here!
Location: The Yellowwood, Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington Campus
Doors: 11:30 AM
Event Time: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Join foodies and food entrepreneurs as they discuss trends, innovations, and sample small bites from up and coming chefs. Full lineup of speakers coming soon!
Doors: 1:30 PM
Event Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Top companies compete live for a chance to win a $10,000 investment from Flywheel Fund.
Doors: 4:30 PM
Event Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Following the Crossroads Finals, join us for a happy hour!
November 21
Doors: 8:30 AM
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 AM
Join founders from The Mill at TechPoint's Indiana Founders Network November Breakfast. These breakfasts are for informal conversation around a central topic. No presentation – just discussion. These gatherings are an approachable way for founders to build relationships and share knowledge with each other.
The Indiana Founders Network is a community of founders whose focus is building a scaling business, including tech-enabled or tech-product organizations. Our meetings and events are “no-sales zones” and vendors, investors and services providers are not invited to join.
Email Samantha with questions or for more info!
Doors: 10:30 AM
Event Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Join us for a luncheon panel moderated by Michelle Cole featuring founders and entrepreneurs making an impact with their startups.
Moderator: Michelle Cole
Panelists: Anna Doris, Kaci Heins, Jean Ross
Doors: 11:30 AM
Event Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Join student founders at the Von Lee to learn how to become part of their growing community of innovative thinkers and future business leaders. No prior business experience is required - we welcome all students interested in exploring entrepreneurship. This gathering is more than just a free lunch; it's your first step toward joining a vibrant community of student entrepreneurs. Our team is ready to answer your questions and help you discover how IU Innovates can support your entrepreneurial journey.
Doors: 4:30 PM
Keynote Address: 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Panel Session/Fireside Chat: 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM
Moderator: Jeremy Brilliant, D!NG Marketing/Comms
Panel Speakers: Jesse Levin, CEO - Tactivate / DEF, Heath Murray, CEO - D!NG, Jennifer Boughton, Ideation Division Chief, Multi-Domain Joint Operations - OUSD R&E
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Open networking with attendees and speakers from the D!NG keynote and panel discussion. Refreshments provided by Heartwork Brewing.
November 22
Doors: 11:30 AM
Event Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Join us for a celebration of The Forge, Bloomington's newest Class A office building in the Trades District.
Doors: 4:30 PM
Event Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Join Superior STEAM and RoboBoosters: Featuring Quadrangles, ICE Robotic, and the Superior Steam 4H Clubs for a chance to pilot robots and compete in timed obstacle courses and other challenges. We’ll have prizes for the best times/ highest scoring attendees at the end of the night.
November 23
Location: Morgenstern Books, 849 S Auto Mall Rd, Bloomington
Doors: 9:30 AM
Event Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
More details coming soon
Thank you to our sponsors
