Export Indiana Fellowship Program Seeking Applicants

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – November 17, 2015) . . . The Indiana Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship’s Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) and The International Center have created a partnership along with Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management to promote the growth of small business by supplying export-ready businesses with the tools and professional expertise necessary to export their goods and services successfully at the international level through the Export Indiana Fellowship Program.

Recognizing Indiana has a shortage of exporting consultants and experts to help entrepreneurs enter into international markets, the Export Indiana Fellowship Program was established in early 2015 to collectively grow the state’s efforts and capacity by teaching others the skills of exporting.

Small businesses are partnered with current and graduating Purdue University masters students to help develop a successful export plan for each business. The students work with the host business over the course of one year, first as summer fellows and then as part-time consultants through the Experiential Learning Project course.

The Export Indiana Fellowship Program is currently looking to partner with 10 Hoosier businesses interested in growing their export capacity. Selected businesses would begin hosting the fellows in May 2016.

The pilot, launched this past summer, paired three MBA students with local businesses ready to take the next steps toward expanding into international markets:

• Fathom Voice
  • Provides a centralized enterprise-grade communication platform for small, medium and large businesses
• Indy Chamber – Global Indy Initiative
  • Privately-held small business employing engineers, scientists and technicians providing mechanical, electrical and software solutions through design, development and prototyping.
• Techshot
  • Privately-held small business employing engineers, scientists and technicians providing mechanical, electrical and software solutions through design, development and prototyping.

“With our infrastructure in place, Fathom saw a need to capitalize on expanding our service offering internationally while attracting the young, fresh, hungry and moldable talent to help our company grow. Thus the Export Indiana Fellowship Program was the perfect combination of all those needs and a great partnership of Indiana organizations working together to better the communities we live in and keep the talent in Indiana” said Austin Evans, VP Sales & Marketing at Fathom Voice. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of our partnership and the future of our company as we look to hire our Fellow full time.”

Program participants receive ongoing support from Purdue faculty as well as the ISBDC Export Advisor, Andrew Reinke, President of Foreign Targets, Inc,an export management company, who provides mentorship to students and host businesses as they develop their export plans.

“The Export Indiana Fellowship is one of the best opportunities that I have experienced while studying in the United States. I have been challenged in ways that I have never been before and my exposure to this level of global marketing strategy is definitely transformational,” commented Botao Sun, Fathom Voice Fellow. Based on the success of the pilot, the Export Indiana Fellowship Program is currently seeking applicants for the next round.

To learn more about the Export Indiana Fellowship Program or to apply please visit: http://www.isbdc.org/exportindiana. Questions may be directed to Jacob Schpok, ISBDC State Director at jschpok@osbe.in.gov or 317.232.8805.

To learn more about exporting, Andrew Reinke provides tips, lessons learned and FAQs in a blog for the ISBDC network.

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