What is RISE?

Regional Innovation and Startup Education, or RISE, is a network of established businesses, influential members of the community, startups, high school and college students all with a common goal: talent retention and economic development in our region. This is an organization that, in the 2018/2019 school year, has guided 47 high school and college students through the challenging world of entrepreneurship by directly connecting them with over 100 area businesses and countless resources within the Startup Moxie and Applied Entrepreneurship programs.

The impact on the students has been tremendous and effective, as 25 new ventures have been launched this school year alone. Through various RISE programs students are instructed on how to navigate through the process of starting a business, while also receiving college credit. In the 2018/2019 school year, the programs have seen 180 dual credits administered through Ivy Tech be utilized by students.

What is Experience RISE?

The first annual Experience RISE event, taking place on May 23, 2019 at Studebaker Building 113, is a chance to highlight all of the new ideas and innovations that RISE program participants are introducing into our region. All 25 new businesses, 18 from the high school students and 7 from the college students, will be showcased at the event. The experience will include new products, new services, and new means of approaching problems commonly faced in our region. Being the first inaugural event, this event paves the way for the future of regional entrepreneurship and community interaction.

The goal of Experience RISE is to educate the public on everything that RISE has done over the past year, as well as the plans for the future. It is an event not only to showcase, but to build connections with future partners or possible applicants.

What is Startup Moxie?

Startup Moxie, is an immersive educational experience that guides high school students through the many challenges of entrepreneurship by connecting all of its students to the vast RISE network, consisting of over 100 established businesses from the South Bend – Elkhart Region. The program aims to not only prompt its students to learn how to start and operate a business, but to give its students the tools to conduct themselves properly in a professional environment, and the knowledge and resources to contribute to the betterment of our region.

What is Applied Entrepreneurship (AEP)?

The AEP Program is a transformational experience focused on developing entrepreneurial thinkers throughout the South Bend – Elkhart Region. AEP seeks to prepare college students to become responsible, enterprising individuals who become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities.