Three Indiana University programs are among 20 finalists for the University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) Awards of Excellence to be presented at UEDA’s Annual Summit on Oct. 16-19 in Roanoke, Va.

Under the “Innovation and Talent” category, IU Bloomington was selected for its partnership with the Bloomington Economic Development Corp. to launch the B-Start pre-accelerator. B-Start seeks to provide entrepreneurial mentors from the Bloomington business community to advise student-run ventures at IU Bloomington and Ivy Tech Community College.

Another finalist within the same category is the DIVE program at IUPUI. DIVE (Discovery, Innovation and Ventures Enterprise) brings IUPUI students in contact with entrepreneurs, equity investors and service providers who help young companies grow.

Within the “Place” category was an IU Kokomo initiative known as “Steward of Place: How IU-Kokoko Engages with the North Central Indiana Region to Support Economic Development.” Serving as a “Steward of Place” is a key strategic priority for the campus and Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke, as IU Kokomo has created advisory boards in seven of 12 communities it serves.

These boards help the campus learn about community challenges and provide strategies for how the campus and community can partner to solve them. Last year, Sciame-Giesecke was appointed to UEDA’s National Board of Directors and serves as chair for the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance.

Learn more about UEDA’s Awards of Excellence and other finalists here: