DeBrand: There’s No Place Like Home

Coming back home is a tale as old as time. And it’s one that rings true for Cathy Brand-Beere and her three daughters. Brand-Beere is the founder and president of DeBrand Fine Chocolates, and her three daughters, Audree Beere, Jasmine Severinac and Niki Poplin, all work with her. It doesn’t take long to notice that […]

NEI Hires Jacob Ihrie to its Regional Initiatives Team

FORT WAYNE – The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI) has hired Jacob Ihrie to be its Director of Regional Initiatives. Ihrie will be responsible for helping develop and provide day-to-day management of initiatives and programs that attract and deploy resources necessary to improve the region’s competitiveness for new business investment and population growth. “I’m beyond excited to join the NEI […]

Creating Opportunities: The Career Attainment Pathway Program

Acknowledging the talents of individuals with disabilities is important. So, in the final stretch of Autism Acceptance Month, let’s highlight one collaboration that is doing this well. The partnership between Omnisource and East Allen County Schools (EACS) and their Career Attainment Pathway (CAP) program gives students with disabilities a chance to gain skills that can […]

NEI Hires Dan Bish as Vice President of Business Development

FORT WAYNE – The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI) has hired Dan Bish to be its Vice President of Business Development. Bish will be responsible for driving NEI’s business attraction goals and objectives, developing strategic partnerships nationally and building relationships with key stakeholders. “I’m excited for the opportunity to bring my experience and skill set to the […]

Partners in Autism Work to Bring Clients, Businesses Together

Diversity within a workforce is an asset many businesses feel they don’t have the time, knowledge, or resources to invest in. Businesses often miss out on qualified individuals with disabilities who could enrich their teams because they are unaware of the simple steps they could take to employ these valuable individuals. This is where Partners […]

State Approves $30 Million for Northeast Indiana Strategic Development

Budget Committee Vote Confirms Funding to Catalyze Regional Growth   Fort Wayne, IN., Apr. 23, 2024- The State of Indiana Budget Committee approved the $30 million grant for programs designed to grow population, wages, and credential attainment in the 11-county region of Northeast Indiana. The State Budget Committee voted Friday to approve the $30 million […]

NEI Hires Chase Gibson to the Business Development Team

FORT WAYNE – The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI) has hired Chase Gibson to be its Director of Business Development. Gibson will be responsible for sourcing and nurturing new business expansions and relocations to increase business investment in Northeast Indiana. “I am very eager for the opportunity to join the NEI team as Director of […]

Ashley Savieo and the Pursuit of Knowledge

Ask Ashley Savieo a question. She’ll think it over, formulate an answer and give you her thoughts. That patient mindset is a learned skill for Savieo, the Director of Economic and Business Development at American Electric Power (AEP). It was something she developed over time, and it was necessary because she wanted to move at […]

Ellen Cutter helps Greater Fort Wayne thrive

In the world of economic development, someone rarely seeks it out as a lane when they start their professional career. Ellen Cutter, the Chief Economic Development Officer at Greater Fort Wayne Inc. (GFW), didn’t necessarily seek it out but was always headed down that path. “My background is in urban planning. And I didn’t know […]

Melanie Kellogg, outsider turned insider in Noble County

Melanie Kellogg isn’t new to Noble County, but that didn’t mean she felt like an insider when she became the Executive Director at Be Noble Inc., Noble County’s local economic development organization.   Kellogg worked previously in Noble County, but it wasn’t the experience she thought she would have coming out of college. After graduating […]