Boone County Economic Development Corporation

10/22/2026

That's a wrap for our 2026 event series!

We recently closed out our Behind-the-Scenes and HR Roundtable series for the year with two great opportunities to learn, connect, and collaborate!

Behind the Scenes | The Arc of Greater Boone County

Our final Behind-the-Scenes tour took us to The Arc of Greater Boone County, an organization dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities and creating opportunities for greater independence, inclusion, and meaningful community impact. One of the highlights of our visit was touring the workspace where The Arc's team fulfills orders for Mr. Canary!

HR Roundtable | 2026 Wage & Benefits Study

Our final HR Roundtable of the year brought together local HR professionals and business leaders to explore findings from the 2026 Boone County Wage & Benefits Study. Beyond discussing compensation trends and evolving employee expectations, attendees had the opportunity to share feedback and recommendations to help shape the 2027 Wage & Benefits Study, ensuring it continues to provide meaningful insights for our local employers.

As we wrap up these series for 2026, we want to thank everyone who attended, hosted, and contributed to the conversations throughout the year. These opportunities to connect, share ideas, and learn from one another are what make our Boone County business community so special!

10/19/2026

Boone EDC’s Program Manager, Dorothy Widelka, is one of 29 leaders selected to participate in Early Learning Indiana’s inaugural Civic Impact Academy. The program started last week with a lecture led by Harvard University professor Dr. Junlei Li, a community mapping activity, and a brain architecture program for participants. The Civic Impact Academy brings together professionals from business, government, and civic sectors to explore how early childhood education drives economic growth and strengthens Indiana’s workforce. Through this exciting opportunity, Boone EDC will continue to gain valuable insights and connections to help support early learning and address childcare challenges in Boone County.

Click this link to learn more about the Civic Impact Academy:

INDIANAPOLIS – Early Learning Indiana has selected 29 leaders from business, economic development, government and civic organizations to participate in

10/16/2026

Boone EDC is proud to celebrate 500 Sycamore Founder and Boone EDC Board member, Braden Nicholson for being named a finalist for the 2026 Monumental Awards in recognition of his Thorntown Main Street revitalization project. Hosted by the Indy Chamber, the Monumental Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in economic growth and development across Central Indiana. Nicholson and Boone EDC were finalists in the Neighborhood Revitalization category, highlighting the commitment to strengthen communities and support downtown revitalization efforts in Boone County. Although the Thorntown Main Street revitalization project ultimately did not win in the Neighborhood Revitalization category, being named a finalist is a huge honor and a strong testament to the hard work and dedication that went into this project.

Click the link below to learn more about the project that received this incredible nomination!

https://betterinboone.org/main-street-momentum-thorntowns-downtown-revival-takes-shape/

10/14/2026

Exciting news for Lebanon!

Pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Co., has proposed a decade-long, $19.3 million investment to Lebanon to upgrade local hazardous materials response services. The funding would initially hire 12 new firefighters, a hazardous materials response fire engine, and advanced training at the new Lebanon Fire Department Station 213. This partnership would require Lebanon to continue meeting regular performance targets for personnel levels, certifications, and equipment upkeep to continue receiving yearly payments. Investments like these directly support Lebanon residents and the community by enhancing public safety, high accountability standards, and improved hazardous materials response services.

Eli Lilly and Co. is proposing to provide up to $19.3 million over 10 years to the city of Lebanon to expand the Lebanon Fire Department’s ability to respond to hazardous materials emergencies, according to documents filed with the city.

10/09/2026

Storefront Branding, Design & Layout Workshop

Calling all Boone County small business owners! Join us for an engaging and practical workshop as part of the Boone County Storefront Design Accelerator Program, presented by the Boone County Economic Development Corporation.

We’re excited to welcome guest speakers from Studio RD, a local interior design firm, who will lead a hands-on session focused on storefront branding, design, and layout. Whether you’re looking to refresh your current storefront, improve your customer experience, or simply explore new ideas for making your business stand out, this workshop will provide inspiration you can put into practice.

📅 October 26th
⏰ 9:30 AM–10:30 AM
📍 Lebanon, Indiana Public Library
104 E Washington St, Lebanon, IN 46052

The workshop is open to all Boone County small businesses, and we encourage business owners to take advantage of this opportunity to learn from design professionals and connect with other local entrepreneurs.

Light breakfast and coffee will be provided. Link to register below.

https://info.betterinboone.org/boone-county-storefront-program

10/09/2026

Boone EDC is excited to highlight Lebanon Community School Corporations’ Tiger Cubs Pre-K and Meta’s recent $300,000 investment in the program.

Tiger Cubs’ goal is to provide local children with access to high-quality early learning opportunities that prepare them for kindergarten. Research shows that access to high-quality early childhood education positively impacts school readiness and future educational outcomes. To help ensure that finances are not a barrier preventing a child from having a strong start at school, the Preschool Access Fund was created. Through this fund, Tiger Cubs can provide scholarships to families while lowering the overall cost of the program for all families.

Meta’s $300,000 investment into Tiger Cubs Pre-K provides significant support for expanding access to high-quality early learning education in Boone County. In addition to the generous financial contribution, Meta also donated school supplies that will be distributed across the school district. Investments in the Preschool Access Fund help more children access early learning opportunities while also providing meaningful support to working families in Boone County.

Lauren Huff, Tiger Cubs’ Principal, is grateful for the support and says, “Every child deserves the opportunity to walk into kindergarten feeling confident, prepared, and excited to learn, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. The generosity we have received through our Preschool Access Fund is helping us remove barriers for families while keeping high-quality preschool affordable and accessible. At LCSC, our mission is to help every student, every day, reach a new best, and I truly believe that work can begin in Pre-K. The support Tiger Cubs has received is an incredible testament to how deeply this community values education and believes in giving every child the opportunity for a successful future.”

As Boone EDC continues to partner with the Boone County Early Learning Coalition to advance early learning initiatives in Boone County, it is inspiring to see such meaningful investments that strengthen and expand high-quality early learning opportunities for children and families throughout Boone County.

10/05/2026

We’re excited to announce the Boone County Storefront Design Accelerator Program!

This countywide program will help local small businesses create more welcoming, engaging storefronts and improve the customer experience.

Here’s what participating businesses can receive:
* A professional storefront interior design assessment
* A $1,000 grant to implement a recommended interior improvement
* Anyone in the community will have access to 3 educational workshops focused on storefront appeal, retail environments, design, and customer experience
* Connection with a cohort of 15 Boone County small businesses�

Eligible businesses must be located in Boone County, have a physical storefront, and currently be open to the public.

We’re proud to partner with Main Street Zionsville, Heart of Lebanon, the Town of Whitestown, the Jamestown Community Partnership, Thorntown Main Street, and the Town of Advance on an initiative that supports local businesses and helps strengthen the character of Boone County’s commercial corridors!

Learn more and apply: https://info.betterinboone.org/boone-county-storefront-program

The Community Collaboration Fund (CCF) is a program of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) designed to inspire new, community-led collaborations and programming that drive entrepreneurial education, tech enablement and small business acceleration statewide. CCF grants enable Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) to implement initiatives that serve Indiana’s entrepreneurs and small businesses and fill critical ecosystem gaps across Indiana’s regions.

09/30/2026

Our team at the Boone County Economic Development Corporation was proud to attend the 2026 ZCS State of the Schools presentation today!

Thank you to Zionsville Community Schools, the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce, and the Zionsville Education Foundation for bringing our community together for important updates and conversation about the future of education in Zionsville.

09/29/2026

Boone County Economic Development Corporation CEO Andrea Kern joined fellow Central Indiana leaders in Dublin, Ireland, for a Leadership Exchange organized by the Indy Chamber.

The experience offered an opportunity to learn from Ireland’s approach to innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce and international business.

For Boone County, being part of conversations like these is about bringing home new perspectives, strengthening relationships and finding opportunities to apply what we learn to our own community.

09/15/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Boone EDC’s Next Up: International Agricultural Trade!

We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to join us, connect over lunch, and engage in a great conversation about the impact of international trade on Indiana agriculture, our local economy, and communities like Boone County.

A special thank you to Drew Sherman, Director of the Economic Development Division at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), for sharing his expertise and helping us better understand Indiana agriculture’s role in the global marketplace.

We appreciate the questions, conversations, and connections that made this Next Up session a success!