High-Growth Indianapolis Companies

A New Class of Fellows...

Thursday, December 15, 2011 by Brandon Russell

It's hard to believe in just more than two weeks it will be 2012. A new year brings new opportunities and fresh perspectives - especially for fast growing startups in Indianapolis.

2011 was a phenomenal year for the Orr Fellowship. Several firsts, records and honors bestowed on the organization, its members and its alumni. Some of these accolades include:

Welcoming the largest class of Orr Fellows in the history of the organization. (Earlier this year, 27 new Orr Fellows took positions at some of Indiana's best and fastest growing companies.)
The first acquisition of a company founded by an Orr Fellow. (MyJibe, founded by Fellowship alumnus Mike Langellier, was purchased by Utah-based MoneyDesktop less than a year after its initial launch.)
A prestigious honor bestowed to an Orr Fellowship alumnus and his Indiana-based startup. (Yaw Aning, founder and CEO of Pocket Tales, took top honors at this year's Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Global Education Challenge.)
National media coverage for a current Orr Fellow and his bootstrapped social polling tool. (Max Yoder and Quipol have been covered by or used by NBC Chicago, Forbes, and TechCrunch.)

The honors and achievements mentioned above are the results of countless hours of hard work and dedication. These are highlights of daily contributions Orr Fellows make to Indiana, and the high growth start-ups they serve.

I, along with every other Orr Fellow, and alumnus are proud of these, and all accomplishments, and to be associated with such high-caliber individuals. (Sorry I'm taking the liberty to speak for everyone in the group, but I feel confident my thoughts echo the pride we all have in this organization, as well as the people responsible for its success.)

Speaking of a new class of Fellows, another highlight for 2011 is the addition of 25 new Orr Fellows who will join the organization in the Summer of 2012 at their respective host companies.

Chosen from thousands of candidates, the newest Orr Fellows represent the best of the best, and will undoubtedly continue the strong tradition and values the Orr Fellowship fosters.

With that, we (again, speaking collectively on behalf of the entire organization) are proud to announce the 2012 Class of the Orr Fellowship.

Name	Host Company	Alma Mater
Sasha Bannister	Indigo BioSystems	Indiana University
Kevin Bell	Apparatus	Notre Dame
Rory Billing	TinderBox	Miami University (Ohio)
Stephanie Bristow	BidPal Network	Ball State University
Branden Burke	Brightpoint	Purdue University
Halie Davila	Slingshot SEO	Butler University
Bo Dietrick	Exact Target	Purdue University
Brittany Dorsett	Aprimo	Butler University
Stephanie Flint	BidPal Network	Butler University
Eric Franklin	Angie's List	Indiana University
Lauren Gatchel	Apparatus	Butler University
Tyler Geesaman	Interactive Intelligence	Purdue University
Tyler Guckien	Angie's List	Indiana University
Katie Hayes	RICS Software	University of Dayton
Van Hoang	Courseload	DePauw University
Melissa Jackson	Aprimo	St. Mary's College
Amanda Lester	TinderBox	St. Mary's College
Elizabeth Massoth	T2 Systems	DePauw University
Katy Perona	Apparatus	Purdue University
Emily Reavis	WebLink International	DePauw University
Molly Sender	Courseload	DePauw University
Andy Simmons	iGoDigital	Valparaiso University
Diana Trautman	BioConvergence	Butler University
Nathan Wiersema	Fifth Gear	Indiana University
Austin Zartman	One Click Ventures	Indiana University

With a solid year behind us, an extremely promising incoming class, and great opportunities awaiting us; 2012 looks to be the best year the Orr Fellowship has seen yet.

Fellows + Community

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 by Abbey Wilson

Tomorrow is certain be a gloomy day. In addition to the fact that local meteorologists are predicting rain and stoms, it also happens to be the day DePauw University begins classes for the 2011-2012 (wait, 2012!?) school year. While many friends (including my younger sister) enter the historic halls of Abury and the bright, welcoming rooms of Julian, I'll be at my desk weeping silently for the past 4 years that passed all too quickly and have left me counting PTO days for the rest of my life.

Perhaps I'm being too dramatic. Because alas, after graduating and being placed at a high-growth startup, I have something many of my DPU peers do not: The Orr Fellowship. This past weekend 40 of us "roughed it" in the deep woods of Martinsville, gathering to solve important issues with exercises such as capture the flag and campus golf. Oh, we had bonfires and smores, too.

I got to know many of the Fellows better during our stay in the middle of nowhere (no disrespect), and I continue to admire and appreciate each Fellow's unique talents and experiences. Each Fellow is so unlike the next, yet the group of us shares many key characteristics that defines our interest in high-growth Indianapolis companies, entrepreneurship careers and post-graduate networking.

This weekend showcased an ever-present human element to the Fellowship: accomplished, smart people with great ideas who also happen to be friends that get along, dance and cook together very well. Hearing this Fellowship community existed sold me on applying last Fall and now I'm experiencing it first-hand.

We can't wait to meet new faces interested in technology and business jobs in Indianapolis, because we're partners with some of the best places to work in Indiana, and because we're looking for more fun people to do fun things with :-)

Email me at abbey.wilson@orrfellowship.org or follow me on Twitter if you want to know more!

Juggling 2 Jobs

Monday, August 15, 2011 by Kyle Rawn

It seems like just yesterday that I graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and took off for a month in Europe. Coming back was difficult, but starting at Fifth Gear, an Ecommerce fulfillment company looking to double revenue in five years, and the Orr Fellowship Indiana was an abrupt trek back to reality. However, it is great to be in a high-growth Indianapolis company, were the focus is on people. Management recognizes that in order for profitable growth, new people will need to be brought on; and brought on I was. On my very first day with Fifth Gear I left before lunch to visit our 500,000 square feet warehouse location in Louisiana, Missouri. Louisiana had the wonderful smells and feel of a small Middle American town with approximately a third of the town employed by Fifth Gear. I toured the twin warehouses on the outskirts of town, less than two miles from the center! The warehouse was hot and my stomach was growling for food, but the warehouse was never-the-less impressive. With thousands of horse, house restoration and enough contact lenses to keep me seeing for life, I was prepared to whip out my Visa and go on a never-ending shopping spree.

The next morning started with a delightful visit to a local favorite café called Daybreak, located a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River. A pleasant man took our orders. Delicious omelets, California style with spinach and feta cheese is what I got. At the end of breakfast, a nightshift worker recognized our badges and gave us recommendations on how to improve the warehouse. The recommendations were genuine and thorough. After breakfast, it was back to the warehouse. The community office that is shared by temporary visitors is quant with street views. The information I attained over the next few days advanced my knowledge incredibly more than sitting in Indy for four days starring at my computer wondering, “What does this Operations Analyst role I have really mean.” Later, I was invited to sit in on a freight meeting with our CEO, President, and VP of Operations; yet again emphasizing the honor it is to be an Orr Fellow. Two more days of business meetings and shadowing carried on like this. Except on the last day where we all splurged with homemade cinnamon donuts from Daybreak. It was hands down the greatest donut these taste buds have experienced.

The five hour ride back home allowed for reflection on what I learned, as well as a vital phone conference with my manager, we couldn’t find time to meet in Louisiana, further emphasizing exactly how important time is to growing companies. I walked away with valuable insight of what Fifth Gear does, but more importantly I put a face with a name and each person I met was able to do the same. The warehouse was hot, the restaurants were only opened a few nights a week, but the people had the right attitude needed for growth. The people were friendly and everyone acknowledge my existence in passing. It felt simply like home away from home.

In addition to my exciting new role with Fifth Gear on August 1^st the Orr Fellow crew met and I was placed in the Fellow Development Group. The group plans the all-Fellow retreat coming up in mid-August, as well as, five personal and professional growth seminars throughout the next year. Finally the group is responsible for smoothly transitioning our next class of Fellows. Though starting “two” jobs in quick session was a brain shock, I am already seeing the benefits from both. I am excited to spend more time with current Fellows and learn more about Ecommerce.

Like a good whiskey

Sunday, August 7, 2011 by Alec Synnestvedt

The Orr Fellowship just keeps getting sweeter as time passes.

When I was going through the recruitment process almost a year ago, I was all kinds of fired up about the chance to be mainlined into a high growth Indiana company. The prospect of learning from host company executives and Indianapolis business leaders in my first job out of DePauw University had my mouth watering. The idea of gaining more experience in two years than most college grads get in five thrilled me. And in December, after I earned a position in the Orr Fellowship and my host company, T2 Systems, I could hardly wait to get started in June.

But I also had a lot of unanswered questions. I had no idea what life as an Orr Fellow was like. As a creative writing major, I didn't know what to expect from the tech industry. And, being from Detroit, I wondered about what life in Indianapolis had in store for me.

Maybe you, like me, are excited by the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship. (You would be silly to regard it as anything other than a wonderful opportunity). And maybe you also want to know more about what it comes with. So my next few posts will constitute a snapshot of my experience so far, a month and a half in.

Here are some of the things I did today:

Attended a Venture Club of Indianapolis meeting with Chris Palmer and an executive at my company. Our CEO spoke on the guest pannel.
Helped develop my company's social media presence
Worked on my salesforce database skills while sending messages out to customers
Had a bbq pork sandwich and a beer in the office as part of our thirsty Thursday tradition.
Wrote this post.

Questions? Email me at alec.synnestvedt@orrfellowship.org

Are you practicing safe tweeting?

Thursday, January 20, 2011 by Zac Workman

As an Orr Fellow, I feel the topic of social media is an important issue to address and one we often overlook. Many of us use Facebook and Twitter, but do we actually consider what we are saying and how it might affect our brand? Social media is a big part of the tech and start-up community in Indiana, and our brands (personal and professional) can be affected.

If you are one of the nearly 200 million people who already use or are thinking of using Twitter, then you probably have heard or been a part of some tweeting debacles. Here are some tips to keep you out of trouble.

5 tips for you to consider when tweeting:

1) No redos on Twitter. Consider what you are posting before you take the dive and send out your 140 character short story about how upset you are by @soandso and remember there is no effective means of recalling public tweets. Once they are out there, they are part of the public domain and sure to be scrutinized and reflect upon you and your brand.

2) Your tweets are owned by you. Once tweeted, your posts are public domain and indexed for searches and linked back to you. Don’t share anything you don’t want to be public information. Save this for direct messages if absolutely necessary but remember that even direct messages can be retweeted.

3) Tweet what is relevant to your brand. As an individual you represent a brand and that brand can be YOU, your employer, your cause or any other number of things. Make sure to keep this in mind when tweeting and keep your tweets relevant. The last thing you want to do is destroy your personal brand because of what you have decided to tweet in the heat of a twitter war or lapse in judgment.

4) Twitter is not Facebook. Don’t use Twitter like you use Facebook. Twitter is used to connect with people and to follow people of interest so you can stay in the conversation. It is not simply a status update. To be effective you have to use references and acknowledge individuals on a regular basis. This may be a retweet, reply, use of hash tags (#) or simply posting relevant content.

5) Twitter is best utilized via Twitter clients. I personally use HootSuite which allows me to manage multiple accounts from one system while staying connected and engaged. These clients also provide analytics and allow you to shorten URLs and easily schedule your tweets.

Twitter is a highway of information and hopefully this will help you to more effectively consume and contribute to the vast amount of relevant information out there.

Happy and safe tweeting!
@zacworkman

Interested in technology jobs in Indianapolis? Or are you part of a high growth start-up that might be a good fit as a Fellowship host company? Check out www.orrfellowship.org to learn more about what the Orr Fellowship has to offer.

Indianapolis Startup Scene

Saturday, January 8, 2011 by Kate Carrico

A recent article by the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) highlighted multiple events and happenings in the Indianapolis area that point to the ever-growing entrepreneurial community here.

The article discusses Hackers and Founders, a monthly meetup that brings entrepreneurial-minded people together to hear three business pitches for high growth start-ups. Organized by Matt Hunckler, a current Orr Fellow, the monthly gatherings now reach around 200 people! From experienced entrepreneurs like Chris Baggott to young people such as current Orr Fellows and everyone in between, these meetups offer a chance to network, bounce ideas off one another, and learn about running a start up company -- all while enjoying food and drinks! If you're interested in starting a career in entrepreneurship or have an interest in the startup scene, this event is not one to miss.

The article also gave a shout out to the Orr Fellowship for its ability to bring young entrepreneurs to Indianapolis to work entry-level jobs in startup companies. This year, we've grown the Fellowship once again by taking nearly 30 new Fellows working for around 20 companies. By bringing some of the best and brightest recent grads to the Indianapolis area, the Fellowship is doing its part to keep fueling the entrepreneurial fire.

We're excited to see what 2011 has in store for each of us, the Fellowship as a whole, and the Indianapolis entrepreneurial community!

Bofo Breakfast

Thursday, December 9, 2010 by Kate Carrico

This morning, I was lucky enough to go to breakfast at Cafe Patachou with three other first-year Fellows and Scott Brenton, the Chair of the Fellowship Board of Directors. While we enjoyed some of the delicious food, we discussed all things Orr Fellowship and the current and future state of the program.

We discussed recruitment, which wrapped up on Friday when our 21 2011 host companies interviewed around 40 finalists and began their difficult decision making process. We're so excited to welcome our new Orr Fellows in the upcoming weeks as they accept jobs at some wonderful entrepreneurial companies in Indianapolis!

We also talked about different initiative areas, such as service and our international trip! Our Fellowship class will be the very first group to get to go on an international trip at the conclusion of our two year commitment. Not only will we get to travel abroad to experience high growth start-ups in the international business community, but we will get to go with 20 of our closest friends! We get to work with our Board of Directors to choose the destination of the trip--who knows where we'll end up going!

The Orr Fellowship has a lot to offer any qualified college graduate. While we're no longer accepting applicants for the 2011 class of Fellows, it will be recruitment season before we know it for the class of 2012!

Recruitment Season Half-Way Point

Thursday, November 4, 2010 by Kate Carrico

Orr Fellowship recruitment season is about halfway through! We've reviewed thousands of resumes, interviewed around 200 candidates, and selected the candidates to move on to the Reception on the Circle (ROTC) coming up on Thursday at the Mavris. All this work to bring some of the best and brightest minds from Indiana to some of the most exciting high growth start-ups! We're very excited about the talent of the candidates that we have continuing through our selection process.

So what's next for those looking for jobs with entrepreneurial companies in Indianapolis? ROTC is an event where candidates get a chance to meet all of the current Fellows, Fellowship directors, and host company directors. Various members of the Fellowship share stories about their experiences and hopes for the future direction of the Fellowship. After ROTC, candidates will move to Finalists' Day in which candidates interview with the executives of the high-growth Indianapolis companies. Each candidate will interview with four to five host companies and will know within the week whether they have been extended an offer.

We're looking forward to welcoming the next class of Orr Fellows!

Indianapolis Living

Thursday, October 14, 2010 by Kate Carrico

If your friends are anything like mine were senior year of college, a bunch of them are talking about getting out of Indiana after school is over and heading to a big city like Chicago. You could even be one of those people that thinks Indiana is only made up of corn and basketball and can't wait to leave after graduation...

But don't discount Indiana that fast! As the commercials for Indiana Beach say, there's more than corn in Indiana! Indianapolis is home to one phenomenal football team, a huge number of conferences and sporting events, multiple cultural districts, museums, art galleries, and a symphony orchestra. There is always something going on around town and it's a breeze to get involved. Also, there are many great neighborhoods to live in, the commute times are short, and the city is easy to navigate!

If you're interested in high growth start-ups or technology jobs, Indianapolis could also be for you! There is a great small business community as well as a phenomenal network of high tech start-ups throughout the city.

The Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship is a two-year commitment for new college grads that takes advantage of the business culture in Indianapolis and looks to keep it booming by bringing incredible young talent to promising companies. From industry leaders such as ExactTarget to up and coming companies such as BlueLock, the Orr Fellowship partners with the outstanding business community to provide a phenomenal experience for both host companies and Orr Fellows.

If you're a college senior looking for jobs, check out the Orr Fellowship today!

Recruitment Season is Here!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 by Amber Mohling

Well, it's officially one of my favorite times of the year. No, it's not Christmas quite yet... but it is Orr Fellow Recruitment season!

6 of the Orr Fellows at an event in the spring of 2010

Last week, I visited my Alma Mater for a info session, tomorrow I'll be at Indiana University & on Monday I'll be at Ball State for 2 of the Orr Fellowship fORRum events. These events provide a great opportunity to discuss the fellowship opportunity in Indianapolis and high growth start-ups with college seniors.

Below is the 1,000 foot view of the process for Orr Fellowship candidates:

Screen 1,000+ candidates from across the state
Interview 200+ on-campuses & in Indianapolis throughout October
Reception on the Circle – Invite 70 candidates in November
Finalist Day – Invite 40 candidates in December

If you're a college senior and interested in the opportunity to work for fast growing Indianapolis companies, APPLY TODAY! Resumes are due in early October!

Orr Recruiting Off to a Great Start

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by Brant Howell

Recently, Bob Reish, Matt Barloh and I attended the first career fair of the season! We traveled north to our Alma mater, The University of Notre Dame, and after spending the morning promoting the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship in front of several classes, we moved to the fair to further spread the word about this amazing program.

We met some great candidates and had a ton of fun getting to know many of the good prospects for the Orr Fellowship Class of 2011. We had conversations with people we had asked to come see us, and also a surprising number of folks who sought us out after they had heard of our program from friends.

Many candidates were not specifically looking for entrepreneurial companies or technology jobs in Indianapolis, but when we began discussing the fantastic networking opportunities in Indianapolis, and the high growth start-ups we work with, we could see their interest begin to swell. Of course, many of our best candidates had serious offers from big companies and other prestigious post-graduate programs, so with this strong competition it was even more incredible to see the how their eyes would light up when we discussed the opportunities at the Orr Fellowship. Obviously the advantages the three of us saw in the Orr Fellowship resonate with other people.

The recruiting season is off to a great start but there is still much to do. It is obvious already however that the word is spreading about this great opportunity. With a little luck this recruiting season will be the best yet.

Food and Fellowship

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 by Kate Carrico

Last night, I was lucky enough to go out to dinner with a group of Orr Fellows to a sushi place on Mass Ave. As we sat devouring our sushi rolls and bartering with each other in an attempt to try all the different varieties, I realized that our conversation covered a lot of topics that are central to the Fellowship.

Nick talked about how he had had dinner with someone he had met at an Indy Hub event, an organization dedicated to post-graduate networking and involvement in Indianapolis. Like Indy Hub, the Orr Fellowship offers new graduates a phenomenal chance to interact with top company executives while also building a network of young professionals.

Matt talked about the upcoming Hackers and Founders meeting, a group of entrepreneurial people that meet up every month to discuss Indianapolis start ups and business ideas. Multiple Fellows have attended the meetings and say they're a great way to feed their entrepreneurial spirit. Matt actually presented a business idea last month and received some great feedback!

Lauren volunteered to organize a casual Fellow get-together for the upcoming Colts game. While all the Fellows may not be huge Colts fans, everyone is so excited to continue developing the inter-Fellow relationships. Especially for those graduates that may have been anxious about moving to a new city and not knowing many people, the Fellows provide a never-ending social calendar and 35 new friends!

Corey and I shared some of the latest happenings at our host company, Compendium. We had a company meeting yesterday and left it with a renewed confidence that we truly are working for one of the best high growth start-ups in Indianapolis. In addition, our departments are collaborating to expand all employees' understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web page set up. While our reading assignments kind of feel like school again, we're very thankful that our host company is so dedicated to helping each of us develop our skill sets. I definitely count these learning sessions as a huge benefit of working in a fast growing Indianapolis company!

If our dinner conversation sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, make sure you check out the Orr Fellowship today!

Maximize The Alpha

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 by Trey Buck

In the financial world, the term "alpha" is meant to signify a measure of performance that is adjusted for risk. But how do we measure risk in the real world? Are some entry-level jobs in start-ups more or less risky than others? How can we know when we've found a winner, that coveted "diamond in the ruff"?

Some may say that it is nearly impossible to assess the risks of any new venture considering the volatility of markets, the unpredictable nature of competition, and the influence of shear luck and ingenuity. While some of that may be true, there are certainly places that have been historically more successful than others: the Silicon Valley specifically. But for the last decade or more, the Valley has seen stiff competition, with distinguished post-grad jobs popping up across the nation (and the world).

I would argue that Indiana is one of the places most suited for companies hiring new grads to establish their roots: our cost of living is significantly lower than other states; our central location within the US places almost any major city within a day's drive; and Indiana has managed to keep its state and local government budgets contained while others have moved even closer to bankruptcy.

And these advantages have not gone unnoticed by the entrepreneurial community: Start-Up Indiana is focused on developing high-growth start-ups in the region; Indianapolis now has its own start-up newsletter, Startup Digest, a free service helping entrepreneurs find events that might peak their interests; and the Orr Fellowship which is aimed at finding and growing tomorrows business leaders through placement in entry-level positions in entrepreneurial companies. All of these initiatives are great examples of organizations driving jobs and opportunity within Indiana and sewing the seeds of growth and fortune.

So when thinking about how to evaluate job opportunities, remember to find those places that minimize the risk of failure and maximize the chances of success. Look to the local community and their support for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Ask questions. Seek guidance. And most importantly, do all you can to maximize the alpha in your life and career.

Start of a New Chapter (In more ways than one)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by Skip Tokar

So here I am writing my first ever blog, something that I never imagined I would ever do, and a million thoughts about a possible topic are running through my head. Throughout the next two years and roughly 24 posts I plan to blow all my readers minds and expose them to the world of Skip Tokar and his time in the Orr Fellowship. I will cover a myriad of topics including The Orr Fellowship, Brightpoint (my company), Indianapolis, sports, and any other thing that might pop into my brain. This will be such a ground breaking source of information and wealth of knowledge that you will literally be counting down the days until the first of every month (or thereabouts) when my blog is posted. And while I may not have the supreme blogging abilities of people like my good friend Matt Hudson: http://blogs.wabash.edu/matthudson2010/ or http://en.wordpress.com/tag/matt-hudson/, I give will give a valiant effort in my writing and, with any luck, by the end of my two years I will be somewhat competent in my blogging ability (Note the last sentence, along with pretty much this whole paragraph should be read with a sarcastic undertone... just saying).

Anyways, back to my original line of thinking for the blog. Since this is my first blog, I was pondering about all the other "firsts" that myself and all my other Orr Fellows (not to mention many of my recently graduated college friends) are experiencing this summer. Last year at this time I was worrying about finding a job. I was looking for high growth start-ups, Indianapolis job opportunities, specifically looking at the "best places to work in Indiana list", various leadership development/ rotational positions, and even some consulting and investment banking positions. I was lucky enough to find the Orr Fellowship, make my way through their recruiting process, and eventually receive an offer from Brightpoint. After evaluating all my options, I realized that the Orr Fellowship and Brightpoint offered a tremendous opportunity (more on this in a later post, that was a teaser by the way).

Flash forward to today. I am now in my first real job after college, writing my first blog, and am now in one of the fastest growing Business Fellowships in the country. I am excited to start this new chapter of my life and am glad that I get to muddle my way through these next few "adult" years with over 25 other Orr Fellows who are in the same boat as myself.

So I hope you liked my first blog and I apologize in advance for any mistakes that I might have made (I blame my editor). I suggest that you keep track of my progress through the Orr Fellowship by marking you calenders for October 1st when my next blog hits the streets.

Fertile Times in Silicon Prairie

Monday, August 30, 2010 by Greg Slisz

The complaint, it seems, is a familiar one. "I want to get out of Indianapolis and go to (insert 'cooler' city here)," say graduates at Indiana colleges. Super Bowl-winning Colts notwithstanding, Indiana seems to have gotten somewhat of an unfair reputation as a boring place to live. Young people flee from the state every year, chasing jobs in investment banking in "sexier" cities such as Chicago and New York or tech jobs on the West Coast in cities like Seattle and San Francisco. But in the words of the great Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend!"
Although it may lack the sex appeal of the Big Apple or the Windy City, Indianapolis is a great place to live for new college graduates. And tech companies are no longer just on the west coast. In fact, there are a number of tech high growth startups right in Indianapolis. Orr Fellowship host companies such as Compendium Blogware, Bluelock, Weblink, and my very own ExactTarget are all helping to turn Indianapolis into a hotbed within Silicon Prairie.

In fact, ExactTarget has not only helping to lead these Silicon Prairie efforts, but is also leading the entire email marketing industry. Some of the company's most-recent developments include

-International expansion to offices in London and Australia, as well as stateside offices in San Francisco and Seattle
-An industry-leading one-to-one marketing conference in downtown Indianapolis, featuring guest speaker Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, and Grammy-winning artist Train
-Cutting edge market research that examines the demographics and behaviors of email subscribers, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers.
-And in case that wasn't enough, ET was recently ranked third on a list of the Best places to work in Indianapolis (with break rooms fully-stocked with free snacks and drinks, might I add!).

So much for Indiana being nothing but cornfield. ExactTarget is just one of many Indianapolis success stories that is also a host company in the Orr Fellowship. Click here and check out some of the other outstanding career opportunities that exist with these other fast growing Indianapolis companies.

Perception

Sunday, August 29, 2010 by Brandon Russell

Today I went golfing with 25 of my friends. Last night, a few of us got together for some drinks after work, on Thursday we're touring the FedEx facilities in Indianapolis for our monthly business leader meeting and in October a group of us is heading to West Virginia to whitewater raft at Upper Gauley.

When I joined the Orr Fellowship I knew I was getting an entry-level job at WebLink International, a fast growing Indiana software and technology company. I knew I'd have networking opportunities with executives from high-growth Indianapolis companies, and I knew I'd be preparing myself for the future.

What I didn't know, or at least didn't expect, was to instantly gain 40 close friends. We all work very hard, as most people in entry-level jobs do, but we also like to have fun. Honestly, I was worried about the transition from college to the professional world, and while big changes are never easy - knowing there are close to 30 other people who are going through the exact same things as me really helps.

People join people. While the Orr Fellowship offers opportunies for post-graduate employment at some of Indiana's most progressive and dynamic companies, it offers something more. At today's golf outing I saw Orr Fellows who completed the program several years ago together on course. They talked about work, families, and other things you'd expect old friends to reminisce about - and that's when it hit me. The most valuable thing I'm going to get out of this two-year program is the relationships. While the retreats and business leader meetings will become a thing of the past, and, let's be honest, who knows where the road will lead me professionally, I can say, with a high degree of certainty, the friends I've made in the 3 short months I've been an official Orr Fellow will stay with me indefinitely.

The Twitter Bug: Will Pharma Catch It?

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 by Andrew Peabody

Tweets, blogs, Facebook followers, and bulletin boards. As you well know, for today's high growth start-ups, social media has taken the industry by storm. Today's consumers are all about transparency, and what better way to keep up on the hottest products than by reading those addicting 140 character news-bites. But in my short time at BioConvergence LLC, I have noticed one thing about healthcare companies both young and old - the tweets have gone silent.

In an industry that puts elaborate chemicals or go-go-gadget devices into real people, you would think that consumers would be especially interested in real-time, transparent information, right? The fact is, however, you aren't going to get these updates by checking your iPhone tweet feed, especially when it comes to pharmaceuticals. A recent article in the Journal of Pharmacy and Therapeutics is just one of many reports, blogs, and conversations flooding the pharma industry about how to deal with social media, both for and against, in what is notoriously a slow-to-catch-up industry.

What's the big deal, you ask? First, lets take a quick look at the unique, HIGHLY regulated environment drug companies live in. For those unfamiliar with the pharma industry, I am sure you are at least aware that all products on the market must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before they can be sold. Once a product is approved, however, drug companies are still required to abide by numerous federal regulations in order for their products to stay in the hands of consumers. This is pretty important considering it takes on average a wallet busting $1 billion investment to get a drug product from early-phase development to a pharmacy near you.

Social media content is all user based - that's why it's social! This same user content, however, is why pharma companies are vaccinating themselves from the twitter bug. According to the FDA, drug companies are supposed to report any 'adverse events' associated with their marketed products. For example, if taking a headache pill makes your skin turn green (a Shrek-like adverse event), the FDA wants to know about it so they can hold the company responsible to fix the problem. If a social media user posts a comment about a bad result or side effect associated with a drug, pharma companies fear this could be interpreted as an adverse event that they must go out and actively solve. This can cause product holds from patients in need, revenue losses, and the list goes on.

But who ultimately is responsible for dealing with these 'adverse event' posts? Should they even be considered valid problems? Is it the drug company's responsibility to seek out and investigate these claims? Will doing so increase the cost of drug products even more?

Today these questions and more have been heard on this long overdue debate, as the FDA is expected to release a set of highly anticipated social media usage guidelines by the end of 2010. For many high-growth Indianapolis companies in the biomedical realm, a watchful eye is being kept to see if they too can join in on the phenomena that is social media. In the meantime, pharma will continue to stay on the outside looking in, waiting to see if they will soon be able to start tweeting with the best of them.

The Question Every College Senior Asks

Monday, August 16, 2010 by Corey Kime

About this time last year, I was winding down my summer job and gearing up for my last year of college at Indiana Wesleyan University. Like most college seniors, one thought came up over and over again in mind:

What am I going to do after I graduate???

Fast-forward twelve months and not only have I settled down in a new job, but I have been exposed to opportunities that I never thought I would be this early out of college. I was able to get this job through the Orr Fellowship, an organization dedicated to the development and retention of Indiana students and natives. The fellowship seeks to match college graduates with high-growth companies in Indiana. I was fortunate enough to be hired on at Compendium, one of many entrepreneurial companies in the Indianapolis area.

Since the start of my job two months ago I have been exposed to many different areas within Compendium that a normal entry-level job may not provide. The accessibility to executives within your company and the hands on experience that I've gotten in just two months has been both exciting and a great opportunity to learn.

Not only do you get a great job with one of the fast growing Indianapolis companies when you are in the fellowship, but you get to go through the fellowship with several other recent graduates just like you. I have developed good friendships with several people in the fellowship and it has given me an instant network of recent grads in an area where I would not have had that big of a network without it.

So if you are about to head back to school for your senior year like I was twelve months ago right now wondering how you are going to find a job and what you are going to be doing, be sure to consider the Orr Fellowship. The opportunity to work at high growth start-ups along with the instant network of friends your age is a tough combination to beat.

Between Personal and Mobile is Portable

Monday, February 8, 2010 by Nate Bullock

As you may well know, Apple released it's highly touted iPad in late January of 2010 and has received mixed reviews. While iThings are trendy and slick, performance has been a concern for many (just look at the recent iPhone issues in New York and AT&T network strain). The iPad is no different as the device possesses non-expandable SD inputs, a general lack of multi-task capabilities, no camera and a low battery life (plus MadTV might have some brand name patents that need addressed).

So this was basically another mac product launch whereby brand lovers became more entranced and brand haters...well...could keep hating. However, beyond these Mac-versus-PC-versus-Linux-versus-CMS-versus-Ruby computo-debates, the iPad launch signifies something that every person seeking a technology job in Indianapolis should be conscious of:

The gap between personal and mobile computing is closing and Apple is blazing that trail despite early attempts at entry by the e-readers (Amazon, B&N, etc.). Where the publishing houses tried to provide a mobile reader, Apple flexed its muscle and offered not only a mobile reader, but mobile computing application along with it.

A number of start-ups, most in NYC and SF, support Apple's move into the portable market as there is a trend towards high growth start-ups building applications for the portable user. My favorite is NYC startup SeeClickFix, a location based service that allows you to report non-emergency issues (potholes, prostitution, graffiti) and receive alerts in your neighborhood about the issue. Other BigApps competition winners in NYC were also location based services (SporkNYC, Taxihack, WayFinder NYC).

As the portable computing gap closes, business jobs in Indianapolis will have to adapt. Entrepreneurial Companies in Indianapolis will hire people who can work within the bounds of a new economy (where your library may eventually be comprised of iPads, Kindles and a few printers). How will you adapt? How will your company evolve? The relentless quest for efficiency is squeezing some of the fat out of life, and portable computing is another step in that quest.

Adaptiveness

Monday, January 11, 2010 by Nate Bullock

The May 2006 issue of Human Resources magazine featured an article by Sommer Kehrli and Truy Sopp in which the authors attempted to share tips with older generations on how to manage Generation Y, a group roughly 80 million strong born after 1978 that began entering the workforce five years ago. Often the onus for change is on older generations. After all, we 'Millennials' are coming into the workforce whether current generations like it or not. Why should the 'new' be the ones to change our habits or learn new ones from the 'old'?

An an entrepreneurial fellowship, we constantly strive to place distinguished college graduates into high growth start-ups. But at the same time, we also communicate the need for constant improvement and learning from industry leaders. Nobody is a subject matter expert anymore and while entry-level jobs in start-ups will help you become more knowledgeable about a specific area, it won't guarantee career-long success. To quote Dr. Thomas Mason, Professor of Economics at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, "to be successful at [an older] age, you need to keep learning."

Need real world examples?

Did you major in Public Relations or Marketing in college? Are you pretty confident writing press releases? Cool. BUT, looks like Presslift is a step ahead and that skill set will become mainstream in the near future.

Did you major in Web Design or UX in college? Are you pretty confident designing emails for your company's marketing team? Great!. BUT, Toddle is making email newsletter design and marketing a breeze.

Major in Finance? ChubbyBrain is democratizing your skill set.

Going to Law School? Legal Zoom has the basics covered.

Are you a scrapbooking professional? Yup...the semantic web has taken over this too.

EVERYTHING is changing. High-growth start-ups and technology jobs in Indianapolis will KEEP changing. Being an expert today doesn't ensure anything for tomorrow. As Gen-Y'ers, we want to be mentored, use new technology, and be given the space to try new things. But we can be too confident, and in the process, atrophy our innate strengths of learning and development.

Your job won't be around forever, and if you don't keep learning, neither will you. The first step is accepting that a college degree doesn't make you an expert. The second is opening yourself up to learn skills, habits, and lessons from Generations past.

Oh...and sign-up to have your tree lugged through TREE LUGGERS or follow our tweets @treeluggers.