Tech sector could help build Indy ‘brand’

Mayor Greg Ballard told Inside Indiana Business Sunday that Indianapolis will face a greater challenge building its “brand” than it will its “product.” As Ballard explained to host Gerry Dick, business leaders are often surprised by the quality of the city when visiting .

So how does a city with so much value attract more attention? The ongoing growth of the Indianapolis area tech companies may help answer the question. Fourteen years after IBM acquired Software Artistry, the city continues to benefit from the entrepreneurs that used their sudden influx of cash to create new local tech companies like Interactive Intelligence and Aprimo Inc.

As programs like the Orr Fellowship aim at training young entrepreneurial talent and platforms like Verge offer a chance to pitch start-up ideas, the spirit of starting new ventures is increasingly focused on opportunities in the tech sector. Is the city preparing itself to separate from the pack? Maybe. But growth in technology companies is likely a result of global trends that attract more talent and capital into exciting new tech ventures. Still, Indianapolis seems to develop more momentum to keep itself in a prime position to evolve as one of the leading hubs for technology growth in the Midwest.