A LOOK BACK AT THE ENTIRE 2023 INDYFLUENCE PROGRAM

Indyfluence is a four week internship program based on three pillars: MEET INDY, LEARN FROM INDY, and GIVE BACK TO INDY. The MEET INDY program pillar connected interns to important local events and organizations to find their place in the Indianapolis community. The LEARN FROM INDY pillar engaged interns in networking, company-sponsored events, and career development opportunities. Finally, interns were encouraged to GIVE BACK TO INDY through volunteer opportunities and awarded a $14,000 grant to a local non-profit in Indy.

WE HAD AN ACTION PACKED KICKOFF EVENT!

We started the program off with an all-intern at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in downtown Indy.  The kickoff was hosted by Jo Garcia – the Assistant Director of Individual Development for the Great American Songbook Foundation. Interns were able to spend an hour networking with some of Indy’s young doers and changemakers who shared their experiences, tips, and ways to get involved in Indy. Jo also introduced us to the four Indianapolis non-profit finalists  who were up for the chance to win a $14,000 Indyfluence grant. Interns then went on a citywide scavenger hunt and competed to win a gift bag worth over $275 in prizes. Finally, we ended the day at FastForward — an event hosted at The Amp at 16 Tech which allowed interns to network with different organizations and  propel them in their careers.

Our Indyfluence interns had many opportunities to learn from Indy throughout the summer.

Our sponsors — Roche Diagnostics, Eli Lilly and Company, OneAmerica, and Century 21 Scheetz each held small group activities focused on professional development . Eli Lilly and Company and Century 21 Scheetz held virtual activities while the Roche Diagnostics and OneAmerica events were in-person.

Eli Lilly and Company and Visit Indy collaborated to host virtual sessions where interns discovered why Indy is a great place to live and start a career. They also learned about branding themselves, improving their time management skills, and creating an elevator pitch. Century 21 Scheetz also hosted a virtual event to teach our interns how they could buy a house by the age of 25 years old. Roche Diagnostics held two sessions of their Powerful Questions and Levels of Listening workshop where interns learned how to become powerful communicators and develop stronger relationships with the people in their lives.

Finally, OneAmerica hosted an ice cream social. Interns were able to network with each other, eat delicious ice cream, and play OneAmerica-themed bingo. Interns definitely got a bit competitive, but they also made some meaningful connections! We even got to hear how Kayla Pitts, an intern at Roche Diagnostics, was able to make so many great connections during her time with Indyfluence.

Sampson Levingston walked all over Indy to teach our interns Indianapolis history.

Sampson Levingston from Through2Eyes joined Indyfluence and gave interns informational tours of some of Indianapolis’ most historic neighborhoods. He took them through Historic Irvington, Martindale, Fountain Square, and Indiana Avenue and showed unique images of each area. It was so cool seeing how much has changed and which parts have stayed the same throughout the years.

Mae spent the entire month meeting Indy and sharing her experience with the other interns.

Indyfluence also shared social and blog content to help the interns MEET INDY. One of the most popular series we shared this summer was Mae Meets Indy. The series was hosted by our fellow Indyfluence intern, Mae Crosby, who traveled all throughout the Indy region to explore what Indianapolis has to offer. She visited parks, trails, coffee and tea shops, the Indianapolis Zoo, and Conner Prairie. Mae ended the series with her own GIVE BACK by volunteering to do a clean up on the Cultural Trail. She made some amazing friends along the way, but meeting all of the adorable dogs around Indy was an even bigger plus for her. You can check out her entire series here: https://indyfluence.com/blog/mae-meets-indy/

And we closed things out with $20,000 going to four Indianapolis non-profits. 

Our closing event took place in downtown Indy at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with our host, Al Carroll – the president and CEO of Indyhub. Al invited company representatives from Roche Diagnostics and Eli Lilly and Company to give their insight on the Indyfluence program and provided advice on how interns can keep furthering their careers. Al then invited a member from each of the GIVE BACK finalist organizations onto the stage to give their final remarks.

Interns were then given the power to vote for who they wanted to win the $14,000 Indyfluence grant. The interns decided that the winner was Flanner House, and Indyhub also decided to donate $2,000 to the other three finalist organizations! We then closed the event with our Leaving a Legacy networking session. Interns ended the day networking with game changers from a wide range of industries in Indy!

We are so grateful we were able to spend the last four weeks with you! Even though the program is over, you can still  stay connected with Indianapolis, continue networking and learning, and taking advantage of everything Indy has to offer. We hope the last four weeks of your internship were absolutely unforgettable!