Kelley clubs help startups

More than 50 people attended the first Bloom Tech event at the Pourhouse Cafe on Monday.

Senior Junaid Kalmadi and second year master’s student Grant Carlile launched the event through the Kelley Venture Capital and Private Equity Club and the Informatics, Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Computing Club. 
 
Kalmadi said both of these groups are focused on entrepreneurship startups.

“We want to get motivated people who are interested in startups to come together,” Kalmadi said. “The goal is to get students with various skills to make business happen.”

The event was open to IU faculty and students, as well as Bloomington residents. 

Carlile spent last summer in Boulder, Colo., and said he met different people every day who were pursuing project initiatives.

“It’s invigorating, and I know there are people like that in Bloomington,” Carlile said. “We don’t have to create these people. They’re here.”

Carlile said he hopes to have a Bloom Tech event about once a month.

“We create the scaffolding, but the people that come are the meat, the body,” Carlile said. “The community just needs a place to come together.”

The event began with three speakers: Matt Hunkler, the organizer of Verge, which helps Indianapolis entrepreneurs meet; John Wechsler, a partner of Developertown, which helps startups create better products; and Brad Wisler, co-fouder of Sproutbox, which aids entrepreneurs in turning their ideas into successful businesses.

Gerry Hays, a lecturer in the Kelley School of Business, also attended the event and spoke to the crowd.

“This needed to happen four to five years ago,” Hays said. “We need to build more startups. We need to build more companies. I’d like to see this ten times this size next year.”

Senior Forrest Fowler said he thinks Bloom Tech has needed to happen for awhile.
“I think it was a great way to bridge the gap between entrepreneurship and business,” Fowler said. “Networking is more important than having knowledge of how to do something. It’s long overdue.”

Senior entrepreneurship and corporate innovation and management major Alex Goldsmid also attended the event.

“It sounded interesting to me,” Goldsmid said. “This is a way for me to apply some of the stuff I’ve learned and an opportunity for me to help people out with what I know.”

It was the people, not the presentation, that brought Bloomington resident Kitty Robinson to Bloom Tech.

“I like to see what they have to offer, what businesses they are working with, and to network,” Robinson said. “I’m trying to see what’s available.”

Bloomington resident and Chief Executive Officer of Sustainability Dashboard Stephen Ashkin attended because he is looking for interns.

“I thought it would be a good experience for the kids and my company,” Ashkin said.

Kalmadi and Carlile said they are hoping this event can lead to bigger projects, such as participation in the Building Entrepreneurs in Software and Technology Competition, a contest through the Kelley School of Business and the School of Informatics and Computing with $250,000 in prize money. IU students who have ideas can submit a business plan to the competition.

“The goal is to have a grassroots movement of students coming together and creating startups and to keep talent in Indiana,” Kalmadi said.

Hays echoed this sentiment.

“Most importantly, stay here in Indiana,” Hays said. “Build your company and we will support you.”