The conference seeks to bring together entrepreneurs, developers, founders and investors to listen to talks, network and attend workshops, according to the group’s website.
The conference’s keynote speaker this year was Tony Conrad, the co-founder and CEO of about.me, a platform for online personal ?branding.
As well as speakers, workshops included seminars on many topics including app-building, constructing a business plan and ?fundraising.
A special opportunity for attendees came in a “Code Cram” workshop that claimed to teach all of the skills necessary to create a basic iPhone app in ?two hours.
The conference kicked off Wednesday night at the Bluebird with an “Ignite Bloomington” networking and social event.
Thursday and Friday’s events took place at the convention center. Thursday featured workshops and seminars, and the talks took place Friday.
Mike Preuss, a 2010 IU Kelley School of Business alumnus, returned to the Combine this year as a presenter on the topic of raising funds for businesses.
“It’s the hustle that gets work done,” Preuss said about college students starting businesses. “Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and talk to someone.”
After graduating from IU, Preuss spent a year with the Orr Fellowship, an entrepreneurship program in Indianapolis, and later began his first company with help from the Indiana tech community.
Attendees of the conference included returning business owners like Preuss, local entrepreneurs, government officials, investors and IU students.
IU student Adam Sobol came to the conference to learn about ways to help his startup business.
“We’re creating a wearable band for senior citizen health care,” Sobol said. “I wanted to hear about the startup world.”
His second year attending the conference, Sobol said, he knew many IU students who attended the Combine. As well as attending the Combine, Sobol also attends monthly funding pitches for Bloomington tech companies called “Verge” events.
Among the newer technology crowd, there were also established business owners and successful entrepreneurs in attendance at the conference.
Dmitri Vietze is the founder of rock paper scissors inc., a music PR firm, and StoryAmp, an online platform for connecting musicians, publicists and ?journalists.
Vietze started Rock Paper Scissors inc. in 1999, and he has operated the music PR service in Bloomington ever since. His new company, StoryAmp, is more technology-focused and connects him with the tech scene.
“I presented a couple years ago,” Vietze said, but was returning as an attendee this year. The networking and presenting are what draw him to the conference, Vietze said.
After the conference was finished, the attendees were encouraged to stay in Bloomington and visit the craft beer festival and Bloomington farmer’s market, according to the conferences website.
