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A Little More About The Mill

Welcome to the heart of Bloomington's startup ecosystem! Our team is proud to propel this mission forward. Learn more about who we are below. 

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MISSION

Build & nurture Bloomington's startup ecosystem

VISION

Become the center of tech entrepreneurship in Indiana

The Mill is the heart of southern Indiana’s startup ecosystem and its largest coworking space.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit center for entrepreneurship in Bloomington, funded by membership and event space fees, as well as by generous donations from corporate sponsors and angel investors from south-central Indiana.

OUR TEAM

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Pat East
Executive Director
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Bram Boyd
Program Manager
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Aimee Cottle
Head of Marketing
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Victoria Crawley
Head of Operations
Bill Dawson
Bill Dawson
Startup Coach
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Nick Faulkenberg
Venue & Booking Manager
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Martina Fausto
Senior Venture Analyst, Flywheel Fund
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John Fernandez
SVP, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships
Austin Francalancia
Austin Francalancia
Hospitality & Operations Coordinator
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Andy Lehman
Head of Accelerator Programming
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Regan Poarch
Marketing Coordinator
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Haley Pritchett
Program Manager, Code/IT Academy
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Amaiya Hawkins
Hospitality & Operations Coordinator
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Abby Resnick
Program Manager
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Scott Reynolds
General Counsel, Flywheel Fund
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Eli Serrano
Hospitality & Operations Coordinator
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Eric Steele
Manager Partner, Flywheel Fund
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Jerrell Stephens
Facilities Manager

The Mill is committed to being a center for entrepreneurs, led by entrepreneurs. For that reason, two-thirds of our board members represent technology- and innovation-driven companies, including Mill members and graduates. Our other board members bring expertise in economic development, local government, higher education and venture capital.

 
  • Ravi Bhatt, Chair | Co-Founder and CEO, Folia*
  • Erik Coyne | Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College
  • Michelle Cole | Partner, paragraph
  • Jeana Finlinson | Senior Director, Global Learning & Talent Development, Cook Medical
  • Cindy Kinnarney, Treasurer | Market President, Owen County State Bank*
  • Nate Lattimer, Voting Director | Senior Vice President of Customer Experience, Cornerstone Information Systems*
  • Chelsea Linder | Vice President, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, TechPoint
  • Donald Lukes | University Treasurer, Indiana University
  • Shaun McDermott | COO, Cornerstone Information Systems Inc.
  • Beka Mech, Vice Chair | Product Leader, Acadis, Vector Solutions*
  • Darrian Mikell | CEO/Co-Founder, Qualifi
  • Drushya Musham | CEO, Taptic (Senior, IU Kelley School of Business)
  • Jen Pearl | President, Bloomington Economic Development Corporation
  • Tina Peterson | President and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives and the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County
  • Brooke Pyne | Executive Vice President of Innovation and Strategy, ARI (Applied Research Institute)
  • Rahul Shrivastav | Provost & Executive Vice President, Indiana University
  • Karin St. John, Past Chair | COO, St. John Associates*
  • Ben Swanson | Co-Founder, Secretly Group
  • Kerry Thomson | Mayor, City of Bloomington
  • Mike Trotzke | Partner, paragraph
  • Derek Whitley | Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, ViVum Computing


*Executive Committee

Our Historic Building

Our century-old restored building has a long history of significant economic contributions to the community. In a way, it has always been a center for entrepreneurship in Bloomington.

Founded in 1869, the Showers Brothers Company had an illustrious influence on Bloomington's history. The Mill was originally built in 1915 as its sawmill factory (known as the Dimension Mill). At its peak in the 1920s, Showers produced more than half of all the furniture in the United States—more than 700,000 pieces of furniture a year! Moreover, it was one of the first US furniture factories to employ women, as well as more African Americans than others of its time. And as a cultural shift toward homeownership spread through the nation, the Showers Brothers saw great success.

 

Indiana University owned and used the building from 1959-1994, and then the City of Bloomington purchased it. The Dimension Mill sat vacant for many years, until a new vision for it crystallized. Ultimately, the City of Bloomington took a bold step forward and invested millions in its renovation.

Today the Showers factory complex has become the Trades District, Bloomington’s 12-acre technology park. Bloomington celebrated a game-changing addition to the Trades District with the launch of The Mill in 2018.

Our beautiful building represents both a preservation of historical legacy and a modern revitalization of Bloomington’s business scene. The Mill is a living icon of Bloomington’s past, present, and future.

 



AMBITION.  ACTION.  CONNECTION.  

We ignite ideas and embrace growth. 

We try, adapt, and deliver.

We build relationships through empathy, trust, and intentional communication.

Join the Community

Find out how you can be part of our community of innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, and remote workers.