Where startups start

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.

Lounge area with chalk wall and leather seating
Our mission is to help launch and accelerate startups.
Our vision is to become Indiana’s center of gravity for entrepreneurship.

Our PROGRAMMING

As the center for entrepreneurship in Bloomington, The Mill provides critical access, first and foremost to a community of peers and mentors, and secondly to capacity-building resources and startup capital. Our programs help accelerate innovative ideas and technologies into business concepts. 

We began offering programming for startups and entrepreneurs in 2017. In November 2018, our membership-based coworking facility opened. Entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives, remote workers, techies, and others benefit from like-minded community, programming, and mentoring. With financial support from the City of Bloomington and the Redevelopment Commission for the building renovation and our launch, we have a stated goal of becoming self-sufficient by the end of year three.

Today, The Mill is 19,000 square feet of beautifully renovated, century-year-old factory space in the downtown Trades District. We are home to hundreds of members and dozens of companies. Our diverse members include innovators creating startups and small businesses as well as independent freelancers, creatives, and remote workers, for example. Some choose The Mill for our coworking amenities and the great community. Others join for specialized entrepreneurial support: for accelerating their startups, pitching to investors, and securing capital, for instance. We serve members, our thriving startup community, and the public at large.

The Mill would not be possible without the generous support of our cornerstone sponsors. See all sponsors here.

Cornerstone sponsors

City of Bloomington logo
cook group logo
indiana university logo

Staff

Pat East

Pat East

Executive Director

Bram Boyd

Bram Boyd

Program Manager

Nick Faulkenberg

Nick Faulkenberg

Venue & Booking Manager

Martina Fausto

Martina Fausto

Venture Analyst, Flywheel Fund

John Fernandez

John Fernandez

Senior Vice President, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships

Kelsey Fitzgerald

Kelsey Fitzgerald

Membership Manager

Brian Hatton

Brian Hatton

Venture Partner, Flywheel Fund

Gretchen Knapp

Gretchen Knapp

Head of Operations & Marketing

ANDY LEHMAN

ANDY LEHMAN

Head of Accelerator Programming

Cy Megnin

Cy Megnin

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

through Velocities

Haley Pritchett

Haley Pritchett

Code/IT Academy Program Manager

 

Charles Pearce

Charles Pearce

Marketing Specialist

Nico Sigler

Nico Sigler

Facility Manager

Careers

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we have a standing policy of nondiscrimination at The Mill. We respect the unique and diverse perspectives of all employees. We accord all qualified persons an equal opportunity for employment or promotion without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status or condition protected by federal, state, or local law.

Startup Coach

The Mill is an entrepreneurship center in downtown Bloomington, Indiana. Operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, our mission is to launch and accelerate startups, and our vision is to become Indiana’s center of gravity for entrepreneurship.

To achieve that, we’ve built several programs to build our startup ecosystem. Among them are Bloomington Remote (remote worker recruitment), Code/IT Academy (code school for the unemployed and underemployed), Crossroads (statewide pitch competition), Flywheel Fund (startup fund), Cohorts (pre-accelerators for industry and university), K12 (entrepreneurship education for elementary, middle, and high school), and Startup Summer (paid summer internship for student founders to work on their companies).

We also renovated a century-old building from the Showers Brothers Furniture Company and transformed it into 19,000 square feet of coworking and incubator space. Already a driver of innovation in our community, the building is home to 50 companies and 350 members. They’re a crucial part of the infrastructure we need – talent, capital, and training – for the 21st century to help Bloomington and Indiana evolve in the digital economy.

 ABOUT THE POSITION

The Mill is adding a full-time Startup Coach to our team. To continue fulfilling our mission and marching toward our vision, we need someone who is passionate about guiding founders through their journey as they build their startups.

The purpose of this position is to ensure our startups have the knowledge – and apply that knowledge – to launch and accelerate their companies. These companies are early-stage startups, technology-focused, and based in Bloomington. There will also be an opportunity to coach our Flywheel investments who are located throughout Indiana. To coach our startups, your responsibilities will be divided into three buckets:

  • 70% will be one-on-one coaching
  • 15% will be board formation
  • 15% will be coach management

For one-on-one coaching, you’ll advise our founders on a bit of everything, including but not limited to pitch deck development, presentation critiques, investment strategy, customer development, go-to-market strategy, marketing plans, sales and sales development, and pro formas. Essentially, you’ll help advise on anything that an early-stage startup needs from the time they’re founded to the time they raise Series A. Your objective is to systematically de-risk the startup each time they fundraise.

For board formation, you’ll help our startups form advisory boards and boards of directors. Advisory boards leverage the expertise and experience of outside advisors to help the company make better domain- and industry-related decisions. Boards of directors have three responsibilities: ensuring enough cash on hand, driving the company towards an exit, and hiring and firing the CEO. Among various activities, you’ll help our startups recruit board members and establish best practices such as board composition, defining roles and expectations, and establishing trust and transparency.

For coach management, you’ll help organize and manage The Mill’s stable of volunteers and paid specialists who are ready to help our startups. This program is in the nascent stages and needs organized and developed so we engage these folks consistently and so our startups receive the advice they need to make progress. As humans, sometimes we just need to hear advice multiple times from multiple sources before we decide to accept it. Founders are no different and need this plurality of coaching.

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?

  • You’re a coach through and through. You enjoy teaching. You correct without malice. You meet your students where they are. You’re patient but honest in your advice. Even with just two fingers on the steering wheel, you recognize that it’s still your job to convince the founder to drive to the destination. Bonus points for being a founder yourself.
  • You’re a great presenter and storyteller. Whether it’s visually, verbally, or written, you’re second to none in your communication skills to paint a picture. You get people on board quickly and effectively.
  • You have a big action bias. You bring clarity to situations. You simplify the complicated. You’re decisive but your decisions aren’t hasty. You’re coachable yourself – you’re one of those people who likes it if your friends tell you that you’ve got a piece food in your teeth.
  • Your follow-through is impeccable. If you say you’re going to do something, you do it. Your teammates – and our founders – can count on you 100% of the time to deliver regardless of the circumstances.

BENEFITS

  • Annual salary is $75,000 paid twice monthly via direct deposit
  • 3 weeks of PTO in year 1, 4 weeks in year 2 and beyond
  • Health, life, vision, and dental insurance
  • 401(k) with company match
  • Use of company MacBook Pro
  • Performance reviews twice annually
  • Opportunity for raises twice annually
  • No bureaucracy – direct and regular contact with our Executive Director
  • You’ll work in Downtown Bloomington in a visually stunning building that seamlessly blends old and new, highlighted with exposed red brick and original wood floors

HOW TO APPLY

Email a cover letter and resume as PDFs to Pat East. This is your chance to describe why working at The Mill would be a great fit for you. Include the information below:

  1. A short bio / introduction
  2. Why this position at The Mill interests you
  3. Why you love startups
  4. Why you love our mission and vision
  5. Let us know how you learned about The Mill and the position

Applicant review is ongoing with a preference for candidates who apply by June 1.

Due to the expected number of applications, we cannot reply to every applicant. If you make it beyond the first round though, you can expect regular communications from us.

Thank you for your interest in The Mill. Best of luck!

PT FACILITY MANAGER

The Mill (www.dimensionmill.org) is Bloomington’s nonprofit center for coworking and entrepreneurship. We operate out of a 19,000 square-foot century-old building downtown and have over 300 members who use The Mill regularly. Our building includes open work areas with desks, conference rooms, private offices, a kitchenette with café seating, and an events hall and outdoor patio the public may rent for events such as wedding receptions, business presentations, and social mixers are held, often in the evening and on weekends. The building is used weekdays, weeknights, and weekends, all year-round.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Facility Manager ensures that our historic facility and exterior grounds are clean, inviting, safe, and well-maintained for members, staff, and guests. The successful candidate will take pride in maintaining our beautiful space to a high standard, proactively monitor and address facility and custodial needs, and communicate with vendors, service providers, members, and Mill staff in a timely, positive, and professional manner. The position includes regular daily tasks to prepare The Mill for opening; ongoing maintenance and repairs; periodic and seasonal tasks inside and outside of the building; coordination and oversight of outsourced cleaning, specialized repairs, and maintenance; and odd jobs. This is a part-time position, hours 7 or 7:30 am to 12 or 12:30 pm, M-F, with occasional extra hours outside of those hours.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Prepare the building for daily opening and operations.
    • Reset and vacuum conference rooms, take out trash, restock bathrooms, clean up kitchen area, make coffee, and so on. In winter, salt or shovel paths in snow as needed.
    • Inspect facility and remediate issues as needed (i.e., clean glass walls, spot-treat stains, wipe up spills, spackle walls and touch up paint, etc.). Monitor performance of outsourced bi-weekly night cleaning, and communicate with cleaners on any issues.
    • Maintain, order, and restock building supplies, such as toiletries, cleaning supplies, equipment replacements/repairs, paper products, and other essentials. Maintain printer supplies and ink.
    • As needed, assist Venue & Booking Manager to set up/take down conference rooms and event hall for events (folding chairs, tables, table cloths, stage, etc.).
  • Perform diverse duties to maintain The Mill’s interior and exterior appearance, function, and safety.
    • Inspect facility regularly to identify and address maintenance needs.
    • Respond to emergencies and make unscheduled repairs.
    • Respond to staff and member requests for maintenance in a timely, courteous manner.
    • Track and maintain electronic records on all facility maintenance and repairs.
    • Communicate, prioritize, and review tasks with supervisor.
    • Identify specialized repairs to outsource, secure vendor bids, and monitor timely execution of accepted bid.
    • Periodically run required safety tests, perform scheduled maintenance tasks, and coordinate required inspections of equipment; deep clean and seal wood floors and concrete floors and countertops.
    • Complete seasonal work in a timely fashion. Order and spread mulch; weed; mow a grassy area; seal and maintain wooden benches; bring tables and umbrellas in and out; schedule snow plowing.
  • Maintain all tools and equipment in proper working order, and maintain work and storage spaces in a clean and organized fashion.
    • Understand and operate all custodial equipment and chemicals.
    • Wear protective equipment according to requirements of the job taking place.
    • Ensure safety regulations are met.
  • Control facility spending to ensure budget goals are met.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

  • Strong basic building maintenance and custodial skills
  • Attention to detail, a strong work ethic, and problem-solving skills
  • A positive attitude and willingness to perform a wide variety of tasks
  • Strong communication skills and ability to follow written and verbal instructions
  • Competence in Microsoft Office and computer skills
  • Ability to work 7 or 7:30 am- 12 or 12:30 pm M-F
  • Willingness to sometimes work 2-4 extra hours a week outside those hours
  • Ability to read and follow chemical advisory labels
  • Ability to work independently while managing time and resources
  • Ability to lift up to 70lbs and perform duties calling for repetitive motion required on a daily basis, which may include bending, pushing, pulling, reaching, climbing, squatting, and lifting

BENEFITS

  • Pay is $22.50 an hour
  • Paid twice monthly via direct deposit
  • Use of company MacBook Pro
  • Performance reviews twice annually
  • Opportunity for raises twice annually

HOW TO APPLY

Email a cover letter and resume as PDFs to gretchen@dimensionmill.org  This is your chance to describe why working at The Mill would be a great fit for you. Include:

  • A short bio / introduction
  • Why this position interests you
  • How you learned about The Mill and the position

Applicant review is on-going with a preference for candidates who apply by June 9.

Due to the expected number of applications, we cannot reply to every applicant. If you make it beyond the first round, you can expect regular communications from us. Thank you for your interest in The Mill, and best of luck!

Board of Directors

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.

  • Anne McCombe, Chair | Technology Executive*
  • Geng Wang, Vice Chair | Co-Founder and CEO, Civic Champs*
  • Karin St. John, Secretary/Treasurer | COO, St. John Associates*
  • Ravi Bhatt | Co-Founder and CEO, Folia*
  • Jennifer Pearl, Past Vice Chair | President, Bloomington Economic Development Corporation*
  • Ben Swanson | Co-Founder, Secretly Group*
  • Michelle Cole | Technology Executive
  • John Hamilton | Mayor, City of Bloomington
  • Cindy Kinnarney | North Region President, German American Bank
  • Beka Mech | Product Leader, Acadis, Vector Solutions
  • Tina Peterson | President and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives and the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County
  • Brooke Pyne | Vice President, Technology Engagement, IEDC
  • Mike Trotzke | CEO, Cheddar
  • Adam Gross | Executive Director Ivy+ Career Link, Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington
  • Derek Whitley | Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Flamel.ai
  • Jason Whitney | Vice President of Venture Development, IU Ventures, and Executive Director, IU Angel Network
  • Reagan Frank, Student Board Member | President of Epsilon Nu Tau Fraternity, and Director of Communications for Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization at IU

*Executive Committee members

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 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, Showers Brothers saw great success.

The onset of the Great Depression changed the course for the Showers Brothers, however. But their legacy lives on in some of Bloomington’s most iconic buildings, including The Mill, with its unique sawtooth roof and original brick walls. 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. It’s part of an economic revolution here, toward entrepreneurship and technology. 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, guided by its vision to become the center of coworking and entrepreneurship in Indiana.