Indiana's New Entrepreneurship Director Aims to Spark Main Street Business Boom

An Indianapolis business owner, Brian Schutt, has been appointed to lead Indiana's new Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This office is set to focus on supporting Hoosiers in launching the next generation of Main Street businesses. Schutt, a Purdue University business school graduate and co-founder of Refinery46 and Homesense Heating and Cooling, emphasizes the importance of sharing success stories to inspire potential entrepreneurs.

Gov. Mike Braun leads an Indiana Economic Development Corporation meeting on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

The office was established by the Indiana General Assembly earlier this year, alongside an Indiana Economic Development Corporation transparency effort. It's tasked with developing programs to support small business growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Schutt sees the office's role as not dictating how businesses should flourish but rather supporting them and getting out of their way.

Indiana's entrepreneurship landscape currently lags slightly behind national averages, with fewer new entrepreneurs and jobs created by startups compared to the rest of the country. Schutt is particularly interested in youth entrepreneurship, highlighting programs like Innovate WithIN and High School Hustle that encourage problem-solving mindsets from a young age.

Schutt's passion for entrepreneurship extends to lemonade stands, which he sees as a foundational experience for young entrepreneurs. Despite legislative challenges in protecting these stands, Schutt believes in the catalytic effect of children earning their first dollar through their own ventures.