South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership welcomed Caterina Fake and Amish Shah to its Founder Factory event Nov. 20.
Fake and Shah spoke to a crowd of nearly 200 entrepreneurs, investors, enthusiasts and students at Founder Factory. Fake is an entrepreneur, investor and creator. Shah is the president and CEO of Elkhart-based global logistics company Kem Krest. The event took place at the South Bend City Church.
The startup summit for the South Bend – Elkhart region brought together the Region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for an evening of knowledge-sharing and networking.
“Founder Factory was an incredible celebration of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation,” said Marty Mechtenberg, South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership senior director of entrepreneurship and innovation, in a press release. “The energy in the room was inspiring, and the connections made here will undoubtedly lead to amazing collaborations and new ventures.”
This was the fourth and final year for Founder Factory. The partnership is retiring the event, as it takes the lead on planning and executing IDEA Week 2025. The organization will continue to hold an event in November in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Founder Factory kicked off with a roundtable with Fake for women entrepreneurs. Small business founders had the opportunity to discuss issues facing female entrepreneurs. Attendees learned from Fake’s experience as a woman in tech as the co-founder of Flickr and former board chair of Etsy.
Proceeds from Founder Factory ticket sales went to the South Bend Awesome Fund. The Awesome Fund awards microgrants to local organizations, businesses and individuals presenting ideas that benefit the Region. This year’s winners were Cory Pringle of Eat This Page, Miranda Bueno of M.E.X. Snack Cart and Rachel and Nathan Kain of Stockroom East.
Founder Factory concluded with a happy hour featuring food from local small businesses A Bite with Mee, Bululu Tropical, Chicory Café and Graze by Erica.
Startup South Bend – Elkhart is an initiative of the South Bend Elkhart Regional Partnership. Its mission is to promote and grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the South Bend – Elkhart region.
The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership is a collaboration of local economic development organizations, businesses and community leaders. Together they are committed to fostering a thriving economy in the Region.
