By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief—
MUNCIE, Ind.—At a Ball State ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, the Menard Training Facility and Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute was introduced to the public. The new program and facility was made possible by major gifts of grant funding from the Charles Koch Foundation and the Menard Family.
Ball State President Jeffrey Mearns said, “The Charles Koch Foundation and the Menard family understand the value of entrepreneurship and the way entrepreneurs drive innovation, creativity and prosperity.”
Additional speakers at the ribbon-cutting included: Mike Goldsby, Chief Entrepreneurship Officer and Stoops Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute and Professor of Management, Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute; and Rob Mathews, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute.
One of three training rooms is pictured above. Photo by Mike Rhodes
The Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute features three modern training rooms in addition to office suites with a total capacity of 135 people. The facility includes a state-of-the art maker space, the Launch Pad, with problem solving, design and prototyping capabilities.
The facility is located inside the former Muncie Community Schools administration building on Oakwood Avenue.
About Ball State
Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State University is one of Indiana’s premier universities and an economic driver for the state. Ball State’s 21,600 students come from all over Indiana, the nation, and the world. The 790-acre campus is large enough to accommodate first-rate facilities and 19 NCAA Division I sports, but our welcoming and inclusive campus is small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention, and access that are the hallmarks of the University. Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes Ball State’s ambitious goals for our second century. We Fly!
