The IU Northwest Business Academy offers resources for business owners at all levels
Becoming a business owner is difficult, especially in a sea of social media misinformation. While some may act like making millions is easy, most sources say about 20 percent of businesses will fail in their first year.
But they say, when one door closes, another opens.
For Ruhani Sharma, closing her local restaurant was the start of something great. Now, she’s turning her experience into a learning opportunity for countless entrepreneurs in Northwest Indiana.
An accomplished IU Northwest MBA alumna, she now serves as the Assistant Director of the IU Northwest Business Academy, a vital campus-community resource dedicated to empowering local entrepreneurs and start-ups with the tools they need to thrive. This includes dynamic workshops, expert-led clinics, engaging speaker series, and a wealth of additional support.
“In my role, I have the opportunity to help guide fellow entrepreneurs, whether it’s turning an idea into a business, or providing counsel to existing business owners,” Sharma said. “It’s exciting and a true honor to be a part of someone’s dream.”
Sharma works alongside Jana Szostek, director of the IU Northwest Business Academy. Szostek, like Sharma, is energized about spurring on the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Northwest Indiana region.
“So often budding entrepreneurs don’t know where to go to simply get started,” Szostek said. “But we hope they think of us — the Business Academy — as the support, resources and guidance we can provide can truly be the catalyst for moving one’s vision into a reality.”
“When individuals hear about the Business Academy, they see IU and think our programs are going to be academics talking at them, but that is not at all what our programs are. They’re presented by entrepreneurs, just like them, who have figured it out.”
A resource for all
The IU Northwest Business Academy is designed for entrepreneurs, but that doesn’t mean participants already need a business. The Business Academy is for everyone.
“If you just have an initial idea, even if you don’t have an idea but you have this spark that you know you want to start a business, we can help you,” Szostek said.
Sharma hopes to expand the community’s perception of who can start a business.
“When we think of entrepreneurship, individuals often think you have to have a business background,” Sharma said. “However, we hope to change the idea of what entrepreneurship is. Even if you’re an artist, a teacher or a health care professional, you can turn what you’ve been doing into a business.”
Community collaborations
As these IU Northwest Business Academy leaders look to the future, the program promises collaboration with other voices in the area. This coming spring, the Academy is partnering with IronWorkz, Lakeshore Public Media, Purdue Northwest and E Marie Project to hold THE Summit, a two-day summit dedicated to uniting local entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and experience levels.
“THE Summit will bring people together — at any point in their journey — to give them information, let them network and show support for each other,” Szostek said.
Szostek’s enthusiasm for entrepreneurship is clear, whether she’s discussing clinics, collaborative events or future programming. For her, this passion stems from helping people discover the best version of themselves.
“We live in a really uncertain world,” she said. “If I can teach you how to start a business, you can learn the skills to make a living.”
Sharma is a prime example of someone who has made the most out of uncertainties. Despite closing her business, she’s found a way to make a positive impact on the community.
“There’s a lot of people within the greater Northwest Indiana business community who are very sharp and want to help,” Sharma said. “I’m confident there are many individuals who have a great business concept, yet they are just too uncertain to take that first step, but that first step can be life changing.”
And when community members are ready to take that first step toward building an enterprise, the IU Northwest Business Academy will be there to help.
