East Central Indiana’s momentum is gaining attention beyond the region as investments in arts and culture, quality of place, entrepreneurship, education and economic development create new opportunities for communities across the region.

Forge ECI President and CEO Caitlin Hancock recently helped bring that story to a broader audience through two conversations focused on East Central Indiana’s future: an appearance on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick and participation in IBJ Media’s Innovate East Central Indiana event in Muncie.

While the conversations explored different aspects of the region’s growth, both highlighted an important theme: East Central Indiana’s progress is being driven by partnerships that cross communities, industries and organizations.

Highlighting the Creative Economy on Inside INdiana Business

Hancock joined Jud Fisher, president and CEO of Ball Brothers Foundation, on Inside INdiana Business for a conversation highlighting two significant developments in Muncie: the foundation’s 100th anniversary and the emerging Creative Corridor connecting downtown Muncie with Minnetrista Museum & Gardens and Ball State University.

The segment was part of a broader program showcasing major investments across Indiana, including Ball State University’s nearly $200 million Village Revitalization Plan, the state’s longstanding economic relationship with Japan and efforts to strengthen Indiana’s health care workforce.

During the conversation, Hancock shared how the Creative Corridor is bringing organizations and community leaders together around a common vision: making downtown Muncie a more connected, welcoming destination for creativity, culture and economic activity.

Building a Regional Destination for Arts and Culture

The Downtown Renewal: Creative Corridor and Connections project recently received a $4 million READI 2.0 Arts and Culture Award. The award is part of a statewide initiative led by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in partnership with the Indiana Arts Commission and supported by Lilly Endowment Inc.

The Creative Corridor is anchored by four prominent Muncie cultural organizations: Cornerstone Center for the Arts, Muncie Civic Theatre, MadJax Maker Force and the Carnegie Branch of the Muncie Public Library.

Planned improvements include reopening and enhancing public entrances, activating gathering spaces, expanding the Muncie Civic Theatre campus, adding public art and interactive features, and creating stronger physical connections among downtown, Minnetrista and Ball State.

More than 25 organizations have contributed to the project, demonstrating the type of collaboration Hancock described as essential to meaningful regional development.

Arts and Culture as Economic Development

Hancock emphasized that investing in arts and culture is also an investment in the region’s economy. Creative destinations attract visitors, support restaurants and other small businesses, create opportunities for artists and entrepreneurs, and help communities attract and retain talent. They also contribute to the sense of place people consider when deciding where to live, work, build a business or raise a family.

The Creative Corridor reflects the goals of East Central Indiana’s broader arts and culture strategy, which was developed through conversations with artists, cultural organizations, community leaders and residents from across the region.

The project also complements other major investments underway in Muncie, including Ball State’s Village Revitalization Plan. Together, these efforts are creating stronger connections among Ball State, The Village, downtown Muncie and the community’s established cultural destinations.

Bringing a Regional Perspective to Innovate East Central Indiana

Just days later, Hancock continued the conversation about East Central Indiana’s future as a panelist at Innovate East Central Indiana, held September 10 at the Horizon Convention Center in downtown Muncie.

The IBJ Media event brought together business, education, philanthropic and economic development leaders to examine the opportunities and challenges influencing the region’s next chapter. Hancock joined Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns; Jason Kashman, CEO of Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing; Marcy Minton, president and CEO of The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County; Terry Truitt, president and CEO of Flagship Enterprise Center; and Matthew Voss, Forge ECI board member and president of NearSpace Launch Inc.

Together, the panel represented several of the sectors that play an important role in East Central Indiana’s economy—from higher education and manufacturing to entrepreneurship, philanthropy and regional economic development.

For Hancock, the discussion provided another opportunity to share the regional perspective that guides Forge ECI’s work: communities are stronger when they approach economic development collaboratively rather than independently.

Forge ECI works across nine East Central Indiana counties, connecting local economic development organizations, businesses, educational institutions and community partners around opportunities that can strengthen the entire region.

That regional approach is especially important as communities compete for talent and investment. Housing, workforce, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, education and quality of place increasingly intersect, making collaboration across county and organizational boundaries essential to long-term growth.

Celebrating a Century of Community Investment

The Inside INdiana Business conversation also offered an opportunity to recognize the long-term role philanthropy has played in shaping the region. Fisher provided historical perspective as Ball Brothers Foundation celebrates 100 years of grantmaking and community leadership.

Since its establishment in 1926, the foundation has supported education, health care, arts and culture, recreation, leadership development and other quality-of-life initiatives throughout Muncie, Delaware County and East Central Indiana.

That century-long commitment illustrates the lasting impact that patient, place-based investment can have on a community—and reinforces many of the themes discussed during both Hancock’s Inside INdiana Business appearance and the Innovate East Central Indiana panel.

Moving East Central Indiana Forward—Together

Taken together, the two conversations provided a statewide audience with a closer look at the momentum building across East Central Indiana and the collaborative approach behind it. The Creative Corridor is one example of that momentum, but the larger story extends throughout the region.

It can be seen in communities investing in housing and downtown revitalization, universities strengthening connections with the places they call home, entrepreneurs turning ideas into businesses, employers creating opportunities, and philanthropic and community organizations investing in quality of life.

Forge ECI’s role is to help connect those efforts and elevate the collective story of the region.

Whether discussing a transformational arts and culture project on Inside INdiana Business or joining regional leaders at Innovate East Central Indiana, Hancock’s message reflects a central idea behind Forge ECI’s work: East Central Indiana moves further when we move forward together.