Bloomington, Indiana – Amplify Bloomington officially launched today, marking a new chapter in the region’s efforts to strengthen innovation, entrepreneurship, and long-term economic growth. Designed as a regional platform, Amplify Bloomington connects research institutions, established companies, startups, and civic partners into a more visible and coordinated ecosystem aimed at founders and growing businesses.
The initiative brings together partners that have already played key roles in shaping Bloomington’s innovation landscape. Indiana University, Cook Group, and the City of Bloomington anchor the platform, joined by a broader coalition of corporate and community investors. Together, they are betting on something Bloomington already has in abundance: deep research strength, companies that build and manufacture locally, and a community where talent can grow and stay.
For years, Bloomington has quietly developed assets that many larger technology hubs struggle to assemble in one place. World-class university research exists alongside global employers and locally founded startups. Rather than competing with quality of life, those elements are intertwined, creating an environment where innovation is not just possible but sustainable.
Amplify Bloomington grew out of that foundation. What began as The Mill, a coworking space that opened in 2018, quickly became more than shared desks and meeting rooms. The Mill helped spark the development of The Forge, supported the rise of the Trades District, and contributed to more than $52 million in ecosystem investment. Amplify Bloomington now expands that original idea into a broader platform, designed to connect people, institutions, and opportunities more intentionally and at a larger scale.
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Leading Amplify Bloomington is John Fernandez, whose career spans public service, economic development, and global innovation strategy. Fernandez previously served as Bloomington mayor and as U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, experiences that shaped his view of what cities need to compete.
“I’ve worked with cities three times our size that would give anything for what Bloomington already has,” said Fernandez. “World-class research. Anchor employers who’ve chosen to build here. A startup ecosystem that’s producing real companies. The Showers Brothers, Sarkes Tarzian, Bill and Gayle Cook — this place has always built things. Amplify is how we connect the pieces and make them visible to founders and companies who don’t yet know this place exists.”
Governance for Amplify Bloomington reflects that same collaborative approach. The platform is backed by three keystone partners — Cook Group, Indiana University, and the City of Bloomington — and guided by a board that includes business and civic leaders from across the region. Corporate investors such as Weddle Brothers, Solution Tree, and Cornerstone Information Systems have joined those efforts, committing a combined $1.5 million over three years to support operations.
Leaders from the keystone partners emphasized that lasting economic growth depends on cooperation rather than isolated efforts.
“Strong communities do not happen by accident. They happen when employers, universities, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders work together with shared purpose,” said Pete Yonkman, President, Cook Medical Group. “Amplify Bloomington gives our region the platform to grow talent, attract opportunity, and build a resilient economy that works for everyone.”
Indiana University leaders see Amplify as a bridge between research and real-world impact.
“Indiana University is a powerful engine for research and talent development, but lasting economic impact requires collaboration beyond the campus,” said IU President Pamela Whitten. “Amplify Bloomington brings together the university, employers, and the city to ensure discoveries made here translate into opportunity and growth for the region.”
The City of Bloomington has also played a direct role in building the foundation for Amplify. The city invested $9.3 million in The Forge and partnered on infrastructure and placemaking projects throughout the Trades District, setting the stage for long-term growth.
“Bloomington’s role isn’t to dictate what success looks like; it’s to make sure people have the tools, connections, and space to build it for themselves,” said City of Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson. “Amplify Bloomington advances that work by turning collaboration into real pathways for founders and companies. The City is proud to be a partner in unlocking potential by making opportunity visible, accessible, and rooted here.”
The Amplify Bloomington board is chaired by Ravi Bhatt, CEO of Folia, a software company founded and built in Bloomington that now serves more than one million users across federal agencies, banks, law firms, and major enterprises. Bhatt sees the region’s research environment as a critical advantage.
“Folia builds AI-powered knowledge infrastructure for regulated industries where security and reliability are non-negotiable. A different quality of thinking is possible in the orbit of a major research institution — the best ideas trace their history to places like this. This is why we’re here.”
Entrepreneurs who helped shape the ecosystem from its early days also played a role in the launch. Chelsea Sanders, CVO and founder of Blueline Media Productions, shared how The Mill influenced her own company’s growth. Sanders has built a full-service production studio in Bloomington over two decades.
“When The Mill opened in 2018, I was one of the early members. I didn’t need the space—we had our own office by then. But I needed the community,” said Chelsea Sanders. “The Mill helped accelerate my journey and Amplify Bloomington will help more entrepreneurs—across all sectors, all backgrounds, all kinds of businesses—do the same thing: build something meaningful in Bloomington. Not just start something. Build something. Build something that lasts, that employs people, that contributes to the community, that makes this a place where creative ambitious people want to stay.”
Amplify Bloomington’s work is organized around three main areas. Innovation support focuses on helping companies move from startup to scale by offering mentorship, access to capital, and customer connections. Business attraction efforts aim to recruit companies drawn to Indiana University’s research strengths and proximity to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division. Place and community initiatives center on advancing the Trades District as a destination where talent wants to live and work.
Bloomington’s appeal, supporters say, lies in how its strengths reinforce one another. Research depth, talent density, and quality of life are not trade-offs here. Faculty who arrive for academic opportunity often stay for the community. Founders drawn by talent remain for the place itself. The I-69 corridor connects Bloomington to Indianapolis and Crane, positioning the city as a research-proximate anchor within a larger regional innovation system.
The numbers suggest that momentum is already underway. A $3 billion anchor employer has remained and grown locally. Indiana University is investing $360 million in research infrastructure. Local startups serve federal agencies and Fortune 500 companies. New business formation is running at twice the national rate.
Amplify Bloomington is headquartered in the Trades District, an emerging innovation hub stretching along the I-69 corridor between downtown Bloomington and the Indiana University campus. The district includes The Forge, a Class A office building that houses scaling companies such as Folia and ViVum AI; The Mill coworking space; The Kiln, home to Paragraph venture design studio; a hotel currently under development; and four acres available for future company recruitment.
A $16 million Lilly Endowment grant is funding placemaking efforts throughout the district, including public art, community events, and streetscape improvements. The goal is to create a place that feels intentional and inviting, where people choose not just to work, but to build long-term lives.
With Amplify Bloomington now officially launched, leaders say the focus shifts from assembling pieces to strengthening connections. The platform is less about creating something new and more about revealing what already exists, aligning it, and making sure founders, companies, and talent know Bloomington is a place where ideas can grow into lasting impact.
