Ecosystem Catalyst (State Program Director)

Work for Indiana

Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, youll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, youll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.

About the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI):

The Office of Entrepreneurship works to strengthen Indiana's entrepreneurial ecosystem and support business creation, growth, and succession across the state. OEI collaborates with entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, support organizations, universities, and state agencies to advance entrepreneurship as a core economic development strategy-particularly for Main Street businesses and communities.

Role Overview:

Indiana's entrepreneurial success depends on strong local ecosystems that are connected, collaborative, and capable of supporting founders at every stage of their journey. The Statewide Ecosystem Catalyst plays a critical role in ensuring entrepreneurs can access the resources they need, communities can learn from each other, and ecosystem leaders can work together to build a stronger statewide network. By strengthening connections and spreading best practices, this role helps make Indiana's entrepreneurial ecosystem more coordinated, resilient, and impactful.

The Statewide Ecosystem Catalyst serves as Indiana's primary connector and facilitator for the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem. This role is responsible for strengthening relationships among entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs), founders, community leaders, universities, investors, coworking spaces, and economic development partners across Indiana.

The Catalyst's mission is to accelerate entrepreneurship statewide by facilitating collaboration, sharing best practices, identifying ecosystem gaps, and helping communities build stronger support systems for entrepreneurs.

This position acts as a convener, translator, and amplifier for the statewide ecosystem-ensuring entrepreneurs can access the right resources, that communities learn from one another, and that ecosystem leaders work together to build a more cohesive entrepreneurial network.

The role also supports the Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation's strategy by leveraging ecosystem data, stakeholder insights, and statewide engagement to inform programs, policy initiatives, and ecosystem investments. Success in this role looks like increased statewide alignment, insight generation, and ecosystem enablement. This role is not responsible for direct founder services or program ownership

Core Responsibilities:

1. Statewide Ecosystem Connectivity

• Build and maintain relationships with entrepreneur support organizations across Indiana.
• Facilitate collaboration and best practice sharing among ecosystem leaders.
• Convene regional ecosystem stakeholders to strengthen coordination.
• Support ESOs in connecting entrepreneurs with support resources and organizations.
• Strengthen partnerships among universities, accelerators, incubators, chambers, coworking spaces, and community organizations.

2. Ecosystem Intelligence and Gap Analysis

• Analyze statewide ecosystem data to identify resource gaps and opportunities.
• Track emerging trends in entrepreneurship support and ecosystem development.
• Conduct benchmarking against national and global entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Support the development and maintenance of statewide ecosystem mapping tools.
• Through ESOs, collect insights and data at the entrepreneurial level
• Contribute insights that inform OEI strategic priorities and program development.

3. Best Practice Development and Knowledge Sharing

• Identify and promote successful ecosystem models and programs across Indiana.
• Develop frameworks and playbooks that communities can use to strengthen their entrepreneurial support infrastructure.
• Facilitate peer learning and collaboration among ecosystem leaders.
• Curate stories, case studies and highlight successful community initiatives.

4. Ecosystem Program Support

• Support OEI initiatives designed to strengthen entrepreneurial infrastructure statewide.
• Assist communities in developing programs such as founder networks, accelerators, mentorship initiatives, and capital access programs.
• Collaborate with regional partners to pilot new ecosystem programs and initiatives.
• Assist with coordination of statewide entrepreneurship events and convenings.

5. Entrepreneur Engagement

• Maintain direct engagement with entrepreneurs and startup founders across the state.
• Identify common barriers entrepreneurs face in accessing resources and support.
• Connect founders to relevant programs, capital sources, and support organizations.
• Provide insights from entrepreneurs to inform OEI strategy and policy development.

6. Communications and Storytelling

• Elevate the visibility of Indiana's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Contribute to storytelling initiatives highlighting entrepreneurs and ecosystem success stories.
• Support ecosystem communications, publications, and reports.
• Represent OEI at entrepreneurship events, conferences, and community gatherings.

Salary:

The salary for this position traditionally starts at $75,010.00 but may be commensurate with education and work experience. Use our Compensation Calculator to view the total compensation package.

A Day in the Life:

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Increased collaboration among Indiana's entrepreneur support organizations.
• Greater visibility and accessibility of entrepreneurial resources across the state.
• Stronger entrepreneurial infrastructure within local communities.
• Documentation, refinement and distribution of best practices across ESOs and regions.
• Improved connectivity between founders, support organizations, and ecosystem leaders.
• This position is exempt from overtime compensation for additional work hours which may be required to complete essential functions or other assigned work. Exempt employees may work more than 75 hours in a pay period without additional compensation and must report a minimum of 75 hours per pay period of work hours and/or paid leave taken to receive their base biweekly salary.

What Youll Need for Success:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, economic development, or related field, or equivalent entrepreneurial experience.

Experience • 5-8 years of experience in entrepreneurship ecosystem development, economic development, startup support, venture ecosystems, or related fields.

• Experience as an entrepreneur strongly preferred • Experience working directly with entrepreneurs, founders, or small businesses.
• Experience building partnerships across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
• Experience designing or supporting entrepreneurship programs, initiatives, or networks. • Familiarity with Indiana's entrepreneurial ecosystem preferred.

Core Skills and Competencies

• Ecosystem Leadership - ability to connect diverse organizations and stakeholders.
• Strategic Thinking - ability to identify ecosystem gaps and opportunities.
• Program Development - experience supporting or building entrepreneurship programs.
• Relationship Building - strong ability to build trust and partnerships across communities.
• Communication - strong public speaking and storytelling ability.
• Collaboration - ability to work across government, nonprofit, and private sectors.

Desired Attributes

• Passion for entrepreneurship and community development.
• Strong curiosity and learning mindset.
• Ability to work independently while coordinating across multiple stakeholders.
• Comfort operating in a relationship-driven, fast-moving environment.
• Commitment to strengthening Indiana's entrepreneurial ecosystem statewide.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports:

This role may provide direct supervision for one or more staff members.

Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:

The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes:

• Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans

• Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards

• Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution

• Deferred compensation 457(b) account (similar to 401(k) plan) with employer match

• Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options

• A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:

• 150 hours of paid New Parent Leave and up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers

• Up to 15 hours of paid community service leave

• Combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off

• 12 paid holidays, 14 on election years

• Education Reimbursement Program

• Group life insurance

• Referral Bonus program

• Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits

• Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

• Free Parking for most positions

• Free LinkedIn Learning access

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobs@spd.IN.gov.