Entrepreneurship &  Business Enterprises

The IEMD expands entrepreneurial opportunity by offering support, navigation, and collaborative opportunities designed specifically for residents who have historically faced barriers to business ownership. We support residents in gaining access to training, technical assistance, and funding opportunities to bring their business ideas to life.

By building a strong ecosystem of capacity building resources, the IEMD enables residents to launch new ventures, generate income, create local jobs, and strengthen community wealth from within.

Strategies

Initiatives

Entrepreneurship & Business Enterprises

Near Eastside Merchants Association (NEMA)

NEMA Indy was established to strengthen the Near Eastside business community by connecting local businesses, fostering collaboration, and supporting economic growth across the district.

Economic Development, Entrepreneurship & Business Enterprises, Housing Innovation, Social Enterprise, Workforce Development

IndyEast Promise Zone

The IEMD was born out of the collaboration formalized by its predecessor initiative, the IndyEast Promise Zone. Promise Zones are high-poverty and high-capacity communities where the federal government worked with local leaders to increase efforts to achieve neighborhood-created goals and priorities.

"This historic investment by Key Bank will open doors for our neighbors. This is a powerful step forward for the Indy East Economic Mobility District. The Green Jobs Workforce Initiative is a bold investment in people, neighborhoods, and the future of our economy."

Peggy Frame, Southeast Community Services Executive Director