YLNI's Monica Freeman spoke with WANE-TV this past Sunday to talk about the next opportunity for emerging leaders in our community to share their vision with YLNI.

View the Video

Join YLNI this Thursday at Club Soda and tell us "I will stay if...."!

On June 23^rd over 1,000 community leaders and residents gathered in the Grand Wayne Center for the unveiling of Vision 2020. With a theme of “Be Outrageous,” the six-month process of community engagement challenged residents to instill a sense of urgency for the development of Northeast Indiana.  One community leader has issued that challenge (see below) to the YLNI demographic.  Are you prepared to answer the call?  Get involved. Make a difference.

"According to the Vision 2020 movement, we need to be outrageous. So be outrageous Fort Wayne! While people like me have been trying to lead – people with suits and ties, who live comfortably in the suburbs – our region has gone from 96% of the national average in income in 1995 to 78% today. Whatever it is we’re doing, it just isn’t working. We need someone else to step up. Not a committee or a politician, but good ol’ grass roots ingenuity – like we used to have.

To all those with unnatural hair colors, with pierces in places I just don’t understand, with sexual orientations not sanctioned by the Bible, or simply young and full of energy, take over. Come out of whatever closet you may be hiding in and grab the reins. I’ll step aside. If you’re terrified by the groups I just described, still consider Henry’s a “gay bar”, or think technology is ruining our country, you step aside with me. We had our chance and simply didn’t get the job done. We need something radical to jar us from this complacency. This won’t come from the mainstream. It has to come from the fringes.

To you on those edges, don’t just emerge for the sake of shock. Come with intent and purpose; take us to a better place. Be proud of who and what we are – all of us. As powerful as I’m sure you feel, you’ll need most of the masses, those of us in suits and ties, to get the job done. Don’t apologize for where we live, how flat the terrain, how bad the weather we endure, or the state of our rivers. Love this place and make sure all those you encounter know you do. There’s nothing wrong with Fort Wayne or northeast Indiana. Thriving is a state of mind and we’ve lost ours.

This won’t be a painless journey, but then what path worth taking ever is? Don’t take no for an answer. You’re going to hear a lot of it. Join groups and clubs, even run for public office – over and over – until you make your mark. We need you to be successful. Challenge tradition, while being mindful of history; break down barriers, while heeding law and order; disrupt the current state, while maintaining common human decency. So much of the latter has been lost in the current dialogue. Don’t disappear by becoming part of the static. Rise above.

We need outrageous, which is completely against our collective nature. So to all of you who don’t fit and won’t change to the outrageous description: let this happen. Northeast Indiana is indeed a “nice place to raise a family”, but it won’t stay that way with the course we’re on. And there are a lot of places that fit this description; places that are thriving while we’re not. What we need is – brace yourself – change.
It will be OK. And in the end, we’ll all be better. Outrageous is good. Actually great."

- Joel Sauer of New Haven, Indiana

Joel Sauer is CEO of Joel Sauer, LLC and the past CEO of Lutheran Medical Group. He is the Chairperson of the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana and serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

YLNI's 2020 Vision and Great Lakes Urban Exchange team up to discover what motivates Northeast Indiana Young Leaders to stay in the region

What will make you stay in Northeast Indiana? What is making you stay? We want to know. On Thursday, August 19, Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) and Great Lakes Urban Exchange (GLUE) invite community members and leaders to join in a conversation about what makes a region sustainable, the continuing issues and challenges facing our region and what we can do to put Northeast Indiana on the map.

• The event will take place during YLNI's monthly "Hot Spot" networking event at Club Soda in downtown Fort Wayne from 5:30 to 7:30 pm

• Attendees will be asked to finish the statement "I will stay if..." by
  writing their statements on dry erase white boards and posing for photographs with their answers.

• YLNI and GLUE will be documenting the answers through a photographic exhibit that will travel the Great Lakes region.Eventually, GLUE will use the photographs as a non-traditional data set to share with policymakers. In the meantime, this event is an opportunity to celebrate everything that makes Northeast Indiana a great place for young leaders.

• "I Will Stay If" (IWSI) events aim to bring together a diverse crowd of people in a GLUE city to participate in a vital conversation. In Northeast Indiana, we want to know not only what will make young leaders stay, but continues to draw them to the area.

• The IWSI event echoes the 2020 Vision survey released by YLNI in June, which can be found here: http://www.ylni.org/assets/pdf/YLNI_2020Vision_web.pdf

• YLNI and community members will also have the opportunity to meet the board and advisory board.

"The ‘I Will Stay If' event is another way to amplify the voice of young leaders in Northeast Indiana," Courtney Tritch, 2020 Vision committee member and YLNI Director at Large, said. "We can't fault our communities' leadership for a lack of change if our generation is not actively expressing our views on where improvement is needed and following up with action. This event allows us to expand the impact of our recent 2020 Vision survey and become a part of a larger multi-state effort. Ultimately, we want to do more than just talk; we want to be a catalyst for positive change in our communities."

Visit www.ylni.org or www.gluespace.org/iwillstayif for more information on the organizations, 2020 Vision, the IWSI series of events, and to view photos from past IWSI events in Buffalo, Cleveland, Dayton, Detroit, Grand Rapids and Pittsburgh. 

About YLNI: The Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) is a dynamic group that is connected to the community and committed to making it a vibrant and viable place to live, work and play. The mission is to engage and empower our young leaders through community, professional and social opportunities.  

About GLUE: GLUE was founded by a Pittsburgher and a Detroiter with the aim of catalyzing conversations across Rust Belt communities about the loss of population and sustainable economic activity. After two years of hosting multi-state conferences, building networks online, and creating opportunities for urbanists across the region to connect with a variety of policy and organizing experts, GLUE launched its I Will Stay If... (IWSI) campaign in Detroit in 2009.

If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview, please contact Michael Barranda at (260) 426-1300 or Michael@ylni.org.

The Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) is pleased to announce its 2010 - 2011 Board of Directors. The following were elected to serve as officers: President, Michael Barranda, Burt, Blee, Dixon, Sutton & Bloom, LLP; Vice President, Lisa Updike, Barnes and Thornburg, LLP; Secretary, Beth Bobay, Lincoln Printing; Treasurer, Ryan Hart, Lake City Bank.

The following individuals were selected to serve on the Board of Directors: Director at Large of the Executive Committee, Tamesha Fikes, Salin Bank; V.P. of Community Involvement, Sam Graves, Strahm Group; V.P. of Membership, Amy Johnson, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; V.P. of Leadership Development, Katy Silliman, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership; V.P. of Marketing, Heather Schoegler, Parkview Foundation; V.P. of Social Programming, Emily McCabe, Vera Bradley; Director at Large, Andrew Thomas, Ridge NAPA Auto Parts; Director at Large, Mike King, Aptera Software; Director at Large, Courtney Tritch, Northeast Indiana Fund/Talent Initiative; Director at Large, Luke Squires, First Source Bank; Director at Large, Kelly Pautler, Carson Boxberger, LLP.

The announcement of YLNI's 2010-11 Board of Directors is also a time to thank Mike Kanning and Wendy Stein for their service and dedication to the organization as they step down from the Board. Both founding members of the organization, Kanning and Stein served as the organization's first and second Presidents, respectively. Only Stein and Andrew Thomas have served on the Board each of the organization's five years of existence.

"I am honored and excited to follow in the footsteps of Mike and Wendy," stated incoming President, Michael Barranda. "They have truly been rocks for this organization over the years, and much of YLNI's success is a reflection of their vision and leadership. While I expect them to continue to support YLNI in other capacities, we will certainly miss their presence on the Board as leaders, friends and confidants."

The Board of Directors is the governing body of YLNI and serves to maintain the organization's mission and strategic initiatives. The Board of Directors approves and oversees all community activities and events. This is the fifth year of the Board of Directors. A steering committee was in place prior to the board's inception.

About YLNI  
The Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) is a dynamic group that is connected to the community and committed to making it a vibrant and viable place to live, work and play. The mission is to engage and empower our young leaders through community, professional and social opportunities.  

A vision of Northeast Indiana by those poised to inherit it.

Our young leaders have spoken: when it comes to community development in Northeast Indiana, it turns out that the majority of young adults are more interested in the creation of professional career opportunities and mass transit, over the creation of more bars and restaurants.  At the same time, they appreciate the region's low cost of living and parks.

For the past year the Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) have gathered feedback from over 200 of Northeast Indiana's emerging leaders in their 20s and 30s, in an attempt to understand what the demographic believes are the strengths of the region, and how to make it a better place to live, work and play. The information was primarily collected through an online survey conducted at www.ylni.org. On June 23, YLNI will release its 2020 Vision brochure to the public at the Northeast Indiana Fund's Regional Economic Summit to be held at 6 p.m. at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, IN. The event is free and open to the public.

As part of the survey process, respondents were asked to choose the top five assets that make Northeast Indiana attractive and the top five areas in need of improvement. Respondents selected five choices among 36 identified categories that fell into seven general areas: Health & Fitness; Transit; Job Opportunities; Education & Enrichment; Community Diversity; Affordability and Entertainment.

The brochure also prominently showcases the narratives of approximately 20 young leaders that represent unique ideas or various recurring themes from the study, and provides information about why the individuals choose to better Northeast Indiana.

"This brochure is not just about the data," incoming YLNI President, Michael Barranda, said. "We want young adults and community leaders to see that young leaders are not defined by particular professions or interests; rather, community leaders are any individuals that are ready, willing and able to make this community better."

The release of the full-color, 28-page brochure is the culmination of the "Engage" phase of YLNI's 2020 Vision Project, and is the beginning of the latter stages of "Empower" and "Execute."  Made possible with the support of the Lincoln Financial Foundation, the goal of Engage is to pull together insight from area young adults in an effort to provide a true representation of Northeast Indiana's Gen Xers, Gen Yers and Millennials, and to identify new visionaries of the community.  "Empower" involves educating the community about the visions, and cultivating the future leaders of the community.  Execute will be the implementation of the various visions and initiatives identified from the project.

The 2020 Vision survey and brochure was accomplished in large part by a task force that included YLNI VP of Community Involvement Sam Graves, as well as committee members Monica Freeman, John Hudson, Lori Keys, Justin Stalter and Courtney Tritch.  

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) invites you to celebrate its 5^th birthday as an impactful organization in our region, on Thursday, May 20^th, 2010.  Join past and present members of YLNI along with local community leaders to celebrate the many accomplishments of the dynamic organization and to focus on the future of our region.

YLNI, a group of young professionals engaging our community to make a positive impact on the places in which we work, live and play, will celebrate its 5^th birthday with a block party on the 800^th block of Calhoun Street from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.  The Block Party Birthday Celebration events will be held in front of Dash-In and 816 Pint & Slice.  The public is welcome to enjoy some cake and ice cream, participate in a cornhole tournament, take in the sounds of The Purse Snatchers, Vera Bradley's own band, as well as discuss future steps in growing our community.  YLNI invites you to enjoy all of this free of charge.  Food and beverages will be available for purchase from 816 Pint & Slice and Dash-In.

"YLNI is excited to celebrate this milestone we know to be a critical one in the life of a community organization. As we celebrate, we look back at all we've accomplished like bringing back the Barr Street Market, hosting the first High-Speed Networking event in downtown Fort Wayne, developing more than 100 emerging leaders through our annual Leadership Institute, collaborating with the DID on several events, visiting great local venues every New Year's Eve with our Masquerade Ball and educating the community through our YLNI the VOTE initiative," said Heather Schoegler, president of YLNI. "As we look back on what we've accomplished it makes us strive to achieve even larger goals of collaboration, advocacy and growth for our region. We hope the community will come out to our birthday party and celebrate with us." 

YLNI recently made a presentation of its preliminary findings to a group of regional leaders who are now beginning to develop strategies and priorities for our 10-county region as part of the 6-month regional Vision 2020 process (different from YLNI's 2020 Vision, confusing, we know). This group of regional leaders included over 20 Presidents/CEOs from the regions major employers, top public officials (including mayors, county commissioners, and state legislators), superintendents, heads of higher ed institutions and many other key leaders.

We requested that our community leaders ask, not assume, what is important to our demographic, and they listened. We asked for more than just a seat at the table, and we now plan to follow that up with action. YLNI was represented by Heather Schoegler, President of the Board, Lisa Updike, Treasurer, Michael Barranda, Director-At-Large, Katy Silliman, VP of Leadership Development, and Kelly Lynch, 2020 Vision survey participant and one of our emerging leaders. Please take time to view the PowerPoint presentation used at the meeting by reviewing the YLNI event on April 14.

For more information on the regional Vision 2020 process, please visit www.northeastindianavision.com. Be a part of the process!! Mark your calendars for Regional Economic Summit on June 23^rd at 6pm at the Grand Wayne Center, when the full regional vision/strategy will be presented. Participants will be asked to weigh in using key pad technology for instant voting. Stay engaged, you are making a difference!

Yet another YLNI member benefit:  Mike Packnett and Keith Busse, Co-chairs of the Vision 2020 Coordinating Group, invite all YLNI dues-paying members to take part in the Vision 2020 Coordinating Group's Leadership Input Session April 14. As a young leader who is invested in the future of Northeast Indiana, this is your opportunity to have your voice heard as the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership develops an economic development vision and strategy for our corner of the state.

Wednesday, April 14 from 7:15 to 10:00 a.m.

Sweetwater Sound Headquarters

Breakfast buffet and networking | 7:15 to 8:00 a.m.

Cost is $13 per person, and must be received by April 6^th.

Want to attend but haven't paid your YLNI dues? Pay online at www.ylni.org and then contact membership@ylni.org for more details.

Also, don't forget to take YLNI's vision survey at www.ylni.org/vision_survey.

It's hard to believe, but it's time to start thinking about the 2010 Masquerade Ball.  The Masquerade Ball is YLNI's premier social event that is talked about and planned throughout the year.  The YLNI Social Committee is actively searching for someone to head the task force that will plan this year's ball.  If you have an interest in this position please submit a brief summary of your past involvements with YLNI and why you feel you would be the best person for this task.  Please send any submissions or questions about the position to Social@YLNI.org.   

The Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) in partnership with The History Center are pleased to host the 2010 Barr Street Market season! Our mission is to offer fresh and unique produce, meats, baked goods and homemade crafts in a cultural setting.

Every Saturday, rain or shine, from July 10, 2010 through September 25, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

QUESTIONS ?   market@ylni.org

Read about Northeast Indiana's strategy on how we are going to become a more attractive place to live and how YLNI has become a great prospect to help provide that information in this Feb. 21 Journal Gazette article.  Vision 2020 brainstorms for growth

Have you ever said I wish we had "X" in our region?  Well, the time is now to share your vision. The goal of Vision 2020 is to identify and implement strategies to make Northeast Indiana a truly vibrant and viable place to live by the year 2020. Please take a few moments to share your vision by visiting www.ylni.org and completing a brief survey.  Be prepared to discuss why you choose to live in Northeast Indiana, and what you envision for the community.  For more information, please contact Impact@ylni.org.  

YLNI's 2020 Vision is made possible with the support of the Lincoln Financial Foundation.

Are you interested in knowing more about YLNI’s mission, goals, and community involvement? Have you been searching for ways to become active in the YLNI community?

Join us for our first YLNI Involved on February 24^th and see how you can be a part of YLNI’s growing community.  We will be holding an informal discussion highlighting YLNI, unfilled YLNI positions, and offering YLNI volunteer opportunities.  In order to fit your schedule, YLNI Involved will be offered in two sessions:

First Session on 2/24    12pm-1pm   

Allen County Public Library, Downtown Fort Wayne, in Meeting Room B

(Bringing and eating your lunch during the meeting is encouraged)

Second Session on 2/24    5:30pm -7pm  

Pint & Slice, 816 South Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor

(Grabbing a Pint and/or a Slice during the meeting is encouraged)

2010 YLNI Involved Dates:

February 24^th, May 26^th, August 25^th, and November 11^th

For more info email membership@ylni.org

Support the YLNI "2020 Vision"! Take part in our survey. Check out the link in the lower right area of our website's home page!

YLNI is ready to lead the charge in bridging the gap between community development and quality of place.  If young people are serious about making Northeast Indiana a vibrant and viable place to live, work and play, they must exercise foresight, collaborate with community leaders, and share their own “2020 Vision.” With this type of action, by the year 2020 that vision will have become a reality. Young adults in the area can express their vision for the region by completing the online survey for the 2020 Vision.

YLNI announces the newest installment of the Leadership Institute. Applications can be downloaded here and are due by January 22, 2010. The goal of the YLNI Leadership Institute is to cultivate the personal and professional development of existing and emerging young leaders of northeast Indiana.

Five seminars of personal and professional reflection facilitated by community leaders and professional speakers will assist participants in recognizing and reaching their fullest potential. Seminar topics include maximizing personal leadership, interpersonal communication and presentation skills, team building, diversity, and community impact. Sessions will be held on five Saturdays, February through April 2010, with kick-off and graduation events on Thursdays.

Ring in the New Year at the Annual Masquerade Ball at Parkview Field Suite Level Lounge! Tickets are now available for $40 at the door; tickets for online purchases are held at will-call under the purchaser's name.

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) is pleased to offer a summer of farmer’s market products with extended dates and more choices for the fifth year in a row! The only market located in the Downtown Improvement District begins July 11^th and runs every Saturday through September 12^th, from 8 a.m. to noon on the corner of Wayne and Barr streets.  Free parking will be available in the History Center parking lot along Berry Street.  Bikers are encouraged to park at a corral in the market.

With the return of requested vendors, such as Country Garden and Farm, Bakers Acres, Hardy’s Farm Market, County Line Orchard, Swissland Cheese Co, Tree Frog Farm, Graber’s, Maples Acres, Naturally Homegrown Farm, and Hilger’s, a variety of farm products will be available in addition to newcomers to the market.  These farm vendors will offer a range of fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, cheeses, baked goods, maple syrups, apple butters, spices/herbs and apple cider.  Breads, baked goods and other foods will be offered by Caketopia, Espresso Gallery and the Vanilla Bean.

To complete the picture of a farmer’s market, other non-food vendors will be represented at the market that will include products such as jewelry, soaps and lotions, sewn handbags and children’s clothing
and pottery.

Accompanying each Saturday morning will be acoustic entertainment as well as a hands-on activity table for children each week, sponsored by the Allen County Public Library Children’s Services and WMEE.  Schedules are listed following the release.

The current YLNI Corporate Partners that make events like the 2009 YLNI Barr Street Market a reality are:          BKD, Carson Boxberger, Barnes & Thornburg, Burt, Blee, Dixon Sutton & Bloom, Indiana Tech, 1^st Source         Bank, Strahm Group, The History Center, DataPrint Initiatives, Allen County Public Library and WMEE. 

By DERRICK GINGERY

http://www.fwdailynews1.com/articles/2009/07/08/news/latest/businessweekly/hid220752sect_934318ee073e57720c.txt

YLNI is pleased to introduce a new monthly event for our network. "Inklings" will be a monthly book club focusing on issues relevant to young professionals.  Inklings will meet over the lunch hour in downtown Fort Wayne.
 
What you need to know:
Format: Each month we will discuss the book as a group at our regular meeting. Each discussion will be facilitated by a YLNI member.  Also, at the conclusion of our meeting, notes and discussion topics will be posted online at the YLNI Facebook page for ongoing discussion.
 
Recently, Next Generation Consulting released a list of "Next Cities" and the seven indexes that qualify a Next City. Inklings will focus on one of these indexes per quarter and book selections will aim to challenge thoughts in order to generate discussion.
 
1st Quarter = LEARNING: Understanding "Success" within a Modern World

• April 8th - Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends by Tim Sanders
• May 13th - Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
• June 10th - Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins
  

2nd Quarter = COST OF LIFESTYLE: A Critique on Lifestyle and its Implications
3rd Quarter = VITALITY: Exploring Communal Variables through Choice
4th Quarter = SOCIAL CAPITAL: Understanding the Shifting Dynamics of Communities

Where and when you need to be:
When: The 2nd Wednesday of every month at Noon
Where: The Summit Club, 25th Floor
(There is no charge to participate in Inklings; lunch will be available for approximately $8.00/person; no cash please)
 
Questions?  Contact HeatherS@ylni.org for more information about Inklings, potential future book selections or to make a book suggestion of your own.

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana has announced those selected to participate in its annual Leadership Institute program.  The program provides a cohort of YLNI members with a series of professional development workshops and kicked off at celebration in the historic Tower Bank lobby on Thursday, February 5.  Members of the 2009 institute are:

Hilary K. Andersen, YWCA

Dana Barrett, Ivy Tech Community College

Khrista Beckmann, student at Taylor University Fort Wayne

Emily Bondus, Ear,Nose, & Throat Associates

Karma Bradley, Allen County Education Partnership

Josh Dewyse, ITT & Indiana Tech

Aaron Feagler, Vera Bradley

Adam Fox, Vera Bradley

Grant Goeglein, Northwestern Mutual

Sam Graves, Strahm Group

Eirik Herskedal, TrustBearer Labs

Mindy Hockaday, DesignFactore, Inc.

Joni Howell, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce

Rudy Mahara II, Strategic Benefit Consultants

Jared Mann, Northwestern Mutual

Emily McCabe, Vera Bradley

Lanna Mekianov, Robert Half &Integrated Financial Services 

Jill Parker, IPFW

Audrey Pelsor, Michiana Business Publications

Lindsay Smith, Northwestern Mutual

Wendy Stein, Stein Ad Promos

Tim Terman, Design Collaborative

Greg Thomas, Priority Mortgage

Andrea Young, CANI

Congratulations to all!!

YLNI president, Heather Schoegler, was interviewed by Vince Robinson for a Comcast Newsmakers segment.  The segment will air throughout March 2009 with CNN's Headline News.  The interview highlights how the organization was formed, a few of YLNI's signature events, the goals of the organization and what we're looking to do in the future.

Check out the video here.

YLNI is pleased to announce the members of its newly formed Advisory Council.  The Advisory Council was formed to assist YLNI in carrying its mission into the region and further develop the mission as the organization and region grows.

The members of YLNI's Advisory Council are Janet Chrzan, Leadership Fort Wayne; Pete Eshelman, American Specialty; Kristine Foate, The Chamber; Scott Glaze, Fort Wayne Metals; Kirk Kemmish, Northeast Indiana Corporate Council; Vince Robinson, Diversity Media Group; and John Stafford, Community Research Institute.

YLNI announces the newest installment of the Leadership Institute. Applications can be downloaded here and are due by January 12, 2009. The goal of the YLNI Leadership Institute is to cultivate the personal and professional development of existing and emerging young leaders of northeast Indiana.

Five seminars of personal and professional reflection facilitated by community leaders and professional speakers will assist participants in recognizing and reaching their fullest potential. Seminar topics include maximizing personal leadership, interpersonal communication and presentation skills, team building, diversity, and community impact. Sessions will be held on five Saturdays, February through April 2009, with kick-off and graduation events on Thursdays.

The YLNI the VOTE Candidate Information brochure can be downloaded here.

Please note the following corrections to the printed piece: The candidates listed under the offices of "State Senator - District 79" through "State Senator - District 85" should actually be listed as "State Representative" candidates, not Senate.  Also, County Council at Large candidate Robert Armstrong's current employment should be listed as Allen County Solid Waste.

of The News-Sentinel

Ft Wayne, IN – Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) is educating its members and the general public about the upcoming general election with a non‐partisan candidates brochure and a candidates night Oct. 27 as part of the YLNI the VOTE initiative to educate and inform local voters.

The candidates’ brochure, which includes responses from major‐party candidates in the governor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, Congress, statehouse, Allen County offices and Fort Wayne Community Schools board races, is currently available to download at www.ylni.org. Hard copies will be available at YLNI's Ultimate Mixer 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in the lobby of the 1st Source building, 200 E. Main St., or at a variety of locations throughout Fort Wayne starting next week.  YLNI does not endorse candidates.

Starting at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27 at the downtown branch of the Allen County Public Library,

Candidates Night will allow candidates to address YLNI members and the general membership just before the Nov. 4 election. Denice Beights, YLNI president, will moderate the event for candidates to introduce themselves to YLNI members as well as the general public. Candidates or their representatives from local and statewide races will be attending this free event.

"YLNI the VOTE is putting its emphasis on the down‐ticket races. The presidential candidates get so much attention from voters and the media, but our members, and the general public for that matter, may feel less informed about the policy positions of those running for the statehouse or county council, which can have a more direct impact on northeast Indiana," President Beights said. "YLNI works every day to engage and empower young leaders in our community. YLNI the VOTE, a non‐partisan educational effort, fits with our mission to help young professionals get their voices heard."

Blog: Fort Wayne Making Progress

InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report

At a recent roundtable discussion, executives of Indiana companies gathered to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities for businesses in northern Indiana. The blog from the Northern Indiana Companies Roundtable with Gerry Dick is sponsored by Ice Miller LLP. Today's entry is from Vera Bradley Public Relations Representative Melissa Cordial.

Fort Wayne isn't what typically comes to mind when thinking about booming cities for young people, but it's trying. The Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) is moving mountains by implementing social gatherings at local restaurants and attractions with a two-fold plan: 1) to encourage young professionals to collaborate on issues important to the future of the city; and 2) to familiarize these young people with the fun culture that many of the restaurants and attractions boast.

YLNI is also making strides with the community by initiating the Barr Street Market (a local farmer's market held in downtown Fort Wayne on Saturday mornings) and hosting leadership forums and seminars for young professionals interested in serving on community boards.

The Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has also taken steps toward a fabulously fun city by erecting hip signage across the city that highlights and directs visitors and locals to attractions like the Botanical Conservatory, museums, performing arts center, and the extraordinary genealogy center.

The CVB's campaign, Room for Dreams, highlights the city's affordable housing, positive quality of life and ample opportunities for businesses to prosper.

Fort Wayne has quite a few hurdles to jump to compete with other cities in Indiana and the mid-west; yet, it's certainly making progress.