Lessons from the WNBA…

I sat in the room as the WNBA Commissioner reflected on the league’s recent meteoric rise—and what it took to get there. “We had to transform the game, the brand, the organization, and the ecosystem... because the undervaluation in women’s sports was massive.” That line hit hard.

Indy just went all in on women’s sports. Between the WNBA All-Star Weekend and the push to make this city the capital of women’s athletics, it was a full-court press—dinners, panels, pop-ups, press. None of this happened overnight. The WNBA didn’t build this from scratch. It capitalized on infrastructure that already existed: arena deals, sports media pipelines, corporate sponsors, government buy-in—decades of investment in men’s basketball.

And then another little piece of luck hit. Folks are calling it the “Caitlin Clark effect.”

That’s not a criticism—it’s an acknowledgment. The creative economy doesn’t have a comparable ecosystem in place. We don’t have the stadiums, the media deals, the legacy dollars, or the built-in incentives.

And truthfully, we don’t have our version of Caitlin Clark either—not yet. But even if we did, I’m not sure the system would be ready to catch them.

But we do have something: a chance to build with intention—from the ground up—with equity, imagination, and collaboration at the center.

The sports playbook was written for a different era. Ours won’t look the same—and it shouldn’t. This isn’t just about launching one industry. It’s about rallying a statewide movement that sees creative work—designers, musicians, filmmakers, chefs, stylists, architects, storytellers—as a serious cultural and economic force.

The Creative Economy Summit is one step toward that future. It’s where ideas become action—and where creatives of all kinds connect, organize, and lead. Let’s build what’s next—together.

Polina Osherov

🎟️ Summit Tickets Are Live!

The 2025 Indiana Creative Economy Summit is shaping up to be our boldest one yet. You’ll want to be in the room for this.

From film and music, to design, and media — creative entrepreneurs and professionals are fueling local economies, revitalizing Main Streets, and shaping what’s next. But Indiana’s creative sector is still underperforming its potential.

This year’s Summit is our boldest yet — designed to ignite action across business, government, philanthropy, and education. Join us as we connect the dots, share new research, and galvanize support for the people and industries building Indiana’s next growth engine.

🔗 Register at patternsummit.com

Interested in volunteering? Email [email protected].

New Faces, New Energy!

We’re excited to welcome two incredible additions to the Pattern team:

Andee Simpson is stepping in as our new Managing Editor for Volume 28 of PATTERN Magazine. Co‑founder of Orangily, certified project manager, and a champion of creative systems in Indiana, she’s stepping in with big vision and collaborative momentum.

Kati Taylor is joining us to lead Stutz-based events and activations. With proven event and community-building experience in Indianapolis, she’ll be the powerhouse behind bringing artists, partners, and audiences together in that beautiful space.

Say hey when you see them—and keep an eye out for what they’re cooking up.

Script It, Shoot It, Show Up

Exciting to see so many great educational and networking opportunities for Indiana’s filmmakers! Spread the word!

PitchDox, the documentary competition for Indiana filmmakers, invites you to submit your unfinished documentary projects (at any stage, from concept to post-production) for a chance to win a $10,000 financial award to support the production of your film. Project submissions must be received by August 3 at 11:59 p.m. Finalists will pitch their films live at an event in October.

If you loved Film Lab, you’ll love our next workshop series, Set Savvy. This three-week series will feature film insiders walking you through exactly how to get your foot in the door on a film set. Our first workshop will take place Aug. 12 from 6-8 p.m. in the SPACE Lounge at the Stutz.

Psst! Want to know what the rest of the Set Savvy series is about? We got you:

• A Day On Set (Aug. 19)

• Grow, Adapt, Connect (Aug. 26)

Oh, and if you register for multiple Set Savvy events, you can use the code GETSETSAVVY for 50% off! What a bargain ;)

Check out the Eighth Annual Indy Shorts Festival, running July 22-27 and featuring a whopping 253 short films. You can see the films at Living Room Theaters, Newfields, or even stream them from your couch. We’ll be at the Mimosa Mixer at 12:30 p.m. on July 27 at The Tobias Theater at Newfields, so be sure to say hi!

Indy’s chapter of the Indiana Filmmakers Network is hosting a meetup at The Box on July 29 at 5:30 p.m. This meetup explores how Virtual Production technology—especially Unreal Engine—is transforming the film industry by blending real-time environments with traditional techniques. The Box team will walk attendees through recent projects, host a live VR demo, and screen original work to showcase the power of this cutting-edge approach. Plus, there’ll be networking, intros, and Q&A opportunities—all designed to connect Indiana creatives with the future of production. The event is FREE!

Questions? Reach out to host Paul Nethercott ([email protected])

Last, but not least!

PS. To our funders and sponsors—thank you for believing in the power of creativity!