The Gentler Sounds of Building

Sometimes building things is loud and obvious. Other times it happens in the quieter moments. A quick introduction. An idea tossed across a table. That spark you only catch when people show up in the same room. Indiana has creative talent everywhere you look, but the people who help you jump a level are fewer and farther between. When they appear, it feels like hitting a gold vein. They’re the beginnings of the creative middle class we’re trying to grow. That’s the work for us at Pattern.

We are convinced that there’s more creative strength in Indiana than initially meets the eye, and we keep encouraging the folks with established careers to mix with the ones still finding their footing. Workforce development and talent retention aren’t just strategies; they are relationships built person by person, handshake by handshake. And sometimes, there’s music playing in the background.

The last few weeks have been the good kind of busy. Hosting and sponsoring gatherings where voices, ideas, and ambitions crossed paths in ways you can feel right away and sometimes only recognize later. These moments stack up. They matter. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to. More to come!

Polina

2025 Breakthrough Connections Summit: Powderkeg × Pattern

Technology may accelerate innovation, but people create breakthroughs. At the 2025 Breakthrough Connections Summit, more than 100 founders, executives, and investors from across the Midwest gathered for a full day of honest conversations, new ideas, and the kind of creative energy that only happens when the right people share the same space.

Pattern was proud to partner with Powderkeg to bring the creative side of the Summit to life. Our team curated the event’s artistic activations—from Ben Glenn’s live chalk painting, to Pushin’ Posies floral designs, to live music by Adam Shuntich—infusing the space with inspiration and setting the tone for the day.

The Summit underscored what we believe deeply at Pattern: creativity and technology aren’t separate worlds. They amplify each other. And as AI reshapes the landscape faster than ever, relationships, imagination, and human connection will matter even more.

More about Powderkeg

Expanding horizons for Ball State students

Connections IRL at AIGA Creative Link Up

Pattern was proud host and community partner for the Creative Link Up, a collab between AIGA Indianapolis, Indy Design Week, and Indy Networking. The event gave photographers, designers, videographers, marketers, and more the opportunity to “speed date” fellow creatives, igniting new connections and ideas. The energy was electric, and it was amazing to see so many creatives inspired and energized.

IEDC 2025 Entrepreneurship Yearbook is Here

This Global Entrepreneurship Week, Pattern proudly celebrates the release of the newest Entrepreneurship Indiana Yearbook—a project we partnered on with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to write, design, and manage from start to finish.

Unveiled at the Indiana Statehouse, the Yearbook honors entrepreneurs from every corner of the state, from Main Street makers to high-growth founders. Working alongside the IEDC, the Governor’s Office, the Indiana Small Business Development Center, and the state’s new Office of Entrepreneurship, we’re helping to build a stronger environment where small businesses can launch, scale, and thrive. The Yearbook is one piece of that effort—a statewide snapshot of the people shaping Indiana’s economic future.

Download your free 2025 Entrepreneurship Indiana Yearbook

The Best Time to Subscribe

Pattern’s print magazine is a love letter to Indiana, a celebration of our state’s creative soul and the people shaping it. From the first issue in 2012, you’ve helped make it more than a publication: a community-built, biannual work of art that pays local creatives and tells stories that matter.

To be transparent, our longtime subscription price of $30/year no longer covers rising printing, shipping, and creative labor costs. So, starting with the next issue, we must increase annual subscriptions to $40 for two high-quality print issues.

If you’re already a subscriber, thank you. Your support keeps this magazine alive and keeps Hoosier creative voices on the page. And if you’ve been thinking about subscribing, now’s the moment—lock in the current rate (for 2 issues) before the increase and stay with us as we continue spotlighting the brilliance that can only be found here.

P.S. Pattern subscriptions make great holiday gifts!

Big thanks for your continued support

Thank you for staying connected to Pattern. This year, we focused on strengthening Indiana’s creative economy in real, measurable ways. Our work supports talent, builds industry connections, and gives communities the tools they need to grow.

Here’s a snapshot of what you helped us do this year:

• Creative Economy Strategy: Alongside Pathemy Strategies, we guided two regions through their READI 2.0 creative economy studies, mapping assets, identifying gaps, and shaping strategies that will influence future investment in talent, small businesses, and creative infrastructure.

• Statewide Data & Tools: We advanced the Creative Economy Playbook and the first-ever statewide Creative Economy Data Dashboard—led by former Pattern intern Ty Stratton. His journey is proof that when young creatives are supported early, they continue shaping the state’s future.

• SPACE Residency: We continued piloting the residency, working directly with creative entrepreneurs to strengthen their business foundations and growth strategies.

• Pattern Alumni Network: We officially launched the network, reuniting former interns and fellows across the country and keeping them connected to Indiana’s creative ecosystem. Eleven new interns and fellows joined the community this year.

• Key Partnerships: We deepened collaborations with Film Indy, Indiana Independent Venue Alliance, AIGA, Indy Design Week, Ball State, Butler University, the Indiana Arts Commission, and more—partnerships that are becoming a real competitive advantage for the state.

• Policy Advocacy: We supported efforts to strengthen the Film & Media Tax Credit, including pushing for transferability to attract more production, jobs, and investment.

• Creative Storytelling: We worked with Life in Indy, Phoenix Theatre, BUTTER, IU Innovates, the IEDC, and others to tell Indiana’s creative stories across print and digital channels.

• Major Events: From the Indiana Creative Economy Summit to State of Film, we hosted gatherings that connected hundreds of creatives, founders, and industry leaders.

This work is gaining momentum because this community believes Indiana’s creative economy matters. If you’re able to support Pattern as we close out the year, your donation helps carry this momentum into 2026. Thank you for being part of the movement.