The university pipeline only

L81-5 · Notre Dame entrepreneurship line — BOUNDARY

BOUNDARY — nothing in this article is a New Carlisle fact: the county’s entrepreneurship pipeline runs through the University of Notre Dame, in South Bend / Notre Dame ground, and it is printed here only so the town record does not silently borrow it. The dated institutions, from the University’s own record, are these. The Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies was established in 1998 with a $2 million gift from 1972 graduate Gary E. Gigot, announced April 15, 1998, to be in place for the 1998–99 academic year, in the College of Business Administration (now Mendoza College of Business). The ESTEEM graduate program — Engineering, Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Excellence Master’s Program — was founded in 2009 as the University’s first multi-disciplinary graduate program, a collaboration of the Colleges of Science and Engineering and the Mendoza College of Business; its inaugural cohort of 29 students began in the 2009–10 academic year, and from mid-2017 ESTEEM has operated within the IDEA Center. Innovation Park at Notre Dame opened in 2009; its first building, Leighton Hall, is a three-story, 55,000-square-foot building, LEED Silver certified December 2010, and the University’s facilities record states that since the 2009 opening 59 new ventures had launched at the park at the time of that page.

The IDEA Center’s dates conflict in the University’s own telling, and the conflict is printed whole and unmerged. Notre Dame Magazine states: “Established in 2016, the Idea Center became the coordinating nexus…” The IDEA Center’s own news pages state: “Founded in 2017, the IDEA Center is an off-campus innovation hub…” and “The IDEA Center opened in early 2017…” The University’s September 15, 2016 announcement states that the University “will create” the IDEA Center — standing for, in that announcement, “Innovation, Discovery and Enterprise Acceleration” — to be located in Innovation Park, joining the Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation Park staff. A July 16, 2018 University release states the Center launched 27 startup companies between July 2017 and June 2018, nearly equalling the 33 startups of the University’s entire prior 175-year history. No single founding year is asserted in this build; 2016 (announced / established) and 2017 (opened / founded) stand side by side as the record gives them.

No pipeline firm from any of these institutions is shown by any source read for this section to be seated in New Carlisle or Olive Township. The pipeline is the county’s context. It is not the town’s winner.

Sources:

1. Notre Dame News, Apr. 15, 1998 — Gigot Center funded, $2 million gift, in place for 1998–99.
2. ESTEEM, “History of the Program” (esteem.nd.edu) — ESTEEM founded 2009; within the IDEA Center from mid-2017.
3. Notre Dame News, Aug. 24, 2009 — ESTEEM inaugural cohort of 29; Innovation Park building described.
4. Notre Dame Facilities, Leighton Hall at Innovation Park — opened 2009; 59 ventures launched since opening (as paged).
5. Notre Dame News / Graduate School / Provost, Sept. 15, 2016 — IDEA Center to be created, located in Innovation Park.
6. Notre Dame Magazine, “The Benevolent Executioners” — “Established in 2016.” CONFLICTS with next source; printed unmerged.
7. IDEA Center / Notre Dame News, Oct. 6, 2023 — “Founded in 2017”; offices at Innovation Park. CONFLICTS with previous source; printed unmerged.
8. ESTEEM news release, July 16, 2018 — 27 startups launched July 2017–June 2018.