Editor’s note: The following is a press release from the City of Bloomington. Bloom has republished it here with edits for style and clarity.
TechPoint, a nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s tech ecosystem, announced today that it will recognize the City of Bloomington with a prestigious Rising Tech City Award during the 22nd annual Mira Awards gala on Thursday, April 22. The Mira Awards celebrate the outstanding people, companies, and products in Indiana’s tech sector each year.
In recognizing Bloomington, TechPoint cites the city’s “thriving tech culture” that “grows from a deep partnership between The Mill, the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, Indiana University, the City of Bloomington, and Regional Opportunity Initiatives,” among others. The presenter also commends the City’s establishment of the Trades District Certified Tech Park in 2005 and continued investment in its growth, even in the midst of the global pandemic and economic crisis. Since the dedication of the coworking entrepreneurship nonprofit The Mill in a renovated furniture factory in 2018, the City has continued to promote the tech economy centered at the Trades District. The dynamic start-up and venture capital activity at the Mill (with its 255 individual members and 38 companies), the sale of the Kiln building—which will become a new office and commercial building—and the more recent application for federal funding to develop the Trades District Technology Center, are among additional factors TechPoint noted in Bloomington’s selection for the award.
“Bloomington is honored and gratified to be recognized with this award for the community’s initiative and all the investments we have made in the new economy,” says Mayor John Hamilton. “Our city is full of talented, hardworking, and visionary individuals and partners across many sectors who are consistently advancing Bloomington beyond our heavy manufacturing days to the tech-based and life sciences sectors that will help us thrive in the decades ahead. We look for more exciting developments at the Trades District and our city this year as we recover forward from the pandemic and create a more inclusive, sustainable, and innovative Tech City in Bloomington.”
The Rising Tech City Award “honors a city, town, region or community within the state of Indiana, celebrating the projects and the people behind them who have championed the location’s advancement. The emphasis is on developing compelling amenities and inclusive cultures where tech workers want to live and where tech businesses can start and thrive,” according to TechPoint.
“It’s always wonderful to be recognized but specifically, this award is a great validation of all the work we’re doing in Bloomington and that we’re moving our city swiftly into the new economy,” says Pat East, executive director of the Mill. “We’ve made a significant number of investments that are paying off and our momentum is building. I hope that this award signals to other people that Bloomington is a great place to start a startup.”
Members of the public are invited to attend the free virtual event, beginning at 8 p.m. EDT on April 22 at techpoint.org/riseup.
