Indianapolis Business Journal

Jerry Lee Atwood is a born-and-bred Hoosier, but he's also a messenger for the spirit of the West. The Indianapolis-based tailor and designer is known as a leader in the cultural resurgence of flashy Western wear and has a client list that includes Post Malone, DJ-producer Diplo and traditional country music singer Charley Crockett. A new exhibition at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art showcases 17 examples of embroidered, sparkling suits made by Jerry Lee Atwood. The show places Atwood’s work in the context of 20th-century designers Nudie Cohn, Manuel Cuevas and Nathan Turk. Atwood — who previously worked as a barista at bygone CATH (Coffee and Tea House), 5401 N. College Ave., and as a costume designer at the Indiana Repertory Theatre — taught himself to embroider using chain-stitch sewing machines and to apply rhinestones by hand. In IBJ's latest Q&A feature, Atwood talks with Dave Lindquist about the upward trajectory of his career since taking on celebrirty clients, the solitary and painstaking work that goes into making his suits, and his surprising choices for entertainment while working. (See link in comments)

Join us on Thursday, April 30, 2026, for Home is the Key, an IBJ Media and Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity event exploring how housing stability impacts community health and long‑term well‑being. The program features keynote speaker Dr. Roshanak Mehdipanah and a panel of healthcare experts. Panelists: Dr. Virginia Caine, M.D. — Director, Marion County Public Health Department JAMAL L. SMITH — Executive Director, Indy Health District Jack Turman, Ph.D. — Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine Lindsay M. Weaver, MD, FACEP — State Health Commissioner, State of Indiana Get Tickets: https://ow.ly/LX0l50YBnf1

What is the value of a college degree? Have we gone too far in denigrating college as a way to get ahead? This week’s guest on the IBJ Podcast is Mitch Daniels, former governor of the state of Indiana and president emeritus of Purdue University. Barely a month after Daniels’ departure from Purdue’s top job in 2023, the university named its business school after its former president, creating the Mitch Daniels School of Business and embarking on changes in its curriculum to emphasize technology and elements of a classical education. Daniels maintains some involvement in the business school’s evolution and is particularly interested in the growth of its programs in downtown Indianapolis, following the split of IUPUI that he championed late in his presidency. In this week’s podcast (see link in comments), Daniels and host Mason King cover those developments and their potential benefits for Indianapolis. They then take a deeper dive into the ways artificial intelligence is threatening to disrupt the market for white-collar jobs, and particularly entry-level positions. They also explore one of the biggest political, academic and economic debates of the last decade: What is the value of a college degree? Then, just for good measure, Daniels runs through his ideas for fixing Social Security.

JoAn Scott admits it -- she is tired. But it's the exciting kind of tired that comes from being the NCAA’s vice president of men’s basketball and overseeing a basketball first: the Division I, II, III and the NIT men’s basketball championships all taking place in one city, Indianapolis. She's been managing the crucial events of March Madness — including team selection, venue operations and officiating — for 13 years, which means she's one of the few people in the nation who can say she has played a crucial role in furthering an American cultural tradition. On the plus side, Scott will have plenty of time to rest soon. She has announced plans to retire in August after 13 years of managing March Madness. In The Tip-Off, IBJ's guide to the Final Four, Marc Allan runs through the traits that have made Scott a perfect fit for her job — and answers the two questions Scott always gets when people learn what she does for a living. (See link in comments.)

IBJ Media just announced the 2026 Innovate Indiana Event Series is coming to nine cities across Indiana and will feature Indiana Governor Mike Braun. Join business and community leaders building the future of every region and explore the opportunities to accelerate progress. Get your tickets now at https://ow.ly/RkIR50YzIwu

When you walk a block downtown with William Hogg, owner of Red's Classic Barber Shop, you start to get a sense of how many heads he has known. That includes four governors, but his fan club also seems to include every third person you'd see during the workday downtown. The staff at Red's is gearing up for a rush of business from this year's Final Four festivities. For this week’s IBJ Podcast (see link in comments), Hogg took a break between appointments to discuss how Red’s benefits from downtown’s other big conventions and events, as well as the recent surges in residential and hotel development. He also digs into the value of the shop’s location at the literal crossroads of the Midwest as Red’s claws its way back from the pandemic years. And he shares his street-level perspective on the growth of downtown over nearly two decades and whether it’s as dangerous as some have persistently portrayed it.

Join us to explore the science behind growing Central Indiana’s biotech hub. We will dive into key questions and discuss how to: • Align industry, academic strength, and government to drive growth • Convert research and innovation into startups, investment, and jobs • Position Indiana as a center for discovery and production Keynote Speaker: Chad Shearer, Director of Research, Global Institute on Innovation Districts Panelists: Aaron Schacht: Chief Executive Officer, BiomEdit, Inc. Jeff Simmons: President & CEO, Elanco Animal Health Melina Kennedy: Chief Executive Officer, CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership & CICP Foundation Inc. Scott Fadness: Mayor, City of Fishers RSVP now at: https://ow.ly/bar850Yz7jz

Longtime Indianapolis construction company leader Phil Kenney died Sunday. He was 65. Kenney was president of the area’s largest construction firm, F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. Inc., from 2001 until his retirement in 2025. While a cause of death was not disclosed, Kenney’s obituary states he died peacefully surrounded by family members. Kenney spent almost his entire professional life in the commercial construction industry following his graduation from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1985. After taking over as third-generation president oif F.A. Wilhelm, Kenney grew the century-old, family-owned business extensively, becoming the largest construction firm in Indianapolis according to IBJ research, as it doubled the billings of the next largest firm, AECOM Hunt. IBJ has more on his remarkable career (see link in comments).

Jessica Lopez-Liggett joined Anthem Inc. 19 years ago in an entry-level sales position. Last month, Lopez-Liggett was named president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana. She is a first-generation high school grad and first-generation college grad from a family with roots in Mexico. Her original career plan was to become an FBI agent, but she found a different way to make an impact in people’s lives. In IBJ’s latest Q&A feature, she discusses her primary goals in her new role and the path that led from posting her resume online to becoming president of one of the state’s largest insurers. She also explains how she transfers the discipline required as a competitive bodybuilder to her professional career. (See link in comments)

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