A senior preparing to graduate in May from Purdue University Fort Wayne and get married one month later is already working full time in marketing. His name is Salvador Espinoza and he attributes much of his success to a series of internship experience with Dekko, headquartered in Garrett with various manufacturing operations in northeast Indiana. Salvador describes what he learned on the job, starting as a 16-year-old and culminating with an internship management opportunity. Companies and students can learn from his experiences.

He dropped out of college to become a classical musician. He was a college professor, teaching economics and social entrepreneurship. He has guided a leading conservative think tank for the past decade. He is the author of 11 books – with No. 12 on the way. One of the most respected voices in America today is Arthur C. Brooks, Meet him in this conversation and see him in person at the Indiana Chamber’s March 12 Chamber Day Dinner.

Leaders of the state’s community college system are focused on creating the absolute best “workforce engine.” President Sue Ellspermann says the 12-cylinder engine is now at the “10-cylinderish spot” with work taking place on completing the building process. Ellspermann and senior vice president for workforce alignment Chris Lowery discuss the progress, the important role of employers, successful student engagement and more.

EchoChamber host Tom Schuman goes behind the scenes on the 2019 BizVoice® magazine series, Indiana Icons. Anderson native Carl Erskine enjoyed an outstanding baseball career as a pitcher with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. But it’s his accomplishments in business and the community once he returned home that make him so special. The now 92-year-old Erskine offers sensational stories and compelling insights. We also offer a sneak preview of upcoming stories and guests.

Health care costs are one of the most common causes of bankruptcy. And few will argue with the assertion that health care is a complex challenge. The opioid epidemic has added another layer of complexity to the situation. Indiana Workforce Recovery, an initiative of the Wellness Council of Indiana and the Indiana Chamber, is working to provide some answers to help employers and their employees. Additional Wellness Council programs are emphasizing the overall well-being message.

The Indiana Chamber has unveiled the Institute for Workforce Excellence. What is it? A strong coordination of existing resources from the Chamber and its affiliates, along with new programs to come in the areas of apprenticeships, talent pipeline assessment and more. The goal: Help employers attract, develop and retain talent. The Chamber’s Kevin Brinegar and Jason Bearce break it down, explain what it means and identify how you can benefit.

Entrepreneurs, and others in the business world, are focused on company growth. But expand too rapidly and any number of challenges emerge that threaten to derail the dream. Brent Tilson, founder and president of Tilson, offers guidance based on his 25 years of business and consulting experience. Frank and Susan may be fictional characters in the story, but their experiences will resonate with many. Tilson captures the essential themes in this conversation.

As executive vice president of operations at Walt Disney World Resort, Lee Cockerell was in charge of making sure the Disney experience lived up to lofty customer expectations. He did so by focusing his efforts on hiring, training and culture. Cockerell says “more teachers and less bosses” is one of the keys for any organization. Learn more about leadership, customer service and time management in this 30-minute conversation.

If there was an Indiana innovation version of Mount Rushmore, one face on the mountain would undoubtedly be Scott Jones. The technology veteran is back in his home state (for the most part) and focused on Eleven Fifty Academy and the coding bootcamps it offers to a growing number of students. Jones weighs in on the impact of past topics – Daylight Saving Time, direct flights and state scorecards – as well as current issues regarding talent and connectivity.

Yes, much time is spent today finding and developing the talent that is required to help grow your business. But once the people are in place, they have to be positively engaged – or those previous efforts really are not paying off. Through many years as CEO of Rainkmakers and now also working with Emplify, Lewallen focuses on “helping more people love what they do” and leadership of organizations to evolve from “a satisfaction culture to an engagement culture.” It can be argued that there is no more important mission today.