Draft:IDEA Week

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IDEA Week
GenreInnovation festival
FrequencyAnnual
LocationsSouth Bend–Elkhart region, Indiana, United States
Years active2018; 8 years ago (2018)
Founded2017 (announced)
FounderUniversity of Notre Dame IDEA Center, Startup South Bend–Elkhart, City of South Bend
Organised bySouth Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership (2025–present); formerly Notre Dame IDEA Center (2018–2024)
Websiteideaweek.com

IDEA Week is an annual innovation and entrepreneurship festival held in the South Bend–Elkhart region of northern Indiana, United States. The event combines keynote speeches, workshops, startup competitions, live music concerts, comedy performances, and networking opportunities across multiple venues in downtown South Bend and the surrounding area.[1] Originally launched by the University of Notre Dame's IDEA Center in 2017, the festival's organizational leadership transitioned to Startup South Bend–Elkhart, a division of the South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership, beginning with the 2025 edition.[2]

History

Origins and founding (2017–2018)

IDEA Week was announced on December 1, 2017, at the Studebaker 113 Building in South Bend by Notre Dame Provost Thomas G. Burish; South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Scott Mereness, president of Lippert Components in Elkhart; Bryan Ritchie, Notre Dame's vice president and associate provost for innovation; and Kevin Smith, president of IQI Balanced Intelligence and founder of the Renaissance District.[3] The name derives from the Notre Dame IDEA Center, where "IDEA" stands for "Innovation, De-Risking and Enterprise Acceleration."[4]

Organizers described the event as a hybrid between innovation conferences held in cities like Denver and Chicago and a community festival.[3] Bryan Ritchie stated that the festival's goal was to accelerate the region's transformation into a technology hub comparable to Austin, Provo, Boulder, Ann Arbor, and Gainesville.[5]

The inaugural IDEA Week took place April 20–29, 2018, spanning ten days with more than 30 events across Notre Dame venues and locations in South Bend and Elkhart.[6] In its first year, the Notre Dame IDEA Center led the event alongside Startup South Bend–Elkhart, the City of South Bend, enFocus, RISE, and more than 15 other regional partners.[2] Approximately 18,000 people attended at least one event.[7] More than 70 percent of attendees were not affiliated with the university.[6]

Growth and expansion (2019)

By 2019, IDEA Week had expanded significantly. Held April 8–13, the event featured more than 50 sub-events organized into four programming tracks—Learn, Play, Meet, and Compete—along with two concerts, two comedic acts, and the involvement of more than 20 regional organizations.[2] Over 21,000 people attended at least one event that year.[7]

COVID-19 disruption (2020–2021)

The 2020 edition of IDEA Week, which had announced OneRepublic as its headline concert act, was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] In 2021, the festival returned in a primarily virtual format, with a small number of hybrid in-person/online events following public health guidelines. Keynote speakers for the virtual edition included Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and the venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, and Morgan DeBaun, CEO and founder of Blavity.[8]

Leadership transition (2024–present)

In 2024, organizational leadership of IDEA Week transitioned from the Notre Dame IDEA Center to Startup South Bend–Elkhart, a division of the South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership. The partnership leads economic development across five counties in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Discussions about the transition had begun approximately two years earlier.[2] Notre Dame continued its involvement by serving on the event's board, managing the McCloskey New Venture Competition, and overseeing additional events during the week.[2]

That same year, organizers partnered with TechPoint, an Indianapolis-based technology advocacy group, to extend the festival's reach into Indianapolis through a co-marketing arrangement.[9]

IDEA Week 2025 ran April 22–25, with events at venues including the Momentum Entrepreneurship Hub, South Bend City Church, the St. Joseph County Public Library, and the Morris Performing Arts Center.[1] IDEA Week 2026 is scheduled for April 20–24.[10]

Programming

Workshops and sessions

IDEA Week features a wide array of programming aimed at entrepreneurs, students, and community members. Sessions have covered topics including blockchain technology, intellectual property law, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, workforce development, startup investing, and corporate innovation.[11] The festival has also hosted events organized by 1 Million Cups, a national program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that supports local entrepreneurs.[12]

In 2019, programming was organized into four categories: Learn, Play, Meet, and Compete.[13]

McCloskey New Venture Competition

The McCloskey New Venture Competition, managed by the University of Notre Dame, has been a featured component of IDEA Week since its inception.[2] The competition is an annual prize event for early-stage ventures open to Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the South Bend–Elkhart community. Originally established in 2001 with $30,000 in awards and 70 teams, the competition has grown substantially; by its 24th year in 2024, it offered more than $600,000 in cash and prizes.[14] At the 2018 competition, 17 area teams shared more than $400,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.[15]

Notable speakers

IDEA Week has attracted a range of nationally and internationally recognized speakers, including:

Entertainment

A distinguishing feature of IDEA Week is its integration of live entertainment alongside educational programming. Notable musical headliners and performers have included:

Comedy performers have included Gabriel Iglesias (2018),[18] Jim Gaffigan (2019),[20] Michael Carbonaro (2019),[11] Ali Wong (2019),[22] and Hasan Minhaj (2024).[21]

Venues

IDEA Week events are held at multiple venues across the South Bend–Elkhart region. Locations have included:

Organization

IDEA Week was originally organized by the Notre Dame IDEA Center in collaboration with over 20 regional organizations and businesses.[2] A steering committee of more than 39 organizations and companies from across the South Bend–Elkhart region guided the event's programming.[22]

Beginning in 2025, Startup South Bend–Elkhart assumed primary organizational responsibility under the leadership of Bethany Hartley, president and CEO of Startup South Bend–Elkhart and the South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership.[2] The University of Notre Dame continues to serve on the event's board and manage the McCloskey New Venture Competition.[2]

Most IDEA Week events are free to attend, with some ticketed entertainment and premium sessions.[23]

Impact

IDEA Week has drawn significant attendance since its inception, with approximately 18,000 attendees in 2018 and over 21,000 in 2019.[7] The festival has been compared by organizers to events such as South by Southwest, with a focus on fostering productive networking and collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, students, and community members in the South Bend–Elkhart region.[6]

Shannon Cullinan, Notre Dame's executive vice president, described the event as having become a regional focal point for celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "IDEA Week 2025 brings innovation, networking to South Bend". WVPE. April 21, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Startup South Bend-Elkhart to lead IDEA Week; Notre Dame to continue supporting". Notre Dame News. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Idea Week to showcase innovation and entrepreneurship in South Bend-Elkhart region". Notre Dame News. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  4. ^ "Notre Dame IDEA Center helps startups de-risk and take off". TechPoint. September 17, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  5. ^ "South Bend-Elkhart Region Idea Week is April 21-28". South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Organizers look to 2019 now that Idea Week is finished". WVPE. May 3, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d e "OneRepublic to headline Idea Week 2020". Notre Dame News. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c "Idea Week to Return Virtually". Inside INdiana Business. March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  9. ^ "Notre Dame IDEA Week extending its reach to Indianapolis". Inside INdiana Business. February 23, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  10. ^ "IDEA Week". Facebook. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  11. ^ a b "IDEA Week Schedule & Directory". Sched. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Events at Idea Week". IDEA Week. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  13. ^ "Scotty McCreery to perform as part of Notre Dame IDEA Week". The Observer. February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  14. ^ "South Bend-Elkhart IDEA Week: McCloskey New Venture Competition Finals". TechPoint. January 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  15. ^ "Press Releases". IDEA Week. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  16. ^ a b c "Idea Week 2019". Notre Dame Events. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  17. ^ "Register for free IU South Bend Idea Week program". IU South Bend News. Indiana University. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  18. ^ a b "Idea Week kicks off". Notre Dame News. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  19. ^ "Chainsmokers to perform at Purcell Pavilion". The Observer. February 2, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  20. ^ a b "Idea Week hosts country music star Scotty McCreery". Notre Dame News. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  21. ^ a b "Bethany Hartley's IDEA Week Agenda". South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  22. ^ a b "The IDEA Center and IDEA Week: What's the big idea?". NDWorks. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  23. ^ "IDEA Week returns to South Bend". ABC57. Retrieved March 19, 2026.


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