The IBJ Podcast

Oliver Winery makes big business of sweet wines (but that's not all)

Bloomington's Oliver Winery started as a hobby but has grown into the 44th largest winery in the country. And it's done it by playing into an unexpected niche—sweet wines.

That's not all Oliver makes, of course. It offers a full range of traditional dry and semi-dry red and white wines as well as specialty products from its Creekbend Collection, which is made from grapes grown at Oliver's vineyard in Ellettsville. 

The winery expects to produce more than 450,000 cases (1.1 million gallons of wine) this year and expects to ship as many as 1 million cases in five years. This summer, it will put the finishing touches on an $8 million, 28,000-square-foot building that will help make room for that expansion.

CEO Bill Oliver, the son of the founder, talks with host Mason King about the winery's beginnings and its future and explains how its distribution has grown to 27 states.

For more information, see reporter Samm Stall's story.

 

This episode of the IBJ Podcast is sponsored by nimboIP, your solutions in the cloud.

 

Can scooters really help solve Indy's transit issues?

City officials have approved new rules meant to help people in lower-income neighborhoods access scooters to get to jobs, school, bus stops or other destinations. Scooter companies—Indianapolis now has four firms registered to offer dockless services—would be required to put 10% of their scooters in so-called "access" zones.

But the new rules raise lots of questions about whether scooters would actually be a reliable source of transportation and whether the Indy residents most in need of the service actually have the tools (think smart phones and credit cards) needed to use them. 

Host Mason King and IBJ reporter Hayleigh Colombo explore the issues in an episode that also features comments from Sonya Seeder, administrator of the city’s license and permit services.

To learn more, check out Hayleigh's story in the latest issue of IBJ.

 

This episode of the IBJ Podcast is sponsored by nimboIP, your solutions in the cloud.

A startup's journey from idea to pivot to series A fundraising

Megan Glover launched 120WaterAudit with two partners in 2016 with the idea of targeting residential consumers nationwide with a water-testing kit that cost $120 every four months. 

It was a great time for the idea, given the water problems in Flint, Michigan, and other cities. But quickly, Glover realized governments, schools and municipal water utilities were desperate for a modern way to organize their water testing records. And so 120WaterAudit pivoted to building and selling enterprise software—a move that helped it generate $2.4 million last year. 

Now 120WaterAudit is aiming to raise at least $5 million so it can expand its customer base and roll out new software options, with the goal of becoming profitable.

Podcast host Mason King talks with Glover about the challenges of raising money and whether being based in Indianapolis helps or hurts those efforts. Her answer may surprise you!

Music credit: Underwater Bloom by Budapest BluesBoy (c) copyright 2006. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. 

News credits: WISN-TV Channel 12, KDFW-TV Channel 4 and CBS This Morning

 

This episode of the IBJ Podcast is sponsored by nimboIP, your solutions in the cloud.

Funding the CIB and the Pacers' 25-year, $800 million deal

Less than two weeks after the Capital Improvement Board signed a 25-year, $800 million agreement with the Indiana Pacers, the Legislature passed a bill that will fund that deal.

But the bill—which is now awaiting Gov. Eric Holcomb's signature—is about much more than just helping to fund a renovation and expansion of the Pacers' home arena, Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The legislation also gives the CIB millions in new dollars to help it make ends meet over the next quarter century. Without that money, the CIB would be headed to insolvency.

Podcast host Mason King talks with IBJ reporters Lindsey Erdody and Mickey Shuey about the legislation, the Pacers deal and what the changes at the fieldhouse will look like.

To learn more about the legislation and how it impacts the CIB, read Erdody's story here. To learn more about the public plaza that will be included in the Bankers Life Fieldhouse project, read Shuey's story here.

News clips courtesy of WTHR-TV Channel 13 and WISH-TV Channel 8.

This episode of the IBJ Podcast is sponsored by nimboIP, your solutions in the cloud.

Why tech execs bought the Vogue in Broad Ripple

Three tech entrepreneurs — High Alpha's Eric Tobias and Mobi's Scott Kraege and Andrew Davis — have long been fans of live music. But they've taken that hobby one step further by purchasing the Vogue night club in Broad Ripple.

Tobias talks with podcast host Mason King about what the trio plans to change at the 81-year-old venue (think glass barware and a larger green room) — and what they think the club is already doing well.

Plus, hear how the new owners want to expand the number of events at the Vogue by expanding the types of programming to include things like live podcasts. 

For more information, see IBJ reporter Susan Orr's story about the Vogue's ownership change.

And thanks to Cody Diekhoff — who performs as Chicago Farmer — for giving us permission to use audio from his 2018 show at the Vogue in this week's podcast.

Bill Oesterle's TMap is asking former Hoosiers to come back home

The former CEO of Angie's List is using big data and machine learning to try to solve an emerging problem in Indiana—a stagnate and soon-to-be shrinking workforce.

Bill Oesterle formed TMap, a startup that just raised $1 million in funding and is focused on finding people who went to school in Indiana but then left the state to pursue their careers. TMap is scouring the web to determine which of those people might be interested in coming back—maybe because they have family in the area or want to raise their kids in an affordable community.

Already, TMap has identified thousands of people it says are interested in returning to Indiana for the right opportunity—and the firm is trying to match them with jobs.

Podcast host Mason King talks with Oesterle about what motivated him to start the company (his former boss, Mitch Daniels, had a lot to do with it) and how the effort is going so far.

To learn more about TMap and hear from someone who was recruited back to Indiana, read Anthony Schoettle's story at IBJ.com. 

 

Lessonly's Max Yoder on teamwork, vulnerability and how they're connected

Max Yoder says his new book — “Do Better Work: Finding Clarity, Camaraderie, and Progress in Work and Life” — is not just another set of lessons about leadership.

It's actually just as much about teamwork and relationships — and it's chock full of examples to help readers better understand the concepts.

The Lessonly founder and CEO talks with IBJ Podcast host Mason King about why he wrote the book, why vulnerability is the overarching theme and what he learned along the way about his own leadership.

To learn more about the book, read IBJ's story here.

IndyGo's electric buses won't go as far on a charge as the manufacturer promised

BYD Ltd. won a contact to sell IndyGo electric buses for the Red Line—where service is scheduled begin on Labor Day—with a range of 275 miles on a single charge. That would have allowed the buses to operate for a full day and then charge overnight.

But IndyGo has been testing the buses since fall and found they are falling short—way short—of the 275-mile requirement.

IBJ reporter Susan Orr talks with host Mason King about how Indy's weather is contributing to the problem, what IndyGo wants BYD to do about it and what other city got so fed up it sent its buses back to the company.

Learn even more by reading Susan's story at IBJ.com.

How a local tech pioneer is trying to save a once-promising Indy startup

Just a few years ago, Fishers-based SteadyServ Technologies was among the most-ballyhooed startups in state history.

But the company — which sells data-analytics software for bars and restaurants — has burned through more than $30 million in capital and perennially underachieved, leading it to file for bankruptcy earlier this year.

So why is tech veteran David Becker — a serial entrepreneur who serves as CEO of Fishers-based First Internet Bancorp — stepping in to try to save it?

IBJ Editor Greg Andrews dives into the story, explaining what Becker sees in SteadyServ — where he's now the co-CEO — and why one of the company's biggest, long-term investors is skeptical about its new direction.

You can read more details in Andrew's story in this week's IBJ.

 

He grew up in Sahm's restaurants; now he's expanding the business

Eddie Sahm grew up in his family's restaurant business, but after graduating from college, he didn't want to work for his dad, whom he calls Ed. So Eddie borrowed the money to buy Sahm's Place and set out to prove he could improve and strengthen the eatery.

Then, when it was time for a new challenge, Eddie went into business with his father, launching a brew pub—Big Lug Canteen—that grew into a series of pubs and ale houses that all sell Big Lug beers.

Eddie talks to host Mason King about growing up in restaurants, his parents' expectations for his career and how his skills differ from his father's.

Read more about the father and son duo in Susan Orr's story at IBJ.com.