Every community in the United States wants its young people to stay, work and contribute.

And, almost every community in the country has to work hard to do what is called “talent attraction and retention.” In the South Bend-Elkhart Region, one of the bright lights attracting young people is a nonprofit called enFocus, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in May.

In 2012, Andrew Wiand and six others visited an incubator focused on entrepreneurship in Durham, N.C. as they studied in the ESTEEM master’s program at the University of Notre Dame. They were so inspired after their visit that they worked with community and business leaders to start their own version in South Bend. Those first seven fellows worked on projects for eight local partners.

enFocus charges fees to area partners to do research and help support initiatives. Often, it’s focused on solving a problem — which seems to be what engages the interns and fellows the most. Initially, interns and fellows focused on helping only nonprofit groups, schools or municipalities. In Elkhart County, projects have included:

• Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau (ECCVB) downtown vibrancy assessment and Vibrant Communities BIG Event development.
• Elkhart County Health Department systematic approach to increase early childhood immunization rates.
• Goshen Public Library strategic planning initiative.

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BY THE NUMBERS

ENFOCUS HAS:

450

Worked on more than 450 business, technology, civic and entrepreneurial projects

70%

Retained 70 percent of the fellows in the region at the conclusion of the fellowship

1,200

Attracted more than 1,200 students to work in the region through 160 fellowships and more than 1,194 internships

“We get the talent here because there’s cool stuff going on, but the cool stuff has value in itself.”

Andrew Wiand, Executive Director, enFocus

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Following a $42 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to form the Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Network, enFocus has worked in partnership with iNDustry Labs at Notre Dame to assist in driving innovation at local industries. At Smoker Craft in New Paris, enFocus has helped improve production line efficiency with lean manufacturing techniques. At Robert Weed Corp. in Bristol, enFocus helped with data analysis, supplier management and sourcing optimization.

The entrepreneurial spirit that created and grew enFocus led to expanding into its own projects. During the pandemic, its fellows helped with the creation of a comprehensive website for Elkhart County residents to help respond to COVID-19. It has also helped with the design of DW Victims Advocacy Center, a nonprofit supporting victims of crime and trauma in Elkhart.

Technically, enFocus is a crew of young consultants who help make the South Bend-Elkhart Region stronger. Some of the 40,000 college or university students who study in the region have opportunities to work on problems or challenges that help build strong resumés. “We get the talent here because there’s cool stuff going on, but the cool stuff has value in itself,” said Andrew Wiand, enFocus executive director who was one of those original seven fellows.

Yet the primary objective of attracting talent means that you hope to keep as much of it as possible. A remarkable number of young people choose to stay in the South Bend-Elkhart Region after their time with enFocus ends. Often, they land a job at a place they were helping as part of enFocus.

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Zac Quiett, Business Manager & Transportation Director, Baugo Community Schools

Zac grew up in South Bend and did poorly his first year in college. He left school and worked in the restaurant industry for a long time. He went back to Indiana University South Bend and the National Guard in the early 2010s and graduated in 2016. He then spent two years with enFocus.

Zac wasn’t interested in a job in a cubicle. He had experience as the president of the student veterans’ group and wanted to give back.

“It wasn’t about a title or position. It was impact and access to making a difference,” he said.

As a fellow, he worked with local school systems, including South Bend and Baugo, which is located in western Elkhart County. At Baugo, he helped the school system join Promise Indiana which starts funds for students in kindergarten to grow money for college.

As his time at enFocus was winding down, he had an offer from local industry. Former Baugo Superintendent Jim DuBois asked him to fill an administrative opening as business and transportation manager. He said yes to the school system and continues in that role. He is now also in the Executive Master of Business Administration program at the University of Notre Dame.

He loves how enFocus is reversing the brain drain. “It retains smart people and they do a very good job infusing those people into the cities, the communities that they work in, and they give freedom to operate in that space,” he said.

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Eydis Lima, Co-founder, Curiva

Eydis had an idea and plans to move to one of the country’s tech hubs.

As a student at Yale University, she was researching ovarian cancer and saw a potential solution to help women.

After graduation, she came to study in the ESTEEM master’s program at Notre Dame and was able to build on a concept of creating a diagnostic patch for the detection of high-risk stage cervical cancer called diaPatch. At Notre Dame, she continued to make progress through coaching and mentoring available there and eventually teamed up with cofounder Tracie McGinnity.

After graduating with a master’s in engineering science in May 2018, she was headed to Austin, Texas to work on the startup, but enFocus gave her some income and time to work on her side project as she was still a fellow in the program. She had time to navigate Austin and Silicon Valley as she worked on a business plan.

What Eydis learned through that experience, including working at Goshen Health, is that she wants to be in the Midwest, particularly this region, as she pursues launching her startup.

“enFocus really gave me the resources to learn the consulting mode of business,” she said. “It helps in that capacity in giving some freedom and things, such as IDEA Week, connecting people in the region, particularly in manufacturing space.”

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Kristen Smole, Assistant Director of Economic Development, City of Elkhart

“We’re seeing a level of engagement with the community that is unprecedented.”

Kristen Smole, Assistant Director of Economic Development, City of Elkhart

Kristen was not planning to stay in northern Indiana.

She graduated from Concord High School in 2009 and went to Purdue University to become a veterinarian. After studying political science and public policy, she not only ended up with several degrees, but also on a path toward working with people rather than animals.

She was home visiting family in the fall of 2019 as she applied for jobs. People kept telling her about enFocus, which had already begun its fellowship year. She explored it and wasn’t sure it would be a good fit but put off moving to Chicago for a year. She joined enFocus for nearly a year as an intern and then signed on to become a project manager, overseeing four other fellows. She loved that work and the people with whom she worked. “I was planning on staying at enFocus until they were going to get rid of me,” she said.

A role opened in the City of Elkhart and the young woman who had always said “absolutely not” to living in Elkhart County was soon taking a role with the city and evangelizing for it.

“I think the city of Elkhart right now is at a point of transition that is exciting,” she said, noting that the city looks different and feels more vibrant. “The personality of Elkhart is the same, but now we’re reflecting that vibrancy. We’re seeing a level of engagement with the community that is unprecedented.”

Retaining talent is part of the reason the unemployment rate is low and the quality of life here is rivaling other larger cities. She knows that enFocus is part of the reason she is here and making an impact for others.

“enFocus is more important than the region even realizes,” she said.

This story appeared in the 2022 Annual Report.