Northern Indiana celebrates innovation through community leadership and positive impact
Northern Indiana's entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation shine through the remarkable individuals who dedicate themselves to building stronger communities. The region's culture of positive leadership demonstrates how innovation extends far beyond traditional business ventures, encompassing community development, educational excellence, and transformative social impact initiatives that create lasting change.
Recognizing excellence in community innovation
The annual Good Life Awards ceremony exemplifies how Northern Indiana celebrates and nurtures its innovators. This year marks the 10th anniversary of an event that has grown from a simple mission to celebrate regional goodness into the largest library of positive stories, photos, videos and events in the area, as reported by GreatNews.Life.
The awards program, founded by Chris Mahlmann, represents a unique approach to recognizing entrepreneurial thinking applied to community building. Rather than focusing solely on traditional business metrics, the ceremony honors individuals who demonstrate innovation in leadership, service delivery, and community engagement. Mahlmann emphasizes that recipients embody qualities fundamental to regional success: hard work, service to others, positive attitudes, and dedication to improving their surroundings.
"This award has been one way to recognize positive impact people that embrace the premise of our mission," Mahlmann noted. The evolution from his individual vision to a team-driven initiative reflects the collaborative innovation culture that defines Northern Indiana's approach to community development.
Business innovation meets community impact
Among this year's honorees, John Jordan exemplifies the intersection of business innovation and community leadership. As Owner and President of CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana, Jordan demonstrates how entrepreneurial success can drive broader community impact. Mahlmann describes Jordan as someone "raised by parents, coaches, and teachers that installed in him the values he demonstrates in his work, in his community, and every organization he involves himself with."
Jordan's approach illustrates a regional trend where business leaders view their enterprises as vehicles for community enhancement rather than purely profit-driven entities. This philosophy represents an innovative model of entrepreneurship that prioritizes long-term community sustainability alongside business growth.
Andy Kostielney, Director of Business Development and Marketing at DLZ, represents another dimension of Northern Indiana innovation. His decade-long commitment to connecting leaders across political and community boundaries demonstrates entrepreneurial thinking applied to relationship building and regional collaboration. Mahlmann describes Kostielney as "the most helpful person in all of Michiana" who "has introduced me to leaders across parties and communities simply because he likes our premise of focusing on what is good."
Educational leadership driving innovation
The region's commitment to educational innovation appears prominently through leaders like Bill Marshall, Head Football Coach at Valparaiso High School. Marshall's approach to developing young people combines traditional discipline with innovative nurturing techniques, creating an educational model that prepares students for future leadership roles. Mahlmann characterizes Marshall's methodology as requiring "a rare combination of strength and flexibility," representing the adaptive innovation necessary for effective youth development.
Educational innovation in Northern Indiana extends beyond traditional classroom settings, encompassing athletic programs, community engagement initiatives, and character development approaches that prepare young people for entrepreneurial thinking and community leadership.
Public sector innovation and transparency
Austin Bonta, Mayor of the City of Portage, demonstrates how innovation applies to public sector leadership and governance. His commitment to transparent, accessible communication represents an innovative approach to municipal leadership that builds trust and engagement between government and citizens. Mahlmann praises Bonta's "willingness to speak to people — in person, at meetings, in city hall, at the park, on the phone, walking the parade, and all over Facebook."
This approach reflects broader trends in Northern Indiana toward innovative governance models that prioritize citizen engagement, transparency, and collaborative problem-solving. Bonta's methodology demonstrates how entrepreneurial thinking can transform traditional government operations, creating more responsive and effective public services.
Transformative social innovation
Perhaps the most powerful example of innovation emerging from adversity comes through Julie West, Founder of the Play for Jake Foundation. West's transformation of personal tragedy into systematic change represents social entrepreneurship at its most impactful level. After losing her son, West channeled grief into creating comprehensive safety improvements for young athletes throughout Indiana.
Mahlmann explains that West's work demonstrates "resilience, courage, strength, and power of positive persuasion not only changed practices but state laws and funding, leading to safer kids for generations to come." Her foundation exemplifies how individual innovation can scale to create statewide policy changes and systemic improvements that protect future generations.
West's approach illustrates Northern Indiana's culture of transformative innovation — the ability to identify systemic problems and develop comprehensive solutions that extend far beyond immediate circumstances. Her foundation's impact on state legislation demonstrates how regional innovators can influence policy at multiple governmental levels.
Organizational innovation and team building
Internal innovation within organizations also receives recognition through individuals like Kami Tupiak, Partnership and Office Coordinator at GreatNews.Life. Tupiak's approach to partnership development and team coordination demonstrates how operational innovation contributes to organizational success and community impact. Mahlmann describes her as leading "with her heart and a service mindset" while being "kind, selfless, humble" with an "infectious smile and laugh."
Tupiak's recognition highlights how innovation occurs at every organizational level, from strategic leadership to daily operational excellence. Her work demonstrates that community impact often depends on individuals who innovate within existing structures to maximize effectiveness and reach.
Expanding recognition through collaborative innovation
The introduction of Positive Spark Awards represents an innovative approach to recognition itself. These awards, forged in the same spirit as the original Good Life Awards, expand the celebration to include additional community members nominated by previous honorees. This collaborative nomination process creates a multiplier effect, allowing the innovation and leadership recognition to grow organically through community networks.
Recipients Philip Bolton, Marketing and Social Media Coordinator at Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, and Jillian Koeneman, Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at Goshen Health, represent the expanding circle of innovative leaders throughout the region.
Regional innovation culture
The Good Life Awards program itself represents meta-innovation — an innovative approach to celebrating and nurturing the innovative spirit that drives community development. By focusing on positive leadership, collaborative problem-solving, and community impact, the program creates a framework for identifying and supporting the entrepreneurial thinking that strengthens Northern Indiana communities.
Executive Director Jenny Craig-Brown emphasizes the program's community-building function: "Recognizing the incredible people in our community who dedicate themselves to spreading positivity and making a real impact is truly priceless." This recognition system creates incentives for continued innovation while providing models for emerging leaders to follow.
The ceremony's evolution over ten years demonstrates how sustained commitment to celebrating innovation creates cultural change that supports continued entrepreneurial thinking and community development throughout Northern Indiana.
