Booomers Bought Up the Big Homes. Now They're Not Budging.

Many baby boomers have paid off their mortgages and have decided to stay put, which is keeping housing in limited supply and driving up costs. While some boomers wish to downsize, they are deterred by the high costs and lack of desirable alternatives, resulting in a substantial portion of larger homes being occupied by older homeowners.

+ Read more on the boomer generation’s impact on the housing market

A City Bets That if You Intern There, You Stay There

Baton Rouge has long faced brain drain, with graduates from local universities often leaving the city for work. To combat this, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) partnered with Handshake, a social networking platform, to connect students with local internships and job opportunities, and encouraging them to stay in the city after graduation.

+ Learn more about how Baton Rouge is retaining young talent 

Employers Can Find New Talent and Recent Grads on Handshake

Handshake has emerged as a leading professional relationship builder for students and recent graduates. Identifying its widespread use in colleges and universities, Aspire has been promoting awareness of Handshake to employers looking for a pool of talent to choose from. Employers, students, and recent graduates can go to joinhandshake.com to create accounts and find or post job opportunities and internships. 

+ Read the full Aspire story 

+ Visit Handshake’s page for employers 

Indiana’s New Diplomas Emphasize Flexibility for Older Students

Indiana is proposing two new diploma tracks: the GPS Diploma and the GPS Diploma Plus. The GPS Diploma combines the current Core 40 diploma with additional graduation pathways, while the GPS Diploma Plus requires more work experience and evidence of college readiness. The Indiana State Board of Education and the Indiana Department of Education are also gathering public feedback over the summer to improve the current draft of diploma requirements with an online survey.

+ Read for more details about the Indiana GPS Diploma program changes 

Aspire Business Celebrations

Financial Partners Group

Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting

May 20, 2024

Aspire Weekly Member Highlights

Renewed Member Investors

BlueTriton Brands

CenterPoint Energy

Chartwell Luxury Travel, LLC

Force Construction Company, Inc.

Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County, Inc.

Indianapolis Indians

Northwest Radiology

PediPlay

SlyFox Creative

Smith Valley Storage LLC

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

New Member Investors

Bowen Center

Travel with Shawn Hayes

Featured Aspire Event

More Upcoming Aspire Events:

+ Business Unwind - May 30

+ Teacher Field Trip: Manufacturing Careers - June 6

+ The Mocha Nut Coffee Shop 5-Year Anniversary Celebration - June 6

+ D.R. Horton Lone Pine Farms Neighborhood Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting - June 12

You may have complimentary tickets to select events available with your membership. Contact Angie Keene for more information.

Johnson County Public Meetings

If you are interested in learning more about our municipalities and attending local public meetings, you can access websites and meeting calendars through the links below. 

This week’s Monday Member Moment is a montage of some wonderful member moments Aspire has had so far in 2024. Happy Memorial Day!



Member Profile: becauseOne

becauseOne is a women owned business founded and located on the south side of Indianapolis. becauseOne supports nonprofits through providing a platform and expert team to help organizations fundraise and market their cause. The platform also directly connects individuals and businesses who want to make a difference directly to needs and organizations they may care about!

+ Learn more

Member Updates

+ Franciscan Health Hosting Mothering Support Groups

+ Express Employment Professionals Earns Esteemed Top Workplace Recognition from the Indy Star

+ Deana Haworth and Dr. Virginia Caine Named 2024 Recipients of the May Wright Sewall Leadership Award

+ Johnson County Recycling District Announces Collection of USABLE Latex Paint and Stains on Saturday, June 8

+ Ivy Tech Offers Career Exploration Class