Building Staying Power: How Create Connect Collab is Fueling Indiana’s Entrepreneurial Future
Indiana’s economy is built on small businesses. More than 534,000 small businesses make up 99% of all businesses in the state, employing nearly 44% of the state’s workforce (Indiana Economic Development Organization). Yet, for too many founders—especially women and entrepreneurs of color—the dream of building a business in Indiana ends before it truly begins. The rate of new entrepreneurs here lags behind the national average, and early job creation trails those of peer states.
That’s why the story of Create. Connect. Collab. (CCC) matters.
From a Kitchen Table to a Statewide Movement
In 2017, Starla Kay Mathis was working a comfortable corporate job. But something tugged at her.
“I kept feeling like I wasn’t living the life I said I wanted to live,” she recalls. “So I started calling friends together for mastermind sessions. We’d meet monthly, share ideas, and encourage each other. I wanted every woman to feel that synergy.”
Around the same time, Lateva Woolfork—new to the city, navigating postpartum depression, and craving community—was building her own blog and searching for spaces where women could connect with purpose.
“I remember thinking, if no one else is going to build this table, I’m going to build it,” Woolfork says. “I was looking for friends, for other women with boss energy, and I knew we could do more together.”
The two women crossed paths, joined forces, and soon CCC was born. What started as a small retreat in 2019 has evolved into a community of over 150 women entrepreneurs, offering masterminds, workshops, and national partnerships.
Building Access and Confidence
The numbers tell one side of the story. Young Indiana companies (under five years old) contribute over $11.5 billion annually to the state’s GDP. However, despite this economic weight, only 19% of current Indiana business owners say they are completely confident that they have access to all the support and resources required to reach their growth goals. CCC is changing that.
“What makes me proudest are the women whose lives we’ve touched,” Mathis reflects. “Entrepreneurship can feel isolating, but when women join a CCC mastermind, that isolation breaks. They discover they’re not alone—and they walk away with resources, connections, and the confidence to keep moving forward.”
The impact is tangible. Members use CCC to deliver their first public speaking engagements, test business ideas, or step into leadership roles—and ninety percent of those members remain engaged year after year.
“We see ourselves as the silent partners,” Woolfork explains. “Our role is to create the space for women to step fully into the expertise they already hold—sometimes all they need is someone to believe in them, and that’s when transformation happens.”
A Foundation for the Future
Earlier this year, CCC launched the Create. Connect. Collab. Foundation, a nonprofit arm designed to open even more doors. Its first partnership, with PitchFeast and the IEDC, is already underway: a 16-week cohort for food service entrepreneurs, complete with certifications, coaching, and visibility.
“We believe every woman deserves access to world-class resources,” Woolfork says. “That’s why we’ve kept entry points affordable—even when it means stretching a shoestring budget. For us, inclusion isn’t a slogan, it’s a practice: no woman should be priced out of the opportunity to grow.”
Indiana’s competitiveness depends on entrepreneurs. Yet too many founders—especially women—struggle to access the right networks, mentorship, and capital. That’s where Create. Connect. Collab. (CCC) comes in.
Founded in 2019, CCC has evolved into a hybrid community of over 100 active members across Indianapolis and the Midwest. Through monthly virtual MasterClasses (professional development), MasterMinds (accountability and thought partnership), and MasterStories (personal and business insights), CCC equips women to launch, scale, and sustain their businesses. Members also benefit from quarterly in-person meetups and the annual Unstoppable Retreat, which has sold out six years in a row
Why This Matters for Indiana
The stakes extend far beyond one organization. Indiana’s future competitiveness depends on entrepreneurs. Yet women and minority founders are disproportionately undercapitalized, under-mentored, and overlooked in traditional business ecosystems.
“Plenty of organizations talk about entrepreneurship from the outside,” Starla points out. “We live it every single day. We’ve felt the risks, the sacrifices, and the long nights—and that’s why our support resonates differently. It comes from experience, not theory.”
And the ripple effects are huge. Across Indiana, women own approximately 42.5% of small businesses (Office of Advocacy). Yet in Marion County’s public contracting ecosystem, women-owned firms captured only 2.68% of supplier spend. Without sustained investment, Indiana risks losing a generation of innovators before they can reach their full potential.
For Business Equity for Indy companies, CCC offers more than philanthropy—they offer a strategic opportunity.
“We want to sit down with you, understand your priorities, and show you how CCC can be a bridge,” Mathis urges. “Our network is full of talented women-owned businesses ready to serve as vendors, partners, and innovators. Once you see the caliber of entrepreneurs we’re cultivating, you won’t just want to support us—you’ll want to do business with them.”
“And yes—we’re open to conversations about financial investments,” Lateva adds. “Because CCC has proven we know how to transform every dollar into measurable impact for women entrepreneurs and for the Indianapolis community.”
For Business Equity for Indy partners, engaging with CCC isn’t charity—it’s business strategy. CCC’s network comprises ambitious women-owned companies, ready to serve as vendors, collaborators, and innovators across various industries.
And the investment is surprisingly accessible: With under $2,000, your company can send a group of local women to the Unstoppable Retreat. At just $1,900 for 20 tickets or $1,400 for 15 tickets, BEI members can directly fuel entrepreneurship while connecting with some of Indiana’s most promising founders.
Your support does more than sponsor an event. It creates an ecosystem where women business owners can learn, grow, and contribute to Indiana’s economic engine.
The choice is clear: invest in CCC’s ecosystem today, and you’re not just backing individual women—you’re strengthening Indiana’s future business landscape.
