Business & Beyond with Gerry Dick

Carlos Diaz: Teeing Off on a New Life Adventure

“I’ve worn a lot of hats in my life, but I truly believe the most rewarding hat is the one of husband and dad.” Carlos Diaz has spent his professional life in front of a camera, reporting for some of the biggest names in television. But after ditching the microphone for the Florida sunshine, he’s living his best life with a golf bag strapped to his shoulder.  In episode 121, the Greenwood native talks about family, life changing moments and the joy of being a “daddy caddy.”

Audrey Taylor: Adventurer Turned Entrepreneur

“Everything we built from that day to this came from that original $500 and the American Express card.”  Netlogx founder Audrey Taylor’s passion for adventure brought her to the United States with scant resources and absolutely no knowledge of Indianapolis.  In episode 120, she talks about her path to entrepreneurship, talent and what makes Indiana special.

Blake Jones: A Spirit of Entrepreneurship

“We literally cashed out our 401k’s, maxed out as many credit cards as we could get, and got a small SBA loan.” It sounds like risky business, but the whiskey business was a natural fit for Bedford native Blake Jones, who, along with his brother and a buddy, founded West Fork Whiskey.  And they just may have found lightning in a bottle. He talks about the entrepreneurial journey to create a “boldly Indiana” whiskey distillery that is quickly becoming an agritourism destination.

Jimmie McMillian: Driven to Change the Future, Fueled by his Past

His passion for what he does is rooted in a difficult childhood, growing up in a tough southside Chicago neighborhood. For Jimmie McMillian, the mantra “never give up” has special meaning. In Episode 118, the senior corporate counsel and chief diversity officer at Penske Entertainment talks about how that upbringing, a Firestone store in Bloomington, and his first trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway changed his life.  

Elaine Bedel: Homegrown Hoosier Helping Grow the State

Elaine Bedel has traveled many miles from the southeast Indiana farm where she grew up, creating a successful a business along the way. Now, as CEO of the Indiana Destination Development Corporation she is, in a sense, back home again, selling the state she loves. In episode 117, the Hanover College grad gives us her Hoosier sales pitch.   

Tom Battista: Free Spirit with a Passion for People

He may just be the most interesting man in Indiana. Restaurateur. Renovator. And for 30 years, on the road with Jimmy Buffett. But that’s only part of Indianapolis native Tom Battista’s rambling career journey. In episode 116, find out how the Brebeuf High School and Indiana University graduate is continuing to create a better future for his community.

Lin Dunn: Leaving it Better Than She Found It

“We used to pile in the back of my red Impala. Drive down the road, play somebody, get back in the car, and drive back.” Lin Dunn knows about women’s sports pre-Title IX because she lived it. The Hall of Fame coach and trailblazer, who led the Indiana Fever to an improbable championship, talks about the path to progress, legacy, and the source of her competitive fire.

Christopher Day: Living Life in a Front Row Seat

“I didn’t have a TV growing up. We worked and played basketball…with a rim nailed to the barn.” Christopher Day has gone from a low-tech childhood to the heights of high-tech success by always leaning in. The CEO of Elevate Ventures talks about life on the farm, creating “Indiana’s South by Southwest” and why it’s Toph, not Christopher.

Mung Chiang: From Harley-Davidson to Häagen-Dazs

Purdue University’s 13th president is an academic, an entrepreneur and an ice cream lover, who describes the transition from former President Mitch Daniels as “Harley-Davidson to Häagen-Dazs.” Mung Chiang immigrated to the United States, using education as his ticket to success. He’s also started three companies and has more than two dozen patents. In episode 113, Mung talks about Purdue’s next great leap, his love for America and the importance of putting “the who before the what.”

David Becker: Charting His Own Course

First Internet Bank CEO David Becker says his entrepreneurial journey started as a ten-year-old paperboy, hawking newspapers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I figured out that I could control my own destiny and control my earnings,” said Becker, who has launched and sold five Inc. 500 companies and created the first state-chartered, FDIC-insured bank operating solely on the Internet. In episode 112, he opens up about the banking crisis, Indiana’s changing tech landscape,  and lessons learned cleaning pig barns in Morgan County.