High-Heel Entrepreneur Wins Inaugural “Mirro Student Founder” Award
Fort Wayne, IN (PRWEB) April 26, 2015 -- The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC), a business incubator and entrepreneurial assistance center (http://www.niic.net) is pleased to announce that student entrepreneur, Ashley Coleman and her company La’Shic have won the inaugural “Mirro Student Founder” award. The award, handed out during NIIC’s annual Ideas@work event attended by over 500 people, is named after Dr. Mike Mirro, a prominent physician, entrepreneur, visionary, researcher and community leader. Dr. Mirro was the founding board chair of the Innovation Center.
Coleman participates in the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center’s nationally acclaimed Student Venture Lab and has received funding from the program to help her follow her dream of creating high-heels that are both comfortable and stylish. With the help of her advisory board consisting of 3 podiatrists and an orthopedic shoe designer, Ashley was able to create a new level of footwear.
“When Ashley first came here and said she wanted to make comfortable, stylish high heels I told her that people have probably been trying to do that for 100 years”, said Mike Fritsch, NIIC Entrepreneur-In-Residence and manager of NIIC’s Student Venture program, “but she convinced me of her passion and research she accomplished and she knew what she wanted to do. Now, she’s done it”.
“It is such an honor to be recognized for your success by people you admire in the entrepreneur community”, said Ashley Coleman, founder of La’Shic. “I never think anything is impossible and I find a challenge to be motivational. Being an entrepreneur has been challenging but very rewarding. I would like to thank the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center for shaping me and nurturing me into the entrepreneur I'm becoming.”
Ashley Coleman, founder and head of La’Shic started her company in the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center Student Venture Program in 2013. She is graduating from Indiana University- Purdue University at Fort Wayne in December of 2014 with a degree in Communications.
Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC) - NIIC is a non-profit, community-based incubator and entrepreneurial resource center that assists in the growth and development of technology-based companies in Northeast Indiana. NIIC’s nationally acclaimed Student Venture Lab program offers area college and high school students the opportunity to start real companies in a supportive environment with start-up capital. For more information, contact the NIIC Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Mike Fritsch at 260-407-6442 or mfritsch(at)niic(dot)net. Information on NIIC’s Student Venture Lab program can be found at (http://www.studentventurelab.com).
Joe Eenigenburg, Project Coordinator, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, http://www.niic.net, +1 (260) 407-1731, [email protected]
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