Braun says his motivation to champion small business comes directly from his background.

INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly one year into his first term, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun says his administration is reshaping the state’s economic development priorities to put small businesses and entrepreneurship at the center — an approach he describes as rooted in his own experience.

Braun talked about it with 13News as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

He told 13News his motivation to champion small business comes directly from his background. 

“My wife and I both come from that Main Street small business,” Braun said, noting that his wife, Maureen, still runs her own small business in their hometown of Jasper after 47 years. 

Braun ran his own business for more than three decades.

“That’s where our roots are,” Braun said, adding that he believes small businesses and “Main Street” have been “disregarded” in broader economic development discussions.

Despite what he calls one of the best environments for small business in the country, Braun said Indiana still sees relatively few startups. He pointed to that gap as the reason he created the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The goal, he said, is to strengthen support for would-be business owners and encourage a culture of entrepreneurship.

Braun also touted a program called “STARTedUp” which cultivates entrepreneurship skills in young people .. and has reached 13,640 Hoosier students this year.  There are also statewide pitch competitions like “High School Hustle.”

Braun says he hopes to eventually expand the offerings to all 92 Indiana counties.

“Through our educational systems we’re not emphasizing it enough,” Braun said.

The governor also described a broader push to recognize the changing landscape of business growth.

While manufacturing once dominated, Braun said many of today’s most successful companies are emerging from technology and biosciences.

Still, he emphasized that Indiana must support “the whole spectrum” — from existing businesses that have grown beyond Main Street to large companies with high wages and strong growth potential. But Braun argued that fostering homegrown entrepreneurship remains central.

“Fertilizing the field of Main Street and entrepreneurs is what it’s about,” Braun said.

When asked whether the legislature has a role to play — particularly regarding tax policy — Braun said he expects alignment on small-business priorities.

“We’d all be simpatico,” he said, adding that many changes can be made administratively through the state’s Economic Development Corporation.

Braun said he has “completely reconstituted” that commission’s board, shifting its focus toward regions, Main Street, existing businesses, and the entrepreneurs Indiana hopes to attract. The emphasis, he said, is on a “granular approach” that gives small businesses a central place in the state’s economic future.