The Crossroads Mission

building indiana’s innovation ecosystem

A Path to Success for Startups

Bright futures start at Crossroads. Since 2017, Indiana’s most promising startups have used Crossroads as a launching pad for success. The Crossroads Pitch Competition doesn’t just showcase Indiana’s best and brightest entrepreneurs. It nurtures early-stage startups at a critical stage in their growth, by connecting them to an ecosystem of fellow founders, experienced advisors, and angel investors. Innovation meets opportunity at Crossroads.

Winners take home an amazing prize package of investment, services, and mentoring. But you don’t have to win to benefit from being part of Crossroads. Our past competitors are a who’s who of Hoosier founders. We’re proud to say we knew them when! And every year we can’t wait to meet the next generation of rising stars.

We are committed to diversity in our contestants and judges. Crossroads is for all innovators!

The flagship Crossroads Pitch Competition now takes place twice a year, in spring and fall, with two tracks for seed and pre-seed startups. Crossroads Collegiate shines a spotlight on Hoosier collegiate and university founders. The Crossroads Idea Competition nurtures sparks of genius into new ventures. And through the Crossroads Platform, other organizations and communities across Indiana leverage The Mill’s pitch competition expertise to build their entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Crossroads is a production of The Mill, the heart of the southern Indiana’s startup ecosystem. Crossroads attracts competitors from across the entire state of Indiana—and we’re intentional about that. Friends and partners across Indiana refer startups to Crossroads, and we hope you will, too.

The Impact of Crossroads

CHARLIE EDMONDS, CEO, POCKET

It was an absolute honor to participate in and win the pre-seed finals of the Crossroads Pitch Competition. The process gifted me the ability to learn from amazing judges and participants, immerse myself in the thriving entrepreneurship community in Southern Indiana, and share my world of Pocket Methods, LLC with a wide audience. With the pre-seed funding from Crossroads, I am now accelerating my goals for development, piloting in schools, and gaining much needed legal access. I am filled with gratitude for this opportunity.

KEVIN CELISCA, CEO & COFOUNDER, INTEGRATE SCHOOL

I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to accept the prestigious Crossroads seed award. The unwavering support extended to us by the Mill and Flywheel Fund for Indiana startups is truly unparalleled and unlike anything I have ever experienced in any other state. My team and I now have the fuel we need to propel our company to new heights. The level of dedication and encouragement we have received from this community is nothing short of inspiring. Their belief in our vision and their willingness to invest in our potential is a testament to the transformative impact our company aims to make.

JAMES DONAHUE, CEO & FOUNDER, REPROHEALTH TECHNOLOGIES

The team at ReproHealth Technologies is proud to have been selected as winners of the Crossroads competition. We are honored to be part of a diverse group of startup companies, all bringing novel innovation to the state of Indiana. We are especially happy that The Mill will be part of our company going forward with its investment. 

ANNA DORRIS, CEO, EVEREWEAR

The support from The Mill and Flywheel Fund for Indiana startups has been incredible to witness, and I am so glad to now be a part of the ecosystem. The cash prize allows for Everewear to further our pre-seed raise and gets us one step closer to moving sustainable fashion forward. 

JESSICA BUSSERT, CEO, WAVE THERAPEUTICS

The Crossroads competition brings in great companies from across the state, and I’m honored to be selected as the winner. We’re working on a life-saving technology to prevent bedsores, and it’s gratifying to know that the judges understand and support the work we’re doing. We’ve been a part of The Mill for several years, and we appreciate the support we get there and from the Indiana business community.

RILEY ELLINGSEN, CEO, HEARSIGHT

We’re proud to have been selected as the winners of the Crossroads pre-seed track, amongst an impressive and diverse group of startups. The feedback we received from each round of the competition was invaluable, and the cash award gets us closer to our target for unlocking our next product development milestone. We’re excited to be one step closer to creating a more accessible world for people who are hard of hearing and/or d/Deaf and incredibly grateful for Crossroads’ support of this mission.

STUART LOWRY, COFOUNDER, ARCTICRX

We are beyond grateful for the opportunity this affords ArcticRx. It’s really satisfying for others to understand the change this product can bring across the globe, and we can’t thank The Mill enough for their part in the future of #VaccineEquity. The Mill has done a tremendous job fostering a spirit of camaraderie in the Hoosier community of entrepreneurs and change makers. We hope all the participants find paths for success.

ELLIE SYMES, CO-FOUNDER, THE BEE CORP

Crossroads Pitch Competition came at a great time. We had just finished our first season deploying the product, and it was great to have this win on the tail end of our product launch. Every company hits an inflection point where they transition from competing in competitions to competing for customers for big checks. Crossroads ended up being the last competition we needed to rocket our company into the competing for customers phase!

JENNIE MOSER, CEO, STAGETIME

I can’t overstate how positively Crossroads changed the trajectory of the end of the year (and the first full year of Stagetime!). The non-dilutive prize money allowed me to move to Stagetime full-time before I had originally planned, and even more importantly, it gave me the confidence and ability to seize the opportunity to bring one of my most valuable contractors onto Stagetime full-time. These two items have changed my day-to-day dramatically — professionally and personally.

JACKSON BOLEK, CEO, UTILIZ

We’re absolutely thrilled, and our team is excited to be developing software that will change how utilities look at their infrastructure. Utilities of all sizes need access to cutting-edge tools at a price point they can afford, and we believe that we’re equipped to deliver those tools later this spring.

 

Event History

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2017

pre-qual launch

The Mill hosts a regional pre-qualification event for a statewide competition in Indianapolis called inX3.

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2018

regional expansion

The pre-qual for inX3 attracts 12 regional startups; The Mill opens the doors on its new facility in November.

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2019

state expansion
rebrand to Crossroads

The Mill expands its event into a statewide pitch competition, now known as Crossroads.

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2020

virtual event fuels growth

Crossroads goes virtual and attracts nearly 50 applicants from all over the state.
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2021

Crossroads Platform launches

The Mill offers new service to help regions and cities create and execute their own pitch competitions. PASE Fort Wayne, powered by Crossroads, launches.

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2021

Crossroads Collegiate launches

The Mill creates a state-wide collegiate competition to showcase rising star entrepreneurial talent from Indiana’s colleges and universities.

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2021

Crossroads Idea Competition rebrands

The Mill rebrands Spark Competition as Crossroads Idea Competition.

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2022

Crossroads expands to twice a year

The Mill adds a second competition in spring to increase opportunity to Hoosier founders.

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2022

Pre-seed and seed tracks debut

The Mill creates two tracks of competition, with two winners.

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2022

Flywheel Fund provides prizes.

Winning startups now receive Flywheel Fund investment and mentoring support.

Host Your Own Pitch Competition!

With our Crossroads Platform, you can run a pitch competition without the headache and hassle of starting from scratch. Our dedicated and proven staff will handle the details, while the flexibility of the platform allows you to design a competition that aligns with your goals. Fuel and support your entrepreneurial ecosystem! 

Spotlight Sponsor Fall 2023

Supporting Sponsors

Elevate Ventures
Old National Bank
Elevate Ventures
Old National Bank
Old National Bank

Please help us support entrepreneurship and innovation in Indiana. Join the Crossroads family of startup champions!