SCORE Indianapolis celebrates 60 years of supporting small businesses

17 million entrepreneurs achieve their dreams with help from SCORE

Over the last six decades, mentors from SCORE Indianapolis have guided entrepreneurs through every stage of business establishment and ownership, assisting 1,200 business owners in fiscal year 2024, alone.

Of the business owners who received mentoring most recently, Kristopher Loving, of Noblesville, credits SCORE with providing him the motivation needed to grow Save Our Sports, a nonprofit organization aimed at training and mentoring sports officials throughout Indiana. SCORE volunteers also led Irvington entrepreneur Kara Long in developing the fundamentals of business for The Memory Collective, a venture created to capture loved ones’ cherished memories through audio and video recordings. SCORE mentors also coordinated with homeschooling parent Jean Lee, of The Academy of Chaos, in launching the inaugural Midwest Homeschool Expo.

“While the businesses and guidance sought vary dramatically among our clients, the common thread is the valuable resource that SCORE mentoring provides,” SCORE Indianapolis Chair Thomas Morgan said. “Our chapter is proud to have played an integral role in the development of more than 250 new businesses and the creation of more than 800 new jobs.”

SCORE Indianapolis is proud to celebrate 60 years of helping America’s small businesses launch, grow and thrive. The world has changed significantly since SCORE’s inception, and so has the organization. Originally a group of retired executives, SCORE has expanded and evolved. Today, half of SCORE’s volunteers are actively working. SCORE uses technology to offer on-demand online learning modules, remote mentoring and specialized local workshops. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, SCORE pivoted to deliver 100 percent virtual mentoring and education, without missing a single day of service.

The organization has also grown to embrace diversity among clients and volunteers – 65 percent of SCORE clients are women, 46 percent are minorities, 13 percent have disabilities and 9 percent are veterans. Click here to hear from SCORE clients themselves about how SCORE has helped here.

Locally, SCORE Indianapolis has provided 2,500 mentoring sessions in the most recent year and led 20 local workshops which were attended by 400 business owners.

Combining entrepreneurial spirit and volunteerism, SCORE supports small businesses at every stage of business, including those just starting out. Last year alone, SCORE volunteers helped start 31,167 new businesses and create 152,115 total jobs nationwide, donating 4.5 million hours of service.

To learn more, request a mentor or volunteer to be one, visit score.org/indianapolis.