Dimension Mill

Black Friday is a good time to slow down, stay close, and support the people building this community every day.

Bloomington now has a Shop Local card, created by the City with Yiftee, designed to make it easier to support local businesses. It’s digital, flexible, and keeps dollars circulating where they matter. Link in Bio.

If you’re picking up gifts, looking for good deals, grabbing food, or just exploring town, consider choosing local. It all adds up.

Some people lift a community just by the way they show up. Eli Serrano is one of them.

As Community Manager at IU Innovates, Eli has mentored hundreds of IU students as they turn early ideas into real ventures. At The Mill, he helped shape this year’s Startup Summer program and continues to support founders through thoughtful, hands-on ecosystem building.

And this week, Eli and his co-founder took a big step forward of their own. Their startup, V Codinator, won the $150K Honors Fund Virtual Startup Competition.

V Codinator helps non-technical founders build their first product by combining AI, guided learning, and no-code tools. Nearly 500 users have already begun learning through the platform.

Eli leads with curiosity, kindness, and the belief that anyone can build something meaningful with the right support.

We’re proud he’s helping shape Bloomington’s next generation of founders—and building his own venture here too.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4ieEGUd

Some of the strongest companies at The Mill begin with a simple connection.

Pablo Fuentes first came to Bloomington through the Bloomington Remote program, and quickly became one of our community's most generous contributors. During Innovation Week last week, he met Joel Replogle, an experienced programmer who had previously worked at LinkedIn. The two found a shared interest and started building together.

That collaboration became Bloom Spatial, a platform helping electric utilities manage vegetation more effectively by working directly with the people who do the work. Clear workflows, real user input, practical tools.

Since then, Pablo and Joel have gained early traction, partnered with a local electric cooperative, and established Bloom Spatial as one of the most promising new teams in our ecosystem.

We’re grateful they’re building something meaningful in Bloomington.

Read the Bloom Spatial community spotlight and many other ecosystem updates in our November newsletter: https://bit.ly/3X44MQ7

📣 Community Spotlight: Steve Wasick, Founder of InfoSentience

From right here in Bloomington, Steve and his team are changing the game in sports media. His company recently signed major deals with CBS, MaxPreps, and EA Sports, bringing cutting-edge AI-driven content to millions of sports fans.

🔗 Read Full Newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q03CxzQR0

Not subscribed to The Mill Monthly? Sign up below and get regular ecosystem updates and inspiring local stories straight to your inbox:

https://hubs.ly/Q03CxB-H0

Get personalized advice from the best in tech innovation and defense. Brandon Hirsch from NSWC Crane and DIU is coming to The Mill for exclusive monthly 1:1 sessions.

Brandon's experience and resources can give you direct insights into your startup's readiness for defense contracts and funding. Spots are limited, so RSVP now. 🔥

RSVP: https://hubs.ly/Q03BGC080

After weeks of renovations, the Event Hall at The Mill is officially open again, and looking better than ever. Thanks to our friends at and Umphress Masonry for bringing the space back to life.

We kicked things off with Startup Summer’s Demo Day, our largest and most diverse yet. We can't wait to welcome you back for more community events soon. ✨

Want to book the Event Hall? 👇
https://hubs.ly/Q03BBZ6f0

That's a wrap on Demo Day 2025! ☀️🚀

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out, supported, and celebrated the incredible student founders from Startup Summer.

This cohort truly brought their A-game; impressive pitches, big ideas, and amazing energy all around. Bloomington's startup future is bright.

Missed it or want to learn more about these inspiring entrepreneurs? Check out the link in our bio for all the details!

Will the Startup Summer cohort nail their pitches as well as they nailed this awkward family photo pose?

Find out tomorrow at Demo Day 2025! ☀️

Join us at The Mill as 19 student founders pitch and demo their businesses after nine weeks of intensive building, mentorship, and lots of caffeine. Connect with founders, mentors, and investors with us here at the heart of Bloomington’s vibrant startup community.

🗓 July 31, 2:00–5:30 PM
📍 The Mill, Event Hall

RSVP at the link in our bio!

Startup Summer students took the stage at The Mill’s Investor Swarm, pitching their bold ideas to a room of investors and seasoned entrepreneurs. The future looks bright—and it’s being built right here in Bloomington!

Ready for a new career but not sure where to start?
Code/IT Academy makes tech training accessible and totally free.

🎓 Our graduates go on to great jobs in tech + IT.
💻 No experience? No problem.
📚 We'll teach you everything you need to know.

Free training
Supportive instructors
Real career opportunities

Apply now for our Summer session! Spots fill up fast. https://hubs.ly/Q03j3H8x0

Code/IT | Spring 2025 Registration Are you looking for a way to jumpstart your IT career? Code/IT Academy's Spring cohort was designed for you. Join other participants throughout Southern Indiana in a live course taught by an Ivy Tech instructor. Scroll through to learn more.

Some ideas start with a sketch.
Ours start with coffee.
Design Meetup @ The Mill
Where creativity meets caffeine
Tomorrow | 9 AM | The Mill Café

💼 Looking for a career change or a way to grow your skills?
Code/IT Academy can help. Applications are officially open for our CompTIA Fundamentals summer course—designed for beginners and 100% free.

What you’ll get:
✔️ Hands-on tech training
✔️ Certification exam covered
✔️ Career coaching
✔️ Live class support

📅 June 10–August 26 | 🗓️ Apply by May 27

Start your journey in IT: https://hubs.ly/Q03gc30v0