Innovating Together: The KEY Center for Innovation

This story was originally published in the Summer 2025 edition of Legacy: A Magazine for Alumni and Friends.

Indiana University Kokomo has long been a hub of education and community in east central Indiana. But today, that mission has taken new shape through the KEY Center for Innovation (KCI), which brings together regional resources to benefit students, businesses, and community organizations alike.

IU Kokomo launched the KEY Center for Innovation in 2021 with a clear mission: to connect local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies with the university's wealth of knowledge and talent, said Alan Krabbenhoft, Ph.D., director of KCI.

"KCI is all about creating win-win partnerships that benefit everyone involved. It's a place where students get hands-on experience, and organizations gain fresh insights and innovative solutions," he explained.

At its core, KCI is a talent pipeline connecting local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies with IU Kokomo's faculty and students. For his part, Krabbenhoft says he often operates "like a matchmaker" - finding students who want to do the work the client needs, and then finding the funding to support it.

"It's the best part of my job," he shared. "It gets me into the community and lets me build on the relationships I made in the 7 years I was dean (of the School of Business). I still love to teach, but this is what I'm most passionate about now."

In just a few short years, KCI partnerships have created numerous opportunities for students to grow, and for local organizations to get help with everything from digital marketing to event planning.

Breaking Language Barriers

During his senior year, IU Kokomo alum Jordan Hostetler '24 completed a KCI internship focused on improving his Spanish beyond the classroom. Supervised by J.R. Pico, teaching professor in Spanish and humanities, Hostetler worked at Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union, lending marketing support, providing translation services at events, and translating the company website from English to Spanish to make it more accessible to clients who speak English as their second language.

"I made direct connections with Spanish speakers and got valuable experience translating business and banking vocabulary from English to Spanish," Hostetler said. "Overall, I greatly improved my confidence and ability to speak a foreign language in both formal and informal settings."

He learned a lot - but he had to overcome some hurdles in the process.

"I greatly underestimated how much of a challenge it is doing professional translation," he said. "It's one thing to interpret in person from one language to another while speaking but translating an entire website with banking vocabulary is a step up in difficulty, in my opinion. This experience made me realize how much I didn't know and how there will always be more to learn, no matter how proficient you are."

In addition to making a positive impact on Solidarity, Hostetler's KCI internship also changed the trajectory of his career.

"I have my first full-time job with the same company I interned with," he shared. "I'm confident that my time as an intern at Solidarity gave me a big advantage in getting a job there. I had been looking for a job for a few months before starting my job with them, so it was a great surprise when the opportunity came up."

A Passion for Fashion

A KCI internship didn't land Danya Tabar '23 a job in her industry - but it did fuel her passion for fashion.

Tabar's experience working with sustainable fashion brand NO BiAS - which uses upcycled and recycled materials to create unique clothing and ensure a more sustainable future - was, in her words, "transformative."

"My internship changed my life and allowed me to pursue something I love," she shared. "I had the incredible opportunity to conceptualize, host, choreograph, and execute a fashion show. That experience gave me a sense of purpose I had never felt before. It affirmed that I have a place in the fashion world, that my voice matters, and that my creativity has value."

Since her internship, Tabar remains closely connected to the brand. One of her proudest achievements was having a photograph she took and edited featured on a billboard in Times Square during New York Fashion Week.

"Accomplishing this at 23 years old, without being fully immersed in the fashion scene, was a defining moment in my career," she said.

From Classroom to Career

Hostetler said more students should take advantage of experiential learning while they're in college - and that KCI is a great means to grow important career readiness skills.

"I would recommend everyone at IUK to take advantage of the opportunities to get some experience and go outside their comfort zone… not only for their career, but for their personal development and enjoyment," Hostetler added. "I think that a student can only get so much benefit from standard classes, so it's imperative to go beyond that and pursue 'real world' experiences."

And remember - it's not just students who can grow through KCI. For IU Kokomo alumni and community members looking to collaborate on a project, offer an internship, or participate in a workshop,, KCI represents a unique opportunity to give back and support the next generation of innovators.
Let's Collaborate!

Could your organization tap into KCI's talent pipeline? Here are some exciting ways to partner with us:

• Project-Based Partnerships: Whether it's developing a new website, crafting a marketing strategy, or planning a sustainability initiative, KCI can help. By teaming up with the center, your organization will benefit while giving students invaluable real-world experience.
  
  
• Internships and Co-ops: Did you know you can offer internships or cooperative education opportunities through KCI? Students get to apply their classroom knowledge in a professional setting, and you get the benefit of their creativity and enthusiasm.
  
  
• Workshops and Training: Stay ahead of the curve with KCI's workshops and training sessions. From digital marketing to economic development, these sessions are designed to keep you updated on the latest trends and skills.
  
  
• Research and Development: KCI can facilitate research collaborations to help your business conduct market research, develop new products, or explore innovative business models. It's a great way to leverage IU Kokomo's resources and expertise.

The KEY Center for Innovation at Indiana University Kokomo is more than just a place for student learning; it's a catalyst for community growth and development. By working together, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies can leverage the expertise and creativity of IU Kokomo's students and faculty to achieve their goals. Want to learn more? Contact KCI director Alan Krabbenhoft at agkrabbe@iu.edu or call 765-455-9446.

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