DATE, 2018 | INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL | 1A INDIANAPOLIS | JULY 3, 2020 IBJ Classifieds Next Issue, March 9 – Closing March 6, noon – Call 317-472-5237 or email [email protected] CENTRAL INDIANA’S BUSINESS AUTHORITY CELEBRATING 40 YEARS BUSINESSCAREER OPPORTUNITIES JOURNALLUXURY HOMES Business Cares Diversity &Inclusion © IBJ MEDIA 2020 | VOL. 41 NO. 19 | $2.25 more companies on next page Business Cares: Diversity & Inclusion, 25A-31A 25A | An interview with Indiana Black Expo CEO Tanya Bell Mckinzie 27A | RISE INDY’s founder carries on a family tradition of seeking justice. 27A | Specific changes your organization can make to fight racism. Plus, a list of books, podcasts and other resources to learn about race and racism in America. Business Cares Diversity &Inclusion Publisher’s letter Greg J. Morris Welcome to IBJ’s third annual in freeing our neighbors from racial installment of Business Cares: Diver- discrimination and economic despair. sity & Inclusion. As we all know by ● You’ll find other columns about now, this is a topic that deserves our the importance of diversity and inclu- ongoing attention and action all year sion from partners at the law firm long. That certainly will be the case in Krieg DeVault LLP, IUPUI Chancellor the pages of IBJ and at ibj.com in the Nasser Paydar, and the leaders of the weeks and months ahead. Indiana Latino Institute, Child Advo- Joining IBJ, 77 companies have cates and the labor-management taken a leadership role to support cooperative Quality Connection. this special section of the paper, And, courtesy of CICF, you’ll find a where you will find commentary on list of books, podcasts and other the importance of a diverse, inclusive resources you can use to educate community and the many benefits yourself on issues of race and that flow to companies with diverse economic inequality. workplaces and work teams. Besides the special section in this In our 2020 special Diversity & Inclu- printed edition of IBJ, you can find sion section on page 25A, you will find and share the same information at our the following features: Diversity & Inclusion microsite online ● On the occasion of Indiana Black at ibj.com. Just go to the homepage Expo’s 50th anniversary, we have and click on the link provided. an interview with IBE President and Thanks to the 77 companies and CEO Tanya Bell Mckinzie about race organizations that sponsored this relations, economic equality and the effort. Their investment helps provide important work her organization for a diversity and inclusion awareness continues to do in Indianapolis and campaign throughout the month of throughout the state. July via print, digital and ● Jasmin Shaheed-Young, the e-newsletter platforms. founder of educational equality This campaign will highlight the advocate RISE INDY, talks about her importance and benefits of provid- family’s legacy of fighting for justice ing a diverse workplace that allows all and her group’s mission: seeing that staff members to feel welcome, have all children have access to a quality equal opportunities to advance their public education. careers and move up in the organiza- © PAWS ● A year after Central Indiana tion to “earn a seat at the table” and to Community Foundation rededicated prosper as a result of their efforts. itself to racial equality and economic Please look for the next installments justice, CICF’s Vice President of of IBJ’s Business Cares series: Breast Opportunity, Equity and Inclusion, Cancer Awareness in the October 2 Pamela Ross, offers a list of steps you issue and Heart Health Awareness and your organization can take to coming Jan. 29, 2021. fight racism. Thanks for supporting IBJ and the ● David Barrett, chairman, presi- companies featured here as we all dent and CEO of the Gene B. Glick Co., work together to take leadership roles discusses the role that safe housing in supporting diversity and inclusion in and wrap-around services can play the workplace. INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL 17AJULY | Focus3, 2020 | | 3A Program helps diversify not-for-profit boards, but more work lies ahead. INDIANAPOLIS | JULY 3, 2020 BUSINESSCENTRAL INDIANA’S BUSINESS AUTHORITY JOURNAL CELEBRATING 40 YEARS One factor that has the project focused on I-70 is the inter- state’s heavy semitruck traffic. (IBJ photo/Eric Learned) I-70 to be autonomous test bed to Mary- we’re developing will be best Four-year project to help pave way for driverless trucks land—and practices for the U.S. through could serve the [federal] Department By Susan Orr Ohio Department of Transpor- involve gathering data about the as a model of Transportation.” [email protected] tation received a $4.4 million vehicles’ performance, shar- for other Drive Ohio, the entity federal grant to prepare for, and ing that data with project part- states. that applied for the I-70 It might be many years before advance the use of, semi-auton- ners, and analyzing I-70 itself to “There’s grant, was formed in 2018 fully autonomous, no-driver- omous and autonomous truck determine the highway’s readi- going to to focus on deployment of required vehicles are a common traffic on the states’ highways. ness for autonomous vehicles. be a lot automated vehicles. sight on public highways—but The four-year project will put Most of the work will focus to learn,” Stedke The federal grant will fund transportation officials in Indi- semi-autonomous commercial on I-70 between Indianapolis said Luke half of the project. The other ana and Ohio are laying the trucks—with drivers in them at and Columbus. Project organiz- Stedke, a spokesman for Drive half will come from the project’s groundwork now for that day. all times—on Interstate 70, the ers say the effort will be the first Ohio, a division of the Ohio partners—a group of 16 entities, In June, the Indiana Depart- Indiana Toll Road and the Ohio of its kind on I-70—which runs Department of Transportation. ment of Transportation and the Turnpike. The project also will more than 2,100 miles from Utah “Hopefully, some of the stuff See TRUCKS page 36A Businesses, already bruised, pursue virus legal immunity By Samm Quinn the federal government can act return to work and custom- other critics, who fear a liability Lodging Association are among [email protected] much faster. ers return to stores, restaurants shield could encourage reckless organizations calling for liabil- In fact, U.S. Senate Major- and other public places, even as behavior from businesses. ity immunity. But rather than In at least seven states, lead- ity Leader Mitch McConnell, COVID-19 continues to spread. Most states that have granted asking state lawmakers to take ers have granted businesses R-Kentucky, has made liability They’re pushing Congress and such protections, either through up the issue, they’re calling on protection from coronavirus- protection a key focus of what’s their state representatives for legislation or a governor’s exec- the federal government to act. related lawsuits. In more than a expected to be another coronavi- protection from civil suits if utive order, have done so only That’s largely because dozen others, such legislation is rus aid package yet this summer. customers or employees are for businesses that adhere to Indiana’s part-time Legislature under consideration. Nationwide, businesses and exposed to or catch COVID-19 CDC and state guidelines for isn’t scheduled to meet until But in Indiana, at least so far, the organizations that represent at their place of business. reopening safely. November—and that’s only for there’s no immunity proposal them are fearful that a wave of But the idea is facing resis- Here, the Indiana Chamber one day. Lawmakers aren’t set on the table—not because of coronavirus-related lawsuits tance from some Democratic of Commerce, Indy Chamber to return to the Statehouse in a lack of interest but because is on the horizon as employees lawmakers, labor unions and and the Indiana Restaurant and See IMMUNITY page 40A 4A | INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL | JULY 3, 2020 Dr. Manasa Mantravadi pediatrician, Ahimsa founder Doctor dishes on her new company Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, a pediatri- cian at Riley Hospital for Children and mother of three, never stops thinking about children’s safety. That constant concern led the 38-year-old Terre Haute native and Indiana University graduate to launch a dishware company last year. Ahimsa makes a line of stainless steel children’s dishes that have been hyped by chef and television star Rachael Ray and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. The colorful design has set the Ahimsa dishes—which sell for $48 to $65 for a five-piece set—apart from typical stainless steel products. (IBJ photo/ During the pandemic, Ahimsa’s sales Eric Learned) have doubled month-over-month. harm. There is also a connection with What’s the origin of Ahimsa? the Hippocratic oath that physi- It started out as a text message chain cians take … where it says, “do with my fellow pediatrician moms. no harm.” American Academy of Pediatrics high- lighted the harmful effects of plastic. How did you find a manufacturer? Everybody was thinking, “Oh my gosh, I honestly just started cold calling until what are we going to do with all this somebody agreed to take a leap of faith plastic?” I had always used stainless with me. So I ended up finding a manu- steel because it is the material of choice facturer in Delhi. I wasn’t going to just in India. My mom was always fearful of do this over the internet or phone, so I chemicals leaching in from plastic and, went to India to visit the manufacturer lo and behold, the AAP agreed.