Épisodes

  • IU Athletic Director Scott Dolson on Curt Cignetti and College Sports

    IU Athletic Director Scott Dolson on Curt Cignetti and College Sports
    Sep 24 2026
    In this episode of Indiana 250 Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Scott Dolson, vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics at Indiana University. Dolson traces his path from Michigan City and Bob Knight’s basketball camps to four years as an IU student manager, including the 1987 national championship, and reflects on the leadership lessons that shaped his career. He discusses taking over IU Athletics during the pandemic, the strategic plan that elevated football as a university priority, the coaching search that led to Curt Cignetti and what IU’s football success has meant for fundraising, ticket sales and confidence across the university. Dolson also weighs in on name, image and likeness, the transfer portal, revenue sharing, the financial pressure on Olympic and women’s sports, plans to modernize Memorial Stadium, IU basketball under Darian DeVries and why college athletics needs more stability and enforceable rules.
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    1 h et 20 min
  • David Rosenberg on Building Indiana’s Innovation Economy

    David Rosenberg on Building Indiana’s Innovation Economy
    Sep 10 2026
    In this episode of Indiana 250 Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with David Rosenberg, founding president and CEO of the Indiana University Launch Accelerator for Biosciences (IU LAB) and president and CEO of IU Inc. Rosenberg discusses IU LAB’s plans to turn more university research into bioscience companies, partnerships and jobs, as well as Indiana’s broader opportunity to strengthen its life sciences and innovation economy. He also shares insights from his career in public service and economic development and what Indiana needs to do next to compete for talent, investment and innovation.
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    1 h et 4 min
  • Ryan Vaughn on Indianapolis Sports, Exos Growth and What Comes Next

    Ryan Vaughn on Indianapolis Sports, Exos Growth and What Comes Next
    Aug 13 2026
    In this episode of Indiana 250 Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Ryan Vaughn, president and general counsel of Exos. Vaughn traces his career from growing up on Indianapolis’ west side to law, local government, the Indianapolis City-County Council, the mayor’s office, Indiana Sports Corp and now Exos, where he has helped guide the company’s growth across 18 states. He reflects on how Indianapolis became the center of college basketball during the COVID-19 pandemic by hosting the entire 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and what that effort revealed about the city’s sports strategy, civic coordination and ability to execute major events. Vaughn also discusses the rising competition for sports events, the pressures facing downtown Indianapolis, his move into business leadership, the mentors who shaped him and whether public service could be part of his next act.
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    56 min
  • Paul Thrift of Thompson Thrift on Housing Shortages and Development Costs

    Paul Thrift of Thompson Thrift on Housing Shortages and Development Costs
    Jul 30 2026
    In this episode of Indiana 250 Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Paul Thrift, CEO of Thompson Thrift Development and co-founder of Thompson Thrift. Thrift traces the company’s path from a $3,000 Terre Haute house he bought with John Thompson into a national real estate firm with more than $7 billion in ground-up development, 650 employees and projects in 24 states. He discusses early student housing projects near Indiana State University, the firm’s work in downtown Terre Haute and Fishers District, and why he believes Indiana and the nation still face a structural housing shortage. Thrift also reflects on TT Serve, servant leadership, his 40-year partnership with Thompson and the advice he gives aspiring leaders: do not wait until you feel ready to get involved.
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    47 min
  • Chuck Goodrich, Indiana’s secretary of commerce, owner and CEO of Gaylor Electric

    Chuck Goodrich, Indiana’s secretary of commerce, owner and CEO of Gaylor Electric
    Jul 23 2026
    In this episode of Indiana 250 Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Chuck Goodrich, Indiana’s secretary of commerce, owner and CEO of Gaylor Electric, and a former state lawmaker from Noblesville. Goodrich traces his path from growing up in Roann, Indiana, to Vincennes University, Purdue University and an internship at Gaylor that launched his career. He discusses Gaylor’s growth from about 400 employees a decade ago to about 4,000 across seven states, the company’s focus on internships and apprenticeships, and why applied learning is central to Indiana’s workforce future. Goodrich also reflects on his time in the Indiana House, his 2024 congressional campaign and his new role leading the state’s economic development strategy under Gov. Mike Braun, with a focus on high-wage jobs, regional growth, advanced manufacturing, energy and keeping Indiana open for business.
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    54 min
  • Katie Lucas on Lucas Oil, family business and the importance of public service

    Katie Lucas on Lucas Oil, family business and the importance of public service
    Jun 25 2026
    In this episode of Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Katie Lucas, president of Lucas Oil Products. Lucas discusses her path from Noblesville High School and Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business to the Indianapolis Colts, where she first met Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, to Lucas Oil in 2012 where she later became president in 2024. She reflects on the company’s move from California to Indianapolis, the impact of Lucas Oil Stadium on the brand, new partnerships with the Indiana Pacers and Colts, and how the company has grown while remaining family-led, American-made and community-focused. Lucas also shares how her parents shaped her views on business, service and leadership, and discusses the company’s philanthropic work with Ascension St. Vincent, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital and organizations supporting women and girls.
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    39 min
  • Ron Romain on United Companies, Family Succession and Evansville’s Future

    Ron Romain on United Companies, Family Succession and Evansville’s Future
    Jun 17 2026
    In this episode of Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Ron Romain, executive chairman of Evansville-based United Companies. Romain traces the company’s evolution beginning first with his father, Robert Romain, in 1964 as a small vehicle leasing business and its growth into a multi-faceted finance and transportation organization operating in 40 states with more than 6,400 employees. He discusses the company’s expansion into equipment financing, rail transportation and air services, as well as the 2023 transition that made his daughter, Amy Romain Barron, the third generation to lead the family business. Romain also shares his perspective on Evansville’s future, including Talent EVV, the future of the riverfront area, the completion of the I-69 corridor and why he believes Indiana remains one of the country’s most business-friendly states.
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    44 min
  • Geoffrey Mearns on Ball State, Oklahoma City, and the NIL Era

    Geoffrey Mearns on Ball State, Oklahoma City, and the NIL Era
    May 29 2026
    In this episode of Indiana 250 Off the Record, host Nate Feltman talks with Geoffrey Mearns, the 17th president of Ball State University. Mearns reflects on his path from federal prosecutor to university president, including his work on organized crime cases involving the Gambino crime family and the prosecution of Terry Nichols after the Oklahoma City bombing. Now in his ninth year at Ball State, Mearns discusses the university’s role in Muncie, its partnership with Muncie Community Schools, the revitalization of The Village and why Ball State is the only public university in Indiana recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as an Opportunity College and University. He also weighs in on the enrollment challenges facing higher education, the value of a college degree and why he believes the current college sports financial model is unsustainable.
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    1 h et 4 min