More than ten years ago, our region made a bold decision: to think bigger.
The Regional Cities Initiative challenged communities across Indiana to work together in new ways, and in South Bend – Elkhart, we answered with a commitment to regionalism. At the time, collaboration across county lines was often discussed more as an aspiration than a reality. Headlines focused on population decline, talent loss, and questions about whether this region could compete for the future. The phrase “dying city” was heard more than once.
Today, the answer is clear.
Over the past decade, we have built something remarkable together. We have strengthened relationships across industries, municipalities, educational institutions, and community organizations. We have invested in entrepreneurship, workforce development, quality of place, and innovation. We have created new pathways for talent and new opportunities for businesses to grow. Most importantly, we have built trust, the foundation that makes long-term regional progress possible.
The results of that work were visible throughout 2025. Employers expanded and invested here. Entrepreneurs chose this region to start and scale their companies. Students and workers found new pathways into careers that keep them rooted in our communities. Partners who once operated separately now plan, fund, and build together, and initiatives like IDEA Week showed what is possible when more than 80 organizations rally around a shared vision for the region.
None of this happened by accident. It is the product of ten years of deliberate choices: choosing collaboration over competition, choosing long-term investment over short-term wins, and choosing to tell a confident, honest story about who we are and where we are going.
That regional pride continues to grow. We see it in the entrepreneurs choosing to build businesses here. We see it in the employers investing in talent and innovation. We see it in organizations working together
instead of separately. And we see it in the growing confidence with which our communities tell the story
of South Bend – Elkhart.
There is still work ahead. Our region’s next decade will demand the same ambition that defined
our first: growing our population, deepening our talent pipeline, and ensuring that opportunity reaches every community in the region. But we begin that work from a position of strength, with proven partnerships, real momentum, and a track record that speaks for itself.
The stories in this report belong to all of us: the partners, businesses, institutions, investors, civic leaders, and residents who continue to believe in the power of regional collaboration.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for continuing to shape the future of the South Bend – Elkhart region.
Bethany Hartley
President and CEO
South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership