Indianapolis, IN
Penske Entertainment seeks to increase racial diversity in motorsports
![Penske Entertainment seeks to increase racial diversity in motorsports Penske Entertainment seeks to increase racial diversity in motorsports](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PENSKE-DIVERSE-INTERNSHIP-PKG.transfer_frame_1191.png)
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A special project at Penske Entertainment is in full gear for the Indianapolis community.
Each year, tens of thousands of people from around the world descend on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500.
None of it would be possible without the work that goes behind the scenes. Its leaders say they want to make sure they reflect their diverse community.
“We needed to change the culture and the expectations that folks have about maybe this sport is not for me. Maybe basketball is for me, or football is for me,” said Jimmie McMillian, the chief diversity officer of Penske Entertainment.
To do that, Penske Entertainment has created the Diverse Leadership in Motorsports Program, which focuses on providing internships to black and brown students.
They’re looking for college students interested in its different departments, including engineering, marketing, and operations.
Organizers say these students will have the opportunity to work full-time in the industry after they graduate.
McMillian said, “Particularly for students of color and women in motorsports, a field that for far too long has been viewed as being an isolated sport with perspective to diversity, primarily being a white-dominated sport.”
McMillian says it’s important to reach all communities despite some challenges.
“Because you don’t see or you haven’t traditionally seen folks in the room that look like us, you might think, well, either they’re not interested, they don’t like it, or they don’t know enough about it to be in charge of it,” he said.
McMillian says they also hope to foster a more diverse community on the stands. He also says interested applicants for the 2024 cohort should apply by the end of December.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Indianapolis, IN
New Technology Can Change the Way You Hear Live Events
![New Technology Can Change the Way You Hear Live Events New Technology Can Change the Way You Hear Live Events](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/02/SuSt.jpg)
An innovative technology company that enhances sound at live sporting events is looking to grow its operations in Indiana.
Valtteri Salomaki, co-founder and CEO of EDGE Sound Research, says his company is building end-to-end audio infrastructure that allows users to control how they hear live events. The new technology, he says, lets users enjoy real-world experiences through heightened sound.
Salomaki says the technology can be used at concerts, live sporting events, and at home. EDGE Sound Research works with sound from capture to reproduction. Salomaki calls it “a new way to create sound.”
The new technology also allows the user to turn materials, like walls, couches, or seat cushions, into sound by manipulating vibrations. Once the hardware is attached to a material, the user can hear sound coming from it. Salomaki says this will allow event-goers to “feel what the performer feels.”
Salomaki brought his idea to the Rally Innovation Conference pitch competition last year and walked away with a cash prize that allowed him to expand his research and development and create a new partnership with the Indiana Pacers.
Initially, he was just looking to network and share how his product could impact the Indiana economy, but Salomaki says the Rally Innovation Conference was crucial to the growth of his business. Since then, he has been able to create new partnerships and is now focused on building out the commercial arm of his business in Indiana.
Indianapolis, IN
BLQ+ Pride Fest: A celebration of Indy's Black LGBTQ+ community
![BLQ+ Pride Fest: A celebration of Indy's Black LGBTQ+ community BLQ+ Pride Fest: A celebration of Indy's Black LGBTQ+ community](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ed7af7f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/774x406+0+13/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F03%2F97646b2c496f9e2e7b18158ac063%2Fscreenshot-2024-08-03-204819.png)
INDIANAPOLIS — A celebration of Black LGBTQ+ pride was on full display on Monument Circle Saturday.
The BLQ+ Pride fest brought out hundreds of people as an opportunity to celebrate people of color who identify as LGBTQ+.
The celebration had vendors, queer health support organizations and entertainment.
WRTV
According to the Human Rights campaign, over 80 percent of black LGBTQ+ youth say they have experienced homophobia or transphobia in the black community.
Organizers hope the event serves as a reminder to queer people of color that they have a community in the city of Indianapolis.
WRTV
“Black pride is important because black LGBTQ people need safe spaces to feel loved and celebrated in the State of Indiana,” President of Indiana Pride of Color Belinda Drake said.
The Human Rights campaign also says that racism is an issue in the LGBTQ+ community.
Nearly 75 percent of black queer youth say they have experienced racism in the queer community.
Indiana Pride of Color is working to improve the quality of life for Indiana LGBTQ+ BIPOC communities.
Learn more about the Indiana Pride of Color organization, here.
WATCH | Organizations work to ‘break the stigma’ amid Mental Health Awareness Month
Breaking the stigma of mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month
Indianapolis, IN
BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest returns
![BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest returns BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest returns](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/04/BLQ-PRIDE-PKG_frame_1340-e1722731802662.jpg)
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After a five-year hiatus, the BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest event was held on Monument Circle on Saturday.
The event featured several shopping, entertainment, and eating opportunities.
“They are doing testing, we have food vendors, we have alcohol for the adults, we have folks who are selling merchandise,” said Belinda Drake, president of Indiana Pride of Color. “We have the ice cone shop for the kiddos, too.”
The day is created to honor and celebrate Black, Queer joy in the city and state overall.
One of the vendors who came out to sell items and celebrate alongside the community is Nakeya Harris, the owner of Meraki Mobile Boutique. Her shop carries women’s clothing items, with a specific focus on statement items with bright colors. She also carries jewelry and additional staples.
“I enjoy people expressing themselves and being free, so I wanted to be a part of that,” Harris said.
Local LifeJourney Church was also in attendance at the event. They aim to extend a safe space for worship to anyone interested.
“Today we are trying to reach out to communities of color and just say we have a welcoming space where people can come and be themselves
Though it is the first event of its kind since 2019, the Summer Fest is set to return to Monument Circle next year, and for many years to come.
-
Mississippi5 days ago
MSU, Mississippi Academy of Sciences host summer symposium, USDA’s Tucker honored with Presidential Award
-
Politics1 week ago
Republicans say Schumer must act on voter proof of citizenship bill if Democrat 'really cares about democracy'
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump announces to crowd he 'just took off the last bandage' at faith event after assassination attempt
-
World7 days ago
More right wing with fewer women – a new Parliament compendium
-
World1 week ago
Israel says Hezbollah crossed ‘red line’, strikes deep inside Lebanon
-
Politics1 week ago
Harris failed to combat ‘root causes’ of illegal immigration, former Border Patrol union chief says
-
News1 week ago
Video: Kamala Harris May Bring Out Trump’s Harshest Instincts
-
World1 week ago
Italy's Via Appia enters the Unesco World Heritage List