Creative Economy Leadership Alliance Elects Founding Officers
New statewide trade association continues building momentum around Indiana’s creative economy
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The Creative Economy Leadership Alliance, Inc. (CELA), Indiana’s new statewide trade association focused on strengthening and advocating for the creative economy, has elected its founding officers.
The officers elected by the CELA Board of Directors are:
The officer election marks another step in CELA’s formal launch as the organization begins organizing leaders across Indiana’s creative industries, business community, tourism sector, municipalities, economic development organizations, education, and public policy.
CELA was created to give Indiana’s creative economy a stronger, more unified voice at the policy, legislative, and economic development tables. The organization’s work will focus on advancing policies, data, investment strategies, and industry alignment that help Indiana better recognize the economic value of creativity.
“Indiana has world-class creative talent, strong cultural assets, and growing momentum in sectors like music, film, design, fashion, media, architecture, culinary, and creative entrepreneurship,” said Polina Osherov, founding Chairperson of CELA. “But if we want the creative economy to become a serious driver of jobs, business growth, tourism, talent attraction, and quality of place, we have to organize it like an industry. That is what CELA is being built to do.”
The Board’s early discussions have focused on several priorities, including defining Indiana’s creative economy more clearly, improving statewide data collection, strengthening creative-industry infrastructure, expanding film and media production opportunities, supporting regional music economy development, and connecting creative-sector policy to workforce, tourism, and economic development goals.
“CELA is about making the economic case for creativity,” said Kevin Kellems, Vice Chair of CELA. “This is not soft power. This is job creation, business formation, talent retention, community identity, and statewide competitiveness. Indiana needs to understand and invest in the creative economy as real economic infrastructure.”
As part of its launch, CELA is also beginning outreach to potential members, advisory board participants, business leaders, regional partners, and policymakers. The organization expects to continue developing its legislative and policy agenda in advance of the next budget session.
CELA’s leadership also plans to use upcoming statewide convenings, including the Creative Economy Summit, to engage stakeholders who are interested in building a stronger creative economy for Indiana.
“Indiana is competing with states and cities that already understand the economic power of creative industries,” Osherov said. “CELA gives us a vehicle to organize, advocate, and make sure creativity is not treated as an afterthought, but as part of Indiana’s growth strategy.”
