Report on the 2025 Speed City All-Star Women’s Business Leadership and AI Innovation Experience

Executive Summary

An initiative in Central Indiana, the 2025 Speed City All-Star Women’s Business Leadership and AI Innovation Experience, is set to take place during the WNBA All-Star Weekend. Organized by InnoPower, the event is designed to leverage the influx of visitors for a major sporting event to foster local economic growth and promote gender equality, directly contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The luncheon will provide a platform for women entrepreneurs to network, enhance their business acumen, and receive community recognition.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The event’s structure and objectives demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Key contributions include:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The initiative directly addresses SDG 5 by focusing on the economic empowerment of women.

  • It aims to achieve women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic life by creating a dedicated platform for women business owners.
  • The event honors and appreciates women entrepreneurs, promoting a culture that values their contributions to the economy and community.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The experience is designed to stimulate sustainable local economic growth, aligning with the principles of SDG 8.

  • It promotes development-oriented policies that support productive activities and entrepreneurship for small businesses.
  • By providing learning opportunities, the event helps women-owned enterprises scale, innovate, and create decent jobs within Central Indiana.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  A core component of the event is the “AI Innovation Experience,” which supports SDG 9.

  • It seeks to enhance the capacity of small-scale enterprises by introducing them to innovative technologies like Artificial Intelligence.
  • This focus supports domestic technology development and encourages the integration of innovation into local business models.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  By specifically elevating women business owners, the event contributes to reducing economic inequalities within the community, a central tenet of SDG 10.

  • It works to empower and promote the social and economic inclusion of women entrepreneurs.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The event exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership, which is crucial for achieving the SDGs.

  • It represents a collaboration between a social enterprise (InnoPower), local businesses, media partners (WISH-TV), and a major sporting league (WNBA).
  • This partnership model leverages a large-scale event to create sustainable, positive impacts for the local community.

Event Details and Objectives

1. Primary Objectives

   • To provide a premier networking opportunity for women business owners in Central Indiana.
   • To deliver educational content on business growth and AI innovation to help entrepreneurs advance their enterprises.
   • To formally honor and recognize the contributions and hard work of local women business owners.
   • To leverage the energy and attendance of the WNBA All-Star Weekend to affirm and elevate local small businesses.

2. Event Components

   • A brunch and luncheon for attendees.
   • A panel discussion featuring local women business owners.
   • Moderation by WISH-TV Executive Producer Peggy McClelland.

3. Logistical Information

   • Date: July 19, 2025
   • Venue: Elevate Indy headquarters, downtown Indianapolis
   • Further Information: Available via the event’s registration page.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article directly addresses this goal by focusing on an event specifically for “women business owners.” The initiative, the “2025 Speed City All-Star Women’s Business Leadership and AI Innovation Experience,” aims to support, honor, and elevate women in the business community of Central Indiana, which aligns with the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The event’s purpose is to help women “take their business to the next level” and to “elevate and affirm small businesses in the area.” By supporting entrepreneurship, innovation (through the “AI Innovation Experience”), and the growth of small businesses, the initiative contributes to productive employment and local economic growth.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  By creating a dedicated platform to support women entrepreneurs, the event works towards reducing economic inequalities. It aims to empower and promote the economic inclusion of women, ensuring they have opportunities to expand their networks and grow their businesses, which is a key aspect of Target 10.2.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

   The event is described as a “Women’s Business Leadership” experience. By bringing women business owners together to network and learn, it directly promotes their participation and leadership in the economic sphere.

2. Target 5.b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women.

   The event’s full title includes “AI Innovation Experience,” indicating a focus on leveraging advanced technology like Artificial Intelligence to help women-owned businesses grow and innovate. This directly supports the use of enabling technology for women’s economic empowerment.

3. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises.

   The article highlights that the event is an “opportunity to elevate and affirm small businesses” and encourage “women business owners.” This aligns perfectly with promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of small enterprises.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicators, but it implies several metrics that could be used to measure the success and impact of the initiative described:

• For Target 5.5 (Women’s Leadership): An implied indicator is the number of women business owners attending the leadership and networking event. The success of the event in fostering leadership can be measured by the participation and engagement of its target audience.
• For Target 5.b (Technology for Empowerment): A relevant implied indicator is the number of women entrepreneurs participating in the “AI Innovation Experience” portion of the event. This would measure the reach of the initiative in enhancing the use of technology among women business owners.
• For Target 8.3 (Support for Small Enterprises): An implied indicator is the number of local women-owned small businesses supported and elevated through the event. The article’s goal to “honor and appreciate the women business owners of Central Indiana” suggests that tracking the number of businesses involved is a key measure of progress.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wishtv.com