Ben Ollen Connects with the Region through enFocus Experience

Meet Our Fellows Blog Series: Ben Ollen

Although I was born in Rhode Island, at this point I think I’ve been in Indiana long enough to qualify as at least a near life-long Hoosier. When I was six, I moved to Northwest Indiana and lived there until I attended Indiana University in Bloomington. After completing my undergraduate degree with majors in Economics, Cognitive Science, and History, I remained in Bloomington for several years and worked in data-focused roles at offices across the university. During that time, I also pursued a graduate degree in Information Science, and my interest in exploring better ways to connect people with information grew. At a career fair in the final semester of my program, I learned about enFocus. Once I discovered the projects at enFocus involved not only gathering and communicating useful information, but acting on it as well, I was excited for the opportunity to return to Northern Indiana and create an impact.

Despite spending much of my time in South Bend working from home, enFocus has provided plenty of opportunities to learn more about the region. Some have come through my work, as my projects have led me to meet with or research a wide variety of companies in the region. Others are the result of orientation at enFocus, where we met with community groups and heard about options for entertainment and recreation. But I think the best discoveries so far, namely the best places for food and hiking, I’ve picked up from other Fellows. Over the next couple of years, I look forward to experiencing even more of what the region has to offer and continuing work that benefits our communities in Northern Indiana.

Learn more about the 2020-2022 enFocus Fellows weekly in our Meet Our Fellows Blog Series.