The newly created Young Alumni Council at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis will provide a strong alumni network and professional development opportunities for recent business school graduates.

The council started last summer with 13 alumni interested in connecting with other Kelley Indianapolis graduates. Interest continues to grow in the council, and membership numbers have continued to climb since then.

The inaugural council meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Kelley Indianapolis building, followed by meetings slated for each quarter.

The council plans to host professional development, educational and social opportunities for the countless alumni who still hold ties to Kelley Indianapolis and live in the metropolitan area.

“The creation of this council stems from the fact that a large percentage of Kelley Indianapolis graduates stay in Central Indiana, and those graduates want to connect with like-minded people with a vested interest in the area,” said Tiffany Rife, assistant director of alumni and special events for the KSBI.

The main areas of focus for the council will include creating a network to support alumni and current students of the Indianapolis programs, raising the visibility of the school in the business community and increasing the value of the Kelley Indianapolis experience through mentoring. Through these efforts, the council hopes also to impact the recruitment of talented students to the Indianapolis campus.

Dare Olonoh, BS Finance ’06, has been a key organizer of the alumni council. He said the creation of the council is long overdue for Indianapolis alumni.

“I’m very excited for the Young Alumni Council,” he said. “I’ve talked to a lot of other KSBI alumni who think this is a great way for us to stay involved with the school. It’s also a great way to build relationships with the other alumni and people in the Indianapolis business community.”

The council will consist of advisory board members who serve two-year terms and several committees who report to the board. The goal is to include approximately 30 alumni on the council.

KSBI graduates interested in joining the council or learning more about its activity should contact Rife at trife@iupui.edu.