Southern Indiana Business May-June 2020 | Page 5

FROM THE EDITOR Forging a path forward B usiness as usual? Hardly. The coronavirus is vexing industry while it claims victims around the globe. Straining under its might are businesses large and small, corporate- owned and fam- ily enterprises. As we put this issue of South- ern Indiana Busi- ness magazine to bed (prepare it for printing) in mid-April, we could only dream of the spring activities normally on the horizon: • Thunder Over Louisville — sights and sounds silenced. • The Kentucky Derby — thorough- breds still in the paddock. • The Indiana Primary election — absentee just like the paper ballots. • The Indianapolis 500 — ladies and gentlemen, don’t start your engines. • Baseball — bats and balls still in bags, cleats closeted, stands empty. Layoffs are mounting, especially in sectors catering to the tourism indus- try and where manufacturing produces goods unlikely to be purchased during a pandemic. But from adversity spawns innovation. Owners of small businesses are finding new ways to reach their customers. Industries are shifting product focus, recalling workers to assemble supplies needed to protect people on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Employees are working from home as they shelter-in-place, zooming to virtual meetings while they keep a safe distance from others to reduce exposure to the coronavirus and stem its spread. Leading the way to a better way is entrepreneur David Gramlin, whose avant-garde work includes rapid proto- typing of respirators and face masks. Find out in our centerpiece profile how he rein- vented himself after a bicycle accident left him with no memory of his first 19 years. This edition also features our 20 Under 40 honorees. The 2020 class will inspire you with their enthusiasm for Southern Indiana. Their involvement and enterprise renews the hope in us all. Also in this issue: • Tech guru Evan Campbell offers sug- gestions for welcome distractions. • Carnegie Center Director Eileen Yanoviak answers our 5 Questions. • Vaughan Scott, CEO of Axiom Financial, touches on investment strategies. • Past 20 Under 40 honorees share what’s new in their lives. • And Jerry Finn, executive director of Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, gets The Final Word. By the time our next issue of South- ern Indiana Business magazine is out, we hope to be out and about, relegating social distancing to a distant memory. In the meantime, stay safe and be well. #weareallinthistogether Contact the editor at susan.duncan@ newsandtribune.com or 812-206-2130. May / June 2020 5