Orr Fellowship - An Experience Like No Other
Watch VideoBecome a Fellow and Establish Your Exciting New Career and Community
Orr Fellowship is the ultimate post-grad experience. Fellows are recruited from the top seniors at universities in Indiana and other states, with an average acceptance rate of 6%. Converging in Indianapolis, these talented graduates join vibrant companies in positions that create a foundation for career success.
In addition to a full time employment, Orr Fellows participate in a unique curriculum designed to challenge, develop and propel them toward a career of excellence. With two years that are jam-packed with receiving executive mentorship, growing a strong network, and acquiring new skills, each Fellow stars in his or her own success story.
Orr Fellowship offers six key value propositions to College Seniors
A full-time, salaried position with a dynamic host company
Compensation is competitive and Fellows are often given considerable responsibility, even in entry roles. Fellows may market, code, design, sell, or manage projects. Fellows often get the chance to enter unique roles and rotational programs not available to other new hires.
Continued learning, skill building, and professional development
Fellows participate in a culture designed to develop understanding and skills vital to the spirit of entrepreneurship and business leadership. A few of the components include Design Thinking training, entrepreneurial law classes, personal finance workshops, and personality assessments.
An unrivaled, extensive peer and alumni network
With an Orr Fellow alumni network base spanning more than 15 years, current Fellows have unparalleled access to alumni who have started, formed and led companies across Indianapolis.
Top-level executive access and 1:1 professional career coaching
Through events such as a monthly Business Leader Speaker Series, Fellows have multiple opportunities to network with and learn from the leading forces in the Indianapolis business community. Fellows also receive personalized 1:1 professional career coaching.
A focus on business leadership and entrepreneurship
Orr Fellowship hosts pitch and case competitions throughout the year. Additionally, philanthropic initiatives such as Launchpad (inspiring middle school students to dream big by teaching the basics of entrepreneurism) and non-profit consulting help to instill the next generation of business leaders with the same entrepreneurial spirit.
Immersion in Indy culture and opportunities for civic engagement
Part of living life as an Orr Fellow is becoming immersed in Indianapolis. Fellows find themselves engaging in the vibrant city via local music and art festivals, volunteer opportunities, the excellent food scene, and by supporting our multiple professional sports teams.
Fellowship Continued Learning
Workshops
Workshops focus on developing fellows both personally and professionally through various courses and exercises.
Skills Enhancement
From Marketing to Coding, Fellows have the opportunity to use a stipend to spend on their interests. Often, Fellows choose classes or modules that equip them for a test or certify a learned skill upon completion.
Personal Development
Fellows participate in two personalized, one-on-one sessions with a professional career coach free of charge during their tenure with the Fellowship. Additionally, they learn more about themselves through a personality profile, helping them identify ways to become a better employee and improve interactions in their daily lives.
Speaker Series
This speaker series provides Orr Fellows with an incredible opportunity to learn from some of Indiana’s most respected leaders and entrepreneurs. In the past year, we have heard from 3 school Presidents, numerous C-suite executives, and even a mountain climber who has summited Everest.
Case Competitions
Fellows team up to analyze a business problem and then compete by presenting solutions to the company’s executives. This quick turnaround allows for Fellows to flex their competitive muscles while providing unique solutions.
Pitch Competition
Similar to ABC’s Shark Tank, Fellows form teams and prepare original built-out business ideas, which they then pitch to a panel of experts.
Civic Engagement
As a unique network of young professionals in Indianapolis, Orr Fellowship is committed to leveraging its members’ time, talent, and resources to make the community a more vibrant place to live and work. Orr Fellows work with organizations that are making a difference in Indianapolis, learn the values of servant leadership, cultivate lasting connections with Indianapolis nonprofits, social enterprises & public schools, and stretch their comfort zone. This means Fellows actively engage the local community throughout the two years and beyond. This takes place via the following initiatives:
Launchpad
Launchpad is a curriculum-based workshop series, launched and run by Orr Fellowship, aimed at helping 8th graders in Indianapolis develop their entrepreneurial understanding while also promoting their ability to make an impact on their community. Through the program, Launchpad volunteers guide students to develop entrepreneurial concepts by using the innovative process in a group setting. Guided by the same entrepreneurial spirit that drove its founders to create Orr Fellowship back in 2001, Launchpad was created to bring an understanding of entrepreneurship to the under-served youth of Indianapolis, and inspire them to turn their own dreams into a reality.
Want to learn more?Nonprofit Consulting
Orr Fellowship’s nonprofit consulting services provide an opportunity to combine civic service, business innovation, and professional development into a single initiative. Orr Fellows give back to the Indianapolis community through pro bono consulting projects with local organizations who have identified a business challenge for Orr Fellows to tackle. Teams of 3-5 Orr Fellows, hand-selected for the project based upon their skillsets, work alongside the nonprofit or social enterprise to develop suggestions and possible solutions over the course of 6-10 weeks.
Interested?Events
The Fellowship continually identifies and vets opportunities for both individual Fellows and the community of Orr Fellows to connect with some stand-out Indianapolis organizations and serve them in a variety of ways, from one-time service projects to nonprofit board memberships. The Fellowship believes that casting a wide net in civic engagement endeavors is important and that some of the best projects arise when multiple organizations come together to make a difference. Fellows interests vary widely and therefore the type of organizations that fellows serve should vary just as broadly. In the past, Fellows have partnered with Teach for America, The Patachou Foundation, and United Way. If you have an organization you're passionate about, we want to hear about it!
Life in Indy
One of the best ways to immerse yourself in a new city is to live right in the heart of it! With plenty of Host Companies located on and around "the circle", you'll always have someone to grab lunch with or hit-up a trivia night at one of the local breweries.
Vibe: Mid-western feel with big-city amenities
Housing: Apartments or a house just north or east of downtown
What to do: Coffee shops are a common morning meeting place, go for a run on the canal, visit the zoo and the numerous museums and finish-up at the restaurants and bars on Mass Ave.
Now a cultural hub, fountain square has been revived and offers affordable housing, easy access to the interstate and a variety of unique, local restaurants and music venues.
Vibe: Creative, Artistic, Local
Housing: Variety of apartments but also historic homes, some recently restored (Fosq is home to HGTV show "Good Bones" fun fact)
What to do: Many local breweries, arcade bar, line dancing at fountain square theater, local music venues and it's all connected to downtown via the Cultural Trail
Broad Ripple is a friendly community dedicated to local businesses, an active lifestyle, and entertainment. Places to check out include the original Cafe Patachou on Pennsylvania, Monon Trail, and The Vogue. Butler graduates will know this neighborhood well.
Vibe: College town
Housing: Mostly houses which make Broad Ripple slightly more affordable than some other options
What to do: Breweries, college bars, running and biking on the Monon, coffee shops are a staple here too. Grab some Fellow’s and play a pickup game at some of the parks.
Just outside of the 465 loop, Zionsville is home to several host companies and is a quaint suburban town. Check out some of the local wineries and enjoy your short commute to work if you work at one of the several host companies located here.
Vibe: Midwestern suburb
Housing: Houses are a little more pricey than in Broad Ripple but apartments with awesome parking and amenities will be affordable
What to do: Mulberry Fields, Hopwoods Cellar Winery and Eagle Creek Park, boutiques and restaurants on Main Street
Northeast of the 465 loop, Fishers is a residential suburb that offers a surprising allotment of unique attractions. With some of the larger host companies located here, there are plenty of spots for lunch and post-work happy hours!
Vibe: Up and coming residential area with all the Top Golf and IKEA your adult-self could handle.
Housing: Nicer houses and affordable apartments
What to do: IKEA, TopGolf, Geist Reservoir and wineries
North of Indianapolis, Carmel is a suburban city and one of the fastest growing communities in the country. It’s claim to fame is having over 100 roundabouts throughout the city, and if that doesn’t impress you, it also hosts a beautiful Christmas Market (Christkindlmarkt) that thousands travel to visit.
Vibe: Midwestern suburb
Housing: While housing is generally more expensive in Carmel than in other regions of Indianapolis, Carmel boasts a plethora of attractions in the arts, such as the Carmel Farmers Market and the Carmel Arts & Design District.
What to do: Center for the Performing Arts, Peace Water Winery, Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, Christkindlmarkt
Just west of downtown Indianapolis, Speedway is a residential area positioned right next to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! The convenient location between Broad Ripple and downtown means you’re conveniently located for events happening in both locales.
Vibe: Family-oriented residential neighborhood with easy commutes and a mid-western feel
Housing: Residential houses with a convenient commute to downtown Indy and Fountain Square, generally more affordable than living in the heart of downtown
What to do: Get a donut from Long’s, attend all the festivities at the speedway year round and still be able to make it to downtown on a short bike ride or uber.