INDIANAPOLIS (April 14, 2022) — Ting Gootee, a key founding executive and chief investment officer for Elevate Ventures, has been named the new President and CEO of TechPoint.
TechPoint and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) made the announcement today following a national search to replace Mike Langellier, who had led the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology companies and overall tech ecosystem for the past nine years. Langellier announced in January that he would be stepping down. TechPoint is the tech sector branded initiative of CICP.
“The opportunity to join CICP and the TechPoint team came at a perfect time,” Gootee said. “I am ready to take on a fresh challenge, and TechPoint is perfectly positioned to address issues that must be resolved to continue its exceptional growth. I look forward to applying some of my learnings and knowledge and working with leaders around the state to help drive a bigger impact.”
Gootee said her background in venture capital and venture community development will enable her to hit the ground running with regard to TechPoint’s focus on supporting and growing the state’s tech sector. As an immigrant, her personal experience fuels her interest in helping address equity issues within the tech workforce.
“The tech sector plays an active role in talent, diversity and inclusion initiatives. I’m encouraged by the thoughtful and collaborative approach TechPoint has outlined to increase the representation of women and people of color in tech careers,” she said.
Gootee, a native of China, has served as chief investment officer for Elevate Ventures since 2014 but joined the organization after co-developing the original vision and strategy documents for the creation of Elevate Ventures in 2011.
At Elevate Ventures, she focused on investment funds formation and evaluating and supporting pre-seed to later-stage investment opportunities. She managed and conducted due diligence research on more than 500 investment opportunities across multiple sectors, ranging from IT to life sciences to advanced manufacturing. Her portfolio oversight reaches more than 400 Indiana startups and scaleups and active syndication relationships with individual investors and professional VCs around the country, resulting in $1.7 billion in co-invested capital and positive returns over the life of the funds.
Gootee has led investment decisions in more than 500 Indiana startups in the past 11 years for Elevate Ventures, which has been the most active investor in the Great Lakes region since 2017.
A committee led by CICP and chaired by TechPoint Board Chair and Cummins Chief Digital Officer Sherry Aaholm, interviewed more than 50 candidates for the position after a national search.
“Ting is just an exceptional choice,” said David L. Johnson, president and CEO of CICP. “She knows what it takes to identify needs and then create the supportive infrastructure necessary to meet those needs and enable them to grow on their own. Indiana has already benefited greatly from her work at Elevate Ventures. She is the proven leader TechPoint needs as it expands its scope to meet the changing needs and demands of the tech sector.”
Aaholm said the committee was fortunate by the timing of its search and Gootee’s availability.
“Indiana’s tech sector is at an important inflection point as it prepares to address momentous challenges with regard to talent and the need to continue to encourage new startups and attract investment for them and for scale-ups on the rise while also nurturing the enterprise tech and tech-enabled companies that together comprise our tech ecosystem. There are a lot of competing parts and challenges, and we couldn’t see anyone more perfectly suited to step into this role and continue the impressive work Mike and his team have done,” Aaholm said.
Gootee will assume her new duties on May 2.
“Ting’s experience and relationships from investing in and evaluating technology and tech companies around the state will be an asset in TechPoint’s next chapter,” said Langellier. “She inherits a strong team and platform ready to take on the next chapter developing talent programs and pipelines, supporting startups and scaleups, strengthening the community, developing technology and industry specializations, and extending impact to other regions around the state.”
Prior to Elevate Ventures, Gootee was deputy director of the state’s 21st Century Research & Technology Fund and served as a business and legal analyst in the office of global counsel for Lionhart Investments Limited.
In addition to a master’s degree from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Gootee earned a master of arts degree from Purdue University and a bachelor of arts degree from Peking University in Beijing. She also holds certifications as a chartered financial analyst, chartered alternative investment analyst and investment performance measurement. She has won several awards and distinctions, including the IU Ventures Inaugural Spirit of Venture Award in 2021, the Indianapolis Business Journal Women of Influence Award in 2021, and the Purdue University CLA Emerging Voice Award in 2014, and she serves on numerous board and organizations related to women in tech, economic development, university technology commercialization and venture capital.
About TechPoint: TechPoint is the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology companies and overall tech ecosystem. The team is focused on attracting talent, accelerating scale-up companies, activating the community and amplifying stories of success. For more information, please visit www.techpoint.org.
