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Carlie Irsay-Gordon Honored as the 2026 International Citizen of the Year
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for the International Citizen of the Year celebration. Your support helped make this year’s event a tremendous success.
The evening began with a networking reception, where guests enjoyed a complimentary beer served in custom-branded steins. To open the evening’s program, The International Center President & CEO, Martin Baier, shared updates on the organization’s impact and its role in connecting Indiana to the world. The Global Impression Award was then presented to Ally Ntumba, Founder of Congo American Bridge and Indiana's delegate to Refugee Congress.
Guests enjoyed an internationally inspired dinner featuring dishes from the DACH region before the evening continued with a conversation between honoree Carlie Irsay-Gordon and emcee Gerry Dick. Carlie reflected on her leadership journey and shared remarks with attendees.
From our International Citizen of the Year honoree, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, to our inspiring Global Impression Award finalists, and every guest, sponsor, and partner in attendance, your support helps advance The International Center’s mission of connecting Indiana to the world through education, exchange, and partnerships. Thank you for making this a truly memorable evening!
Congratulations to Ally Ntumba, recipient of the 2026 Global Impression Award! Recognized at the International Citizen of the Year celebration, Ally was honored for his leadership as Indiana's delegate to the Refugee Congress, his advocacy for refugee and immigrant communities, and his commitment to human rights, peacebuilding, and youth development both globally and here in Indiana.
A longtime community leader, Ally continues to support refugees and immigrants in Indianapolis and serves as co-founder of Congo American Bridge, strengthening connections within Indiana's Congolese community.
Reflecting on his journey, Ally shared, "On April 13, 2013, I arrived in Indianapolis as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I came with uncertainty, but Indianapolis welcomed me with opportunities,compassion, and people who believed in me. Indianapolis is not just where I live. It is my home - a home that welcomed me when I needed it most." Congratulations, Ally!
Team Indiana in the UK
On October 2nd, The International Center partnered with the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and Indy Partnership on the Team Indiana Business Summit in London, UK. The event began with a panel discussion with Chuck Goodrich (Indiana Secretary of Commerce), Charlie Shin (Vice President at Colts), and Jason Hester (Chief Economic Development Officer at Indy Partnership) discussing the business opportunities between the United Kingdom and Indiana. As a special surprise guest, former World Cup Winner and Arsenal FC legend Gilberto Silva made a special appearance and shared more about his experience at the 2025 TEDSports Conference in Indianapolis. Attendees included British and Hoosier companies along with executives from partner organizations in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Staff Spotlight: Tess Milton Presents at WERC Conference
Tess Milton, Relocation Services Coordinator and Specialist, recently completed the WERC Momentum Mentorship Group, a professional development program for global mobility professionals. As part of the program, Tess collaborated with her team to develop Orbit, a browser-based solution designed to streamline the secure sharing of relocation data across organizations. The tool reduces manual entry, minimizes errors, and improves coordination among global mobility partners, allowing professionals to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time supporting clients.
Out of 19 teams, Tess's group was selected as one of only three finalists and invited to present their project live on stage at the WERC Conference in Chicago. Tess played a key role in the project's success, leading the technical and graphic design components that helped the team's presentation stand out. Following their pitch, the team was named the overall winner of the competition. Congratulations to Tess on this outstanding achievement!
Tess attended the conference alongside Taina Lance, Senior Director of Relocation Services, representing The International Center among more than 1,600 global mobility professionals from 35 countries. Hosted by WERC, the worldwide trade association for the global mobility industry, the conference brought together corporate mobility leaders and service providers to share insights, best practices, and innovative solutions for the complex challenges of relocating employees around the world. Through conference sessions and networking opportunities, Tess and Taina built valuable industry connections and gained new ideas that will help enhance The International Center's relocation services program.
The International Center Supports Butler MBA Program Trip to Ireland and the UK
The International Center was delighted to coordinate the Butler University Lacy School of Business MBA Global Experience to Ireland and Wales to complement Professor Chi Zhang's course on AI in Business.
On October 10, the trip kicked off in Dublin, Ireland where students had the opportunity to learn about University College Dublin's hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization, NovaUCD, and how they work alongside CeADAR, Ireland's national center for Applied AI, to help companies and organizations implement AI in an ever-changing ecosystem. They also spent a day with Workhuman learning how the Dublin-founded technology company uses a human-centered approach to AI within their employee recognition and workplace culture platform. Their time in Dublin was rounded out by the Europa Experience Dublin getting a better understand of how the European Union functions and how the EU AI Act regulates safe AI implementation within its member states' business ecosystems.
In Cardiff, Wales, the group enjoyed the hospitality of Cardiff University Business School learning from Professor Maneesh Kumar about how LEAN and AI can be used as a human-centered approach to operational excellence and Professor Mehreen Ashraf about the evolving relationship between humans and AI and the future of work with responsible AI.
No visit to Dublin and Cardiff would be complete without visits to the Guinness Storehouse, the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum, and Cardiff Castle!
Melanie Hamon Named to 1828 Leadership Project Class XVI
Congratulations to Melanie Hamon, The Center’s Development & Engagement Manager, on being named to Class XVI of IndyHub’s 1828 Leadership Project! The 1828 Leadership Project is IndyHub's premier leadership development experience for emerging leaders who are passionate about shaping the future of Indianapolis. Throughout the nine-month program, participants build meaningful relationships across industries, explore the systems that influence our city, develop their leadership capacity, and become more deeply connected to Indianapolis and one another. Congrats again, Melanie!
Morris Series Cohort Gathers for Third Session, Global Good
On October 9, our Morris Series cohort gathered for its third session, "Global Good," a topic that was a special request of our program's namesake, Jim Morris.
This session explored the many forms of philanthropy and giving, how their significance and role in society vary across cultures, and how we can engage in global good to become stronger global leaders.
Thank you to our guest speakers, John Helling of The Indianapolis Public Library and Caitlin Teague of Christel House International for sharing their expertise and insights with the cohort.
The Center Hosts Delegation from Universidad de Chile
The International Center was honored to host a delegation from the Institute of International Studies at Universidad de Chile through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) for a series of insightful discussions on the growth, curriculum design, and cross-cultural impact of American Studies programs.
Their visit kicked off with collaborative sessions bringing together academic leaders and faculty members across Indiana University Indianapolis, Indiana University Bloomington, and Purdue University to exchange perspectives and share institutional best practices.
Throughout the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to engage deeply with local academic communities, laying the groundwork for future educational partnerships and broadening horizons for both faculty and students across our state.
A huge thank you to our volunteers, Greg Harrell and Jasmine Rodriguez-Harrell, for hosting our guests at their home for a hospitality dinner. This type of visit enhances our guests' perspective on what Indiana culture is and allows them to leave the city of Indianapolis with a genuine outlook of what it means to be a true Hoosier.
Thank you to Professors Cristóbal Bywaters, Andres Dockendorff, Ricardo Gamboa, and Miguel Lopez (Universidad de Chile), as well as our visiting colleagues, faculty, and academic leaders across IUI, IU Bloomington, and Purdue University for contributing to making this visit so productive, inspiring, and impactful!
Spring 2027 Intern Applications Open Now
Applications for The International Center’s Spring 2027 Internship Program are open now! We invite students and recent graduates who are passionate about international affairs, leadership development, and nonprofit work to apply. Please share this opportunity with anyone who might be interested.
The International Center was honored to attend Immigrant Welcome Center's (IWC) An Evening of Welcoming: 20 Years and Beyond gala. Congratulations to IWC on 20 years of serving as a trusted partner and advocate for all immigrants in Central Indiana!
Special thanks to Marianne Holland, Diana Matzinger, Suzana Palaska-Nicholson, Nhu-Y Lehner, and Stephen Sanmiguel for joining INTLCTR team members Dr. Kristie Johnson and Peter Kirkwood at the event.
Our City, Our Table
Our City, Our Table, an initiative from Immigrant Welcome Center, encourages you to visit and enjoy the diversity of Central Indiana’s culinary scene. Check out their suggested list of restaurants. Pull up a chair and enjoy something new!
The International Center is a catalyst toinform, convene,and connectpublic, private and civic global objectives in Indiana.
Inform
Thank you to Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick for having our President & CEO, Martin Baier, on the show to discuss Indiana’s growing global connections and last week’s International Citizen of the Year celebration honoring Carlie Irsay-Gordon. Watch the interview here.
Convene
The International Center joined the Indy Economic Development Inc., IU Health, and local Kenyan-American stakeholders in convening a meeting with Kenya's Ambassador to the U.S. Mr. David Kerich. Building on decades of partnership between Kenya and Indiana, the participants explored new opportunities to strengthen ties through economic development, sports diplomacy, cultural exchange, and international collaboration."
Connect
The International Center was delighted to attend AMPATH Global's Gala on October 24. AMPATH improves the health of people in underserved communities by working in partnership with academic health centers, ministries of health and others to build public sector health systems and promote well-being.
Upcoming International Events
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