The Lifers at Ideas in Motion Media spent all year collecting your stories. With every early morning marathon, high school basketball game, and well planned fundraiser we have watched our community grow stronger. We have met ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It has been an honor to capture each moment and so on Wednesday, we were proud to make a memory of our own.
Chris Mahlmann, owner and founder of IIMM, invited his staff, alumni, and partners from all over Northwest Indiana to an intimate reception at the ValpoLife office in Valparaiso. It was one half holiday party and one half ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the reopening of Napoleon Street. Members from the Duneland, Crossroads, Hobart, Greater La Porte and Portage Chamber of Commerce spread out their ribbons into one interwoven net to be cut by one pair of scissors.
See more photos from the Holiday Party and Ribbon Cutting.
“We have 5 Chambers that are incredible partners of ours,” explained Chris. “We are incredibly appreciative of how they’ve embraced what we do.”
Ashley Hawkins came to represent the Duneland Chamber in the ribbon cutting ceremony. “We love having a partnership with you guys through the Chamber,” she said. “You come to a lot of our stuff so we try to make it out and support you when we can.”
To Drew Gesse of the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce, a gathering like this shows that we are all in it together. “I think it’s a good opportunity to come together with a lot of other chambers,” he said. “Ideas in Motion Media is a very good partner with us and we enjoy helping them out and celebrating with them.”
His President and Chamber mate, Mike Seitz, brought enough jokes and compliments to make us blush: “You guys do a great job. We want to support what you do… and whenever we can get free food and free drinks we show up.”
The gathering was also a great opportunity to give the Chamber a behind the scenes look at our end of their events. “It’s nice,” remarked Dianne Burge, representing Comcast. “I had to stop by and see your place. I love your wall. I didn’t know there was such a thing.”
The wall she referred to was the dry erase board taking up an entire side of the lobby room. Guests and staff alike were invited to share their holiday greetings in Expo marker.
Being here stirred up a lot of emotion for the alumni as well. “This is the best team I’ve ever worked for,” said Tim Moran, a previous contributing editor for IIMM. “Just coming here today, it felt like home. I am so proud of how far they’ve come. They’re doing things the right way.”
“My Lifers are incredible,” said Mahlmann. “We would never be able to achieve this goofy thing without them. Brett and Jenny were the ones to cut the ribbon. It was very ceremonious because they’ve been around me for many years and literally run the company. They do everything.”
In his speech to the crowd around the ribbon cutting, Chris thanked many people. The Chambers of each city who took time out of their lives to come by were first on his list. Then the current team of Lifers that works hard to archive the growth of our community.
“And thanks to all the Lifer Reunion people that came, because they are still connected to what we’re doing. They give a heck about what we’re doing. And to [everyone here]. If it weren’t for them liking what we do, it wouldn’t be a business.”