On Thursday, October 25, current Orr Fellows, Orr Fellowship Board Members and over 150 candidates from across the Midwest will come together for one of Orr’s most exciting nights of the year: Reception on the Circle. The purpose of this evening is to connect candidates with Orr Fellowship’s unique mission and culture, as well as to give them an opportunity to ask lingering questions about Orr Fellowship.
This year’s event will be held at the Indianapolis Central Library: a beautiful and classic venue in the heart of downtown Indy. Invited candidates are chosen from a pool of more than a thousand applicants, and will converge in Indianapolis on Thursday night in the hopes of continuing on in our recruitment process and eventually becoming an Orr Fellow.
To celebrate all that Orr Fellowship stands for and its impact on the Indianapolis community, four acclaimed Indianapolis business leaders will be speaking about their own experiences with the Fellowship.
The Speakers
Michael Burton
Michael Burton has spent his career in Indianapolis tech and is the current CEO at Lev, a digital consultancy. Prior to Lev, Michael held leadership roles at Salesforce, ExactTarget, Courseload, and Baker Hill. Michael’s background is in professional services with a love for recruiting, developing and growing teams from the ground up. Today, he’s most excited about building a customer-focused culture at Lev and providing Lev employees with growth and development opportunities every day. Outside of his roles in technology, he has been an advocate for education and is a former board member of Techpoint Foundation For Youth. Michael is a passionate basketball fan as well as a runner. He lives with his wife, Jenni, and son, Trip in downtown Indianapolis.
Katie Lindahl
Katie Lindahl Smith is a 2008 Orr Fellowship alum and is the founder of Careerable, a boutique career development practice where she coaches individuals on career management and career transition and works with organizations on leadership and talent development. Her client work has included Salesforce, Dollar Shave Club, Clear Object, RT Moore, Supply Kick, Element Three, Butler University and the mighty Orr Fellowship. Katie has been and will continue to be an integral part of Fellows professional development. Prior to Careerable, Katie spent seven years in Human Resources with Salesforce and ExactTarget where her primary areas of focus included global onboarding, career development, leadership development, performance management and college recruiting. She was co-founder and co-chair of the women’s affinity group ExactWIN and she also had the privilege to serve for seven years on the board of Indy Reads, a nonprofit that helps people 18 and over get to a sixth-grade reading level. Katie currently lives in Westfield with her husband Derek and their two sons, Cal and Caden
Scott Brenton
Scott Brenton is the current Chairman of the Board for Orr Fellowship and Vice President of Ambulatory Services at Indiana University Health- one of the state’s largest employers. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Angie’s List, and is a proud Purdue Boilermaker. Scott co-founded Orr Fellowship in 2002 alongside Angie Hicks and Bill Oesterle out of a shared vision for a program that would attract, develop and retain the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs in Indianapolis.
Karyn Smitson
Karyn Smitson is the current Executive Director of Orr Fellowship. As Executive Director Karyn leads operational responsibilities and many strategic growth initiatives for Orr. Karyn Smitson is part coach, part visionary, part program planner, part continuity officer, part communications facilitator, part mentor, and full-time cheerleader. Before joining Orr Fellowship in 2015, Karyn held many roles such as Merchandise Buyer, Media Buyer, Director of Market Development, Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Communications, and freelance website copywriter at a variety of companies, including The Indianapolis Star and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Preparation
If you’re attending Reception on the Circle, we look forward to seeing you there as you come ready to put your best foot forward and learn about what makes Orr special. Here are some of our top tips for the event:
How to prepare: Come to the event ready to learn more about Orr Fellowship. Being prepared to ask relevant questions can help you build genuine connections at the event. You’ll want to have many quality conversations to get multiple perspectives of Orr Fellowship. Orr Fellows have many unique experiences and different host companies, job titles and roles within Orr. Learn as much as you can about the variety of experiences Orr can offer. Browse through the Fellow directory on our website to learn more about Fellows who may have similar interests to you. Maybe they studied the same major as you, or are from your hometown, or are working on something you’re interested in!
How to dress: Reception on the Circle is a business casual event. For men, a collared shirt, slacks and a jacket work great. For ladies, a nice shirt with a skirt or pants, or a business casual dress are the best options. Most importantly, make sure to be comfortable and confident so that you can show off your best self!
What to bring: You don’t need to bring anything special. Bring your ID, and business cards if you have them. You can leave any valuables at the coat check during the event. Leave your resumes and portfolios at home! Be ready to socialize and don’t leave home without your shining personality.
What to do about food: Complimentary drinks (beer, wine, soda, and water) and appetizers will be provided during the event. Please eat the food and enjoy some drinks – just make sure that whatever you’re eating and drinking isn’t interfering with your ability to hold a conversation!
How to act: The single best piece of advice we can give you is to be yourself. The Board of Directors and current Fellows want to get to know the real you, and help determine if Orr Fellowship is the right path for you. Don’t just say what you think people want to hear. Relax and enjoy the evening – it will be a fantastic event as you get to learn from current Fellows, talk to other candidates and hear four amazing speakers. Be yourself and everything will fall into place.
We look forward to seeing you there!
