Getting connected

When Jeff Muston was considering a job as an analytical chemist with Bayer HealthCare, he was drawn to what he describes as “a winning combination of an affordable cost of living, a comfortable Midwestern lifestyle, and a downtown area with great cultural and recreational opportunities.”

Although he knew little about the area, he was aware that South Bend had a number of unique recreational activities right in the downtown area — a key factor in his decision to move into the Stephenson Mills Apartments so that he could be close to those activities.

Cultural connections

Jeff Muston, an analytical chemist with Bayer HealthCare, moved into an apartment downtown so he could be close to the East Race.

“The East Race Whitewater Course was the most interesting of these facilities, as I’ve been canoeing and kayaking ever since my childhood days,” Muston says. “The city has done a great job with downtown recreational opportunities. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised at the number of high-tech opportunities and businesses in the area.”

Business connections

For Scott and Gina Anderson, the decision to locate their virtual company in the thriving climate in South Bend made good business sense.

“We both had the opportunity to live anywhere we wanted,” says Scott, who learned about Innovation Park at Notre Dame while he was finishing up his doctoral studies at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

“This reinforced for us that South Bend has an entrepreneurial community that is able to support new business ventures,” he says. “Since I was planning to start a technology company upon graduation, South Bend seemed like a natural fit.”

Scott and Gina Anderson, founders of Mopi16

The Andersons located their business, Mopi16, at Innovation Park at Notre Dame to develop and launch their interactive web-based tool to help companies build a capacity for innovation through online training and new-hire outreach programs.

“Getting plugged into the entrepreneurial culture has been a major highlight for us,” Gina says. “There is definitely a community of people who are interested in revitalizing the South Bend economy.”

Friendship connections

The people of the South Bend community proved inviting to Matt and Jennifer Odom, two East Coast transplants residing in Mishawaka who quickly built a social network in South Bend.

“We have moved around a lot as a couple,” says Matt, who moved to the area in August 2008 to assume a position as senior staff scientist with Bayer HealthCare. “Every other place we’ve lived has had a number of barriers to getting into the social network. It surprised me how quickly we were able to find a group of friends we could relate to here in South Bend — people who would invite us to events and include us in their plans.”

Indeed, the ease with which they were able to make friends in South Bend has been a hallmark of the Odoms’ experience here.

“It usually takes about a year to get settled into a new place,” observes Jennifer, whose job as OEM accounts manager for an optics company allows her the flexibility to work anywhere.

“People will ask you questions about yourself; they’ll chat with you in line at the grocery store,” she says. “We got invited to things very quickly, and our policy is to always say yes — whatever it is.”

Finding the connections

What is the key to getting connected?

“You just need to be a joiner,” Matt says. “There are always groups and communities that are willing to bring on new people. Find them, and make it known that you are interested."

Muston urges others who are thinking of making a move to come see for themselves all that South Bend has to offer.

“South Bend has been a great place for me personally and professionally,” he says. “My appreciation for the people and opportunities here grows daily.”