Trine prof’s business receives Fortitude Fund grant

A Fort Wayne-based company founded by a faculty member in Trine University’s Ketner School of Business recently received a $1,000 grant from the Fortitude Fund.

Frates Research & Consulting, owned by Shea Frates, assistant professor at Trine, helps professionals and organizations understand artificial intelligence (AI) and incorporate it into their daily work.

First steps

Prof. Frates is developing a self-guided educational platform to help individuals upskill, reskill and pivot in today’s dynamic job market.

To support her efforts, she recently launched a LinkedIn newsletter, Professor Shea Frates, where she shares actionable insights on workforce transformation and digital influence in the Age of AI. She also hosts monthly LinkedIn Live events to foster engagement and answer questions about AI.

She decided to apply to the Fortitude Fund after a business connection received a grant.

“I saw it as a great opportunity to support my next steps,” she said.

Receiving the initial grant gives her the opportunity to apply for an additional $2,500 grant. She also is considering restructuring her company to potentially pursue venture capital (VC) funding.

“One of the best aspects of the Fortitude Fund is the built-in community that supports and guides you as you scale,” she said.

Disrupting the status quo

Prof. Frates has worked as a digital strategist for the past 12 years, with experience at organizations like Pacific Life Insurance Company, the Catalina Island Company and her alma mater, Concordia University Irvine.

“I began my career in social media marketing and have witnessed firsthand how digital has evolved — from the early excitement around social media to today’s new frontier: artificial intelligence,” she said.

Once she started reading news about AI, she quickly determined that it would disrupt the status quo.

“Even as a digital strategist, I saw how AI could generate well-thought-out strategies in seconds — work that used to take me days,” she said. “While that’s a daunting realization, I saw it as an opportunity.”

As the technology became more pervasive, she saw firsthand how resistance to AI integration led to bottlenecks and burnout within her team.

“After launching my entrepreneurial journey, I spent a year attending AI conferences, joining local and online communities, and immersing myself in the technology,” she said. “I began experimenting with AI in my own workflows to augment my strategy work. Now, I’m exploring product development through ‘vibe coding’ and learning Python to support this venture.”

Validation

According to its website, the Fortitude Fund is a vehicle to identify and support company founders from the beginning of their venture.

Prof. Frates said she was “both shocked and ecstatic” when she found out she received the grant.

“This career pivot felt right from the beginning, and receiving the grant was less about the money and more about the validation that I’m on the right path,” she said.

She said that since moving to Indiana from southern California, she has been impressed by how easy it has been to get connected to the local business community.

“It’s expanded my mindset and made me believe that launching a startup is truly possible here,” she said. “There are VCs, accelerators, programs and resources readily available to those who seek them. It’s an exciting time to pursue business, and AI is making it more accessible to everyday people with extraordinary ideas.”