About the author
Ted A. Baker
Entrepreneur, educator, ecosystem builder, and, by his own account, a millennial trapped in a baby boomer's body.
Ted A. Baker has spent more than 40 years helping people create opportunities, build businesses, and drive economic growth. A native of Decatur, Indiana, he has called Muncie home since 1976. There he founded, grew, and sold manufacturing and franchise businesses before turning to the work of supporting other entrepreneurs.
Since 2010 he has led the Innovation Connector in Muncie as CEO and Executive Director, and since 2011 he has taught entrepreneurship at Ball State University's Miller College of Business. He is a Certified Incubator Manager, has served on the board of directors of the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA), and speaks nationally and internationally on entrepreneurship and business incubation.
Ted's path
Started at eight. Hasn't stopped starting.
Employee, founder, franchise owner, incubator CEO, professor. Ted has sat on just about every side of the table, which is why founders and business owners tend to listen when he talks.
-
Decatur, Indiana
Selling Coca-Cola at eight, a 5 a.m. newspaper route, mowing lawns, and the first signs of the entrepreneurial itch.
-
1976
Moves to Muncie. A marketing degree from Ball State, then nearly twenty years learning the ropes inside other people's businesses.
-
1996
Co-founds Worldwide Technologies, a specialty manufacturer that grows from 8 to 43 employees and is profitable every year it operates.
-
2007
Sells the company. Later co-owns and operates four Sport Clips locations in Indiana.
-
2010
Becomes CEO and Executive Director of the Innovation Connector in Muncie. Begins teaching entrepreneurship at Ball State the following year.
-
Today
More than 1,000 entrepreneurs supported, a book on the way, and always on the lookout for the next good conversation.
In Ted's words
“Where do I fit in?”
You may wonder why I label myself a millennial trapped in a baby boomer's body. This idea first came to me around 2019. I started to realize that the way I view entrepreneurship and business does not align with my age as a baby boomer.
I embrace change, am driven by purpose, and believe collaboration beats hierarchy. My birth certificate says, baby boomer. My mindset says, “What's next?”
When I say I'm a millennial trapped in a baby boomer's body, I'm not criticizing baby boomers. I'm saying that while my experience stems from the baby boomer generation, my curiosity about what's next, willingness to embrace change, and instinct to connect and collaborate often reflect qualities we associate with younger generations.
Ted A. Baker
What people say
Anyone who knows Ted A. Baker knows he invests in people, cares deeply about them, and loves seeing them thrive. He has a special place in his heart for entrepreneurs because he is one himself.
Ted's optimism, warmth, and competence make people feel welcome and ready to do the hard work of entrepreneurship. He brings others together, finds where their strengths complement one another, and takes genuine joy in advancing work that matters to the community.
Outside the office
Family, faith, and Muncie.
Ted and his wife, Gail, have four children and eight grandchildren. His faith shapes the way he treats people, with generosity, humility, and a habit of being fully present in a conversation. It's a thread that runs through the book, including a full chapter on the faith journey in the midst of life.
Want to meet this entrepreneur?
Ted is always up for a good conversation, whether it's a keynote for a full ballroom or coffee with a founder who is just getting started.