Matt Wells is a dynamic leader with 14 years of experience driving economic and community development in Northwest Indiana and the Greater South Shore of Lake Michigan. As President & CEO of One Region, Inc., a civic coalition of 50+ chief executives and business owners from across the region, Matt has been instrumental in facilitating strategic public-private partnerships that align the region’s business, government, and community leaders toward common goals. He also serves as Chief Engagement Officer for Purdue University Northwest.

Matt’s expertise spans community and economic engagement, corporate partnerships, development and fundraising, and government & public affairs. He has a track record of driving significant investment for regional projects and programs, having served on the steering committee for the NWI Forum’s successful $50 million READI grant award in 2021, and securing over $20 million in grants and philanthropic investment for Purdue Northwest since 2020. His leadership has been pivotal in advancing Purdue Northwest’s role in regional economic development and in driving initiatives that directly benefit the communities along the South Shore.  Matt also serves as the Purdue system’s primary liaison to the Bloch Quantum Tech Hub (led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange) and the MACH H2 Midwest Hydrogen Hub, which was awarded $1 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2023, further cementing the region's role in the future of clean energy.

Matt serves on several non-profit boards, including the Started Up Foundation, Big Shoulders Fund of Northwest Indiana, One Region, the NWI Society of Innovators, Northern Indiana Advocates, and the tri-state Alliance for Regional Development in Chicago.  He is also a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s National Leadership Network.  Matt is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and Valparaiso University, and holds advanced degrees in business, counseling, and vocal performance, underscoring his diverse skill set and perspective as a strategist and community leader. His work continues to strengthen Northwest Indiana’s position at the forefront of the industrial revitalization of the Midwest.