Our visit to Cardwell Built with owners John and Laura Cardwell and Design Manager Camie Fischer was a hands-on, entrepreneurial experience we won’t forget! After hearing their story — starting the business at just 19 years old and growing it into a 10,000 sq. ft. investment in downtown Kokomo — we got a real behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a business… literally.
We toured their space and were challenged to think like developers: working in teams to pitch a brand-new business concept for one of their available spaces. From budgeting and square footage to layout and design, we used real blueprints to map out our ideas. The Cardwell team picked a winning concept, then shared their own vision for the space and led a collaborative brainstorm about what’s possible.
A huge thank you to the Cardwell team for their time, guidance, and encouragement. This is exactly what Kokomo CEO is all about — learning from people who are doing the work, creating opportunities, and building better communities.
