Jean Wojtowicz

Jean L. Wojtowicz is the founder and President of Cambridge Capital Management Corp., an Indianapolis-based manager of "non-traditional sources of capital for businesses." She founded the firm in 1983 and has led it for more than four decades. Under her leadership, Cambridge and its affiliated funds report having provided more than $840 million to more than 1,900 businesses across the manufacturing, service, and retail sectors (earlier firm materials cited figures of roughly $552 million to ~1,300 companies, reflecting growth over time).

Cambridge Capital manages a family of specialized capital programs rather than a single fund: the Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation (ISCDC), which delivers SBA 504 fixed-asset financing for real estate and equipment and has repeatedly ranked as the #1 SBA 504 lender in Indiana; the Indiana Community Business Credit Corporation (ICBCC), a consortium of 30-plus Indiana banks that pools risk capital to supply mezzanine and growth financing (operating since 1986); Lynx Capital Corporation, which provides debt financing to minority-owned companies; New Markets Tax Credit loan pools for distressed areas; and Cambridge Ventures, L.P., the firm's equity/venture-style fund for companies within 200 miles of Indianapolis. Beyond Indiana, Cambridge has advised other states — including Ohio, West Virginia, Minnesota, and California — on building similar capital-access programs.

Wojtowicz is a widely recognized figure in Indiana's business and civic community. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce named her its 2011 Business Leader of the Year for connecting small businesses with funding and entrepreneurial advice, and in January 2023 she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Development Companies (NADCO), the trade association of Certified Development Companies. She has appeared on the Indianapolis Business Journal's "Indiana 250" list of the state's most influential business leaders for four consecutive years (through 2025).

Her board service is extensive. She spent roughly two decades as a director of First Merchants Corporation and First Merchants Bank, and effective May 7, 2024 she was appointed Chair of the Board of First Merchants Corporation and First Merchants Bank, succeeding Charles E. Schalliol. She has also served on the boards of First Internet Bank of Indiana (since 1998), the former Vectren Corporation, OneAmerica Funds, and, in the nonprofit sphere, as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sagamore Institute, plus roles with Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, the Indiana and Greater Indianapolis Chambers of Commerce, and the Venture Club of Indiana. Multiple secondary sources indicate she holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (education not confirmed on a primary firm source).

• "We invest more than capital." Cambridge Ventures positions itself as a hands-on partner that works actively with management teams to build company value, not just a check-writer.
• Growth/expansion, not seed: Capital is aimed at established companies that need supplemental or mezzanine financing to fund growth — typically firms that cannot get the full package they need from a conventional bank.
• Check size $100K–$1M through Cambridge Ventures, L.P., with each investment "custom-structured" to the borrower's specific needs (often debt or debt-like structures).
• What makes them say yes: a strong management team, a sound business plan, demonstrable growth potential, and a proprietary or competitive advantage — evaluated through an "exhaustive review" of management, products, and markets.
• Fills the gap between banks and equity: Through ICBCC, Cambridge steps in with mezzanine funding "when the lender is not in a position to offer a conventional loan package that meets the borrower's needs," complementing rather than replacing bank financing.
• Mission-driven capital access: Programs like Lynx Capital (minority-owned businesses) and New Markets Tax Credit pools (distressed areas) reflect a focus on underserved and hard-to-finance Indiana businesses.