FRATERNITY FUELS PASSION AND PURPOSE

By Jennifer Gombach

Phi Kappa Psi’s greatest value is in its lifelong impact, something Brian Schutt Purdue ’99 knows well. His experiences with the Fraternity, both during and after college, gave him the tools to pursue and succeed in a career he loves.

Brian, a startup entrepreneur and real estate investor, is the co-founder of Refinery46, a collaborative co-working space and startup incubator in Indianapolis. He also previously co-founded Homesense Heating and Cooling. In 2025, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun named Brian as the director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, a new agency that aims to assist small businesses and startups in the state.

According to Brian, his career path began with Phi Psi. At his first pledge class meeting, no one else volunteered to serve as president. Brian decided to raise his hand and take on the job.

“It was a transformative experience for me. I had not held leadership positions before joining Phi Kappa Psi,” he said.

That led to more leadership roles in the house, including chapter president.

“The first small business that I had an opportunity to run was the Indiana Delta Chapter at Purdue,” Brian explained. “It had some of the fundamental characteristics of any business that I’ve been involved in.”

Leading the chapter honed his skills in administration, marketing, and philanthropy. Most of all, it taught Brian the value of human resources. “Ultimately, our product was the people we brought into the house. As anyone reading this knows, if you don’t have good people, you don’t have a good chapter house.”

Brian served on the Executive Council as a District III Archon from 2001-03, during the Fraternity’s national sesquicentennial. He also is a member of the Order of the S.C.

“The experience and relationships I made as an archon transformed the rest of my life,” he said. Brian saw that Phi Psi provided a common foundation for brotherhood, even across different chapters. “It allows for a depth of connection and the formation of strong bonds that are hard to break.”

After graduation, Brian ended up in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he spent almost three years working with the late Phi Psi legend Jerry Nelson UCLA ’48. In that time, Brian learned a lot about the real estate business and a lot more about life.

“During those years, I formed some of my closest friendships and closest bonds. That’s the impact the Fraternity had, in different ways from my college experience,” he said. “Again, it comes back to relationships that hold people to a higher standard, that elevate people’s imagination of what is possible.”

Brian helped Jerry start the American Leadership Academy, a program designed to guide Phi Psi leaders of tomorrow. Jerry’s mentorship, which lives on through the Nelson Leadership Institute, has impacted countless brothers nationwide. Brian credits Jerry with “challenging me to use the gift of time to make an impact with the one life we get.”  He also wants to carry on Jerry’s message.

“His definition of being a winner was tapping into your creative purpose and being great at whatever it is you decide to do, being uncompromising in finding what that unique purpose is,” he said.

Brian found his purpose in entrepreneurship. “I spend my time thinking about problems that impact the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” he said. “I love working with founders to support their journey, help companies create growth strategies, and connect talent with opportunities. I enjoy building things, cultivating community, and helping leaders who feel stuck.”

At the new Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Brian sees his appointment as a confluence of all his past experiences. The office aims to support small business growth, oversee programs and funding for entrepreneurship and innovation, and coordinate with other state agencies to align services for business owners.

“It ties directly to Phi Psi’s vision of The Great Joy of Serving Others,” he said.

In his new role, Brian sees an opportunity to combine his passion for business with the values Phi Psi instilled within him.

“I believe deeply in how entrepreneurship can transform communities and states, ultimately to impact people and make lives better,” Brian explained. “This is something that is deeply reflective of my experience with Phi Psi and what our Fraternity stands for.”

As Brian takes on the challenge of helping Indiana small businesses, he fully intends to stay engaged with Phi Psi. In the end, it’s all about people.

“That’s what has kept me involved,” he said. “I’ve formed some of my closest friendships through the fraternity experience.”