Conquer Paralysis Now (CPN), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing spinal cord injury research and treatment, announced plans to grow its operations in Indiana, relocating its headquarters from Las Vegas, NV, to Carmel and establishing a new DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center to serve those impacted by paralysis in central Indiana. The organization, founded by former Indianapolis 500 driver and part owner of the Arrow McLaren racing team in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Sam Schmidt, plans to create up to 40 new jobs in Indiana by the end of 2026.
“Indiana is a global destination for entrepreneurship, and we’re excited to welcome Sam Schmidt and his team to our growing and innovative ecosystem,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers. “Conquer Paralysis Now joins a thriving life sciences sector, and I’m confident that those partnerships and our skilled workforce will enable the organization to find success here, improving the lives of those affected by paralysis and neurological conditions across the globe.”
CPN will invest $21.4 million to grow in Carmel, purchasing, renovating and equipping the former Five Seasons Family Sports Club facility. Located at 1300 E 96th St., the new space will house CPN’s headquarters operations as well as its second DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center, designed to provide fitness, wellness and rehabilitation for people affected by paralysis and other neurological conditions. CPN plans to break ground on the facility next week and start relocating to Indiana by the end of 2023.
The organization expects to begin providing client services by 2024, starting with services such as fitness programs, adaptive sports, aquatics, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, mental health services, recreational programs, and research support to local universities and hospitals, providing increased quality of life for those living with disabilities, advancing research and treatment, and supporting the development of skilled staff to work with this population. Additionally, CPN is partnering with NeuroHope, a local physical rehab center, to further its mission and services.
“This is a monumental day for Conquer Paralysis Now,” said CPN founder Schmidt. “It is our global mission to address the overwhelming need for greater access to neuro rehabilitation care while we continue to inspire research into finding cures. The opportunity to plant our stake in the ground in the Midwest – in a city that means so much to me and where we’ve received so much support – is one we couldn’t pass up.”
CPN, which was founded in 2000, is a global project of the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, which Schmidt established after sustaining injuries in a crash driving an IndyCar in 2000 that left him a quadriplegic. CPN is dedicated to advancing research aimed at curing spinal cord injuries and making neuro rehabilitation treatment more widely available. In 2018, the organization opened the doors to its first DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center in Schmidt’s hometown of Las Vegas. CPN’s long-range plan calls for opening more independent DRIVEN facilities across the nation to make this vital physical and mental care more accessible.
“We are excited to welcome another corporate, life sciences based operation to Carmel,” said Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard. “Conquer Paralysis Now will complement Carmel's already thriving industries of life sciences and medical services that benefit all of Central Indiana. We look forward to watching them grow and succeed in their mission.”
Based on the organization’s job creation plans, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation committed an investment in the Sam Schmidt Foundation (dba Conquer Paralysis Now) of up to $660,000 in the form of incentive-based tax credits. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired. The IEDC will also invest up to $750,000 in redevelopment tax credits, which provide an incentive for companies to invest in redevelopment and revitalization to improve the quality of place within Indiana. The City of Carmel supports the project.
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