Built in Ohio

Tracy Ruberg is the Founder/President of T6 Group and Executive Director of The Circuit, a non-profit IT association in Southwest Ohio. In this episode, we talk with Tracy about aligning strategic business objectives with digital transformation initiatives, the tech ecosystem in Southwest Ohio, and creating tech education opportunities.  Throughout her career, Tracy has had the opportunity to work...

Rob Moyer is the Co-Founder and President of Agility Partners, LLC an IT recruiting and consulting company headquartered in Columbus. In this episode, we talk with Rob about his path to tech, building a new business, and taking risk for greater upside.   Founded in 2017 in his spare bedroom, Rob (and his partner Alan) self-funded AP and immediately began to disrupt the industry by building a green...

Alex Frommeyer is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Beam Dental. In this episode we talk with Fro about disrupting the dental insurance industry, the golden age for building tech in the midwest, and why Ohio became home. Beam Dental is a digital-first dental benefits provider that incorporates dental hygiene behavior into policy pricing, combining an easy-to-use online insurance platfo...

Cal Al-Dhubaib is the CEO of Pandata and in this episode we talk with Cal about ethical AI and how we can grow Ohio's data science industry. Pandata designs and develops human-centered AI and ML solutions. Their deep expertise in human behavior is why they shine at working with innovative teams, including navigating the complexities of regulated and protected data sources to mitigate risk and...

Max Brickman is the Managing Director of Heartland Ventures, a venture capital firm that connects high-growth startups with new customers in the Midwest. In this episode we talk with Max about why he brought his Venture firm to Ohio, the opportunities that come from connecting Midwest industries and leading tech companies, and scaling businesses.   Max is a forward-thinking venture capitalist with...

Chris Berry is the CEO and Founder of Echelle Resources, Inc., and a board member of Per Scholas. In this podcast, we talk with Chris about growing businesses while keeping mission focus, how a napkin led to a new company, and breaking down the digital divide. Chris has spent the last two years growing Echelle Resources into a competitive information technology company with automotive and telemedi...

Shawn Leitner is Vice President and Senior Product Manager at KeyBank, and Chief Technology Officer at Sway Mobility. In this podcast, we talk with Shawn about the growing role of product management and how he built a community of product managers in Northeast Ohio. Shawn has spent two decades building products, being innovative, and solving problems using technology, working in various tech roles...

Jeffrey Stern is a co-founder and product manager at Axuall, a venture-backed company in Cleveland, and is also the host of the Lay of The Land Podcast which tells the stories of entrepreneurship in Cleveland. In this podcast, we talk with Jeffrey about his decision to move to Cleveland in order to start a tech career and the catalyst for launching his podcast. At Axuall, Jeffrey and his team are...

Dr. Joseph Shields is Vice President for Research and Creative Activity, Dean of the Graduate College, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio University.  In this episode, we speak with Dr. Shields about the potential, power and payoff of University-Industry collaborations across Ohio. Among his many duties, Dr. Shields oversees technology transfer and economic development activities suppo...

Jack Thompson is an 18 year old senior in high school at Toledo School for the Arts and President of StartHuddle, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower and promote young entrepreneurs in the Greater Toledo region. In this episode we speak with Jack about his experience building businesses as a student and how we can encourage more young entrepreneurs. Jack has been involved in Toledo&apos...

Catherine Allshouse is the Global CIO and Head of Cloud Operations at Veeva Systems. In our latest episode of The Future Lab we talk with Catherine about scaling technology, why Veeva recently became a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), and why more businesses should consider following.  Catherine is an industry-leading technology executive with extensive experience in roles spanning the commercial...

Stephen White is the Vice President of External Affairs, Strategic Initiatives, and Business Development, and serves as In-House Counsel at the Center for Science and Industry (COSI). In this episode of The Future Lab, we talk with Stephen on Innovative Strategies to bridge the COVID canyon in our STEM educational landscape. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he founded and is the executive lead of the...

Steven Hong is the CEO and Co-Founder of Oculii , a radar software company enabling the next generation of autonomous systems. In this episode we talk with Steven about why he returned home to Ohio from Silicon Valley in order to build his startup and the lessons he learned from his time at Stanford and one of the world's best known Venture Capital firms. Using aperture imaging software that...

In this episode we talk with Media Shower's Sir John Hargrave and Evan Karnoupakis on Blockchain Success Stories: Case studies from the leading edge of business.  John and Evan are the co-authors of a book of the same name where they share the real-life stories of the visionaries who are rewiring the world through the new technology called blockchain.  Through deep research and firsthand inte...

Dr. Elad Granot is the co-founder and managing member of an early stage technology Venture Capital fund and the Dean of Ashland University’s Business School. In this episode, we talk with Elad about some of the world's best tech ecosystems and lessons from companies that failed to innovate. Elad is passionate about the role of Higher Ed in its ecosystem, and he actively builds, cultivates, an...

Scott J. Allen, Ph. D., is the Standard Products—Dr. James S. Reid Chair in Management at John Carroll University. In this episode, we talk about the start of a new series Scott and John Carroll University are launching, Thinking Big - Digital. The series is a look inside leading technology-focused companies and how emerging technologies are shaping the future. Throughout Spring 2021, Scott will h...

Deneisha Franklin is a diversity and inclusion champion and tech enthusiast. In this episode, we talk with Deneisha about creating opportunities in technology and building a community with Black Tech Columbus. She is passionate about planning, creating, and executing solutions aimed toward disrupting the status quo and incorporating sustainable, systemic change - especially within corporate enviro...

Kevin Gadd is the State Director of Ohio for Apprenti, a national nonprofit that helps veterans, people of color and women get into technology careers through registered apprenticeship. In this episode we talk with Kevin about how he's helping workers find new careers and his passion in helping underrepresented groups get into tech. He is a retired Air Force Chief with 23 years of service.  H...

Nicole Paolozzi is the Founder and CEO of OndeCare, a technology platform that finds pre-vetted, Professional Care Providers that can be at your home in as little as two hours. In this episode we talk with Nicole about how experiences as a working mother led to her building OndeCare and her journey from BigCo to startup. Nicole is an entrepreneur because over the past two decades she repeatedly ra...

Jessica Cohen currently leads Verizon's philanthropy and community engagement efforts in Northern Ohio.  In this episode we talk to Jessica about the power of 5G, how the it's building Ohio's cities, and why she loves working for a leading tech company. Before joining Verizon, she worked in the nonprofit and public sectors, serving on the staff of U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy...

Bob Fenner is currently a sales leader in the Midwest for Arista Networks, a publicly traded Silicon Valley based networking and security company.  In this episode we talk with Bob about helping customers solve problems and what it's like working for a Silicon Valley-based company in Ohio. Bob joined Arista in 2016 and has since grown regional revenue 10x including building out an extended te...

Jacob Glenn is the Founder and President of M Genio. In this episode, we talk with Jacob about the path which led him to starting his own firm eight years ago and how his company brings innovation solutions to the intersection of business and technology. M Genio is a Cleveland-based boutique firm of smart technologists specializing in Mobile Solutions, Internet of Things, and Cloud Automation. Fro...

Molly Reams Thompson is the Co-Founder of Perrysburg Energy Solutions. In this episode we talk with Molly about her passion for educational entrepreneurship and how a career in tech and startups across America led her home to Toledo. From the moment her feet hit the floor in the morning, Molly is constantly thinking about how to implement big ideas, challenge the status quo, and inspire others. Mo...

Naveed H. Iqbal, PhD is the co-founder and CEO at Dolr. In this episode we talk with Naveed about solving the big issue of student loan debt, his path to founding Dolr, and why Columbus was the perfect place to start his company. Founded with a mission to lower financial barriers to education, Dolr is a student loan repayment platform accelerating its members to $0 student debt with their money, t...

Craig Borkowski is the CEO of Terra Sound Technology, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), headquartered in Columbus. Terra Sound was founded on a passion for creating thoughtful solutions for their Customers, delivered through Terra Sound's Software and Fiber Optic Cable. Their Mission is to solve your Security, Smart City, and Pipeline problems. Craig graduated with a B...