Conquering Columbus Podcast

Brian Zuercher is the CEO and Co-Founder of Align, which helps companies optimize their work experience for their employees. Previously, he was a Co-Founder and leader at SEEN, which was eventually acquired by ICX Media.

Marty Gage and Spencer Murrell are partners at Lextant. Lextant focuses on helping businesses create customer experiences that win in the market. Marty and Spencer were part of the founding team at Lextant; and today, Spencer is the VP of Insight Translation and Marty is VP of Design Research.

Nick Jones is the Vice President of Community Wellness at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Nick has been working at Nationwide Children’s since 2016, and before that, he worked at the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus as well as several other non-profit organizations. Present day, he helps Nationwide Children’s spearhead their initiatives centered around improving the …

Alison Marker is the President and CEO of Marker, Inc. Marker, Inc. is a woman-owned commercial real estate and full-service construction company. Prior to Marker, Inc. Alison spent time as a psychotherapist. She’s also an alumnus of The Ohio State University, and she was elected one of the 2021 Columbus Business First 40 under 40.

Monty Ragland is the CEO and Monica Dominic is the Chief Client Officer of Proteam Solutions, Inc., or “PSI” for short. PSI was previously owned by brothers Keith and Doug Stevens, but they recently wrapped up a deal to sell the company to Monica and Monty, holding off several outside offers to ensure a smooth …

Thomas McClure is the Executive Director and Founder of The Columbus Fashion Council and Columbus Fashion Week! The Columbus Fashion Council is a non-profit organization seeking to expand the fashion economy in Central Ohio through a combination of industry growth initiatives, community organizer support, funding access opportunities, and creative program development. Since its debut in …

Andrew Bennett is the chief business officer at Provide, a national fintech company focused on financially empowering healthcare providers to achieve their practice ownership dreams. Provide’s streamlined digital finance experience, personalized customer service, and comprehensive suite of financial products make opening, running, and expanding a healthcare practice easier for our community&...

Dr. Louise Rodino-Klapac is the EVP and Chief Scientific Officer at Sarepta. Louise joined Sarepta in June 2018 and was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer by December of 2020. Prior to this role Louise served as Sarepta’s senior vice president, gene therapy. She became head of R&D in November 2021. She has led …

Dr. Eric Karolak is Chief Executive Officer of Action for Children, the source for child care and early learning services in Central Ohio. Under his leadership, Action For Children was able to combine forces with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and the City of Columbus to launch the Franklin County RISE Program, which offers …

Bill Balderaz is the Founder and President of Futurety. We had Bill on the show before we even hit 100 episodes to talk about Futurety, and since then Bill and his team have been hard at work. Today, we’re talking to Bill about a SaaS product called Huckle, which their team is getting ready to …

Jane Wolfe is the author of two previous best-selling biographies, “The Murchison’s: The Rise and Fall of a Texas Dynasty” (St. Martin’s Press) and “Blood Rich: When Oil Billions, High Fashion, and Royal Intimacies Are Not Enough” (Little, Brown & Co.). She is also a freelance writer for several publications, including the New York Times …

Mark Kelnhofer is the CEO of Return on Ingredients. He has more than 20 years of experience in bottom line-boosting accounting, and he spent 20+ years in managerial cost accounting refining his methods; including seven years in restaurant cost management. When these two areas of expertise combined his one-of-a-kind methodology was born. He is also …

Kwame Christian, Esq. is the Director of the American Negotiation Institute, subject matter expert in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution, bestselling author, and podcast host among many other impressive feats. He runs his own podcast, Negotiate Anything, and recently released his second book, How to have Difficult Discussions About Race.

Ryan McManus is the CEO and Co-founder of SHARE Mobility, a mobility company focused on providing other companies with the ability to provide transportation to their staff as a benefit. When we first spoke with Ryan back in 2019, he and his team had been at it for a few years, but things have really …

The Matriots is a political action committee dedicated to supporting, endorsing, and encouraging women candidates for office in Ohio. Their goal is help women get elected to office in Ohio with the hope that by getting more women into office, Ohio becomes a more equitable place to live. Their bold vision is for 50% of …

Amy Shore is the EVP and Chief Customer Officer at Nationwide! Amy has over 30 years of experience in the P&C industry, including over 20 years in varying leadership positions at Nationwide. She has leadership experience in a variety of business functions including sales, underwriting, product/pricing, customer service, and general management. Additionally, she has served …

Joanna Pinkerton is the President and CEO of COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority). When many of us think of COTA, we leap to the city’s bus system first, but COTA is responsible for far more than that. Since Joining the COTA team in 2018, Joanna has focused on driving innovation and revamping options for mobility …

Brian Ross is the President and CEO of Experience Columbus. Experience Columbus is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to creating and showcasing the best of the Columbus experience to the world. They accomplish this mission by encouraging tourism as well as driving career opportunities in Columbus to encourage the world to visit our great city.  

Jay Amstutz is the President of Ohio Power Tool. Ohio Power Tool has been in business since 1983, and Jay joined the team as Vice President in 2008. Since becoming President in 2015, Jay has focused on expanding their influence in the Ohio region while simultaneously working to build their online presence and sales.

Andy Miller is the Founder of Waveform Music Group, which focuses on songwriting and production serving a variety of different companies across all kinds of production needs. Andy has a deep background in music production, post mixing, and sound design. He earned a BFA in Electronic Media (Audio, Film, and Television – Honors) from The …

Wayne is the President and Founder of 614 Media Group, a central-Ohio-focused media company behind magazines like (614) Magazine, Stock and Barrel, as well as Columbus Restaurant Week, Burger and Beer Week, and more. They are also partnered with Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, working together on 614 Lager, which has become their best-selling beer in just …

Val Jorgensen is the Founder and Owner of Jorgensen Farms. Following some of the most progressive and ecological farming practices, Jorgensen Farms is also one of Central Ohio’s most desirable wedding and event locales, caterers, and floral designers. They’ve been recognized with the Environmental Stewardship Award from the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and the American …

Suraj Hinduja is the Managing Director of RTRX, a networking event firm founded by Jim Merkel, Founder of Rockbridge Capital, which aligns itself with Pelotonia in an effort to eventually see an end to cancer. The RTRX experience, held in collaboration with Pelotonia’s Ride Weekend, is uniquely curated with business, philanthropy, fun, and thought-provoking and …

Corey Poches is the Founder and CEO of Motive CBD, as well as a Managing Partner of Verdant Creations. Corey and his Wife, Kelly Hondros, founded Motive CBD in 2018, and they were outsourcing their hemp until it became legal to grow for medical marijuana in Ohio in 2019. After that, they began growing their …

Ed Porter is the founder of Blue Chip CRO, where he works as a fractional CRO for businesses from $0-$20 million in revenue entering growth mode or restructuring their businesses.