Agenda
Thursday, May 14th • Columbus
8:00 am
Doors Open, Registration, + Coffee Networking
Fuel up with coffee, connect with fellow attendees, and meet vendor/expo companies across Ohio’s tech ecosystem.
9:10 am
Welcome to the Ohio Tech Summit
Get oriented for the day ahead with a warm welcome and an overview of the program. Emcee Tonjia Coverdale will set the tone for the summit.
SPEAKERS:
Tonjia Coverdale: Principal, Lambiante
Armin Asady: Senior Director of Solutions Architects, Verizon Business
Chris Berry: President & CEO, OhioX
9:30 am
From Bits to Atoms: Why Ohio Wins the Applied AI Revolution
Mark Kvamme will deliver a high-impact call to action on applied AI—why Ohio companies must move now or risk irrelevance. While California builds the models, Ohio wins by going “from bits to atoms,” applying AI to real-world industry. Through compelling case studies, Kvamme shows how leaders are eliminating bottlenecks and driving growth—and why those who act today will define the future of American innovation.
SPEAKER:
Mark Kvamme: CEO & Chief Investment Officer, The O.H.I.O. Fund
9:45 am
Re-Industrialization in the AI era: Building the hardware-software advantage in Ohio.
Re-shoring and re-industrialization are colliding with autonomy, AI, robotics, and new energy realities. This panel goes beyond announcements to unpack what’s actually happening: integrating AI into industrial operations, closing the hardware–software gap, and scaling talent fast enough to meet demand. Hear from leaders building the next generation of manufacturing and defense-adjacent capability in Ohio—what’s working, what’s stuck, and what it will take to win the next decade of American making.
INTRODUCTION:
Molly Kocour Boyle: Head of Data Center Public Affairs, Google
MODERATOR:
J.P. Nauseef: President & CEO, JobsOhio
PANELISTS:
Andrew Lonsberry: Co-Founder & CEO, Path Robotics
Beth Flippo: Founder & CEO, Dexa
Zachary Mears: SVP, Anduril Industries
10:30 am
Networking Break No. 1
10:50 am
Applied AI in the Heartland
AI advantage shows up in outcomes: lower cost-to-serve, faster decisions, fewer errors, better patient and customer experiences, and smarter operations. Leaders across Ohio’s core industries will share where AI is already deployed, how they’re measuring impact, and what had to change—data practices, governance, workflows, and talent—to move from pilots to durable operating advantage.
MODERATOR:
Aud Jucaitis: Director of Data & Digital Banking, First Mutual Holding Company
SPEAKERS:
Kip Lee: President, UH Ventures, University Hospitals
Grant Schneider: CTO, Upstart
Beena Sukumara: Dean, College of Engineering and Computing, Miami University
11:35 am
Keynote: Chetan Kandhari, Nationwide
Following Nationwide’s landmark October 2025 $1.5 billion investment announcement to accelerate technology and AI transformation, Chief AI & Digital Transformation Officer Chetan Kandhari joins us to discuss the future of one of Ohio’s most iconic brands. This session offers a rare look at how a Fortune 100 leader navigates the "next industrial revolution" to redefine the intersection of technology and insurance. Discover how this massive R&D push is shaping the next chapter of innovation within Ohio’s tech ecosystem.
KEYNOTE:
Chetan Kandhari: Chief AI & Digital Transformation Officer, Nationwide
12:00 pm
Lunch Break + Networking No. 2
12:40 pm
Special Keynote Fireside Chat: The $100 Million Bet to Make Columbus, Ohio America's Next Startup Capital
OH.io founder Ratmir Timashev joins the Summit for a fireside chat on his audacious plan to recruit 100 of the world's best B2B software startups, build their sales teams in Columbus, and bring 2,000 new tech workers to the city — all backed by more than $100 million in private capital. He’ll talk about what drove him to go all-in on Ohio, how their Revenue-as-a-Service model works, and why he believe our region can be the launchpad global startups have been missing.
MODERATOR:
Lynn Sautter Beal: Vice President, Lending Operations, Upstart
SPEAKER:
Ratmir Timashev: Founder, OH.io
1:10 pm
Post Lunch Break + Shift to Breakout Tracks No. 3
The Summit shifts into our three afternoon breakout tracks: (1) Enterprise, (2) Startups, (3) Talent, and (4) Growth.
1:30 pm
The CIO Strategy: Managing the Modern Stack // Enterprise (Breakout #1A)
The modern enterprise stack is under pressure from every direction: cloud complexity, vendor sprawl, security demands, integration debt—and now AI workloads on top of it all. CIOs and IT leaders will dig into practical strategy for simplifying architecture, governing the vendor ecosystem, managing cost and risk, and building the operational muscle to deliver faster without breaking reliability.
SPEAKERS:
Armin Asady: Senior Director of Solutions Architects, Verizon Business
Bart Murphy: Chief Technology and Information Officer, OCLC
Niraj Shekhar: Director, New Markets, Veeva
Jon Rike: CIO, City of Dayton
1:30 pm
The Human OS: Skills AI Can't Copy // Talent (Breakout #1B)
As AI reshapes work, the differentiator becomes the human capabilities that compound over time: judgment, communication, systems thinking, ethical decision-making, and creative problem-solving. This conversation focuses on how leaders identify these skills, build them inside teams, and set expectations and incentives that help people do higher-value work alongside AI.
SPEAKERS:
Melissa Cutcher: Executive Director, Technology First
Miro Humer: CIO, Case Western Reserve University
Jeff Harris: President & Co-Founder, Xello
Brandon Bellanca: VP, Consulting Services, CGI
1:30 pm
From Pilot to Purchase Order: The Startup Playbook for Enterprise Partnerships // Startups (Breakout #1C)
Enterprise buyers don’t buy “innovation”—they buy reduced risk, clear outcomes, and confidence in execution. Get a practical look at how startups earn trust, navigate security reviews and procurement, structure pilots that convert, and avoid the traps that stall deals in legal, finance, and vendor management. The focus is on what actually moves a relationship from first meeting to signed contract—and then from initial contract to expansion.
MODERATOR:
Rehgan Avon: CEO & Co-Founder, AlignAI
SPEAKERS:
Bryan Holmes: Vice President, IT, Andelyn Biosciences
Teri Sirset: Founder & CEO, DASI Simulations
Chris Berry: Founder & CEO, Echelle Resources
Julia Dewey: Chief Partnerships Officer, Rev1 Ventures
2:15 pm
Networking Break No. 4
2:30 pm
AI Reliability & Assurance: The Playbook for Scaling Enterprise AI With Confidence // Enterprise (Breakout #2A)
Scaling AI across the enterprise requires a repeatable way to measure confidence and manage risk. Leaders will share how they set acceptance thresholds, test for failure modes before launch, implement lightweight guardrails (data access, permissions, safe tool use), and monitor performance over time with clear ownership and incident response. The goal is faster rollout beyond pilot mode—without creating new security, compliance, or operational exposure.
Speakers TBA
2:30 pm
Ohio’s AI Dividend: Scaling Organizational Velocity // Talent (Breakout #2B)
The bottleneck on AI value is adoption—roles, habits, training, and change management—not access to tools. Leaders will explore how organizations build an AI-ready workforce: defining new expectations, redesigning workflows, upskilling in ways that stick, and creating a culture where teams use AI confidently and responsibly. The payoff is real reclaimed capacity—hours redirected from low-value work into higher-impact execution.
SPEAKERS:
Katie Dascoli: Founder, RiseAlign Partners
Quentin Fisher: Founder & CEO, Aidan Systems
Doug McCollough: Executive Director, The Beta District
Catherine Reynolds: Senior Technical Recruiter - Data, Superhuman
2:30 pm
Building in the Age of AI: Pivot, Partner, or Perish? // Startups (Breakout #2c)
One of the most critical questions facing founders today: How do you build a defensible startup in the age of rapidly evolving AI? As frontier models increasingly absorb traditional software functions, this session explores the "uncertain reality" of platform risk and the shifting definition of a "moat." Our panelists will debate over whether startups can outpace horizontal infrastructure or if they must pivot toward deep vertical specialization to remain relevant.
SPEAKERS:
Oskar Bruening: Co-Founder & CTO, Peek
Becca Wenning: Founder & CEO, Dressit.ai
Mohamed Aly: Head of Voice, Overjet
Will Burrus: Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Perspectrum.ai
3:15 pm
Networking Break No. 5
3:30 pm
Built in Ohio: The Innovation Showcase (full session)
No pitch decks—just products. The Summit closes by putting builders on stage to demonstrate market-ready technology already delivering results. Expect crisp demos that show what’s being built in Ohio, who it serves, and why it’s ready to scale.
Dan Manges: Founder & CEO, RWX
Aaron Chow: Founder & CEO, Vixiv
Beth Flippo: Founder & CEO, Dexa
4:00 pm
Happy Hour – Celebrate Ohio’s Tech Momentum
Wrap up the day with drinks, music, and great conversation. Whether you're new to Ohio’s tech scene or a longtime contributor, celebrate what we’re building, together.
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