$4.99 Spring 2024
85 employers who stand out from the crowd
BBB® Accredited Businesses are committed to operating with integrity, honoring promises, and telling the truth. Always look for the BBB Accredited Business Seal, it’s The Sign of a Better BusinessSM .
BBB of Central Ohio’s Center for Character Ethics offers two prestigious award options for local organizations dedicated to ethical practices and community impact.
• Under 35 years of age OR in business for less than three years
• Entrepreneur that ‘sparks’ trust from the inception of their business
• In business for over three years
• Business that displays elevated commitment to ethics Nominate
We teach like kindness is as important as knowledge.
Because it is.
It’s our job to make sure he’s ready. We empower him to ignite his curiosity and develop an appetite for learning as well as the confidence to live with intention.
It’s the difference between simply achieving and thriving.
We invite you to tour our world.
James Class of 2028
MEET 85 HONOREES WHO WORK TO CULTIVATE ENVIRONMENTS WHERE EMPLOYEES THRIVE. Page
Do you love your job?
For many employees of the 85 organizations featured in our Top Workplaces supplement, the answer is a resounding yes.
Columbus CEO is pleased once again to recognize some of the region’s employers of choice through our 2024 Top Workplaces awards. This year’s honorees include for-profit, nonprofit and government organizations across the Columbus region, from one with more than 4,000 employees to five with just 50.
This is the 12th year CEO has partnered with Energage, an Exton, Pennsylvania-based workplace research firm, to present Top Workplaces. Since 2007, Energage has worked with more than 60 publications across the country to recognize top-performing employers, gathering feedback from 30 million employees.
Winners are determined and ranked by Energage based solely on results of employee surveys at organizations who nominate themselves for the program. The initiative is open to any employer with 50 or more local employees. (Learn more about the selection methodology on Page 2 of the supplement.)
Part of the excitement for those of us at CEO is that the program continues to grow. This year, we have 22 organizations that are first-time Top Workplaces honorees. On the flip side are the employers who perform well year after year as workplaces of choice. Special congratulations go to these three 12-time winners:
Discover, Kimball Midwest and Worthington Industries.
To make the grade as a Top Workplace, participating companies are evaluated on their employees’ responses to 24 survey questions, which cover issues such as pay and benefits, work-life flexibility, confidence in leadership, training opportunities and feeling included.
This year, the five top-scoring metrics were:
• 83.8 percent of respondents say their organization operates by strong values
• 82 percent say their manager
cares about their concerns
• 79.8 percent feel included at the company
• 79.1 percent say their manager helps them learn and grow
• 78.8 percent feel genuinely appreciated
Conversely:
• 64.8 percent believe senior managers understand what is really happening at the organization
• 62.7 percent think meetings make good use of their time
• 57 percent think their pay is fair for the work they do
• 53.6 percent have not considered searching for a better job in the past month
• 50.5 percent believe their benefits package is good compared to others in the industry
One exciting note for 2024: Of our 85 Columbus honorees, 30 also earned recognition as Top Workplaces USA winners because their positive employee survey feedback exceeded Energage’s national benchmarks.
Congratulations to all of our 2024 winners!
Thanks for reading.
Julanne Hohbach Managing Editor
Stand together against racism, hate, violence, and antisemitism.
Stand up for celebrating our differences and creating a safe community for everyone.
Homeport CEO Leah Evans wants to bring more people to the table to solve the Columbus region’s ongoing affordable housing crisis.
Leah Evans grew up in the 1970s and 1980s in Cleveland Heights, an inner-ring suburb that sits just up the hill from University Circle. She lived near museums, colleges, world-renowned medical facilities, a bevy of amenities and a diverse variety of homes. As a child, she marveled at the freedom she had to walk to different places—school, church, the mall, the grocery store and even Girl Scouts meetings. When she visited her grandmother in nearby Shaker Heights, her mode of transportation was her bicycle.
Evans had friends in different areas of the city, including the Hough neighborhood. When she visited there, she noticed a stark contrast. The predominantly African American community had experienced historic disinvestment following the Hough Riots of 1966. As documented by Case Western Reserve University, observers believed the neighborhood was vulnerable to such an outbreak because of substandard and overcrowded housing, stores that charged inflated prices and instances of police harassment.
“That neighborhood was so different from mine,” Evans says. “What did that mean and why was that so? That early exposure to different geographies led me to have
an interest in the built environment. Why can I walk to so many different places but my friends don’t walk anywhere in [their neighborhood]? Seeing the differences made me think, ‘Why are some places better than others? Why are some more valued?’”
Those questions led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in urban geography and a master’s in city and regional planning from Ohio State University. That education
would serve as the foundation for a long career in planning and economic development. In 2021, Evans was named president and CEO of Homeport, the largest affordable housing provider in Central Ohio and a resource for homebuyer education, financial fitness and down-payment assistance. She leads the nonprofit as it and others in the affordable housing space grapple with the fact that 54,000 low- and moderate-income
households in Franklin County pay more than half of their income for housing, according to the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio.
On top of that, a February report from Bank of America revealed that Columbus leads the nation’s big cities in population growth with a 1.1 percent year-over-year gain in the third and fourth quarters of 2023. In other words, the affordable housing crisis time bomb is ticking.
Evans, 47, began her career in 2002 as a business development representative at the Ohio Department of Development. She spent nearly six years there, including as a credit analyst, before joining the city of Gahanna in 2009 as its first economic development manager. There, she worked with Sadicka White, a Black woman who then was the director of planning and development. White had spoken to one
President and CEO
Homeport
Age: 47
Previous: Senior vice president of real estate development, Homeport; deputy director of planning and development and manager of economic development, city of Gahanna; business development representative and credit analyst, Ohio Department of Development
Education: Bachelor of Arts in urban geography and master’s degree in city and regional planning, Ohio State University
Community involvement: Serves on the Columbus Women’s Commission, the board of the Neighborhood Design Center and the NeighborWorks America Real Estate Advisory Committee
Resides: Columbus
Family: Married with one daughter
of Evans’ graduate classes and made a lasting impression.
“I wanted to emulate her and be a public servant out here working to have a positive impact on the community,” Evans says. “That exposure really helped boost my confidence walking into these types of jobs that didn’t always have diverse candidates.”
Evans was involved in several significant projects during her tenure with Gahanna, which included serving as deputy director of planning and development. These included the Hamilton Road corridor improvement plan, building a high school annex and office and retail space on a former Kroger site, and attracting tenants to the Creekside District. She felt connected to the “real-life impact” the projects had on residents and what it was like to deliver services they wanted.
In September 2013, she left Gahanna to join Homeport as its director of home ownership. “I wanted to get into more central city, urban development and see how housing can change and impact a neighborhood
on a block-by-block level,” she says. “How can we advance an individual through housing?”
Evans spent five years in that role and was promoted to senior vice president of real estate development in 2018 before she was named to the top post. As Homeport’s CEO, she oversees 37 employees and an annual operating budget of $5.96 million.
Emmett Kelly, Homeport’s board chair and a board member since 2014, helped select Evans following a national search. Her real estate development experience, knowledge, passion and leadership skills made her the right person for the position. “She’s a tremendously positive human being and has tremendous energy and passion for what she does,” says Kelly, a partner at the Frost Brown Todd law firm. “Her knowledge is beyond compare. She understands the financing, development and programs. She has the full package with respect to that. I’ve always been impressed with her absolute grasp of what we do, the operations of the industry and the solutions needed. I really like Leah Evans. I’m a huge champion of hers. … When she steps into a room, she impresses people.”
Evans plans to use her experience in business development, project management, community building and data gathering “to set a larger table to get more people engaged in the housing conversation.”
“We need to make affordable housing urgent,” she says. “Let’s help more people know what’s happening with the market dynamics and get more people involved to course correct. There’s an opportunity to bring more people into affordable housing. We can show why it matters and the positive impact it has on other community issues. We often hear about how we want people to have more access to transportation so they can access jobs. We want better schools, and we want better health outcomes. Housing is foundational to all of that.”
As Evans goes about her work, she has an organization behind her with a storied history in local real estate development circles. The seeds for Homeport were sown in the mid1980s when a study conducted by
There’s an opportunity to bring more people into affordable housing. We can show why it matters and the positive impact it has on other community issues.”
Leah Evans, president and CEO, Homeport
Columbus City Council, the Franklin County commissioners and the mayor’s office recommended the creation of a special nonprofit to develop housing for low-income families.
The idea drew immediate interest from Central Ohio’s most prominent real estate players, notably Irving and Mel Schottenstein of M/I Homes, developers Donald W. Kelley and Bob Weiler, and commercial broker-developer Max Holzer.
How would this new nonprofit be structured? Kelley took a trip to Reston, Virginia, to find out. There, he met with James Rouse, an accomplished mortgage banking firm owner, developer and early proponent of urban renewal who created what’s now called Enterprise Community Partners Inc. with his wife, Patricia. Their goal: to make sure every American has a decent, affordable home.
Kelley noticed that Rouse tapped the expertise of his top retired mortgage professionals, product buyers, architects, lawyers and land planners so the foundation could bring projects to life in an affordable way. Rouse visited Columbus and, according to Homeport, was “attracted by the strong sense of community” and believed an affordable housing initiative could be supported.
Soon, a campaign was launched by developers, prominent philanthropic families and government officials to raise several million dollars to get the venture off the ground. With seed money raised by the city, the Columbus Foundation, the faith
community and business leaders, an organized shelter system (Community Shelter Board) and Columbus Neighborhood Partnership (later the Columbus Housing Partnership, then Homeport) were incorporated in 1986 and 1987, respectively.
At Homeport, Don Kelley says an initial board of 12 people got the work started. It included himself, Weiler and Holzer and other well-known real estate professionals including HER founder Harley Rouda Sr. and Dan Galbreath, then chairman and CEO of the Galbreath Co. They began by improving neighborhoods on a houseby-house basis on the city’s South Side, one of the poorer areas of town. That’s where Kelley grew up during the Great Depression in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home that cost $6,500 to build.
“We realized, with the knowledge of the people we brought together, that if you have a house that’s a sore in the middle of a neighborhood, it makes all the other good properties near it sores, too. The bad tends to bring down the good,” says Kelley, who is now 94. “We bought some of those houses for $25,000 and fixed them up, and that improved the neighborhood and created an affordable home for someone to move into. That was the initial thrust. Homeport has done a terrific job of providing affordable housing ever since then.”
Maggie Parks and Michael Roebuck can attest to that.
In fall 2023, Parks celebrated five years of owning her home in MiloGrogan. She purchased it after completing Homeport’s Home Readiness course and receiving down-payment assistance. The 45-year-old had rented her whole life and wanted better living conditions for herself and her son, Bryan, who now attends Columbus State Community College. The $460 monthly mortgage payment for her 1,500-square-foot home is less expensive than the $495 she paid to rent a 700-square-foot house. “As a parent, you want to be able to leave something and do something for your child,” she says. “To me, it means everything. Being a single parent, sometimes it’s hard to do all the things you want to do for your child, but this is something I can pass on to him and tell him, ‘This is your stake
in the world, son.’”
Roebuck, meanwhile, had a long career in Columbus radio starting in the 1980s but fell on hard times when the smooth jazz radio station where he did voice work went defunct in 2010. He lived in several mold-infested environments and lost his voice as a result. In October 2020, Roebuck moved into Homeport’s Hamilton Crossing apartment community in Whitehall, which has 64 affordable units for seniors 55 and older.
Living in a mold-free, smokefree environment allowed his deep baritone to come back, and he has started emceeing events. “Within seven months of living here, my voice started coming back stronger and stronger. When I was away from the mold, my lungs healed,” Roebuck says. “For years it was a thin, raspy whisper. People would call to ask me to emcee or do commercials and when they heard me answer the phone they would say, ‘Oh, wow.’ That took a lot of money streams out of my pocket.”
Housing is considered affordable when the occupant pays no more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing costs, including utilities. Those who spend more are considered to be cost-burdened. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning
Commission’s Regional Housing Strategy report cites five core housing issues:
• Increased market competition, driven by population growth, insufficient housing construction and continuing impacts from the Great Recession
• Barriers such as disparities in lending practices, creditworthiness, housing instability and discrimination
• A limited supply of homes priced for low-income households
• Demand for homes that serve a range of ages, abilities and household sizes
• Housing instability, shown in factors such as local rates for cost burden, evictions, homelessness and homes needing repair
The top barriers to affordable housing, according to MORPC, are: not-inmy-backyard attitudes and negative impressions of density and affordability; lack of centralized information and varied local land use policies and standards; higher development costs; insufficient capacity to meet demand for help with rental assistance and repairs; and overreliance on LowIncome Housing Tax Credits due to a lack of gap financing.
The housing crisis is having a direct impact on Central Ohio’s economy and workforce availability, says
Bill LaFayette, owner of economic consulting firm Regionomics, who shared insights from his 2024 economic outlook report at the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s annual Blue Chip Economic Forecast, held Jan. 3. LaFayette predicts Central Ohio, for the third consecutive year, will fall well short of the national average for employment growth.
The Columbus metropolitan statistical area saw robust population growth between 2010 and 2020, but between 2020 and 2022, the region lost about 1,400 more people than it gained. “We can hope that the slowdown in population growth is a temporary impact of the pandemic,” LaFayette told the audience. “But our region’s shift from a big net importer of population from domestic origins to a net exporter to domestic destinations is really troubling. We don’t know anything about these folks and where they are moving to. But one very likely cause was the impact of the housing market.”
According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s quarterly House
Price Index for the Columbus metropolitan area, he said, prices nationwide are up 79 percent since 2016 compared with 93 percent locally. And since 2012, rents in Franklin County have increased 20 percent after inflation—5 percent higher than the national average.
In December, the median home listing in Columbus was $275,000, up 8.6 percent year-over-year, according to Realtor.com. Apartments. com shows average rent in the city at $1,068 per month. “It is quite possible that people have been leaving the area and others haven’t moved in because they can’t afford to live here,” LaFayette told the audience. “The problem is one that has been discussed on this stage before: a lack of housing development.”
Like LaFayette, Amy Klaben sees a connection between housing and economic development. Klaben was the president and CEO of Homeport from 2000 to 2015, helped establish the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio and now is the president and CEO of Families Flourish (formerly known as Move to Prosper). The nonprofit aims to help families through programming and support related to housing, education and wellness.
“As jobs are created, housing is needed at all price points to serve the needs of the labor pool. Our region must connect these two activities, and I believe that whenever incentives are provided to attract companies to our region, incentives need to be provided to build housing. This is part of our communities’ infrastructure,” Klaben says.
There are several recent developments that could help:
• In November, the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County and 11 government and corporate investors unveiled a $60 million AHT Regional Impact Fund to create more housing units.
• In December, Columbus City Council voted to create a citywide Community Reinvestment Area in an effort to generate more affordable housing. Qualifying new residential developments get a 100
percent, 15-year tax break.
• A new $100 million, state-specific LIHTC is dedicated to the construction or rehabilitation of affordable rental housing.
• The CONVERGENCE Columbus initiative aims to increase Black and minority homeownership through a vast network of coalition members from government, banking, nonprofits and corporations.
Homeport’s mission is to “create strong
communities by developing quality, affordable homes on a cornerstone of dignity, security and opportunity.” The nonprofit’s latest Impact Report shows it provided housing for 275 new residents in 2023 and had projects in the works to accommodate 650 more. Throughout the year, 7,209 residents were served through food assistance, financial assistance, and homebuyer education and counseling programs.
“We’re going to stay laser-focused on residents, that’s not going to change, and meeting our mission of
7,209 total residents served
275 new residents housed
650 residential capacity of in-progress developments
Homeport highlights from 2023
481 children participating in out-of-school programs
255 clients who became homeowners
223 evictions prevented (impacting 651 residents)
$615,463 emergency assistance awarded
7.1 years average resident’s stay
103,061 meal equivalents delivered to six communities
Source: Homeport 2023 Impact Report Housing Advisory Services Demographics 79.7%
closing the housing gap is not going to change,” board chair Emmett Kelly says. “Developing more properties is something we want to expand upon, and part of that is taking advantage of the state and federal [LIHTC] programs and looking at other alternatives in the marketplace, including partnering with market-rate folks and pursuing all avenues so we can develop more space to meet that mission of closing the gap.”
For example, Homeport recently partnered with developer CASTO to build the Killarney Woods apartment community in Blacklick.
Homeport isn’t tackling the crisis alone. The United Methodist Church’s Community Development for All People ministry works with an array of partners on affordable housing and other community issues. This includes a venture with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to rehabilitate and repair homes near the hospital’s main campus.
“The South Side has a history of valuing diversity across backgrounds, race and class; this is a multiclass, multiracial neighborhood,” says Katelin Hansen, CD4AP’s chief
financial officer. “People here value that legacy. A lot of what we have been trying to cultivate is the continuation of a diverse, mixed-income, opportunity-rich neighborhood where all people can belong and thrive. We see a collective value in radical hospitality for all people.”
Challenges persist. This includes making sure existing affordable housing stays that way, in part by ensuring landlords continue to accept Section 8 renters. Additionally, as homes are repaired, it reduces the number of blighted properties where homeless people seek refuge, so establishing more warming centers and smaller, place-based shelters is critical, Hansen says.
The Columbus Urban League has acted as a HUD-approved homebuyer-education and down-payment assistance provider for 13 years—efforts that have created 321 new homeowners and $38 million in mortgages, according to Stephanie Hightower, the organization’s president and CEO. She received Homeport’s highest honor last year—the Voice & Vision award—in recognition of her fierce advocacy for the housing and
economic needs of Central Ohioans, including championing fair housing and taking an active role to prevent housing discrimination.
“We know housing is foundational and essential for our families,” Hightower says. “It’s a factor for everyone who walks through our doors, whether they seek us out for financial literacy or career mobility. We can never underestimate the irreversible link between housing and security, stability and economic success.”
Hightower also points to numerous ongoing challenges, such as a surging number of people who are homeless and the eviction crisis that disproportionately affects communities of color, especially Black women.
Meanwhile, the Kelley and Weiler families have created the Columbus Housing Enterprise to preserve affordable housing through the philanthropic commitment of private sector leaders. The nonprofit organization is led by the Rev. John Edgar, who formerly led CD4AP, and Evans is a board member. CHE partners with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority to buy apartment complexes to keep them affordable. “The apartment business has been good to us, and we want to give something back to the community,” Kelley says. “It’s that simple.”
Evans and others who work in the affordable housing space stress the importance of a regional approach to solving the crisis. That’s why Homeport, with funding from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, is redeveloping the Delaware County Engineer’s property. The 44 LIHTC units will include a mix of apartments for households earning between 30 percent and 70 percent of the area’s median income.
“I love the energy of our team, our board members and partners, and we’ll continue to seek out ways to stay relevant,” Evans says. “We’ll continue to ask, ‘What do we need to do to continue to serve the market in a robust fashion?’ That will include looking for more opportunities to serve housing needs as we continue to support the growth of the entire region.”
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
Myoptechs aims to curb nearsightedness in children with specialty contact lenses.
BY CYNTHIA BENT FINDLAYAColumbus biotech startup is trying to revolutionize clear sight for young patients. Its contact lens technology shows promise in fighting myopia, which the World Health Organization has designated a global health epidemic.
Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, has become increasingly prevalent since the 1970s, to the point that currently nearly 30 percent of the world is nearsighted. But Paul Grimm, CEO of Myoptechs, says that number is on track to increase to 5 billion people, or nearly 50 percent of the world’s population, by 2050.
There are already parts of Asia where that number is 70 percent, Grimm says. According to Wired magazine, a 2012 study in Seoul found that 96.5 percent of 19-yearold men there were nearsighted.
Experts believe the spike is due to a complicated relationship between genetics and exposure to daylight and their combined effect on the shape of a child’s developing eye.
Myopia, caused by an irregularly shaped eye or cornea, doesn’t stop at blurry vision. “The elongated eye
Myoptechs
myoptechs.com
CEO: Paul Grimm
BUSINESS: Ophthalmic medical devices
FOUNDED: 2022
EMPLOYEES: 3
INVESTMENT TO DATE: Would not disclose
and severe myopia puts that patient at a 14-times increased risk for glaucoma, compared to the average person walking around, 22 times for retinal detachment, and 41 times for myopic macular degeneration,” Grimm says.
Because the eye is finished developing by the late teens, medical solutions need to come early in life. There are several approaches to fight the occurrence of myopia. Myoptechs is focusing on soft contact lenses that create myopic defocus in the eye, an already proven tactic to slow progression of myopia. “It literally is a stop signal to the eye. It signals the eye to stop growing,” Grimm says. The company’s lenses defocus light in the peripheral retina while also providing the wearer with clearer vision.
Grimm says the prototype lenses that Myoptechs is developing provide three times more optical signal than earlier versions, so the hope is they are significantly more effective at slowing the eye elongation that causes myopia to progress.
Myoptechs’ team incorporated in 2022, licensed the intellectual property from the Ohio State Innovation
Foundation just under a year ago and then developed its unique faceted design with inventor Dr. Tom Raasch, an optometrist with a Ph.D. in physiological optics who is the company’s head of technology.
The company completed its first clinical trial testing the visual acuity of the lenses in early 2024. “The next step is a series of experiments throughout 2024, which will help us identify our two best prototypes,” Grimm says. Next year, Myoptechs will test the effectiveness of those designs.
The stakes are high. Soft contact lenses currently make up about 25 percent of the total optical market. The company believes the market for soft contact lenses for myopia control will hit at least $5 billion in the next couple decades.
Grimm says the product’s time to the U.S. market will be a few years, given it will probably require a threeyear clinical trial, but he expects the company will have lenses on the market elsewhere as early as 2027. “We’re aiming for as big a segment of that market as possible,” he says.
Myoptechs has already received funding grants from the state of Ohio and Rev1 Ventures.
“We are currently raising a seed round of funding and are in active conversations with multiple investors to help us fund the rest of our plan for the next couple of years,” Grimm says.
Central Ohio colleges and universities are responding to demand for continuing education and degree offerings in artificial intelligence.
BY TIM FERANThe widespread adoption of ChatGPT in the past year underscores how rapidly artificial intelligence is being integrated into our personal and professional lives. For forward-thinking businesspeople, the question is no longer if AI will affect their companies, but how they can get a grasp on the technology— and how quickly they can do so.
Fortunately, Central Ohio is home to colleges and universities that are rushing to meet the demand for courses focusing on this increasingly omnipresent technology.
“There’s a panoply of things we’re offering now and have in development,” says Eric Fosler-Lussier, the John I. Makhoul Professor and associate chair for academic administration at Ohio State University’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering. “The landscape at OSU is pretty interesting—and growing.
For those who have some grasp of the technology, OSU offers an AI Boot Camp. The course is “pretty intensive,” Fosler-Lussier says. Presented online three nights a week over 24 weeks, the course uses instructors from the edX online education platform who have been vetted by Ohio State. It teaches students everything from the simple question, “What is AI?” to machine learning optimization and brings them up to date on emerging topics and developments. Students typically have some or all of the $11,745 cost paid by their employers.
Ohio State also offers a master’s degree in Translational Data Analytics that has AI components.
“It’s a marriage of AI, big data and digital storytelling—it is a unique degree. It not only incorporates AI aspects and ‘how do I do big data,’ but also design,” Fosler-Lussier says.
Since it debuted several years ago, the degree has evolved from a five-semester sequence to five-, eight- and 10-semester pathways. With a price tag of $40,000, “it is sort of a premium option,” Fosler-Lussier says. The online program, taught by OSU instructors, “helps you build the skillset, so there is a lot more personalized attention.”
Yet another offering is a master’s in Computer Science and Engineering with an AI concentration, at a cost of $27,000. “This is meant more for full-time students, although we have seen a number of professionals who do this part time,” he says.
And there’s more to come. “We’ve been thinking about how AI combines in other areas. There’s a real interest in blended programs. We’re intending to offer an online AI graduate certificate program, a stackable certificate that can create a master’s program,” Fosler-Lussier says.
“We’re going to continue to innovate in this area of how AI is impacting all these fields,” such as cybersecurity, health care and more.
Ohio State recently hired 15 new faculty in the department to keep up with demand. “It’s important to be on top of it, but not scared of it. It’s exciting times,” Fosler-Lussier says.
Franklin University, meanwhile, is seeing “huge interest” in AI, says Richard G. Sunderman, senior vice president of information services and chief information officer. “There’s been discussion of AI for a while, of course. With ChatGPT, it’s just exploded. We’re trying to make sure we have a broad range of educational solutions to meet individual learners’ needs.”
The FranklinWorks Marketplace— an online platform launched in 2021—has short-term courses in partnership with Coursera, the global online education service. “There are dozens of short-duration courses with AI and machine learning,” Sunderman says, “all at pretty good price points. I point people interested in AI to the Marketplace. It’s a good place to start.”
Among the offerings included in the $49 monthly subscription is the IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate, which helps students learn to design, build and deploy AIpowered apps.
“We’ve also started incorporating AI into our regular curriculum,”
Sunderman says. For instance, the “Business and AI” course explores the use of artificial intelligence and its potential benefits and limitations. “We’ve transitioned from hype about it to more of the reality of AI,” he says. “That’s driving us toward making it a minor.
“If you look back 10 years, how much did we talk about analytics? Now we have a master’s and bachelor’s degree in multiple areas—data analytics, health analytics—it’s exploded. We’re seeing the same thing occur with AI, both the quantity and quality of information and demand for it.”
Last fall, Capital University and Columbus College of Art & Design launched the Institute for Creative Leadership at Work, a collaboration to provide custom training and nondegree certificate programs for businesses and individuals. “We will offer a wide variety of types of workshops,” says Melanie Corn, president of CCAD. “Some will be open enrollment. Others we are crafting specifically for corporate or community
If you look back 10 years, how much did we talk about analytics? … We’re seeing the same thing occur with AI.Richard G. Sunderman, senior VP of information services and CIO, Franklin University
partners—bespoke training.”
That includes AI.
“AI has been something of a hot topic over the past year, with more growth in generative AI,” Corn says, “and we thought AI was one of many topics in which we could provide some insight.”
The institute offered a fall workshop to 180 human resources professionals, charging $150 for the course, which focused on a variety of issues, including generative AI, practical applications for HR and ethical issues.
“We did it online, but we’ve talked about doing in person as well,” says
Jennifer L. Wondracek, director of the law library and a professor of legal research and writing at Capital University. “We went through their requirements for talent acquisition, automated content generation, enhancing employee experience, and also included an explanation of how the technology works.
“And I always talk about the ethical concerns,” Wondracek says. Future workshops will be scheduled soon.
“We can’t stick our heads in the sand,” Corn says. “The best creatives will still have great jobs and know how to use these tools.”
Robbie Master’s Degree Graduate Director of Community Impact, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA)
Earn your degree at Ohio’s #1 adult-focused university and join the ranks of Franklin University alumni who put their expertise to work at leading organizations like Nationwide, Cardinal Health and OhioHealth. Franklin’s faculty of in-field experts help you gain knowledge you can put to use right away, and our convenient course options enable you to balance your education with your life. For a list of partnerships and programs designed to help you maximize your education benefits, go to franklin.edu/partners.
www.franklin.edu
Franklin Makes It Possible. Franklin Makes It Personal.
Franklin University is nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440). State rank data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Database.
MASTER’S + DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
BUSINESS
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
MBA
MBA-STEM
M.S. in Accounting
M.S. in Business Analytics
M.S. in Business Psychology
M.S. in Human Resource Management
M.S. in Professional Sales Leadership
EDUCATION + LEADERSHIP
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership
Doctor of Professional Studies–
Instructional Design Leadership
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
M.S. in Instructional Design + Learning Technology
HEALTHCARE
Doctor of Healthcare Administration
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
MBA-Healthcare
Master of Healthcare Administration
M.S. in Health Informatics
M.S. in Nursing (MSN)
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
M.A. in Criminal Justice Administration
Master of Public Administration
TECHNOLOGY
M.S. in Computer Science
M.S. in Cybersecurity
M.S. in Data Analytics
M.S. in Information Systems
M.S. in Information Technology
While CCAD doesn’t currently have AI-specific courses, Corn says, “all of the faculty are taking it on themselves to educate students not only on the ways we want them not to use AI but also on what assignments to use AI.”
Even professionals can be tripped up. Wondracek cites a New York legal case that made national headlines last year to illustrate the need for continuing AI education for lawyers. In Mata v. Avianca, the plaintiffs’ attorneys filed motions citing court decisions that didn’t exist and had been made up by ChatGPT. The judge issued sanctions to the attorneys and fined them and their firm. “We want to see Central Ohio attorneys stay on the right side of the law,” Wondracek says.
To that end, Capital University Law School’s annual Professionalism Week in April will focus on generative AI. “We are providing a CLE [Continuing Legal Education] on what generative AI is and how it can be used,” Wondracek says.
It’s all about who you could know. As business leaders, we’ve all heard this common phrase more times than we can count. We’ve come to learn our network can define our careers: who we know, who they know and how we all share those contacts with each other. Business deals, recruiting efforts and industry insights are often exchanged and solidified over cocktails, not conference tables. But if our network isn’t strong, how do we get it there?
At Huber Equity Group, we’ve made it our mission to build networks instead of waiting for them to be offered to us. The result? Robust networks spanning the nation creating exclusive off-market acquisitions, outsized returns for our investors, and an award-winning team. We’re going to let you in on the secret—cold-calling—or as we call it, proactive outreach.
It’s never comfortable striking up these conversations, but with a few tricks that we employ at Huber Equity Group, you’ll be armed with tools to create a network that takes others decades to build.
1. Start with a targeted list. Define who you need to know including their specific characteristics. Are they industry professionals, geographically appropriate or technically proficient? Without a defined and targeted list, you can’t write your pitch or create an “in.” Our team makes over 100,000 calls every year to a defined target of individuals. Before we even begin a conversation, we know exactly who we’re calling, why and how we can add value to this individual’s life.
2. Build relationships, not networks. According to a study conducted by the University of Kansas, it takes 40-60 hours to build a casual relationship (and nearly 200 to build a close friendship). Plan a course to get as close to “friendship” status
as you can. We work tirelessly to establish common ground upon our first conversation, making sure we take thorough notes for our next conversation. Keep a notepad, CRM, or find an app that helps you track your conversations.
3. Play the (consistent) long game. Don’t expect these budding relationships to remember you the second, third or even fifth time you connect with them again. Be consistent and considerate in your follow-up. We have a detailed cadence combining phone calls, snail-mail, and email that extends over two years—using calendars and CRMs for reminders. This allows us to focus on the relationship we’re building, and not lose anyone in the process.
Our proactive outreach initiatives have led to tremendous results. As a commercial real estate firm, we’ve
acquired over 1,000 multifamily apartments in the last five years, with $135 million in transaction volume. By identifying off-market acquisitions through proactive outreach, we grew our investor base from $0 to $40 million in five years and provided outsized returns for our investors. So, how about your organization? Where could you grow your company by utilizing proactive outreach?
We’d love to hear from you! Shoot us an email or give us a call (if we don’t beat you to it) info@huberequitygroup.com or (614) 559-9909.
Dedicated to protecting and preserving what’s important to you
For over 55 years, Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP has provided legal excellence to businesses, families and individuals. Our team provides expert legal advice, practical options, and the utmost in attention and respect.
2024 Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP is a 2024 Top Workplace!
Central Ohio is home to a robust legal sector. Those seeking an attorney can choose from boutique practices, midsize offices or power players affiliated with national or international firms. If your business is shopping for legal counsel, you’re in the right place. Columbus CEO’s 2024 Legal Guide features 82 law firms, spanning a wide variety of sizes and practice areas.
Information in the directory was submitted by firms that responded to our annual survey of multiple-attorney practices. Listings include the number of partners and full-time attorneys (including partners) in the Columbus area, up to three areas of practice and the office managing partner.
To be added to the contact list for the 2025 Columbus Legal Guide, send an email to pressreleases@columbusceo.com.
Our annual directory includes 82 Central Ohio law firms specializing in practice areas from bankruptcy to workers’ compensation.
Amundsen Davis LLC (formerly Crabbe, Brown & James LLP)
500 S. Front St., Suite 1200, Columbus 43215
614-228-5511
amundsendavislaw.
com
Partners: 7
FTE attorneys: 9
Practice areas: Business/ corporate law; insurance defense; employment law Managing partner, Ohio operations: Larry James
Arenstein & Andersen Co. LPA
6740 Avery Muirfield Drive, Suite B, Dublin 43017
614-602-6550
aacolpa.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 9
Practice areas:
Business; tax; estate planning
Managing partner: G. Gregory Arenstein
Arnold & Clifford LLP
115 W. Main St., Suite 400, Columbus 43215
614-460-1600
arnlaw.com
Partners: 8
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Business litigation; labor and employment; state and local taxation
Managing partner:
Damion M. Clifford
Bailey Cavalieri LLC
10 W. Broad St., Suite 2100, Columbus 43215
614-221-3155
baileycav.com
Partners: 31
FTE attorneys: 31
Practice areas:
Corporate; directors and officers liability; estates and trusts
Managing partner: Robert Dunn Barnes & Thornburg LLP
41 S. High St., Suite 3300, Columbus 43215
614-628-0096
btlaw.com
Partners: 14
FTE attorneys: 25
Practice areas: Labor and employment; real estate; litigation
Managing partner: William A. Nolan
Barr, Jones and Associates LLP
150 E. Mound St., Suite 200, Columbus 43215
614-702-2222
barrjoneslegal.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 5
Practice areas: Family law; bankruptcy law; criminal law
Managing partners: Andrew Jones and Jason Barr
Barrett, Easterday, Cunningham & Eselgroth LLP
1759 Sawmill Road, Dublin 43016 614-210-1840
ohiocounsel.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Business planning; estate planning; dispute resolution
Managing partner: David C. Barrett
The Behal Law Group LLC
501 S. High St., Suite 200, Columbus 43215
614-643-5050
behallaw.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 7
Practice areas: Business law; family law; estate planning/probate
Managing partner: Bob Behal
Bergman & Yiangou 2020 Brice Road, Suite 125,
Reynoldsburg 43068
614-866-5060
byattorneys.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 3
Practice areas: Probate; bankruptcy; domestic relations
Managing partner: Robert D. Bergman
Bluestone Law Group LLC
141 E. Town St., Columbus 43215 614-220-5900
bluestonelawgroup. com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas: Real property tax appeals; sale and purchase of real property; business law
Managing attorney:
Charles L. Bluestone
Brian G. Miller
Co. LPA
250 W. Old Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 270, Worthington 43085
614-221-4035
bgmillerlaw.com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas: Personal injury; wage and houremployment labor law
Managing partner: Brian Miller Bricker Graydon LLP
100 S. Third St., Columbus 43215
614-227-2300
brickergraydon.com
Partners: 49
FTE attorneys: 80
Practice areas: Litigation; public sector; health care
Managing partner: Jim Flynn
Brosius, Johnson & Griggs LLC
6797 N. High St., Suite 350, Worthington 43085 614-464-3563
bjglaw.net
Partners: 4
FTE attorneys: 5
Practice areas: Real estate/construction; local government; condo/HOA/planned community
Managing partner: Calvin “Tom” Johnson Jr.
Burman & Robinson
Dinsmore attorneys nationwide are driven by an unwavering commitment to empower our clients to accomplish their goals. We’re recognized for our dedication to client service because helping clients is at the center of everything we do.
580 S. High St., Suite 250, Columbus 43215
614-221-8900
burmanrobinson. com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 3
Practice areas: Debtor/creditor; commercial litigation; family law
Managing partner: Randal D. Robinson
Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
1200 Huntington Center, 41 S. High St., Columbus 43215
614-621-1500
calfee.com
Partners: 10
FTE attorneys: 18
Practice areas:
Continues on page 53
Our 2024 Top Workplaces winners feature organizations of all types and sizes, including for-profit, nonprofit and government. Learn who the 85 honorees are and how they work to cultivate environments where employees thrive.
Oakwood is proud to be the largest multifamily property management company in Central Ohio, managing over 12,000 units. For more than 50 years, Oakwood’s apartments have featured unique layouts, spacious interiors, unbeatable amenities, immaculate grounds, and friendly staff. Visit Us Online to Learn
Thank you to our employees who voted our companies as Top Workplaces.
Our people carry on the Worthington Industries legacy as Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel. Visit our websites to explore career opportunities.
ow do you judge the quality of a workplace? Ask the experts: the employees.
For the 12th year, employee survey firm Energage has partnered with Columbus CEO to determine the top places to work in Central Ohio. It’s not a popularity contest, and not everyone gets a blue ribbon. A select few are honored based on a scientific survey process.
Energage administers an employee survey that covers 24 factors and takes just a few minutes to complete. The survey asks employees to offer feedback about such things as pay and benefits, direction, leadership, meaningfulness and appreciation. Energage crunches the feedback data and scores companies based on the responses.
There is no cost to participate in Top Workplaces and no obligation to purchase any product or service. For 2024, 2,570 organizations were invited to survey their
employees, and 148 agreed to do so. Based on the survey feedback, 85 have earned recognition as Top Workplaces in the Columbus region.
“Being honored with a Top Workplaces award is a distinctive mark of excellence, setting companies apart in a recognizable way,” says Eric Rubino, Energage’s CEO. “Top Workplaces embody the highest standards, and this award, rooted in authentic employee feedback, is a point of immense pride for company leaders.”
The program is open to any employer with 50 or more employees in Central Ohio. Survey results are valid only if at least 35 percent of employees respond; employers with fewer than 85 employees have a higher response threshold, requiring responses from at least 30 employees. Employers earn Top Workplaces recognition if their aggregated employee feedback score exceeds national benchmarks.
Employers are grouped into similar sizes to best compare similar employee experiences. Energage has established those benchmarks based on feedback from about 30 million employees over 18 years. Participants are ranked within those size groups based on the strength of the survey feedback.
There are a few reasons why you might not find a particular company on the list. Perhaps the organization chose not to participate. Or, the employee survey feedback might not have been strong enough to merit recognition. It also might not have been large enough to meet participation standards, or not enough employees responded.
Energage runs tests on survey feedback and in some cases may choose to disqualify organizations, for example, if a high number of employees said they felt pressured into answering positively.
To participate in the 2025 Top Workplaces awards, or for more information about the program, go to the nomination page at columbusceo.com/nominate.
–Bob Helbig, Energage
These 85 organizations are the 2024 Top Workplaces. They are listed by their rankings, which were determined by Columbus CEO research partner Energage, in three size categories based on the number of Columbus region employees. Data is current as of employee surveys from late 2023.
The recipients of these 14 Special Awards were chosen based on standout scores for employee responses to specific survey statements. Employees rate these statements on a seven-point scale, from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
LEADERSHIP
I have confidence in the leader of this company.
Large
Midsize
Small
Mike Fitzpatrick
Elford
Julie Erwin Rinaldi
Syntero
Kathy Keeney
Boss Gal Beauty Bar
I believe this company is going in the right direction.
DHL Supply Chain North America
My manager helps me learn and grow.
My manager cares about my concerns.
Total Quality Logistics – TQL
New ideas are encouraged at this company.
Arvo Tech DOERS
At this company, we do things efficiently and well.
S-S Bendure & Hartwig
MEANINGFULNESS
My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful.
Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana
VALUES
This company operates by strong values.
Renier Construction Corp.
CLUED-IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Senior managers understand what is really happening at this company.
Daugherty Business Solutions
COMMUNICATION
I feel well-informed about important decisions at this company.
Leading EDJE
APPRECIATION
I feel genuinely appreciated at this company.
Worthington Industries
I have the flexibility I need to balance my work and personal life.
Transportation Research Center Inc.
TRAINING
I get the formal training I want for my career.
Keller Williams Consultants Realty
BENEFITS
My benefits package is good compared to others in this industry.
PITT OHIO
New to Columbus CEO’s Top Workplaces for 2024, this award recognizes the positive impact an organization has on the community at large: My employer is socially responsible in the community.
Dawson
How four of this year’s Top Workplaces winners—including a 12-timer and a newcomer— strive to create cultures that support workers and customers.
By KATY SMITHBrian Reynolds, trained as an architect, worked as a consultant with Renier Construction Corp. for years. He loved doing business with the design-build company serving many auto dealerships. Projects were carried out fairly and on time, and he found the people positive and helpful.
So when Renier founder and chairman Bill Heifner asked Reynolds to join the company as his successor, Reynolds jumped at the chance. He became Renier’s president and CEO a year later, in 2020. He says the job is just what he’d hoped for: the chance to lead a team of people continually focused on doing the next right thing.
It seems a simple maxim that the best workplaces are positive ones. They foster employee engagement by sticking to a set of tried-and-true practices, such as uniting around a common mission, listening to team feedback and honoring employees’ needs outside work.
The best employers score high on 24 so-called “positivity” measures included in the annual Top Workplaces survey. Employees share anonymous feedback, and themes emerge to paint a picture of life inside the organizations. This year, these three positivity measures showed the biggest gains over last year among participating companies: work-life balance, “clued-in employees” (a communication metric) and values.
Here’s a look at how some of this year’s Top Workplaces—Renier, Advocate RCM, Transportation Research Center Inc., and Worthington Steel and Worthington Enterprises (formerly Worthington
ABOVE: Employees work on a sound test at Transportation Research Center Inc.
Industries)—drive outstanding culture by engaging employees.
The Renier commitment to doing the right thing is evidenced by the 63-person staff’s responses to this year’s Top Workplaces survey. The company is a first-time winner and also received the Special Award for Values because so many team members responded positively to
the statement, “This company operates by strong values.”
The win is affirmation of Renier’s emphasis on four core values since its founding in 1980, Reynolds says. They are: integrity, relationships matter, help first and driven by excellence.
“Integrity is the bedrock of our identity,” Reynolds says. “Bill Heifner could tell you a great story about how he learned that concept from his dad, who owned
a sporting goods store. Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one’s watching—and even when doing the wrong thing is easier or cheaper.”
Long term, doing the right thing builds relationships, which is crucial to a company’s success, Reynolds says. Renier prizes its multigenerational relationships with family-owned auto dealerships. “A lot of these partners have become authentic friends, not just clients,” he says.
Renier sets itself apart by prioritizing transparency and making the process of building a dealership as clear and predictable as possible. “We are averse to change orders. Our whole process is designed to eliminate surprises and change orders. That’s kind of unusual in the construction industry,” Reynolds says.
Before he joined Renier, Reynolds says the company’s help-first mentality made it a wonderful business partner to his architecture practice. “I could call anyone here, and they would answer the phone. If I had a question or needed help with something, they would stop what they were doing, and they would help me. That continues to be such a big part of the culture at Renier.”
When the board of 12-time Top Workplaces winner Worthington Industries decided to split the company
in two, there were a lot of questions— understandably. Its tenured workforce of more than 9,000 would become two workforces of roughly half that number each, with new management for half the business. The publicly traded company founded in 1955 by John H. McConnell, who also founded the Columbus Blue Jackets, transformed as of Dec. 1 into Worthington Steel and Worthington Enterprises, both publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Worthington Enterprises (NYSE: WOR) is a diversified metals designer and manufacturer with 5,000 employees, 1,120 of them in Central Ohio. Its leader is President and CEO Andy Rose, who was at the helm of Worthington Industries at the time of the split.
Worthington Steel (NYSE:WS) makes its business in carbon flat-roll steel processing, electrical steel laminations and custom-welded solutions, with 4,600 employees, 670 of them in Central Ohio. Its new President and CEO Geoff Gilmore is anything but new to the company—he worked at Worthington Industries for
25 years before being promoted to lead Worthington Steel.
The two companies recorded $4.9 billion in revenue in fiscal 2023 as Worthington Industries. They’re still very much together in a number of ways. They have headquarters next door to each another on West Old Wilson Bridge Road. And their company values are identical.
“Mr. Mac [as John H. McConnell was called] put down on paper what we call our philosophy back in the 1960s,” Rose says. “We believe people are our most important asset, and we’re a Golden Rule company,” Rose says. “That doesn’t mean we don’t work hard and challenge people, but we do it in a nice way.”
The Worthington philosophy and culture are nonnegotiable for both companies, Gilmore says. A lot changed with the split. Employees who had worked alongside one another for decades ended up in different companies that each have their own marketing, finance and human resources divisions. Still, “we wanted to be crystal clear that our culture would live on after the separation. It speaks
volumes that 99 percent of the new leadership team at Steel were Worthington Industries employees,” Gilmore says.
Internal employee engagement surveys before and after the separation bear witness to the cohesive culture, too: Scores did not drop during the process, Rose says. “We have a lot of trust with our employees,” he says. “We did a lot communicating to them about why we were doing this and that it would be beneficial for all of our employees.”
Like many businesses, the staff at Advocate RCM (which stands for Revenue Cycle Management) worked in the office full time for its entire 22-year existence. That all changed in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world.
Almost overnight, the medical billing and office support company that works primarily with radiology practices was able to shift its operations to a remote setup, thanks to the work of its dedicated technology team. “It was a heavy lift, obviously. But we were able to do it quickly,” says Advocate CEO Todd Walker. “The experience taught us there is a different way we can do business. We found it’s not as important to have people sitting within your four walls of bricks and mortar if
we give them the tools they need.” The company supports work-from-home employees with full computer kits and big screens for their home offices.
The switch has created a culture at Advocate where employees feel they can do their jobs and care for their families without having to sacrifice one for the other, Walker says.
Remote work has had other advantages: Advocate can hire people who live far from its Dublin headquarters. It now has 376 employees in 26 states, with 174 in Central Ohio.
Employees from across Advocate mentioned flexibility in their comments on the Top Workplaces survey for 2024. “I love my job because by having a flexible start and end time, I can more easily make time for appointments, family obligations and personal matters,” said one.
“I love that my job gives me the flexibility to work from home and make up any hours I missed without using PTO,” said another respondent.
While most of Advocate’s workforce is not based in the office, there are some jobs that require manual, paper-based processes and live physician signatures, necessitating a hybrid arrangement. And some employees prefer to work in the office most of the time. “Personally, I have always felt that we needed to make work as flexible as possible to meet our employees’ personal needs,” Walker says. “Some people might have impediments to being able to work full time, and if we give them flexibility, maybe that opens the door for them.”
Advocate was acquired by Dallas-based Ventra Health, a larger company providing similar services, in early 2024.
East Liberty-based Transportation Research Center Inc. also received praise from employees regarding work-life balance—so much so that it won the Special Award for Work/Life Flexibility.
The independent mobility testing service provider for automotive companies, governments, trade associations and educational institutions makes its home on a 4,500-acre campus, and much of its work is hands-on. But the roughly 450 employees can take advantage of differing work styles according to their needs. While people performing vehicle testing work in-person, research and administrative employees may work remotely.
No matter the arrangement, TRC has the same emphasis for all staff: their health and happiness. Evidence of that is the company’s recent expansion of its paid-leave offerings. “The decisions that are made on a daily basis are really focused on the health of our employees, mental and physical,” says Allison Kendor, chief people officer. “Work-life
balance has been a huge priority as long as I’ve been here.”
Founded in 1974 as a state of Ohio agency, TRC leases land owned by Honda and operates as an affiliated entity of Ohio State University. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit had revenue of $64.8 million in 2023 from a diverse, confidential client roster.
The culture that respects and honors staff members’ time and health also values their opinions. CEO Brett Roubinek routinely encourages the team to “bubble up” any thoughts, concerns or questions. “He is a very strong advocate of always asking questions, and each time we get together with employees, he’s always saying bubble it up, ask questions,” Kendor says. “He truly drives an open-door policy at TRC.”
The organization’s culture is intentional, she says. A culture task force from departments and levels across TRC meets regularly, and one of its recent initiatives is creating an environment of psychological safety. “We want to make sure we’re really taking the time to check in and listen to and follow up on what employees are saying,” Kendor says.
As an engineering and testing firm tasked with providing solutions, collaboration and creativity are TRC’s most powerful tools. With a foundation of psychological safety, great ideas can come forth without fear of being labeled as “crazy,” she says.
DHL Supply Chain North America’s certification and leadership programs boost engagement and retention.
By KATY SMITH Photos by TIM JOHNSONDuring the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, DHL Supply Chain North America’s team faced big obstacles when distribution centers were shut down and global freight shipping came to a standstill. In the years that have followed, DHL has leveraged innovative team thinking to make supply chains more sustainable and more resilient even while processing historic increases in shipping volume as e-commerce ballooned.
“When COVID struck and the world went into lockdown in March of 2020, we went to work, supply chain kept going. We were part of so many things that were necessary during that time, like the distribution of vaccine and other health care products, to consumer goods and basics
“You feel pretty good when you wake up knowing you shipped a medical device for someone’s surgery or diapers to a child in need.”
like groceries,” says Tom Fogerty, senior vice president of human resources for DHL Supply Chain North America.
Employees found the essential nature of the work rewarding, and “we’ve seen our applicant pipelines grow steadily because the awareness of supply chain is now driving people’s interest in us,” he says.
DHL Supply Chain North America landed a spot on the Top Workplaces list for the second time since 2021. It seems fitting that a logistics company also won the Special Award for Direction thanks to the high number of employees who responded positively to the statement, “I believe this company is going in the right direction.”
of its business, Sureddin says.
DHL Supply Chain North America is part of the global DHL Group headquartered in Bonn, Germany.
A few years ago, DHL created a program that culminates in certification as a supply chain specialist. The foundational course is taught to every associate, educating them on the importance of supply chain and the role they play. “When people understand their purpose in an organization, it drives so much greater engagement,” Fogerty says.
Business: Contract logistics
Based: Westerville
Founded: 1969
CEO: Scott Sureddin
Total U.S. employees: 51,000+
Central Ohio employees: 4,500+
Annual revenue: Would not disclose
That’s partly the result of a deliberate corporate effort to help team members recognize how their daily work helps people and makes the world a better place. “You feel pretty good when you wake up knowing you shipped a medical device for someone’s surgery or diapers to a child in need,” says Scott Sureddin, the company’s CEO.
With more than 51,000 employees— more than 4,500 of them in Central Ohio— DHL is the largest third-party logistics company in North America. It delivers goods for many other companies across nearly every part of the economy, whether it be consumer products, automotive, chemical, energy or technology. That diversity is the strength
In essence, the company is establishing supply chain as a career destination, he says. “If you think back, it wasn’t that many years ago that when you talked about supply chain, a lot of times you would get a bit of a blank stare from people because they really didn’t understand the term,” he says. “The pandemic really opened people’s eyes to the importance of supply chain and the global economy. And that’s where our opportunity really began to shine.”
The company’s certified curriculum also includes its Supervisory Academy, where front-line managers spend 18 months expanding their technical skills and participating in leadership training. These are the types of investments that help create an
experienced, tenured workforce, Fogerty says. During a time of historically low unemployment rates, the company continues to see larger applicant pipelines and increased retention rates.
By necessity, the majority of DHL’s employees have in-person, hands-on jobs. Because it functions as a critical link in the economy, operations run first, second and third shifts and on weekends and holidays.
Administrative workers report to offices, where they work on a hybrid basis, mostly on-site but with the ability to work from home when needed. Workers are not mandated to be in the office for a specified number of days a week, Fogerty says. “We’ve been successful in creating a hybrid environment that is really managed by the individual and their manager. It’s more about, ‘Are we able to execute and get done the work that needs to be done? Are we there to support our folks in the field that are working day in and day out inside our facilities and traveling the roadways of our country?’ ”
Belonging has become a focus for the company in recent years, too. Employee
resource groups for veterans, LGBTQ+, people of color and women in supply chain give co-workers a venue to gather, support one another and educate the broader workforce about their experiences. DHL also created a diversity and inclusion curriculum around unconscious bias and taking leadership to the next level in a diverse workspace.
Ohio plays a significant role for DHL Supply Chain North America, with its strategic location within one day’s service to 60 percent of the United States. The
company has 6,200 employees in the state across 59 sites, including 800 at the company’s headquarters in Westerville. Overall, it has 523 operating sites in the U.S. and Canada and 161 million square feet of distribution center space.
In 2023, customer needs changed, leading to the closure of a Groveport warehouse and 264 layoffs. The company prioritized finding spots for workers who wanted to stay with DHL. Most of those employees landed jobs with other Central Ohio sites, including 23 of 25 managers. Of the 240 hourly employees who worked in Groveport, about 80 percent continued with the company locally.
“We long ago recognized that people have a choice on where they spend their careers,” Sureddin says. “And so our emphasis has always been understanding that we are a people business first. Without a strong foundation of talent, we couldn’t be the provider of choice and the investment of choice for our customers. So it really begins and ends with our people.”
Daugherty Business Solutions’ top-down focus on values and employees nurtures business results.
By KATY SMITHFor Ron Daugherty, building a $330 million technology consulting business from scratch came down to one simple focus: people.
When he founded Daugherty Business Solutions nearly 40 years ago in St. Louis, he wasn’t sure where technology would go, and probably didn’t envision artificial intelligence or cloud computing. But he was sure of two things: He wanted to build the company around a set of core values, and he wanted to invest in people. “It’s really necessary to have a vision for what you’re building, and I believe that our teammates, our people, are the building blocks of our vision,” Daugherty says. “It’s so easy to get lost if you’re just chasing money. But if you have a set of core values and a strong culture that you’re committed to, that guides you through the good times and bad.”
Daugherty Business Solutions
daugherty.com
Business: Technology consulting and advisory services
Based: St. Louis
Founded: 1985
President and CEO: Ron Daugherty
Total employees: 1,703
Central Ohio employees: 126
Central Ohio leader: John Reedy
2023 revenue: $330 million
“If you have a set of core values and a strong culture that you’re committed to, that guides you through the good times and bad.”
The strategy, apparently, has worked. Without taking any outside investments, Daugherty has grown to about 1,700 employees, including 126 in Columbus. It has 75 Fortune 500 clients. And the team’s enthusiasm for their employer has earned Daugherty a spot on the Top Workplaces list two years in a row. This year, it also won a Special Award: Clued-in Senior Management.
It’s an honor Daugherty, who sings and plays harmonica in the company band, takes to heart. The president and CEO prioritizes staying approachable and accessible to staff with open office hours and in-person gatherings since the team is mostly remote. “Transparency, communication, listening and caring,” is how he describes his leadership style.
“I’ve never seen a CEO with open office hours on Fridays, where you can just call and ask him anything you want,” says John Reedy, the company’s senior product manager and Central Ohio leader.
Daugherty hits all the points as an employer of choice with competitive pay and great benefits, Reedy says. But what
sets the company apart is the supportive environment cultivated by its leadership team. “It really starts with our CEO, Ron, and him doing what he says he’s going to do and cascading his values throughout the organization,” Reedy says.
Leadership at all levels maintains an open-door policy. And when it’s necessary to communicate difficult news about company changes or layoffs, the leaders accept accountability, Reedy says. When the news is good, “they’re the first ones to pass out all the credit, and they take none of it for themselves.”
Career development is encouraged and mapped out for the team. “They make it very clear if you want to get promoted, here’s the checklist of things you need to do,” he says.
As a single dad, Reedy is grateful to have landed a consulting position where he doesn’t have to travel. Daugherty says that was an intentional choice on the part of management. “We stay regionally focused because we want our team to have a positive quality of life,” he says. “If you’re on the road constantly, that’s not good for most people.”
Artificial intelligence, from generative AI and large language models to advanced analytics and machine learning, is the future of business, and Daugherty wants his company to be first in line to master the technologies. The business is working with a major airline, for example, to significantly decrease boarding times using generative AI.
Being able to choose the technologies they work with, and sometimes even client assignments, is one of the big pluses of being on the Daugherty team, Reedy says. Options to learn and advance are plentiful, he adds.
That philosophy extends to people who aren’t yet on the team. Daugherty created Daugherty University to train individuals without formal experience in technology for careers with the company. “Ron always says, ‘We can teach you the tech and the trade or the role, but we can’t teach a great attitude or a solid work ethic,’ ” Reedy says.
Daugherty also founded Access Point, a nonprofit that pairs high
school students with mentors and tech apprenticeships.
Employee resource groups at Daugherty foster belonging and inclusion, Reedy says. There are groups for LGBTQ Pride, veterans, the Black Consultant Network, mental health and health and wellness.
“Some of us sit at our desks all day alone, so we’ll turn on our cameras and do stretches together as a team,” Reedy says. “We support each other by talking about how many steps we can get in during the week.” Since joining the company, Reedy has lost 65 pounds. “My mental health obviously has been through the roof,” he says.
The Daugherty team loves getting together in person. In Columbus, that includes Great Strides Walks for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, monthly happy hours, weekly virtual lunches, retirement celebrations and holiday parties. For the 2023 winter holiday party, the team went bowling and collected donations for Toys for Tots.
Daugherty says building such a culture
is his life’s work. And he doesn’t want it to end with him. He has ambitions to triple revenue to $1 billion a year by dramatically growing the sales organization. Then, he wants to transition the company to employee ownership.
“The team that got us here is going to own the business,” he says. “It’s not the most lucrative exit strategy, but it’s the most satisfying for me. It’s my great hope Daugherty Business Solutions will leave our key stakeholders—teammates, clients and the communities we touch— better because it was here.”
Arvo Tech helps companies leverage tax incentive programs.
By LAURA NEWPOFF Photos by TIM JOHNSONn 2012, Brent Johnson hired Terracina Maxwell to lead a tax credit incentives program for Columbus-based accounting firm Clarus Partners, where he served as managing partner. Her hire made his management team more effective and differentiated the firm from its competitors.
After two years, the new incentive program was going so well the duo decided to spin it out into its own company, founded as Clarus Solutions and known today as Arvo Tech. At its core, the company is dedicated to helping businesses claim employment tax credits. (Arvo means “value” or “worth” in Finnish.)
Since its founding, Arvo Tech has grown into a 48-employee business and has worked with employers in all 50 states. Altogether, Arvo’s clients hire more than 300,000 people each year. The firm has
helped them claim more than $575 million in tax credits through two programs: the COVID-era Employee Retention Tax Credit and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
“We saw an opportunity to help small businesses be able to take advantage of tax credits that large businesses were taking advantage of,” says Maxwell, who serves as Arvo’s president. “These smaller firms are under-resourced and, once you show them how this process improves their cash flow, they are such grateful clients.”
Arvo Tech is a first-time Top Workplaces winner and also won the Special Award for New Ideas.
its tax credit platform syncs with existing payroll and applicant tracking systems to streamline the claims process. “A big part of this was to make the technology piece simple and build it in such a way small business owners can understand,” Maxwell says. “That takes away a barrier that would prevent someone from participating in these tax credit programs.”
Many clients use the money they receive to add employees, including a Michigan staffing business that launched an initiative to hire veterans.
Business: Assists clients with employment tax credit programs
Based: Columbus
Founded: 2014
Top executives: Terracina Maxwell, co-founder and president; Brent Johnson,co-founder
Total employees: 48
Central Ohio employees: 41
Annual revenue: Would not disclose Arvo Tech
Johnson and Maxwell both have large accounting firm experience, having worked at Deloitte and Ernst & Young, respectively. Collectively, the team they’ve built has more than 150 years of tax experience, which they use to help customers improve the finances of their businesses.
The Arvo team, made up of tax attorneys, technology developers and client success specialists, helps transform companies’ cash flow through employment tax credit opportunities. Arvo leaders say
One potential opportunity for Arvo Tech, Maxwell says, is to partner with companies that serve the small business market to introduce Arvo’s platform to more clients. The company also wants to build more features into its platform in order to bring business owners more peace of mind in the areas of tax planning and compliance.
Arvo Tech’s founders crafted the business’s value statement around people, business and the community: “By putting people first, supporting local businesses, and giving back to our communities, we strive
to create a positive impact by helping businesses utilize the monetary benefits of WOTC and ERTC.”
When recruiting new employees, the company touts six core values it operates by: humility, resourceful, curious, collaborative, community and customer centric. It also encourages meaningful work and personal growth. That was important to Emily Osborne when she came to Arvo almost two years ago to build up the company’s sales and marketing department. Her team has worked closely with the technology and operations teams to hit company goals. The collaboration, she says, makes her job easier than if the departments operated in silos.
“It’s all about, ‘Hey, let’s meet and see what sales and marketing is hearing and let’s build it on the tech side.’ The tech folks are asking sales and marketing, ‘Can you bring this to market?’ [What we’re developing] is based on each group’s opinion and market research,” she says. “Because we’re collaborating with each other every day, many of us have become close friends. That makes it fun to go into work.”
For Maxwell, culture always will circle back to a mission of helping small business owners succeed.
“We try to keep that front and center: ‘Who is it we are serving?’ The small business owner, people trying to get jobs, people who want to contribute and help others in the businesses,” Maxwell says. “There’s joy in that. The mission is bigger than just us.”
“We saw an opportunity to help small businesses be able to take advantage of tax credits that large businesses were taking advantage of.”
TERRACINA MAXWELL, co-founder and president of Arvo Tech
Each day at The Buckeye Ranch, approximately 2,350 youth are in our care, receiving services specifically designed to help them become more successful within their families, schools, and communities. With six locations and over 500 dedicated team members, our programs across the state encompass four service areas: Child Welfare, Community and Education-Based Mental Health, Residential, and Integrated Care. Join The Buckeye Ranch’s team, a 2024 Columbus CEO Top Workplace, today to do life-changing work for youth and families in our community. Visit us at buckeyeranch.org/join-our-team or scan the QR code to learn more about the meaningful work we do and apply!
Dawson drives worker satisfaction by prioritizing wellness and giving back to the community.
By PETER TONGUETTEWorkforce solutions company Dawson takes pride in its own workforce. “They’re the fuel of what makes Dawson go, and they’re really our product,” says President Jeff Miller. “Our product is people, and that couldn’t be more true of our staff. We are who we are because of them.”
Dawson, founded in 1946 as a job placement company for returning World War II soldiers, has long emphasized empowerment among its employees, which currently number about 50. “I strive to let the people that are doing the work make the decisions and make some common-sense decisions,” Miller says. “There have been very few times
where there’s been an idea or a mission … and they’ve not understood why we’re doing it, because really they’ve been the ones that have been involved in the decision-making.”
Fostering a sense of wellness among workers is also a priority. The company has offset entry fees for staff members to participate in the OhioHealth Capital City Half and Quarter Marathon. Healthy choices are encouraged in the workplace thanks to complimentary breakfast items
Business: Job placement, human resources and community workforce programs
Based: Columbus
Founded: 1946
Top executives: Jeff Miller, president; Chris DeCapua and David DeCapua, owners
Total employees: 50
Central Ohio employees: 46 2023 revenue: $32 million
in the company café and exercise opportunities throughout the day. “We want [employees] to be fueled up and have the power they need to get through these days,” Miller says.
Wellness isn’t just defined in physical terms, though: Dawson wants its workers to feel good about doing good. Those efforts are paying dividends. The company won the new Special Award for Social Responsibility, which recognizes the positive impact an organization has on its community.
Employees are incentivized to give back through a volunteer time off, or VTO, program. For every 20 hours an employee volunteers, they earn a day off before a holiday. VTO does not affect an employee’s
Breakfast with Santa for Dawson colleagues and their families The DAWSCARS, an annual Oscars-themed awards ceremony
regular paid time off. “It’s really goodwill,” says brand ambassador Mary Noel Moore. “It encourages people to volunteer. You’d be surprised at how much people volunteer just to get a day [off] before a holiday.”
That extra day may serve as motivation, but once the company’s employees begin volunteering, they find the experience is its own reward. Last year, Dawson employees logged about 2,000 volunteer hours. Group volunteer activities take place at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, Buckeye Ranch and elsewhere. Employees especially enjoy Dress for Success-Columbus events since its mission aligns with the company’s own area of expertise. “I could name dozens of other [volunteer opportunities] that people do on their own,” Moore says. “You don’t have to do it with a Dawson colleague to get credit.”
And, through its Community Workforce Program, Dawson also engages with area school districts, where students are coached on the job-seeking process. “We have a lot of recruiters that will volunteer their time and go and do résumé workshops, mock interviews with high school students and things like that,” Moore says. “That’s putting out time that they could be recruiting to place people and make money, but they’re going to do this instead, because they want to give back.”
The process of doing good in the community also builds camaraderie in the workplace. “Sometimes people will bring their spouse, their significant other, their partner [or] their child,” Moore says. “We really get to know each other on a different level and to be exposed to some different things that we wouldn’t normally be exposed to.” Peter
At Kimball Midwest, we take pride in our associates. They are the best in the business, providing exceptional customer service and supporting the best sales force in the industry. We thank our associates for helping us grow into one of the largest industrial distributors in the nation, and we continue to get bigger and better.
We’ve been named a Top Workplace for the 12th consecutive year. It’s all thanks to our incredible team and their passion and commitment to make us the best.
Leading EDJE fosters a culture of open communication and trust to deliver solutions for clients.By PETER TONGUETTE
Last year was a rough one for many businesses, and women-owned IT consulting and software development company
Leading EDJE was no different. The difference was that the Dublinbased firm leveled with its 89 employees, who are located both in Central Ohio and throughout the nation. “Last calendar year, our industry went through a really difficult time,” says President and CEO Joelle Brock. “As a result, our clients were just not putting their money
towards the IT spend like they’d been used to doing.”
But, instead of sweeping those realities under the rug, the company faced them head-on. “We spoke openly and honestly with everyone,” Brock says. “We don’t hide anything, and that’s part of being an entrepreneurial-based business. Every single person on our team has my mobile number.”
Chief Operating Officer Erica Krumlauf feels that candor made all the difference for the employees. “The team just appreciated that we weren’t giving them some sort of corporate messaging—that we were honest, we were emotional, they could see how hard it was for us,” Krumlauf says. “We’re going to tell you when we’re not perfect, and we’re going to be honest with you and transparent.”
That approach is a hallmark of Leading EDJE, whose moniker utilizes the first initials of its founders, Erica Krumlauf, David Michels and Joelle Brock. It won the Special Award this year for Communication.
The company opened its present Bridge Park location in February 2020, just before the pandemic. Shifting gears, it went to a remote-first workplace, which it has maintained since. “Our team is not required to go inside of their clients’ [offices]; our team is not required to come into our office space,” Krumlauf says. “If you work best in
your basement or your [home] office, do it. If you work best coming into the office two days a week so that you have that collaboration and teamwork, and you’re able to because you’re located here in Central
Business: IT consulting and custom software development
Based: Dublin
Founded: 2007
President and CEO: Joelle Brock
Total employees: 89
Central Ohio employees: Two-thirds of workforce
2023 revenue: $16.4 million
Leading EDJE’s annual Geek Cup Golf Outing Ohio, do it.”
That last part is key: A good chunk of the staff now lives far from Central Ohio. “When the pandemic occurred … we said, ‘We have clients across the country; we can have great team members across the country in this virtual environment,’ ” Brock says, noting that employees are now spread across 17 states.
For the company’s leaders, a successful remote workplace environment is predicated on trust. “Even pre-COVID, our team was out with their clients, so we didn’t see them a lot,” Krumlauf says. “We’ve got high expectations, but we know you’re able to meet those expectations.”
That doesn’t mean that collaboration and engagement are things of the past. “We use virtual water coolers,” Krumlauf says. “We don’t use it just for work. We use it for play and fun.”
Some of the company’s Slack channels relate to employees’ pets—there’s one for puppies and another for cats—and the dialogue helps build relationships. Team events still take place. Quarterly business reviews pull together the whole team virtually and in person, for those able to attend locally. And when conversations do take place, they must be purposeful. “It’s not as easy as it used to be, where you could just walk over to somebody’s desk and say, ‘Hey, let’s chat about that,’ ” Krumlauf says. “It’s just all about intent, making sure that you’re really intentional in every single conversation and touch-base that you have with the team.”
That communication philosophy has carried Leading EDJE this far, and executives believe it will continue to do so into the year ahead.
“We’re feeling great about 2024,” Krumlauf says. “What’s helped us get through this tough time is our team.”
Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana provides meaningful experiences for children, as well as its employees.
By PETER TONGUETTEWhen Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana grants critically ill children a wish, the fruits of that wish are spread far and wide. First and foremost, the child gets to make a dream come true. But the impact goes well beyond that trip, meet-and-greet or activity.
Make-A-Wish America recently did a study on the impact of wishes. The results were revealing: Nine out of 10 children report that the wish alleviated traumatic stress stemming from their diagnosis. But the impact went beyond the child.
Business: Grants wishes for children with critical illnesses
Based: Columbus
Founded: 1983
President and CEO: Stephanie McCormick
Total employees: 73
Central Ohio employees: 33
2023 revenue: $15.7 million
“Here’s the kicker for me: Nine out of 10 medical providers say a wish increased the compliance with their treatment, which led to a better outcome,” says Stephanie McCormick, president and CEO of the nonprofit’s Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana chapter. “A wish is not just, ‘I wish to go meet Mickey Mouse.’ … We create these magical experiences for the entire family, not just the child, but also their siblings, their parents and … the community.”
Part of that larger community is the 73 employees of Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana, 33 of whom work in Central Ohio. “We deliver hope, strength and joy to children and families in crisis,” says Wendy Marroni, vice president of human resources.
The three-state chapter—which granted 1,205 wishes last fiscal year, the most ever by a Make-A-Wish chapter—attracts employees seeking emotionally rewarding
work. This year, the organization won the Top Workplaces Special Award for Meaningfulness, where employees rate whether their job makes them feel they’re part of something important.
Once a wish has been approved and the fulfillment process starts to unfold, socalled “mission delivery” employees work with the child and their family. But the organization aims for every employee to have a tangible sense of what their work does and who it serves. “Our advancement team [and] our fundraising team have to go out and get those donors, so they are our storytellers,” McCormick says. “They tell these beautiful stories about these wishes and the wish children.”
All staff members are invited to participate in volunteer days and activities that underscore the organization’s mission.
Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish also makes an effort to remind workers of the pride they should feel in what they do. “One of the things that we’ve tried to do more intentionally is to acknowledge the fact that there is a lot of work to do, and then, on the other side, to celebrate how much works gets done,” Marroni says. “We don’t want to spend so much time [being] so busy that we don’t celebrate all of the wonderful things that we’ve done over the year.”
A staff-led Culture Lead Committee consists of seven teams that tackle internal issues such as safety and wellness, and diversity, equity and inclusion. The goal is to assure that everyone feels invested in the organization. “All of the goal-setting is done by the staff casting a vision for the coming fiscal year,” Marroni says. “While most of senior leadership are participating in one of those Culture Lead Committees, we are not the leaders. We are participants.”
It’s all part of the service-oriented nature of the organization. There’s a feeling of empowerment, McCormick says, when a wish comes through that an employee knows the organization can grant.
“They know that they can create something no one else can do,” McCormick says. “That’s the essence of meaningful and fulfilling work.”
Across all of our brands, our Team Members aim to change the standards for comfort and sustainability. Together, we've created a truly special culture and a great place to work.
been the retiring type.
At Westerwood, feeling younger never gets old, starting with the biggest backyard in Columbus, our 23-acre campus with our own wildlife refuge. We also offer the only bona fide Life Care Community near Westerville. Come see all that Westerwood has to offer by attending one of our exciting events. Westerwood has been nominated for the 9th year in a row as a top work place.
The following 30 employers have earned recognition as Top Workplaces USA winners. They are either based in the Columbus area or have operations in Central Ohio. Each has more than 150 employees in the United States. Their positive employee survey feedback exceeded national benchmarks established by employee survey firm Energage.
Ohio State University Physicians Panda Restaurant Group Peoples Bank PERFICIENT Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers Reminger Co. LPA Revolution Mortgage
The Richwood Banking Co. Romanoff Group
HCL® is a veteran-owned, industry leader in the distribution and manufacture of medical supplies. Since 1978, we’ve been dedicated to helping customers solve problems, meet goals and provide a higher standard of patient care. This is the driving force behind our success and our strong employee workforce provides the power to make it possible.
talents superior
Together, our dedicated personnel bring a variety of talents to the table and help us meet our goal of delivering superior customer service around the globe.
WE OFFER ATTRACTIVE BENEFITS WITH HIGHLIGHTS THAT INCLUDE:
• Medical and dental insurance
• Company-matched 401(k)
• A rainy day savings fund
• Company-paid life, short-term and long-term insurance
• Paid vacations and personal days
Because we understand the importance of work-life balance, our employees also enjoy work-free weekends and holidays. casual
We’re celebrating the move to our new address as the largest anchor tenant in the new Arlington Gateway development. Our 36,000 square feet of office space has been specifically-designed to accommodate our continually-growing team of financial professionals, support one of the Top Internship programs in the country, and serve our clients even better.
Learn more about rewarding career opportunities and our great company culture.
Just like a sound financial plan, success is built with great people and great relationships. We sincerely thank our dedicated team of financial professionals and staff for their relentless commitment in serving our clients—and for making us one of the Top Workplaces for the 8th consecutive year.
Columbus Legal Guide
Continued from page 24
Corporate and finance; intellectual property; litigation
Partner-in-charge:
Leah Pappas Porner
Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP
950 Goodale Blvd., Suite 200, Columbus 43212
614-228-6135
cpmlaw.com
Partners: 16
FTE attorneys: 26
Practice areas:
Business law; estate planning; litigation
Managing partner:
Jane Higgins Marx
Carpenter Lipps LLP
280 N. High St., Suite 1300, Columbus 43215
614-365-4100
carpenterlipps.com
Partners: 20
FTE attorneys: 37
Practice areas: Litigation; energy; public policy
Managing partner:
Michael H. Carpenter
Chappano Wood PLL
1625 Goodale Blvd., Columbus 43212
614-496-3423
cwpll.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Business; international; intellectual property
Managing partner:
Perry M. Chappano
Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner
655 Metro Place S., Suite 200, Dublin
43017
614-901-9600
cruglaw.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 7
Practice areas: Motor vehicle accidents; insurance coverage; general liability Managing partner: Management committee
Connor, Kimmet & Hafenstein LLP
2000 W. Henderson Road, Suite 460, Columbus 43220
614-779-0675
cehlaw.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 7
Practice areas: Workers’ compensation; police and fire disability; personal injury
Managing partner:
Kenneth S. Hafenstein
Dagger Law
144 E. Main St., Lancaster 43130
740-653-6464
daggerlaw.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 10
Practice areas: Family law; business/banking; estate planning
Managing partner: Nick Grilli
Decker Vonau & Carr LLC
620 E. Broad St., Suite 200, Columbus 43215
614-744-4100
deckervonau.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 3
Practice areas: Estate planning and probate; small business formation and representation;
construction law disputes
Managing partner: James M. Vonau
Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote
10 W. Broad St., Suite 1950, Columbus 43215 614-258-6000 dmclaw.com
Partners: 4
FTE attorneys: 11
Practice areas: Medical malpractice; insurance defense; tort defense
Managing partner: Joseph J. Golian
Dickinson Wright PLLC
180 E. Broad St., Suite 3400, Columbus 43215 614-744-2570
dickinsonwright. com
Partners: 18
FTE attorneys: 35
Practice areas: Corporate and private equity; real estate; cannabis
Managing partners: Scot Crow and J. Troy Terakedis
Dreher Tomkies LLP
41 S. High St., Columbus 43215 614-628-8000
dltlaw.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 5
Practice areas: Consumer finance; business finance; banking
Managing partner: Darrell L. Dreher
Eastman & Smith Ltd.
250 Civic Center Drive, Suite 280, Columbus 43215 614-564-1445
eastmansmith.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Environmental; labor and employment; white collar crime and investigations
Managing partner: Mark A. Shaw
Einstein & Gibson LLC
615 Copeland Mill Road, Suite 1H, Westerville 43081 614-734-0000
einsteinlawoffice. com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Family and employment law
Managing partner: Dianne Einstein
Fishel Downey
Albrecht & Riepenhoff LLC
7775 Walton Parkway, Suite 200, New Albany 43054
614-221-1216
fisheldowney.com
Partners: 7
FTE attorneys: 12
Practice areas: Litigation; labor and employment; workers’ compensation
Managing partner: Daniel T. Downey
Fisher Phillips LLP
250 West St., Suite 400, Columbus 43215
614-221-1425
fisherphillips.com
Partners: 6
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Employment litigation; employee defections and trade secrets; workplace safety
Regional managing partner: Steven M. Loewengart
Flannery | Georgalis LLC
175 S. Third St., Suite 1060, Columbus 43220
380-444-6096
flannerygeorgalis. com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Criminal defense; civil litigation; internal investigations
Partner-in-charge: Matthew Jalandoni
Friedman & Mirman Co. LPA
1320 Dublin Road, Suite 101, Columbus 43215
614-221-0090
friedmanmirman. com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 9
Practice areas: Family law
Managing partner: Denise Mirman
The Friedmann Firm
3740 Ridge Mill Drive, Hilliard 43026
614-610-9755
tfflegal.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 5
Practice areas: Employment law; employment litigation
Managing partner: Peter Friedmann
Gallagher, Gams, Tallan, Barnes & Littrell LLP
471 E. Broad St., 19th Floor, Columbus 43215
614-228-5151
ggtbl.com
Partners: 8
FTE attorneys: 9
Practice areas: Civil defense; insurance defense; personal injury
Managing partner: Belinda S. Barnes and M. Jason Founds
Golden & Meizlish Co. LPA
923 E. Broad St., Columbus 43205
614-258-1983
golmeizlaw.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas: General practice; estate planning;
The Law Offices of William L. Geary is a Central Ohio law firm concentrating in family law matters. We are dedicated to the representation of those who are involved in divorce, dissolution, child custody, child support, spousal support, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial matters.
Attorney William Geary, the firm’s founder, has been practicing since 1979 with 45 years of litigation experience and is admitted to the Ohio State Bar, the Bar for the United States Federal Court for the Southern District of Ohio and also the Supreme Court of the United States.
Attorney Haley Holmberg began practicing in 2018 and focuses on domestic and juvenile law. She is admitted to practice in Ohio and is proud to serve as a Guardian ad Litem in both domestic and juvenile cases in Franklin and Delaware counties.
Attorney Stacey Gilbert was admitted to the Ohio State Bar in 2001 and to the United States Federal Court for the Southern District of Ohio in 2002. During her career, she has worked as a Staff Attorney to two different judges. She began practicing family law in 2003 and now also serves as a Guardian ad litem in custody cases in Knox County. Attorney Gilbert was certified as an Ohio State Bar Association Family Law Specialist in 2012.
155 W Main St STE 101, Columbus, OH 43215 (614) 289-1227
https://www.columbusfamilylawyer.com/
Columbus Legal Guide
transactional documentation
Managing partner: Keith E. Golden Grossman Law Offices
32 W. Hoster St., Suite 100, Columbus 43215
614-221-7711
grossmanlaw offices.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 11
Practice areas:
Family law
Managing partner: Andrew S. Grossman
Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
65 E. State St., Suite 2500, Columbus 43215
614-221-5909
hahnlaw.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 5
Practice areas: Complex commercial litigation; corporate law; construction/ real estate law
Managing partner:
Stanley R. Gorom III
Hrabcak & Company LPA 67 E. Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 100, Worthington 43085
614-781-1400
hrabcaklaw.com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Real estate; business; litigation/trial practice
Managing partner: Michael Hrabcak
Ice Miller 250 West St., Columbus 43215 614-462-2700
icemiller.com
Partners: 36
FTE attorneys: 72
Practice areas: Corporate transactions; litigation; real estate
Managing partner: Catherine Strauss
Isaac Wiles & Burkholder LLC
2 Miranova Place, Suite 700, Columbus 43215
614-221-2121 isaacwiles.com
Partners: 16
FTE attorneys: 40
Practice areas: Litigation; business; estate planning and probate
Managing partner: Brian Zets
Jeffrey M. Lewis Co. LPA 495 S. High St., Suite 400, Columbus 43215
614-384-2075 lawyerlewis.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 3
Practice areas: Litigation; business consultation; real estate
Managing partner: Jeffrey M. Lewis
Jones Day 325 John H. McConnell Blvd., Suite 600, Columbus 43215
614-469-3939
jonesday.com
Partners: 20
FTE attorneys: 55
Practice areas: Business and tort litigation; corporate; health care and life sciences
Partner-in-charge: Elizabeth Kessler
Joseph & Joseph & Hanna
155 W. Main St., Suite 200, Columbus
43215
614-449-8282
josephandjoseph.
com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 3
Practice areas: Domestic relations; real estate
Managing partner: Courtney Hanna
Kaman & Cusimano LLC
8101 N. High St., Suite 370, Columbus 43235
614-882-3100
ohiocondolaw.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Community association law; condominium law; homeowners’ association law
Columbus office chair: Jeffrey Kaman
Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter
65 E. State St., Suite 1800, Columbus 43215
614-462-5400
keglerbrown.com
Partners: 42
FTE attorneys: 58
Practice areas: Corporate; litigation; government affairs
Managing director: Chris Weber
Kemp, Schaeffer & Rowe Co. LPA
88 W. Mound St., Columbus 43215
614-224-2678
ksrlegal.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Family law; civil litigation; probate and estates
Managing partner: Julia L. Leveridge
KJK
10 W. Broad St., One Columbus Center, Suite 2500, Columbus 43215 614-427-5731
kjk.com
Partners: 4
FTE attorneys: 6
Practice areas: Litigation and arbitration; estate, wealth and succession planning; corporate and securities
Partner-in-charge, Columbus: Samir Dahman
Koffel | Brininger | Nesbitt
1801 Watermark Drive, Suite 350, Columbus 43215 614-884-1100
koffellaw.com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Criminal defense; criminal appeals; Title IX hearings
Managing partner: Brad Koffel
Kooperman Mentel Ferguson Yaross Ltd.
250 E. Town St., Suite 200, Columbus 43215 614-344-4800
kmfylaw.com
Partners: 7
FTE attorneys: 13
Practice areas: Business and finance; litigation; government relations
Managing partner:
Brian Kooperman
Kremblas & Foster
7632 Slate Ridge Blvd., Reynoldsburg 43068
614-575-2100
ohiopatent.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas: Patent, trademark and copyright law
Managing partner: Jason H. Foster
Law Office of Dmitriy Borshchak 1650 Lake Shore Drive, Suite 100, Columbus 43204
614-334-6851
dlbcounsel.com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Family law
Managing partner: Dmitriy Borshchak
Law Offices of William L. Geary Co. LPA
155 W. Main St., Suite 101, Columbus 43215
614-228-1968
columbusfamily lawyer.com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 3
Practice areas: Family law; juvenile law; guardianship of children
Managing partner: William L. Geary
Lawrence Law Office
57 E. Wilson Bridge Road, Columbus 43085
614-228-3664
ohio-family-law.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 6
Practice areas:
Divorce, dissolution and custody; estate planning; business formation
Managing partner: Linda Lawrence
Littler
41 S. High St., Suite 3250, Columbus 43215
614-463-4201
littler.com
Partners: 11
FTE attorneys: 19
Practice areas: Employment and labor law
Managing partner: Lisa Kathumbi
Lumpe, Raber & Evans
ohioliquorlaw.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas: Alcoholic beverage law
Managing partner:
David A. Raber
Luper Neidenthal & Logan 1160 Dublin Road, Suite 400, Columbus 43215 614-221-7663
lnlattorneys.com
Partners: 7
FTE attorneys: 18
37 W. Broad St., Suite 1140, Columbus 43215 614-221-5212
Practice areas: Real estate; litigation; business
Managing partners:
Christian Donovan and Matthew Anderson
Mac Murray & Shuster LLP
6525 W. Campus
Oval, Suite 210, New Albany 43054
614-939-9955
mslawgroup.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 11
Practice areas: Consumer law; privacy and data security; marketing and advertising
Managing partner: Michele Shuster
Madison & Rosan LLP
39 E. Whittier St., Columbus 43206
614-228-5600
madisonrosan.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 4
Managing partner: Kristin E. Rosan
Malek & Malek Law Firm
1227 S. High St., Columbus 43206
614-444-7440
Partners: 4
FTE attorneys: 6
Practice areas: Real estate; business; litigation
maleklawfirm.com
Practice areas: Personal injury; workers’ compensation; truck accidents
Founding partner: Ed Malek
Marshall Forman and Schlein LLC
250 Civic Center Drive, Suite 480, Columbus 43215
With more than 1,800 labor and employment attorneys around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow. Because at Littler, we’re fueled by ingenuity and inspired by you.
41 South High Street
Suite 3250
Columbus, OH 43215
littler.com
With more than 1,800 labor and employment attorneys around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow. Because at Littler, we’re fueled by ingenuity and inspired by you.
41 South High Street Suite 3250 Columbus, OH 43215
Fueled by ingenuity. Inspired by you.®
With more than 1,800 labor and employment attorneys around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow. Because at Littler, we’re fueled by ingenuity and inspired by you.
Partners: 3
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 13
petersonconners. com
Partners: 7
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Business law; litigation; criminal defense
Managing partner: N/A
When a divorce or lawsuit arises, you need lawyers with knowledge
business or profession operates and the expertise to protect your
lawyers of The Behal Law Group LLC have successfully handled cases for some of Central Ohio’s top executives, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, professionals and business owners, allowing them to maintain their productivity and company strength. Whether your case involves business valuation, complex investments, premarital assets, alimony issues or complicated prenuptial agreements, our lawyers will treat your business like it’s our own.
Petroff, Smitherman & Associates LLC
140 E. Town St., Suite 1070, Columbus 43215
614-222-4288
psalaws.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 5
Practice areas:
Family law; divorce; child custody
Managing partner: Ronald R. Petroff
Porter Wright
Morris & Arthur LLP
41 S. High St., Suites 2800-3200, Columbus 43215
614-227-2000
porterwright.com
Partners: 57
FTE attorneys: 84
Practice areas: Labor; corporate; litigation
Managing partner: Robert Tannous
Reminger Co. LPA
200 Civic Center Drive, Suite 800, Columbus 43215
614-228-1311
reminger.com
Partners: 18
FTE attorneys: 7
Practice areas: Workers’ compensation defense; medical malpractice defense; insurance defense
Managing partner: Ronald Fresco
Resch, Root, Philipps & Graham LLC
5115 Parkcenter Ave., Suite 275, Dublin 43017
614-760-1801
rrpg-law.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Special needs planning; estate planning; business planning
Managing partners: William K. Root, Logan K. Philipps and Derek L. Graham
Rich & Gillis Law Group LLC
5747 Perimeter Drive, Suite 150, Dublin 43017
614-228-5822
richgillislawgroup. com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 6
Practice areas: Real property taxation; administrative law; school law
Managing partner: Mark Gillis
Roetzel & Andress
41 S. High St., 21st Floor, Columbus 43215
614-463-9770
ralaw.com
Partners: 13
FTE attorneys: 23
Practice areas: Litigation; probate, estates, trusts; corporate/ transactional
Shareholder-incharge: Erika L. Haupt
Rohrbacher Trimble & Zimmerman Co. LPA
470 Olde
Worthington Road, Suite 430, Westerville 43082
614-726-3080
rtz-law.com
Partners: 1
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas: Civil litigation; insurance defense; Special
Investigations Unit/ fraud investigation
Managing partner: Todd Zimmerman
Shumaker
41 S. High St., Suite 2400, Columbus 43215
614-463-9441
shumaker.com
Partners: 5
FTE attorneys: 9
Practice areas: Litigation; environmental; government affairs
Managing partner: Michael J. O’Callaghan
Sladoje & Simpkins Co. LPA
5131 Post Road, Suite 100, Dublin 43017
614-230-0670
5131law.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas: Business; real estate; estate planning
Managing partner: Douglas Sladoje
Standley Law Group LLP
6300 Riverside Drive, Dublin 43017 614-792-5555
standleyllp.com
Partners: 6
FTE attorneys: 8
Practice areas: Patents; trademarks; copyrights
Managing partner: Jeffrey S. Standley
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
41 S. High St., Suite 2200, Columbus 43215 614-221-5100
steptoe-johnson. com
Partners: 16
FTE attorneys: 20
Practice areas: Litigation; labor and employment; corporate/mergers and acquisitions
Office managing member: J. Kevin West Strip Hoppers
Leithart McGrath & Terlecky
575 S. Third St., Columbus 43017
614-228-6345
columbuslawyer.net
Partners: 8
FTE attorneys: 13
Practice areas: Bankruptcy and insolvency; business representation; family law
Managing partner: Ken Goldberg
Teetor Westfall LLC
200 E. Campus View Blvd., Suite 200, Columbus 43235 614-412-4000
teetorwestfall.com
Partners: 7
FTE attorneys: 9
Practice areas: Litigation; business and commercial; general practice
Managing partner: Management committee
Thompson Hine LLP
41 S. High St., Suite 1700, Columbus 43215
614-469-3200
thompsonhine. com/locations/ columbus_ohio
Partners: 18
FTE attorneys: 36
Practice areas: Business litigation; corporate transactions
and securities; investment management
Partner-in-charge:
Michael V. Wible
UB Greensfelder LLP
65 E. State St., Suite 1100, Columbus 43215
614-229-0000
ubglaw.com
Partners: 6
FTE attorneys: 14
Practice areas: Business litigation; intellectual property; product liability
Managing partner: Rex A. Littrell
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
52 E. Gay St., Columbus 43215
614-464-6400
vorys.com
Partners: 105
FTE attorneys: 177
Practice areas: Litigation; corporate; real estate
Managing partner: Michael Martz Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. LPA
5000 Bradenton Ave., Suite 100, Dublin 43017
614-801-2600
weltman.com
Partners: 3
FTE attorneys: 4
Practice areas: Commercial collections and litigation; consumer collections and litigation; bankruptcy, probate
and real estate default Office managing attorney: James Kozelek
Weston Hurd LLP
101 E. Town St., Suite 500, Columbus 43215 614-280-0200
westonhurd.com
Partners: 13
FTE attorneys: 16
Practice areas: Insurance; litigation/ trial practice; real property/ construction
Partner-in-charge, Columbus office: Steven G. Carlino
Wolinetz, Horvath & Brown LLC
250 Civic Center Drive, Suite 600,
Columbus 43215
614-341-7775
wolinetzlaw.com
Partners: 4
FTE attorneys: 6
Practice areas: Domestic relations
Managing partner: Barry Wolinetz
Wrightsel & Wrightsel 3300 Riverside Drive, Suite 100, Upper Arlington 43221
614-255-3388
wrightsellaw.com
Partners: 2
FTE attorneys: 2
Practice areas:
Estate planning; trust and estate administration; real estate
Managing partner: Bradley B. Wrightsel
Oakwood is thrilled to announce the recognition of our President and CEO, Keith Jones, as the Executive of the Year at the Multifamily Innovation Summit. This prestigious award honors leaders driving transformative change in the multifamily industry.
treatment. With the opening of this facility, it is thrilling to get a glimpse into what is now possible in the realm of cancer treatment for children, and we look forward to continuing our work to improve the quality of life for all our patients.”
of treatment to a single dose, delivered in less than a second. It is estimated that this form of proton therapy is still five to 10 years from approved use in patients, making the research investigating FLASH protons so important.
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) and Nationwide Children’s Hospital recently celebrated the opening of a $100 million, 55,000 square foot proton therapy center, the first treatment facility in central Ohio offering this highly targeted form of radiation therapy for treatment of complex tumors that cannot be removed through surgery.
“Proton therapy is the perfect example of personalized care in cancer. You can target the proton beam in a highly specific way that results in virtually no damage to the surrounding healthy tissues,” says Arnab Chakravarti, MD, director of the proton therapy center and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the OSUCCC – James. “This technology has the potential to literally improve the health and well-being of millions of people across Ohio and beyond.”
Keith took the reins of Oakwood in early 2022. His industry experience, integrity, and results-driven leadership have set a new standard for excellence, showcasing Oakwood's commitment to innovation and resident-forward living. Under Keith’s leadership, Oakwood has grown significantly, adding a record 10 new communities to the portfolio with an expected 10 more communities opening in 2024. The award celebrates Oakwood's dedication to shaping a sustainable future in multifamily living.
Proton therapy is an advanced type of radiation treatment that uses protons (positively charged particles) instead of X-rays to destroy cancer cells. It minimizes the damage to surrounding healthy cells, a common side effect of traditional radiation like X-rays. The therapy can be used alone or in combination with other therapies to treat brain cancer, lymphoma, retinoblastomas and sarcomas in children, and several localized cancers, including prostate, brain, head and neck, lung, spine and gastrointestinal in adults.
Scientists will be able to conduct important research on a high-dose proton therapy known as FLASH that can target treatment to a pinpoint and deliver it in a tenth of a second. Ohio State is one of just a handful of institutions in the world poised to conduct translational research in this form of proton therapy.
Congratulations to Keith Jones on this welldeserved recognition. As Oakwood continues breaking boundaries, we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence, innovation, and quality of living for our residents.
Located on Ohio State’s west campus at 2121 Kenny Road, the proton therapy center offers comprehensive radiation oncology treatment options for both adult and pediatric patients at a single location.
“This is a significant day, especially for our patients and their families,” says Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Nationwide Children’s. “Having this resource right here in Columbus makes vital treatment more accessible for those who need it and allows families to stay here in Columbus throughout their entire
Preclinical data suggests this proton therapy could reduce what would normally be 30 days
“If we can shorten that treatment course from what would have been six to eight weeks to a single day, care becomes far more accessible, especially for underserved populations,” Chakravarti says. “Bringing this important technology to central Ohio demonstrates our institution’s commitment to creating a cancerfree world.”
Proton therapy is considered a game-changer in pediatric cancer care, adds Cripe, who treats children with cancer at Nationwide Children’s. The size and physiology of pediatric patients can make traditional radiation more difficult to administer without damaging surrounding tissues, which can lead to long-term side effects.
“Proton therapy is a promising cancer treatment for kids and critical for many of our patients,” he says. “Imagine a child’s cancer is eliminated with proton therapy, and they can go on to live 70 more healthy, normal years without most of the radiation-related long-term side effects of cancer treatment in childhood.”
The proton therapy center is staffed by a team of physicians, medical physicists, engineers, IT specialists, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning experts, radiation biologists and cancer biologists who are committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for patients.
It is equipped with the Varian ProBeam 360 treatment system. This is the first treatment center in the United States specifically built with a dual-capability system that can deliver both conventional proton therapy and research-level FLASH to both adults and children.
“The story of proton therapy is still being written, and we are writing it here in central Ohio,” said Chakravarti.
The center’s first proton therapy treatment was delivered to an adult woman with a skull-based chondrosarcoma in mid-December 2023.
"I AM TRULY HONORED AND GRATEFUL FOR THIS RECOGNITION. IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE UNWAVERING COMMITMENT AND COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT OF THE ENTIRE OAKWOOD
WE'VE REDEFINED INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND PRIORITIZED
Learn about three captivating and unique corporate event spaces in Central Ohio that serve a variety of business needs.
Welcome to Canopy by Hilton Columbus Downtown Short North, where comfort and convenience combine to create an unforgettable experience. Our location on Nationwide Blvd, opposite the Greater Columbus Convention Center, places you at the heart of all the action. Whether you're catching a Columbus Blue Jackets game or a live concert at Nationwide Arena, exploring the vibrant Short North Arts District or seeing the MLS Cup Champions, the Columbus Crew at Lower.com, you’ll be just a stone’s throw away.
Are you ready to elevate your event to the next level and create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime? Our team specializes in crafting personalized experiences that are as unique as your occasion. Whether you’re looking for an upscale rooftop dining affair or a lively private event on one of our patios, we offer a diverse range of options that will exceed your expectations.
At Canopy, we've got you covered. Our Just-Right Rooms have a positively local vibe with Uptown-inspired artwork and residential comforts like free Wi-Fi, a 55-inch TV, built-in refrigerator drawer, Nespresso Coffee and beds designed exclusively for Canopy. Choose a suite for a separate living area, large enough for entertaining or a small meeting. Every floor has a filtered spring water station so you can refresh and feel great going forward.
Start the day with breakfast in Central Market House and take in Downtown Columbus while chilling out on our outdoor patio with a fireplace on Nationwide Blvd. Work out in the rooftop state-of-the-art fitness center, offering the latest in equipment complemented by wonderful city views.
77 E Nationwide Blvd, Columbus 614-223-1400
Located on the 12th floor of Canopy, Goodale Station showcases stunning views of Downtown Columbus. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating areas, a cozy private dining space, and a menu filled with delicious food and handcrafted cocktails. We understand that the ambiance and atmosphere of a restaurant are just as important as the meal itself, so we have designed a space that exudes sophistication, warmth and charm. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or are just looking for a night out with friends and family, the impeccable service, delectable cuisine and breathtaking views at Goodale Station will leave you impressed.
With endless possibilities at your fingertips, our team will work with you to create a truly unique and unforgettable event that exceeds your wildest
dreams. Our award-winning Food and Beverage program offers the perfect blend of flavor and creativity, with customized packages tailored to your every preference. From start to finish, you can trust us to deliver exceptional hospitality and one-of-a-kind experiences that will leave your guests raving. Don't settle for an ordinary event when you can choose Canopy and make it extraordinary!
Vitria on the square is Columbus’ newest sophisticated event venue to host your upcoming celebration. Vitria is located at the storied intersection of 15th & High within steps of the iconic Ohio State University Oval as well as Mirror Lake. The venue is proud to feature elevated dining with a beverage-forward approach that will leave your guests impressed and stand out from their typical event experience. The culinary team prides themselves on curating menus specific to the event they are hosting and suggests special touches to enhance the experience for all attendees. The beverage team enjoys customizing cocktails with fresh-pressed juices and signature garnishes unique to an event that adds a custom touch.
The Grand Ballroom at Vitria on the Square features 25-foot, floor-toceiling windows that overlook several of the iconic landmarks of The Ohio State University. This space features state-of-the-art monitors built-in that can showcase logos, a slideshow or custom artwork during an event. The Grand Ballroom can accommodate 320 guests seated at round tables with a stage or dance floor or 500 seated theater style.
The Gallery is just outside of the Grand Ballroom and is ideal for a cocktail reception or seating area. This space has natural lighting and features its own private balcony overlooking University Square available for guests to enjoy. The Gallery features soft seating and artwork throughout the space with a built-in monitor to display a logo, slideshow, or custom artwork as well.
The Terrace Ballroom is just on the opposite side of the Gallery and is surrounded by windows and features
14 E. 15th Ave., Columbus 614-540-3436
vitriaonthesquare.com
its own private balcony also looking out to University Square. The space can accommodate 100 guests seated in round tables or 150 guests seated in theater style seating. This space can split into two separate sections that could both accommodate 50 guests seated in round tables. The Terrace Ballroom also features two built-in monitors that guests can utilize as they would like.
In the bustling heart of Ohio, a mere stone's throw from the vibrant city of Columbus, lies White Willow Meadows, a venue that seamlessly marries the charm of nature with the sophistication required for high-impact corporate events and retreats.
Nestled amidst lush oak trees and enveloped by the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle, White Willow Meadows offers an escape from the office's confines, presenting an idyllic setting where creativity and strategic thinking flourish. The serene ambiance is not just a backdrop, but a participant in fostering open communication and innovative thought among teams.
The venue's flagship, The Main Barn, accommodates up to 350 guests, making it an ideal locale for conferences, seminars and grand corporate galas. Equipped with a built-in AV system, luxury suites and a large catering prep kitchen, it ensures every event is executed with precision and grace. The Dairy Barn and Willow—A Floral Design Co., complement these offerings, providing versatile spaces for workshops, team-building exercises and breakout sessions, further underscoring the venue's commitment to facilitating multifaceted corporate events.
White Willow Meadows goes beyond standard event hosting with its all-encompassing packages that promise a turnkey solution for event planners. From seating arrangements and decor to advanced technological needs and catering flexibility, the venue guarantees a bespoke experience. The inclusion of luxury bridal suites repurposed for executive use speaks volumes of the venue's adaptability, ensuring privacy and comfort for high-profile attendees.
10260 Ballah Rd
Orient, OH 43146
513-507-0005
The open spaces and natural setting of White Willow Meadows encourage more than just corporate dialogues— they foster genuine connections among team members. The fire pit, outdoor pergola within the Italian-inspired garden and covered porch serve as informal gathering spots where conversations flow freely, away from the formalities of boardrooms, sparking creativity and camaraderie that are invaluable in today's fast-paced corporate environment.
White Willow Meadows is not just a venue—it is a partner in the corporate world's quest for innovation, leadership development and strategic success. Its
blend of natural beauty, sophisticated facilities and flexible packages make it an unmatched choice for companies looking to host memorable events that inspire and motivate. As businesses continue to evolve, venues like White Willow Meadows are leading the way, offering spaces that not only meet— but exceed–the expectations of the modern corporate landscape.
to the ultimate luxury countryside retreat in Columbus, Ohio. Our modern luxury barn venue offers a stunning main space for up to 350 guests, a Dairy Barn bed and breakfast that sleeps 14, and accommodations for up to 50 partygoers. Enjoy endless celebrations surrounded by picturesque scenery, and peruse our on-site florist gift shop for the perfect finishing touch. Make your dreams a reality at our one-of-a-kind venue scheduled to open February 2024!!
Opening February 2024 • 15 minutes from downtown Columbus Ohio • Book now to save your date! WHITEWILLOWMEADOWS.COM
please mention this ad to save 10%
A partnership between Ohio State University and Battelle aims to monetize neurological research to benefit patients.
BY KATHY LYNN GRAYNeurosurgeon Tim Lucas was frustrated. He was sure technology could improve his patients’ quality of life, especially those whose paralysis prevented them from performing the simplest of hygienic tasks. But advances were painfully slow, stalled by a lack of funding and money-making potential, as well as a culture of scientific competitiveness that often kept collaborators at arm’s length. “Our patients were being left behind,” says Lucas, whose passion for his work comes in part from a younger sister whose massive brain tumor left her with multiple mobility and sensory challenges two decades ago.
Now, Lucas is leading the charge to speed up technological advances for patients as founder and CEO of the NeuroTech Institute, a partnership between Ohio State University and Battelle that launched in October 2022. The nonprofit, housed on the OSU campus, is a biotechnology accelerator where scientists, clinicians and engineers develop inventions to improve patients’ lives and then spin off for-profit businesses to manufacture the inventions. “Here, we have patients as our core,” Lucas says.
That core includes a team of patient ambassadors across the country who live with neurological disorders. They help the institute’s
staff understand patients’ physical limitations so researchers can try to fashion solutions.
Research is focused in three areas: “cyber physical,” which includes spinal cord disorders and neuropathy; “cell modulation,” which includes Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases; and what Lucas calls “the network of the mind,” which includes autism, epilepsy and depression.
Lucas, who came to Columbus from the University of Pennsylvania, hopes to have 60 full-time institute employees within five years; so far, four have been hired and six more may be added by the end of 2024. In addition, faculty from OSU and staff at Battelle also collaborate at NeuroTech.
One full-time hire is Lin Du, a principal investigator and electrical systems engineer working on an implantable tactile system to restore mobility for those with paralysis. As part of the system, sensors would be implanted in a patient’s fingertips or the palm of a hand to allow a patient
to grasp an object through signals wirelessly transmitted to a watch and then the brain. “The institute gives me a unique opportunity to collaborate with physicians and patients, which is critical for this technology,” Du says. “We have a very ambitious goal, and we need experts in a lot of different backgrounds to accomplish it.”
Du joined the institute in October and has a joint appointment with Ohio State as an assistant professor in the colleges of medicine and engineering. The next step for the implantable tactile system is Food and Drug Administration approval for clinical trials in humans.
Another project under the institute’s wing is enhancements to the NeuroLife Sleeve, developed at Battelle. The sleeve, worn on the forearm of a person with paralysis, may restore some hand movement but requires complex surgery. Researchers are reconfiguring the sleeve with a goal of stimulating a paralyzed limb without surgery.
Five to 10 spinoffs a year is our goal. Most of them will fail, but even if two or three survive, that supports our whole mission.”
Tim Lucas, NeuroTech Institute founder and CEO
David Friedenberg, Battelle data scientist and principal investigator, says trials for the reconfigured sleeve are ongoing through NeuroTech and Battelle. “NeuroTech provides an avenue to take the intellectual property we’ve developed and have it accelerated,” Friedenberg says. “We are expecting to commercialize it, and this collaboration brings together all the pieces we need.”
The institute is funded by Ohio State and Battelle, as well as investors, grants and donations. Lucas hopes that eventually the institute will receive support from the companies it spins off.
“Five to 10 spinoffs a year is our goal,” Lucas says. “Most of them will fail, but even if two or three survive, that supports our whole mission. And they’ll hopefully get gobbled up by bigger companies.”
The model for the institute is the 20-year-old Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a nonprofit research organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that focuses on genomic science.
Multidisciplinary staff from the Broad Institute collaborate on technology that improves people’s health, and those discoveries are spun off into private entities. “I wanted to do that in the neuro space,” Lucas says, “to have an open, flat organization where we work team-science together.”
Lucas says the collaborative spirit is the “secret sauce” of the Broad Institute that he wanted to copy. “The Broad says everyone is equal,” he says. “So, I put together a business plan for NeuroTech to do that, to put us in an open fishbowl where we all sink or swim together.”
The institute also is nimble, allowing deals to be made quickly to advance science and ultimately help patients. “One, I hope we can develop a sense of urgency, and two, we want to inspire people, to get people behind us,” Lucas says. “The point is these patients need technologies now.”
Kathy Lynn Gray is a freelance writer. This story also appears in the April issue of Columbus Monthly
Air travel in Columbus continues to rebound after the pandemic, posting the second-highest year on record in 2023, with a gain of more than 924,000 passengers.
According to year-end numbers from the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, John Glenn Columbus International Airport and the Rickenbacker Passenger Terminal saw a combined 8,672,440 travelers in 2023. That’s up 12 percent—924,409 passengers—from 2022.
Columbus’ highest passenger travel totals came in 2019, when 8,945,888 travelers flew through both airports.
Worth noting: Thanks to new service, the region had 53 nonstop destinations at the end of 2023—the most ever, according to CRAA.
11 renovated retail and food-and-beverage locations
7,748,031 passengers flying through both airports in 2022
8,672,440 passengers flying through John Glenn Columbus International Airport and the Rickenbacker Passenger Terminal in 2023
2 CRAA employees certified as drone pilots to inspect airfield conditions
Source: Columbus Regional Airport Authority
23% increase in charging outlets available for CMH passengers
7,800+ live animals exported from Rickenbacker’s U.S. Department of Agriculture certified inspection facility—a site record
Presented by
Monday, June 17, 2024
The Medallion Club 5000 Club Drive, Westerville, OH 43082
The Columbus Chamber of Commerce Foundation has a mission to remove barriers to prosperity and growth in the Columbus Region business community through ancillary funds, programming, and scholarships and certifications. The themes of our work are Bookend Talent Pipeline Support and Economic Inclusion. All proceeds benefit the Columbus Chamber Foundation, a 501(c)3.
Presenting Partners
with media support from:
With more than 120 daily departures to 50+ nonstop destinations, let’s redefine what it looks like to work remotely during an Ohio winter. With ezPark and valet parking options, you can get from your car to the gate smoothly — and get back online without missing a deadline. That’s just one more reason why we are the start of it all.