Built in Ohio

On this episode of Built in Ohio we’re joined by Novick, the Interim CEO of JumpStart Inc. 

Lorne has spent his career at the intersection of law, startups, sports, and venture—always with a focus on driving innovation and impact. At JumpStart, he’s held senior leadership roles overseeing services, deal flow, and strategy, helping to build one of Ohio’s most influential entrepreneurial organizations. Now as Interim CEO, he’s steering JumpStart through a pivotal moment, working to accelerate the launch and growth of high-potential companies while expanding the state’s innovation ecosystem.

One of the biggest ways JumpStart does this is through VC Fest, the annual gathering coming back to Cleveland on September 16th and 17th that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders from across Ohio and beyond. This year’s event introduces new elements, fresh conversations, and opportunities for collaboration that could shape the next wave of Ohio startups.

In this episode, we dig dug what makes VC Fest unique, the impact it’s already had, and where Lorne sees Ohio’s innovation ecosystem heading.

Connect with Lorne on LinkedIn.

Learn more about JumpStart at www.jumpstartinc.org

Learn more about Ohio VC Fest at www.ohiovcfest.com

On this episode of Built in Ohio we’re joined by Alexandra Scheiman, Vice President of People at Path Robotics.

Alexandra brings over 15 years of experience in scaling teams, leading people strategy, and driving culture in high-growth environments—from Spotify and Facebook in New York to one of Ohio’s most innovative AI companies.

At Path Robotics, Alexandra has built the people function from the ground up, helping grow a team that's powering the next wave of manufacturing. Founded by brothers Andy and Alex Lonsberry, Path Robotics is tackling one of the industry’s biggest challenges: doing more with less. 

With reshoring, rising demand, and a shrinking talent pool, manufacturers are under pressure—and Path’s AI-powered welding robots are designed to help. Their technology absorbs repetitive, high-volume work and puts humans in safer, more impactful roles.

In this episode, we talk about building values-driven teams, attracting top tech talent to Ohio, and how Alexandra’s experience at global tech companies is shaping the future of workforce strategy right here in the Midwest.

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrascheiman/

Learn more about Path Robotics: www.path-robotics.com

In this episode of Built in Ohio our guest is Anthony Joy, Chief Information Officer of Cleveland Metroparks.

Most people hear “parks” and think of hiking trails and picnic tables. But Anthony, who's the first-ever CIO for Cleveland Metroparks, sees something much more complex: a 25,000-acre network spanning six counties, 18 park reservations, a nationally acclaimed zoo, nine golf courses, marinas, restaurants, retail operations, and a fully commissioned law enforcement agency.

Anthony’s job? Make sure all of it runs securely, efficiently, and increasingly smartly.

With a background that started in law enforcement and evolved into higher education IT leadership roles, Joy brings a rare mix of public-sector insight, academic discipline, and creative energy to one of Ohio’s most innovative civic organizations.

This is an incredible conversation where we talk technologies like cybersecurity, AI, drones, and more.

And the next time you go to a Zoo, you're probably going to think about all you see a bit differently.

Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-joy-6682581/

Learn more about the Cleveland Metroparks at: www.clevelandmetroparks.com/

In this epsiode of Built in Ohio we welcome Shane Bigelow, CEO of Cleveland-headquartered CHAMP Titles.

Modernizing government systems is a challenge few startups dare to tackle. But Shane and the CHAMP team, is proving it can be done, and done from Ohio.

Shane, whose background spans finance, capital markets, and emerging technologies, launched CHAMP to digitize one of the most outdated government processes: vehicle titling. 

The company helps state governments replace paper-based systems with fully digital solutions that make buying, selling, and managing vehicle titles faster, more secure, and far less bureaucratic.

Bigelow’s inspiration for CHAMP came from recognizing just how inefficient and antiquated title processing was, and how it impacted millions of consumers, dealerships, lenders, and government agencies. 

This was an incredible conversation and Shane is leading one of Ohio's most exciting tech companies.

Connect with Shane on LinkedIn at: www.linkedin.com/in/shanemcrannbigelow/

Learn more about CHAMP's work at: www.champtitles.com

In this episode of Built in Ohio, our guest is Becca Wenning—the founder and CEO of Dressit, a smart technology platform that uses artificial intelligence to power designer websites and guide brides—confidently and effortlessly—to the right dress and the right boutique. 

Think of it as a digital matchmaker for the most important outfit a person may ever wear.

In 2010, Becca stepped into bridal retail just as Pinterest and Instagram were being born. She didn’t know it then, but the digital revolution was about to turn the wedding industry—and her career—inside out.

Becca ran her own boutique for over a decade, building a successful business that guided thousands of brides to their perfect dress. But behind the romance and ribbons, she saw chaos: brides overwhelmed by options, boutiques buried under manual processes, and designer brands unable to adapt to modern e-commerce expectations. 

By the time she sold her boutique in 2020, she had cataloged every inefficiency the industry refused to fix.

Now, she’s fixing them. And building it from Coldwater, Ohio.

Connect with Becca on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/becca-wenning/

Check out Dressit at: www.dressit.ai

In this episode of the Built in Ohio podcast, we sit down with Robert Marks, a serial entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Projector. 

Robert is no stranger to building big ideas—he founded Fidelity Voice and Data with just $600 and grew it into a $30 million business, delivering internet and cloud services across the Midwest. After successfully exiting that company, he turned his focus to new ventures and giving back to the community.

Now with Projector, Robert is reimagining how families can enjoy their home videos—making it as easy as streaming your favorite show. 

We talk about:

• How Robert grew Fidelity Voice and Data from a $600 startup to a $30 million business
• The inspiration behind Projector and how it’s making family videos as easy to stream as your favorite shows
• Why Ohio is the perfect place to build — and fund — the next wave of tech companies
• Lessons from a founder on scaling, selling, and starting again

Connect with Robert on LinkedIn

Learn more about Projector at www.projectorstream.com

In this episode of Built in Ohio, we sit down with Tony Pietrocola, President of AgileBlue, a Cleveland-based cybersecurity company using AI to detect and respond to threats faster than ever before.

Tony’s journey is anything but ordinary. With no formal background in cybersecurity, he co-founded AgileBlue to solve a real market need—and scaled it into one of Ohio’s fastest-growing tech startups. Today, AgileBlue’s platform monitors organizations 24/7 using autonomous technology to protect against evolving cyber threats.

We talk about:

• How Tony transitioned from serial entrepreneur to cybersecurity founder
• Why AI is now essential to defending against modern threats
• The unique challenges and advantages of building in Ohio
• What it means to launch and grow a tech company during a global pandemic

Connect with Tony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonypietrocola/

Learn more about AgileBlue: https://agileblue.com/

In this episode of Built in Ohio, we sit down with Ratmir Timashev, a serial entrepreneur, innovator, and investor whose impact on cloud data protection and software innovation is felt worldwide.

Ratmir is an entrepreneur, technologist, and community leader, best known for his innovations in cloud data protection. Since launching Aelita Software in his dorm at the Ohio State University, Ratmir has built some of the world’s most successful tech companies, including Veeam Software, the global leader in cloud data protection and management software. Today, he invests in startups worldwide and is the co-founder of Object First, a company delivering backup storage for mid-sized businesses using Veeam.

Ratmir is the founding visionary behind the Center for Software Innovation at the Ohio State University, positioning Columbus as a global hub for AI and digital innovation. Through new cutting-edge education, career pathways, community programs, and the Techstars Columbus accelerator, the CSI team is empowering students and entrepreneurs to build the next great digital products. Together with his wife Angela and the Timashev Family Foundation, Ratmir's philanthropic impact in innovation, education, and the arts extends across Ohio and the globe.

During the conversation, Chris Berry and Ratmir talk about the entrepreneurial journey, the importance of being the first-mover (and how you need to be at the right time, right place, with a brilliant product), and the tech opportunity he sees coming out of Ohio State.

Follow Ratmir on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratmirtimahsev/

Learn more about his work from his website: https://www.ratmirtimashev.com/

And discover the innovation happening at Ohio State's Center for Software Innovation: https://software.osu.edu/

In this episode we welcome two guests from Cincinnati-headquartered Procter & Gamble (P&G): Guy Persaud, President of the New Business Unit at Procter & Gamble and Board Chair at Cintrifuse and Chetan Parekh, Vice President & General Manager of Zevo.

Built in Ohio's host, Chris Berry, speaks with Guy and Chetan on innovation in large corporations, what it's like building and launching new brands, and the importance of strong tech ecosystems.

P&G is known for creating some of the world's most iconic brands. At P&G Ventures, they create new brands in new spaces to help consumers live life better.

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Guy Persaud is President of the New Business Unit at Procter & Gamble and Board Chair at Cintrifuse.

Persaud has nearly three decades of experience across four continents leading multi-billion-dollar businesses and global organizations across a wide range of cultural contexts.

In his current role as president of the new business unit at Procter & Gamble, Persaud is responsible for identifying and operating high-growth and value-creation businesses outside the company's traditional business units. Previous roles at the company include: senior vice president, fabric and home care and head of brand, Latin America; senior vice president, fabric and home care, greater China; global franchise leader; and other roles in the U.S. and Europe.

A native of Canada, Guy joined Procter & Gamble after completing his Master of Business Administration at McGill University.

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Chetan Parekh is Vice President & General Manager of Zevo.
 
Chetan leads the Pest Prevention brand Zevo, which is P&G’s first new category entry in over 20 years.

A native of India, Chetan joined P&G after completing his MBA at The Yale School of Management. Over his 17-year career at P&G, Chetan has had a unique journey spanning brand-building, P/L ownership, and retailer-facing experiences spanning multiple business units with a track record of delivering breakthrough results: Skincare (Olay), Healthcare (Vicks, Prilosec), Oral Care (Crest/ Oral-B), and managing P&G’s healthcare, oral care, and feminine care business on the Walmart team.

These experiences have led to the current pioneering and entrepreneurial opportunity to build Zevo from the ground up, from incubation to national scaling.

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Learn more about Zevo at: https://zevoinsect.com/

Learn more about P&G's new venture work at: https://pgventuresstudio.com/

Learn more about Cintrifuse: https://cintrifuse.com/

Connect with Guy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypersaud/

Connect with Chetan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetan-parekh/

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Marvin Logan is the Executive Director of Youngstown-based OH WOW! Children's Center for Science & Technology.

In this episode, we spoke to Marvin about building a STEM education pipeline connecting education, government, nonprofits, and the tech industry.

OH WOW!® The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology opened in downtown Youngstown, Ohio on May 12, 2011 to rave reviews and overwhelming community support. Today, OH WOW!®’s brand is well-respected, and the organization is an anchor and economic development engine in downtown Youngstown’s central business district, serving over 645,262 since their opening.

At OH WOW!, Marvin directs one of the region's preeminent STEM education providers, dedicated to delivering dynamic hands-on experiences by employing project and challenge-based learning to yield impactful educational results for K-12 youth. His leadership work oversees strategic and operational functions encompassing the organization’s personnel, programs, expansion efforts, goals, and mission.

To learn more about OH WOW!, please visit: https://ohwowkids.org/

Connect with Marvin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvinloganjr/