Built in Ohio

Forlefac Fontem is the Co-Founder and Technical Lead at Bingo Insurance and a 4th year undergraduate student studying Computer Science at The Ohio State University. 

In this episode, we talk with Forlefac about his passion for technology, co-founding a company while still in school, and creating opportunities for all. 

While at Ohio State, Forlefac has completed two Software Engineering Internships at J.P Morgan Chase & Co and Lyft. Currently, Forlefac co-founded Bingo Insurance, an insurance company that focuses on providing intelligent dog insurance for smart pet owners. 

While he isn't working and spending time with friends and family, he creates opportunities for others by volunteers as a Technology Coordinator for Project V.E.R.B, a non-profit organization that provides low-income students with developmental skills and career opportunities.

Connect with Forlefac on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/forlefacfontem/

Learn more about Bingo Insurance: www.joinbingo.co

Ann Marie Fisher is the Director of Strategic Alliances for Jitterbit. In this episode, we talk with Ann Marie about working remotely for Silicon Valley based companies and selling to Midwest and Canadian businesses, nonprofits and governments.

Jitterbit is the API transformation company that accelerates innovation by combining the power of APIs and integration. Prior to her role as Director of Strategic Alliances, Ann Marie was an Account Executive and sales leader.

In addition to her work at Jitterbit, we talk to Ann Marie about what big problem she'd solve with technology if money was no object and how what companies and leaders can learn from pre-Covid distributed workforces.

Connect with Ann Marie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akozlowski1/

Faris El-Khider, MD, says he is 60% doctor, 40% data nerd. In addition to being a Cleveland Clinic trained gastroenterologist, Faris is also Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Hyr Medical.

Hyr Medical is building a web-based marketplace to tackle a major healthcare problem: By 2025, the United States will have a shortage of over 100,000 Physicians and 1,000,000 Nurses.

Faris has been in health care industry in 3 different continents since the mid 2000's. He completed his internal medicine training at Detroit Medical Center / Wayne State University, where he also served as Chief Resident, then Associate Program Director and Assistant Professor. During that time, he obtained a Master of Science (MS) focused in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis from University of Michigan, then joined Cleveland Clinic as a gastroenterology and research fellow under a grant from National Institutes for Health (NIH).

He met his current Co-Founder after moving to Cleveland and showing up at a Hack-a-thon. And since then they've been building Hyr Medical, an online platform that connects doctors and hospitals for freelance work.

In this episode, we talk with Faris about his career in medicine, why he showed up at a hack-a-thon, and how technology can solve some of medicines biggest problems.

Connect with Faris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felkhider/

More information on Hyr Medical: https://www.hyrmed.com/

Mike J. Walker is an accomplished architect with a vast amount of experience as a leader, innovator and technology expert.

Currently, Mike is Senior Director, Applied Innovation and Digital Transformation at Microsoft and previously has worked at leading technology companies such as Gartner, Hewlett-Packer, and Dell. And his career has taken him across Ohio, Seattle and Austin.

In this episode we talk with Mike about his career working for some of the most innovative companies in the world, the incredible ecosystems of these tech companies and their cities, and how Ohio can play a leading role in the future.

Mike is internationally known as an expert in innovation, strategy development, and enterprise architecture. His insights are sought-after as a speaker at major events worldwide. Additionally, he has delivered keynote speeches for conferences and events on five continents.

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejwalker/

Ann Toews is an Operations Manager at Upstart, the leading AI lending platform partnering with banks to expand access to affordable credit. Based in Columbus, Ann graduated from Stanford University before beginning her career as an officer in the U.S. Army.

After her Army service concluded, Ann received her Master's Degree from Princeton University and then joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Presidential Management Fellow.

Ann began her career in Tech when she joined Upstart's Columbus office in 2019.

In this episode, we talk with Ann about her passion to serve in the Army, how her military service prepared her for the shift to tech, and how others can make similar career transitions.

Connect with Ann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anntoews/

To learn more about Upstart, please visit: https://www.upstart.com/

Jason Gintert is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of WAN Dynamics, a technology company founded to help organizations find their way in the nascent "NetDevOps" technology space.

In this episode, we talk with Jason about how he got his start in technology (when he was seven years old), the path to founding his own company and how he's building a statewide network of networkers.

Jason learned how to program in BASIC on a Commodore VIC20 when he was 7 years old and he's been enthralled with making technology do cool things since. He entered the technology field via the late 1990s ISP boom and survived to tell the tale. Jason loves networking so not only is it a profession, but something of a personal pursuit as well.

Jason is also the Co-Founder and President of the Ohio Networking Users Group (OH)NUG, a statewide professional organization that brings together industry experts, engaging topics and a lot of beer.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasongintert/

For more information on WAN Dynamics: http://www.wandynamics.com/

For more information on (OH)NUG: http://ohnug.org/en/

Matt Buder Shapiro is a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of venture-backed startup MedPilot Inc. He is responsible for developing MedPilot's brand and patient engagement strategy. MedPilot has helped over 1 million patients better understand and resolve their medical expenses.

In 2019, Matt and his company made headlines when they moved the business from New York City to Cleveland. In this episode we talk with Matt about why the move happened, why the decision has paid off, and how cities can compete for coastal tech talent.

Matt also sits on the advisory board for Blue Star Families, the nation's largest chapter-based military family organization, and the Catamount Innovation Fund. Prior to MedPilot, he led the New York media team at Bully Pulpit Interactive, a political strategy firm created by the digital marketers of Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. BPI's experience with leveraging data to target communication helped provide the foundation for MedPilot's engagement engine.

For more information on MedPilot: https://www.medpilot.com/

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbudershapiro/

Jeff Leo Herrmann is the CEO of The Youngstown Publishing Company and also the President of Madison, Michigan and Market. The YPC publishes The Business Journal, Brain Gain, and After Hours Youngstown. MMM is a boutique advisory firm.

In this episode, we talk with Jeff about a career in digital media and marketing technology that took him around the globe, why he decided to return home to Ohio, and his work in trying to keep and recruit talent back to Youngstown. 

Herrmann has spent the last 25 years as both an operator and/or investor in digital media and marketing technology companies. 

Herrmann is a high-impact business leader with expertise in developing and executing multi-million dollar deals in technology, media and analytical services. Jeff works in high-visibility, highly competitive markets of CPG, Retail, Healthcare, Media, SaaS, B2B Technology, and Advertising/Marketing Services.

Jeff’s passion lies in the design and development of strategies to leverage content, technology and data to accelerate sales and realize extraordinary growth.

Jeff earned an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in Economics and Finance. He's also a proud graduate of THE Ohio State University.

Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflherrmann/

Follow Jeff on Twitter: @JeffLHerrmann 

Grant Schneider is the Head of Upstart Columbus and a Data Scientist. With a PhD in Statistics, Grant leads the HQ2 for Upstart, a technology company based in Silicon Valley which is the leading AI lending platform partnering with banks to expand access to affordable credit.

In this episode, we talk with Grant about bringing Silicon Valley to Columbus, his path from PhD to startups, and improving access to affordable credit.

Since the opening of Upstart’s HQ2 in early 2019, Grant has led Upstart Columbus as it expanded from 0 to over 150 people.

Prior to that, he worked for Upstart in the Silicon Valley office, where he had been a Data Science Manager since 2017, managing various teams of 5-10 data scientists.

Grant spent the 3 years before this as a Data Scientist, building the artificial intelligence models and algorithms that are the "secret sauce" of the company. He helped develop early credit risk and marketing models that laid the foundation for future research which led to Upstart’s current position as industry leader in both areas.

Grant has three degrees from The Ohio State University and lives in the Columbus area.

Connect with Grant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantwschneider/

Follow Grant on Twitter: https://twitter.com/grantwschneider

For more information on Upstart, please visit: https://www.upstart.com/

Tonjia Coverdale, Ph.D. is an executive, professional, and scholar who has cultivated her unique perspective of technology through the combination of academic theories, applied research, industry practices, entrepreneurial insight, and strategic focus. Currently, Tonjia is Associate Vice President for Workforce & Legal Technology at Nationwide.

In this episode, we talk with Tonjia about fearless leadership and innovation and how she approaches technology through a unique lens that melds academia and technical expertise.

With three degrees in information systems and technology – B.S., MBA, and Ph.D. – Tonjia has 23 years experience in the field including President / CEO of the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network, where she completed the construction of a $118M fiber-optic, middle-mile network that is one of the first 100% fiber-optic broadband networks in the U.S. to service an entire State/Territory. Having pursued a dual career path in both industry and academia, she also has 19 years of experience in higher education as an administrator and professor, most recently serving as the Vice President for IT and Chief Information Officer at Central State University. 

She also has a dedicated commitment to increasing socioeconomic mobility by providing career access to the technology industry, with a keen interest in creating pathways for women and traditionally underrepresented groups. 

To connect with Tonjia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonjia/

Follow Tonjia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonjia