The Community's Conversation

This candid 1:1 conversation features Mitch Menchaca, the newly appointed CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, as he shares his unexpected journey from the stages of Arizona to leading arts policy in Phoenix—to now shaping the creative future of Columbus. Once a visitor who thought there might be "nothing to do" in Columbus, Mitch returns to a transformed city he's fallen in love with, ready to build on GCAC's momentum at a time of challenge and opportunity. With decades of national leadership experience, a passion for public art, and a vision for equitable cultural investment in every neighborhood, we'll explore how the arts can drive Columbus' economic vitality, create community identity, and deepen everyday civic life.

Featuring: Mitch Menchaca, President and CEO, The Greater Columbus Arts Council

The host is Sophia Fifner, President and CEO, The Columbus Metropolitan Club.

This forum was made possible by Carol A. McGuire Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund — Celebrating Arts and Culture. It was sponsored by CK Construction and The Columbus Museum of Art.

The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.

This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory," by Brian Eno (2025).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on March 18, 2026.

Behind every report card is a bigger story. For many Central Ohio students, poverty, trauma, food insecurity, housing instability, and citizenship status create barriers to learning that schools can't solve alone. In this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum, leaders in education and student support unpack what's driving chronic absenteeism, why it matters for graduation and workforce readiness, and what it takes to keep students connected to school.

Featuring: Valerie Kunze, Chief of Family Engagement and School Partnerships, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Adero Robinson, CEO, Communities in Schools of Ohio Dr. Sharee Wells, Superintendent, Whitehall City Schools

Shaniya Williams, Communities in Schools Alumna and Student, The Ohio State University

The host is Michelle M. Brown, President and CEO, Children's Hunger Alliance.

This forum was sponsored by Battelle, Columbus State Community College, Communities in Schools of Ohio, and The United Way of Central Ohio. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on March 11, 2026.

A new study, Women in the Workplace 2025, reports a troubling reversal: stalled early advancement, declining company commitment, and a new ambition gap as fewer women aspire to promotion than men for the first time in a decade. In a fast growing Central Ohio economy, this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum asks: are women being left behind just as opportunity expands? New research from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org shows that only 80% of women now aspire to promotion, compared with 86% of men—a reversal of long-standing trends. Yet the data tells a more hopeful story as well: when women receive the same sponsorship, support, and clarity about advancement as their male peers, the ambition gap disappears entirely. The problem, it turns out, may not be women's ambition—but workplaces that make ambition harder to sustain.

Leaders from business and the nonprofit sector discuss what is driving the ambition gap, why it disappears when women receive equal sponsorship and support, and what leaders can do to build workplaces where women can advance.

Featuring: Michelle Bryant, Partner, McKinsey and Company Dr. Pamela Gregory, Owner and CFO, National Center for Urban Solutions Kelley Griesmer, President and CEO, The Women's Fund of Central Ohio Lillian Morales Laster, Executive Director, Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy

The host is Margaret D Finley, President, Central Ohio Belonging Consortium.

This forum was made possible by the Mary Lazarus Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund and was sponsored by Advanced Drainage Systems, Event Marketing Strategies, and The New Directions Career Center.

The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.

If you'd like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our friends at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading This Isn't Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success by Meghan French Dunbar (2025).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus Ohio on March 4, 2026.

Hair is never just hair—it's history, artistry, and identity woven together. Inspired by the upcoming production of Jaja's African Hair Braiding (at the Contemporary Theatre of Ohio, March 5–22, 2026), this forum invites you into a conversation about the cultural, economic, and social significance of African hair braiding and the stories braided into every strand.

Jaja's African Hair Braiding, written by Ohio State University graduate Jocelyn Bioh, follows West African women building lives inside a Harlem salon. African hair braiding is more than a beauty practice; it is a tradition deeply rooted in Black communities, symbolizing heritage, creativity, and belonging.

In Columbus, braiding salons—often owned and operated by Black women—are more than businesses. They're spaces of empowerment, entrepreneurship, and cultural exchange, where clients and stylists alike find connection and community.

Community leaders, artists, scholars, and business advocates discuss how beauty culture reflects resilience, creativity, and economic opportunity—and why these community spaces matter now more than ever.

Featuring panelists: Juanita Brent, Representative, Ohio State House District 18 Sarai Brooks, Braid Artist, Author, and Owner of Haven 626 by RaiStyles J. Averi Frost, Executive Director, Central Ohio African American Chamber of Commerce Dr. Treva B. Lindsey, Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State University

The host is Lachandra "La" Baker, Founder and Lead Consultant, Lachandra B. Baker Edutainment LLC.

This forum was presented in partnership with The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus Inc and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture," by Emma Dabiri (2020). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on February 25, 2026.

Women's health is at a pivotal moment in Ohio. From maternal care deserts and rising maternal mortality, to oncology advances and long-overdue conversations about menopause and postpartum mental health, this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum explores what our region is getting right—and where the system is still failing Ohio's women.

Featuring Panelists:

Jatu Boikai, Founder and CEO, Central Ohio Postpartum Extended Respite Center

Dr. Kamilah Dixon, Director of the General Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Dr. Shilpa Padia, Co-Medical Director of Oncology, Mount Carmel Health System

Dr. Mona Prasad, System Chief, Maternal Fetal Medicine, OhioHealth Physicians Group

Your host is Tracy Townsend, News Anchor and Medical Correspondent, WBNS 10TV.

The presenting sponsors of CMC's long-running Optimal Health Series are Nationwide Children's Hospital, OhioHealth, and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. This forum was also sponsored by Mount Carmel Health System.

The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Any Age" by Meghan Rabbitt (2026).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The state of Central Ohio's childcare industry impacts parents, employers, the region's overall economy, and of course, the children who depend on quality childcare facilities and professionals. With so much riding on the state of childcare, we unpack the new 2025 Action for Children's Central Ohio Child Care Provider Survey. This comprehensive survey collects vital information from licensed child care providers about the local landscape of child care, and is the only continuing study of its kind in Ohio. Join CMC as a panel of experts and leaders unpacks this newest data to better understand the current state of childcare and the critical trends that will impact us all.

Featuring panelists:

Dr. Katherine Glenn-Applegate, Director of Child Care and Education Initiatives, Action for Children

Hannah Halbert, Executive Director, Policy Matters Ohio

Kara Wente, Director, The Ohio Department of Children and Youth

Rhonda West, Owner and Administrator, Rhonda's Daycare Service

Opening remarks by Tasha Booker, CEO, Action for Children.

Closing remarks by Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley.

The host is Jennifer Bullock, Anchor, NBC4.

This forum was sponsored by The Care Economy Organizing Project, The Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Mollard Consulting, PNC, and The United Way of Central Ohio.

The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch.

This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "The Daycare Myth: What We Get Wrong About Early Care and Education (and What We Should Do About It)" by Dan Wuori, 2024.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on February 11, 2026.

Artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity at unprecedented speed. From state government to public transit to global business, leaders are confronting new risks while deploying new tools to defend critical systems. This forum examines how AI is changing cyber threats, what organizations can do to stay ahead, and why cybersecurity has become a leadership issue for every sector in Central Ohio.

Featuring:

Kirk Herath, Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor to Governor Mike DeWine and Chair, CyberOhio

Sophia Mohr, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, COTA

Michael Wyatt, Global Identity Offering Leader, Cyber and Strategic Risk, Deloitte

The host is Padma Sastry, Adjunct Faculty at The Ohio State University College of Engineering.

This forum was sponsored by COTA and Deloitte.

The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch.

This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI Generated Deceptions," by Perry Carpenter (2025).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus Ohio on February 4, 2026.

Tucked into neighborhoods across Central Ohio are thousands of Haitian refugees and their families who've built lives, businesses, and communities—many under a federal designation called Temporary Protected Status (TPS). With that protection set to expire on February 3, their futures hang in the balance. This conversation dives into the shifting terrain of U.S. immigration policy and how it's playing out in real time across Central Ohio. We unpack the legal pathways available to immigrants and refugees, the challenges of navigating a system marked by long backlogs and limited resources, and the broader implications for citizenship, deportation, and belonging.

Featuring: Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Columbus City Councilmember Emily Brown, Immigration Clinic Director, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Sophia Pierrelus, Entrepreneur and Former Secretary of the Mouvement Patriotique des Haïtiens Conscients (MPHC) Angela Plummer, Executive Director, Community Refugee and Immigration Services.

The host is Danae King, Underserved Communities Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch. Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin makes opening remarks. This forum was sponsored by Columbus City Council. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream and promotional partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading Raiding the Heartland: An American Story of Deportation and Resistance by William D. Lopez (2025). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on January 21, 2026.

What does it mean to be a Black man in Central Ohio in 2026? In Central Ohio, Black men face a unique and often underexamined set of challenges — and opportunities — shaped by generations of systemic inequities and the evolving dynamics of a rapidly growing region. Black men continue to be disproportionately affected by disparities in health, education, income, and incarceration. We explore the realities of navigating mental health stigma, economic exclusion, and more — while spotlighting the resilience, innovation, and leadership that define the community.

Featuring: Jason Jenkins, Chief Diversity Officer and Executive Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, City of Columbus Duwain Pinder, Partner, McKinsey & Company Marshall Shorts, Founder and Principal, Artfluential, and Creative Director, Ohio Organizing Collaborative

The host is Corey Favor, Senior Director of Community Engagement, Orange Barrel Media. This forum was sponsored by Otterbein University and McKinsey & Company. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power by Courtney B. Vance (2023). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on January 14, 2026.

What will power Central Ohio's economy in 2026—and what's keeping business leaders up at night? With changing tariffs, reduced immigration, and transformative tech like AI reshaping industries, the economic road ahead is anything but clear.

Yet Central Ohio continues to outperform much of the Midwest—thanks to population growth, public investment, and a rapidly diversifying economy. What trends will define the year ahead for our region's employers, workers, and entrepreneurs? And what are the risks no one's talking about yet?

Featuring the release of the 2026 Regionomics Columbus Economic Forecast, this week's forum aims to help Central Ohio's civic and business leaders understand what's coming next—and how to prepare.

Featuring: Kathy Bostjancic, Chief Economist, Nationwide Financial Dr. Aravind Chandrasekaran, Dean, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University Dr. Bill LaFayette, Owner, Regionomics (who also presents opening remarks)

The host is Ben Lanka, Business Editor, The Columbus Dispatch.

This forum was sponsored by The Columbus Partnership, Ian Alexander Photography, PNC, The Robert Weiler Company, and Smoot Construction.

The presenting sponsor of our livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. Our livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work by Kyla Scanlon (2024). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on January 7, 2026.