The Community's Conversation

Downtown Columbus is changing rapidly, and local leaders are working to build a safer, more vibrant, and more connected urban core. We bring together experts from public safety, urban development, and community strategy to explore what it will take to strengthen the heart of the city. From new safety initiatives to long-term planning and partnership models, the conversation highlights how a thriving downtown Columbus drives Central Ohio's regional success.

Featuring: Greg Davies, CEO, Downtown Columbus, Inc. Robin Davis, Executive Director, Safer Downtown Smith Weir, Deputy Chief of the Columbus Division of Police

The host is Dawn Tyler Lee, former Deputy Chief of Staff with The City of Columbus, and Founder and CEO, Forrest Street Consulting.

Amy Taylor, President of Downtown Columbus, Inc., presents opening remarks on the state of downtown.

This forum was sponsored by Downtown Columbus, Inc., Event Marketing Strategies, MKSK, and The Robert Weiler Company. 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 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 Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck (2022).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on December 17, 2025.

In a rare joint appearance, the mayors of Columbus, Findlay, Lima, and Toledo—Andrew J. Ginther, Christina Muryn, Sharetta Smith, and Wade Kapszukiewicz—take the stage for a powerful conversation on the future of urban leadership in Ohio. Together, these four leaders represent more than a million Ohioans—nearly 10% of the state's population. From economic growth and urban development to transit, public safety, and civic engagement, they share strategies for building stronger, more connected, and more resilient cities.

Featuring: Andrew J. Ginther, Mayor, City of Columbus Christina Muryn, Mayor, City of Findlay Sharetta Smith, Mayor, City of Lima Wade Kapszukiewicz, Mayor, City of Toledo

Your host is Stacia Naquin, News Anchor, WBNS 10TV.

This forum was sponsored by The Ohio State University, The Ohio Mayors Alliance, and The Robert Weiler Company. 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 supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. If you'd like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "Silicon Heartland: Transforming the Midwest from Rust Belt to Tech Belt," by Rebecca A. Fannin (2023).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on December 10, 2025.

The arts are more than inspiration—they're critical infrastructure. Across Central Ohio, cultural organizations are using shared data and collaborative evaluation to show how the arts drive workforce readiness, economic development, public health, and community well-being. This forum spotlights the Central Ohio Arts Impact Initiative and a growing movement to position the arts as essential to the region's social and economic infrastructure. This week, we hear from arts leaders, data experts, and civic partners on how creative work is delivering measurable outcomes that align with Central Ohio's priorities to nurture vibrant urban suburban, and exurban communities.

Featuring: Dr. Kimberlee Goodman, Executive Director, The McConnell Arts Center Angela Meleca, Chief Advocate Officer, Meleca Creative Advisors Priscilla R. Tyson, Former Columbus City Councilmember, Founder, Priscilla Tyson Consulting

Your host is Sheri Chaney Jones, Co-Founder and CEO, SureImpact. 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're ready to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our friends at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "Run It Like a Business: Strategies for Arts Organizations to Increase Audiences, Remain Relevant, and Multiply Money – Without Losing the Art," by Aubrey Bergauer.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on December 3, 2025.

Children's mental health isn't just a family issue—it's a workplace issue. When kids struggle, parents and caregivers face missed work and mounting stress, creating ripple effects across their lives. This week we explore the link between children's mental health and workplace performance, and the roles Central Ohio employers, healthcare leaders, and advocates are playing in breaking the cycle of stress for families. Featuring: Anna Ankenbauer, Senior Director, Global Giving, Engagement, Learning & Development, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Nina Day, Community Mental Health Advocate. Dr. Ariana Hoet, Executive Director, The Kids Mental Health Foundation. The host is Cierra Johnson, Anchor & Reporter, NBC4. This forum was sponsored by Cardinal Health. 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're ready to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading Finding Time: The Economics of Work-Life Conflict, by Heather Boushey. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on November 19, 2025.

Small businesses are the backbone of Central Ohio's economy—creating jobs, fueling innovation, and shaping the future of our communities. Despite inflation, labor shortages, and tariffs, many small business owners report feeling optimistic about the future. This week we explore why. Featuring: Stuart Hoffman, Senior Economic Advisor, PNC Financial Services Group Tim Kehoe, Director, Economic and Community Development Institute's Veterans Business Outreach Center of Ohio Ariana Ulloa-Olavarrieta, Small Business Coordinator, City of Columbus Walter Eguez, Founder, Tortilla Street Food The host is Susan Post, Digital Editor, Columbus Business First. This forum was sponsored by PNC. 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're ready to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our friends at the Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading The New Builders: Face to Face with the True Future of Business by Seth Levine. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on November 12, 2025.

Columbus has rhythm, talent, and venues—but can it build a music industry that rivals Nashville, Austin, or Chicago? We explore Columbus' $1.3 BILLION local music economy and what it'll take to elevate it to national prominence. From local legends to industry insiders, we stagedive into strategy, investment, and how the city can turn homegrown talent into household names. Featuring: Bruce Garfield, Executive Director, Music Means Business Inc. Amy Holihan, Deputy Director, Music Columbus Natalie Jackson, Co-Founder, Natalie's Grandview Rashad Thomas, CEO, Elev8tor Music The host is Chris DeVille, Managing Editor, Stereogum, and Author of Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion. This forum was sponsored by Music Columbus. 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. CMC's onsite book sales partner for this forum was Gramercy Books. Ready for even more rock reading? Our partners at the Columbus Metropolitan Library recommends checking out "Love, Death & Photosynthesis" (2021) by Bela Koe-Krompecher, founder of Anyway Records. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on November 5, 2025.

In a time marked by policy uncertainty, economic volatility, and social fragmentation, the nonprofit sector faces a critical strategic question: will it lead systemic change, or be passively led by external forces?

This forum invites a candid, future-focused conversation about the role of nonprofits in navigating — and shaping — what comes next. Drawing on insights from leadership theory, recent research, and provocative findings from the Philanthropy Roundtable, we'll examine if nonprofits can increase their resilience and impact by reducing dependency on government funding and reclaiming greater strategic autonomy.

What do nonprofits control? What can they influence? Can the sector mobilize to drive meaningful change rather than react to it? Would less reliance on government grants strengthen nonprofits? Together, we'll explore what it means to lead with courage, build organizational independence, and maintain a steadfast commitment to dignity and equity — even in uncertain times.

Featuring:

Ann Bischoff, CEO, Star House

Elizabeth Brown, President & CEO, YWCA Columbus

Rachel Lustig, President & CEO, Lutheran Social Services

Densil Porteous, Executive Director, Stonewall Columbus.

The host is Brandi AL-Issa, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity MidOhio.

This forum was presented by Nationwide and sponsored by COTA and the YWCA Columbus.

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'd like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our partners at the Columbus Metropolitan Library suggest reading Chasing Success: The Challenge for Nonprofits by Judith Van Ginkel (2023).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in downtown Columbus, Ohio on October 29, 2025.

In an era of media consolidation, vanishing local newsrooms, and viral misinformation, the future of trusted journalism is at a crossroads. What happens to a community when its news megaphone splinters—when public media fights for survival, editorial independence is under pressure, and social media algorithms reward outrage over truth?

Featuring: Philip Bump, Former National Columnist, The Washington Post, and Author, The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America

Michelle Everhart-Sullivan, Chief Audience Officer, Signal Ohio

Tareya Palmer, Co-Creator, Columbus Can't Wait Podcast

The moderator is Mike Thompson, Director of Radio, WOSU Public Media.

This forum was sponsored by WOSU Public Media.

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.

Ready to continue exploring this week's forum topic? The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommends reading What Works in Community News by Ellen Clegg and Dan Kennedy (2024).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on October 22, 2025.

Ohio's water is one of its most valuable resources—critical for the state's health, environment, and economy.

From reducing toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie to improving aging sewer and pipe systems and addressing polluted runoff, the stakes are immense. H2Ohio—a bipartisan clean water initiative launched in 2019—has made clear progress through collaboration with farmers, conservationists, and local governments.

But a budget reduction this year to the initiative of nearly 40% could slow or scale back some of these projects, prompting discussion among policymakers, environmental groups, and community leaders about the best path forward.

What's at stake isn't just clean water—it's Ohio's health, environment, and long-term economic future.

Featuring:

Dontavius Jarrells, Representative, 1st District, Ohio State House of Representatives

Paula Powell, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

Adam Sharp, Executive Vice President, The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation

Bill Stanley, State Director, The Nature Conservancy in Ohio

The host is Carol Kauffman, CEO, The Ohio Environmental Council

This forum was sponsored by Burgess & Niple, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, The Alliance for the Great Lakes, The Green Funds of The Columbus Foundation, The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and The Ohio Environmental Council.

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.

Want to keep learning about this topic? Check out "The Last Drop: Solving the World's Water Crisis" by Tim Smedley, recommended by our partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Queer joy—the radical act of celebrating identity, love, and community—is powerful and political. In the face of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation, joy becomes both a lifeline and a form of resistance. For some, queer joy is possible through financial stability, civic recognition, the support of allies, or safe communities—yet others face isolation, poverty, or exclusion.

This forum brings together LGBTQ+ leaders, advocates, and civic changemakers to explore what defines queer joy, how queer joy is cultivated, who still struggles to access it, and what it will take to make joy—and justice—more widely available to LGBTQ+ community members in Columbus and beyond.

Featuring:

Dr. Melanie Corn, President, The Columbus College of Art & Design

Karen Hewitt, Founder and Principal Consultant, K Hewitt Consulting & The Culture of You, and Co-Founder and COO, The Ohio REST Collective

Dr. Karen Williams, Founder and CEO, The International Institute of Humor and Healing Arts

The host is Ronald Murray, CEO, PEACE OF MIND, Inc., and Community Engagement Liaison, Stonewall Columbus.

This forum was made possible by the Lynn Greer Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund Celebrating Inclusion & Equity for the LGBTQ Community and was sponsored by Huckleberry House. 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.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on October 8, 2025.