The Community's Conversation

Is Columbus ready to hit three million residents? Ready or not, it's a milestone that's just 25 years away, according to estimates. While the surge brings enormous opportunity—more jobs, greater diversity, and increased investment—it comes with high-stakes questions: Is the region truly prepared for what's ahead? And what happens if it isn't?

Columbus is now one of the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest, with its metro population expected to rise by 35% and surpass 3 million by 2050. This growth is fueled by millennial migration, international immigration, and a strong economy attracting both businesses and talent.

This forum tackles the most urgent issues shaping the future of a larger, more complex Columbus: how to build a workforce that meets growing demand, how to expand and modernize public transportation, and how changing demographics will redefine the region's cultural and civic landscape.

Featuring:

Rob Dorans, President Pro Tem, Columbus City Council;

Monica Tellez-Fowler, President & CEO, COTA;

Michael Wilkos, Vice President of Community Engagement, United Way of Central Ohio.

The host is Jordan Laird, Politics and Government Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch.

This forum was sponsored by Columbus City Council, COTA, and Downtown Columbus, Inc.

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 recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on July 16, 2025.

When it comes to fashion, Columbus has the talent. It has the retail giants, the design schools, the logistics, and the creative minds. What it hasn't had—until now—is the fashion infrastructure to stitch those pieces together.

With the launch of the new Fashion Innovation Center in the heart of Downtown's Discovery District, Yohannan "Yogi" Terrell and the Columbus Fashion Alliance are betting big on a bold vision: to make Columbus not just a great place for fashion, but a city defined by it.

Could Columbus become the next fashion capital—not just of the Midwest, but of the nation? What does it take to build a thriving cultural and economic district from scratch? And what role can fashion play in shaping a more creative, inclusive, and opportunity-rich city?

Featuring

Yohannan "Yogi" Terrell, CEO, Warhol & WALL ST, and Director, Columbus Fashion Alliance

Erica Crawley, Board President and Commissioner, Franklin County Board of Commissioners

Madison Hilson and Valentina Thompson, Co-Founders, SENIQ

The host is Kat DePizzo, President, Justice Design Lab.

This forum was sponsored by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and Taft.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 Ellis. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on July 9, 2025.

Central Ohio's vast range of nonprofits care for children, families, animals, the environment, and just about everything in between. Our region's nonprofit organizations – both large and small – are doing work that's more important than ever, yet some are facing an uncertain future amid potential funding cuts and anxiety among the communities they serve. With a panel of passionate nonprofit leaders, we unpack the state of Central Ohio nonprofits at one of CMC's most popular forums of the year.

Featuring: Julie Fletcher, Director of Community Impact, Crane Group

Joe Gottron, President & CEO, Gladden Community House Denise Robinson, President and CEO, Alvis Tom Schmid, President & CEO, The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium The host is Michael Corey, Executive Director, Human Service Chamber of Central Ohio

Concluding remarks by Dr. Frederic Bertley, President and CEO, COSI and CEO, The National Veterans Memorial and Museum

The presenting sponsor of this forum was The Columbus Foundation.

This forum was sponsored by Bank of America, Benefactor Group, Columbia Gas of Ohio, The Columbus Museum of Art, Cramer and Associates, Huntington Bank, Mollard Consulting, and The United Way of Central 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 The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus on June 25, 2025.

Franklin County's new 2025 Health Map is here, offering an updated look at the region's biggest health challenges—and signs of progress. What do the latest numbers tell us about healthcare access, infant mortality, adverse childhood experiences, and more?

Featuring:

Joe Mazzola, Franklin County Health Commissioner

Dr. Mysheika W. Roberts, Health Commissioner, Columbus Public Health

Dr. Andrew Thomas, Chief Clinical Officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

The host is Tracy Townsend, Medical Correspondent and Anchor, 10TV News This Morning.

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 sponsored by Mount Carmel Health System, Cardinal Health, and Ian Alexander Photography.

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 Ellis.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on June 18, 2025.

Central Ohio's economic future is high-tech—but is our education system ready? With new semiconductor plants, clean energy facilities, and advanced logistics hubs rising across the region, the workforce of tomorrow will need advanced skills today. This week, the Columbus Metropolitan Club welcomes a panel of business and education leaders for a candid discussion on what it will take to prepare Ohio students for careers in STEM, AI, and other fast-evolving industries.

Featuring:

Geena Gamble, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Worthington Enterprises

Lisa Gray, President, Ohio Excels

Pat Tiberi, President and CEO, Ohio Business Roundtable

The host is Alissa Widman Neese, Reporter, Axios.

This forum was sponsored by Communities in Schools of Ohio and The Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland.

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 Ellis.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on June 11, 2025.

Is Ohio headed for a crisis in health coverage, especially for mental health and addiction services? More than a decade ago, Ohio's Medicaid expansion was a game changer, extending coverage to over 700,000 Ohioans and providing a lifeline to thousands of Ohioans in need of mental health and addiction treatment services.

Expansion worked: uninsured rates dropped, medical debt decreased, health improved, and emergency room visits went down. In just four years, 630,000 Ohioans received treatment for mental illness or substance use disorder, a victory in the fight against opioid addiction. In 2024, forty percent of adults covered by expansion had a primary mental health and/or substance use disorder diagnosis.

These gains may now be in jeopardy: Governor DeWine's new proposed biennial budget includes a so-called "kill-switch" provision that would automatically end mental health and addiction services provided through the expansion if federal Medicaid funding is reduced.

With key leaders and policy experts, we'll unpack the impact Medicaid has had on health outcomes in Ohio and the consequences facing patients in recovery if the state's landmark care expansion is abandoned.

Featuring: Oyauma Garrison, President & CEO, Maryhaven, Inc. Rachelle Martin; Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness of Franklin County Amy Bush Stevens, Amy Bush Stevens Consulting, LLC, Consultant to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio

The host is Greg Moody, Director of Professional Development, The John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University

The presenting sponsors of the CMC Optimal Health Series are Nationwide Children's Hospital, OhioHealth, and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

This forum was sponsored by Maryhaven.

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 Ellis.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on June 4, 2025.

Canada isn't just a neighbor—it's Ohio's number one international trading partner. In this week's Columbus Metropolitan Club forum, we explore what recent U.S.-Canada trade tensions could mean for jobs, industries, and the economic future of Central Ohio. Featuring: Colin Bird, Consul General of Canada in Detroit Allison Russo, Ohio State Representative, District 7, and Statehouse Minority Leader Bala Sathyanarayanan, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Greif The host is Dan Eaton, Senior Reporter, Columbus Business First. This forum was sponsored by The Ohio Manufacturers' Association. The forum partners were The Columbus Council on World Affairs and The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan 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 The Ellis. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on May 21, 2025.

Why are your property taxes going up — and where is that money actually going? This week's CMC forum tackles the property tax questions on everyone's mind, with experts who understand the system inside and out. From home values to school funding, to mills and assessments, our panel helps make sense of it all.

Featuring:

Michael D. Cole, President, Columbus City School Board

Greg Lawson, Research Fellow, The Buckeye Institute

And Michael Stinziano, Franklin County Auditor

The host is Anna Staver, State Government and Politics Reporter for Cleveland.com and The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

This forum was sponsored by Bricker Graydon.

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 Ellis.

Recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on May 14, 2025.

Central Ohio is prospering, but economic mobility remains out of reach for many families. This forum explores the stark racial and economic disparities in the Columbus region and asks what new policies and community actions are needed to ensure shared prosperity. Featuring: Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Columbus City Councilmember Keith Jones, President & CEO, Oakwood Management Duwain Pinder, Partner, Ohio - Columbus, McKinsey & Company Dr. Jason Reece, Associate Professor, City and Regional Planning, Knowlton School of Architecture, The Ohio State University The host is Mataryun "Mo" Wright, President & CEO, RAMA Consulting Group. This forum was sponsored by The Crane Group, The McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility, and The Robert Weiler Company. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's promotional and livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by The Ellis. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on May 7, 2025.

Bioscience breakthroughs are transforming lives in Central Ohio. From cutting-edge gene therapies to world-first medical devices, the region's life sciences sector is booming—and saving lives. This week's Columbus Metropolitan Club forum brings together scientific leaders and business innovators to explore how research, investment, and clinical development are coming together to power the next generation of healthcare innovation.

Featuring:

Dr. Frank Agbogbo, Vice President of Process Development, Forge Biologics Dr. Erandi De Silva, Investment Partner, Drive Capital Dr. Louise Rodino-Klapac, Executive Vice President, Head of R&D, and Chief Scientific Officer, Sarepta

Robin Sears, President and CEO, LENTECHS

The host is Tyler Allchin, Managing Director, Healthcare, JobsOhio This forum was created in partnership with the 2025 COSI Science Festival, and was sponsored by: Armatus Bio, Battelle, Holder Construction, Ohio Life Sciences, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Sarepta. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. Our livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by The Ellis. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus' historic Italian Village on April 30, 2025.