The AI economy in Central Ohio is creating entirely new businesses. At the same time, it's reshaping nearly every existing business. The key to both these upheavals? Visionary leadership of the human kind. Will Columbus lead, follow, or just watch the AI revolution from the sidelines? Innovative leaders are determined to do just that - lead - and are racing to harness the power of AI to stay ahead of the competition. Can key players team up in Central Ohio to create a fertile business ecosystem that fuels AI innovation and nurtures the next generation of AI thinkers?

Featuring: Shereen Agrawal, Executive Director, Center for Software Innovation, The Ohio State University Alex 'Fro' Frommeyer, Founder and CEO, Stack Health, and Chairman, Beam Benefits Tim Grace, Managing Director, Techstars Columbus

The host is Carrie Ghose, Senior Reporter, Columbus Business First.

This forum was sponsored by Roetzel & Andress.

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 fantastic partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading AI Startup Strategy by Adhiguna Mahendra (2023).

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on May 13, 2026.