The Cincinnati Innovation District, an ecosystem anchored by University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, has tapped a 14-member group of local, state and national business leaders to join its inaugural advisory council.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will chair the group, which includes some of the nation’s top-brass in business. All advisory council members have a connection to Cincinnati and Ohio and include local executives Greg Carmichael (Fifth Third), Phil Castellini (Cincinnati Reds) and Rodney McMullen (Kroger), among others.
Husted was initially named the council's chair in March 2020. David Adams, executive director of the Cincinnati Innovation District, said the group's official launch was put on pause because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But it’s a key next step as leaders continue to market the Cincinnati Innovation District as beacon.
The council will provide expertise and guidance to the CID leadership, connect potential opportunities to the district and help demonstrate Cincinnati and Ohio’s commitment to growing, attracting and retaining talent.
“We’ve been at this effort aggressively for years, but one of our biggest challenges, we’re competing against cities that have been at this for decades,” Adams told me. “We have to continue to accelerate so our best and brightest don’t continue to leave for cities like Nashville, Austin, Chicago. With this national set of leaders, we’re candidly making a statement to the world the level of commitment that’s happening at a city and state level.
“Each of these leaders have extensive networks,” he added. “One of the challenges we continue to face — as a region and in the Midwest — is being seen as a destination for talent. We know we have a phenomenal story to tell. These leaders will be able to share that story with the people they know.”
CID advisory council members include:
- Lori Beer – CIO of JP Morgan Chase, member of the company's operating committee and responsible for the firm's technology systems and infrastructure worldwide.
- Candice Brackeen – Founder and executive director of Lightship Foundation, dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and ecosystems across the nation.
- Carmichael – chairman and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, the ninth-largest U.S.-based consumer bank in the country.
- Castellini - President and COO of the Cincinnati Reds, responsible for all business and ballpark operations of the organization and actively engaged with civic activities in the community.
- Andrew Deye –Vice president of JobsOhio, oversees strategy, global business development and research functions for Ohio’s private nonprofit economic development corporation.
- Michael Fisher – President and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he leads an organization of more than 16,000 employees. Children’s had more than 1.3 million patient encounters with children from all 50 U.S. states and more than 50 countries last year.
- Leigh Fox – CEO of Cincinnati Bell, served in several executive positions during his tenure and has transformed Cincinnati Bell into a national and international technology company.
- Husted - 66th Lt. Governor of Ohio having taken office alongside Gov. Mike DeWine Jan. 14, 2019
- Kimm Lauterbach – CEO of Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Cincinnati, founding member of REDI’s leadership team who has played a pivotal role in Ohio’s economic development.
- McMullen - Chairman and CEO of Kroger, helped lead the company to become the largest U.S. supermarket retailer by revenue and one of the world’s largest retailers over his 40-plus year tenure with the organization.
- Kirk Perry - President and CEO of IRI, a seasoned consumer products and brand strategist with deep understanding of the global consumer marketplace.
- Neville Pinto – President of University of Cincinnati and chair of the Uptown Consortium, longtime faculty member, researcher and administrator with more than 30 years of experience in higher education.
- David Taylor - Chairman, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble
- Mike Venerable – CEO and managing director of CincyTech, an entrepreneur and executive leading one of the Midwest’s most active seed funds.
Adams said the advisory council will meet a couple times a year. The group is expected to hold its first meeting in late-2021 or early-2022.
The Cincinnati Innovation District, which includes the 1819 Innovation Hub, the under-construction Digital Futures Building, the Uptown Innovation Corridor and more, was unveiled by DeWine and Husted and JobsOhio in 2020. The district will serve as a "blueprint" for the state and ensure Cincinnati becomes a magnet for talent that attracts Fortune 500, mid-size and developing startup companies, officials said.
JobsOhio is investing up to $100 million to accelerate the number of STEM graduates and execute $2 billion of research and real estate development within the CID.
