Startup founders, early stage venture capital investors, an Intel Corp. executive and others are in the lineup for the second annual OhioX Tech Summit, held this year in Columbus.
Thursday's event at the Ohio State University Union is sold out, said OhioX co-founder and CEO Chris Berry.
"We hope it puts a pin in Ohio, as a place where tech happens – and amazing tech happens," Berry said.
Attendees are from every region in Ohio and many are from out of state. Last year's inaugural event was held in northeast Ohio.
"It’s the place for Ohio tech to connect and celebrate," Berry said. "We don’t get to do that very often – if ever."
Berry started the membership-based industry group in 2019 because he was frustrated at the lack of cohesive statewide messaging about Ohio's software, biotech and advanced manufacturing sectors.
The former VentureOhio, which wound down, united efforts among investors and VC-backed startups, but OhioX aims at a wider spectrum from solopreneurs to giants such as Intel.
The pandemic struck months after OhioX launched. Despite the blow to fundraising, the abrupt switch to virtual events turned out to be a boon: Founders and tech workers from across the state made connections without having to travel, at almost no expense to the nonprofit.
The organization's nearly $250,000 annual budget comes mostly from dues of some 100 members, plus sponsorships. Ticket sales help the convention itself break even.
At the event, JobsOhio CEO J.P. Nauseef will highlight the state's accomplishments in a "fireside chat" format, according to the agenda.
Kevin Hoggatt, Intel's director of state government affairs, is set for a panel on Ohio's momentum with Doug McCollough, co-founder and CEO of Color Coded Labs, a coding course for underrepresented populations.
Breakout sessions center on building "community, culture and capital."
In the fall, OhioX hosts an event to promote tech careers to K-12 students. Manufacturing and other industries have long been better at job fairs and similar outreach, Berry said.
"We can showcase to students all these opportunities exist, and you don’t have to come form a certain background to succeed in tech," he said.
Berry was a past aide to U.S. Rep. John Boehner and was spokesman for the state treasurer's office before co-founding a strategic communications group.
Without much of a lobbying presences, OhioX is advocating for restoring funding for additional computer science education in the state budget.
"You go to the Statehouse and every other sector and industry is doing this kind of work," Berry said. "Tech hasn’t really had that voice."
