Entrepreneurship, Education and Energy Take Center Stage with Central Ohio Business Leaders

A full house of business and community leaders turned out for this week’s Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) forum to learn more about the continuing impact of innovation on the Central Ohio economy.  At what is turning out to be an annual affair for the CMC, Ted Ford, president and CEO of TechColumbus, led a panel discussion on the current and foreseeable state of innovation in the region. 

“Columbus just has that vibe, the technology community and the entrepreneurial spirit,” said Ray Shealy, serial entrepreneur and startup advisor, who was a panelist for Wednesday’s forum. 

“I had lived in many different places and worked for several large, multinational corporations, but in 2004 when I was looking to invest in a small company, I chose to move here from Chicago because I was just very impressed with what was going on in Columbus.” 

Shealy did invest in a Central Ohio company, HTP, a leader in revenue management software for hospitals.  As CEO, he oversaw HTP’s growth and its acquisition in 2008 by McKesson.  The company, now known as Relay Health, maintains its Polaris headquarters.  And Shealy continues to be part of the Central Ohio entrepreneurial scene serving on the boards of several technology startups including intellinetics, e-Cycle, 94Fifty and Healthcare DataWorks as well as TechColumbus.

Access to R&D underway at Ohio State is what drove the decision by panelist Richard Housh to locate his company, Plug Smart, in Central Ohio.  Plug Smart, which is headquartered in the TechColumbus business incubator, is involved in the emerging markets of energy management and smart electric vehicle charging. 
“I chose to locate my business here because it is home to the world’s fastest electric powered vehicle – the Buckeye Bullet,” said Housh. 
“Electric cars are coming fast and furious,” he said, “and in Columbus, we have the opportunity to collaborate with major utilities like AEP, to be part of the SmartGrid movement and to work with leading researchers and companies to create and develop the products needed to support these cars.”

Central Ohio’s talent pool is something all panelists agreed was one of the key assets of the region’s entrepreneurial eco-system.  Continuing to foster this talent pool was on the minds of several audience members asking questions at the conclusion of the forum.  Ford cited programs from the Ohio Third Frontier to facilitate internships between companies and college students.  He also held up Metro High School as a model for STEM education across the state.  

“I tell young people who ask my advice, that the most important thing to do is to start your career where your passions lead you.  Follow your heart and don’t worry about the money.  Do it for free at first if you have to.  The money will come in time.”

When asked his one piece of advice for entrepreneurs, Shealy turned to a quote made famous by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos:   “If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.”

“It’s important to be both stubborn and flexible,” said Shealy.  “And have a Plan B.” 
A video of the forum in its entirety will soon be accessible from the CMC’s Web site at
http://www.columbusmetroclub.org/Default.aspx?pageId=150409