Conquering Columbus Podcast

Todd King is a VP and Partner at Sky Climber, LLC. The Sky Climber brand represents a multi-national family of companies brought together to meet a variety of safe access needs across several business verticals. Through its various businesses, Sky Climber delivers products and services across several work-at-height industries including renewable energy, telecommunications, aerospace, industrial …

Brian Schottenstein was recently named one of the Smart 50 executives by Smart Business Magazine and is currently a columnist for the magazine. Brian was also recently selected as a Future 50 leader by Columbus CEO magazine. Brian now oversees Schottenstein Real Estate Group as President of the company. He is on the board of …

Clint Edgington is the founder of Nest Opportunity Fund. Nest Opportunity Fund is a positive impact investment fund that allows you to defer and reduce capital gains taxes while helping to rebuild American communities that have great potential but lack smart, strategic investments. Clint also leads the Beacon Hill Investment Advisory’s high net worth client’s …

Chad Underwood is Co-Owner at Modo Yoga Columbus, a hot yoga studio here in Columbus. Modo Yoga is a community-based hot yoga studio, with a focus on decreasing our impact on the environment as well as fostering a sense of belonging for community members.

Michael Triplett is President of Carmen Partners, a life science ventures and innovation advisory firm. Michael is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Armatus Bio LLC, a gene and cell therapy company based in Columbus. He is also Co-Founder, President, and initial CEO of Clarametyx Biosciences, Inc. a startup infectious disease company spun out of Nationwide …

Tanisha Robinson is a serial entrepreneur, founder, and the current CEO and Founder of W*nder, a CBD-infused, sparkling water brand. Tanisha came up with the idea while working as the Chief Disruption Officer for Brewdog, but when the Brewdog team was not ready to take the leap into the CBD market, Tanisha decided to forge …

Greg is the founder and President of The Schenk Company, Inc., Central Ohio’s exclusive tenant/buyer representative brokerage and consulting firm. He has 32 years of experience in the real estate industry, ranging from representing tenants and buyers in relocations to assisting clients in negotiating commercial space. He’s also been teaching for 25 years, is on …

Dr. Anup Kanodia is a graduate of the North Eastern Ohio Medical University, did his residency in family medicine at the Mayo Clinic, and did a fellowship at Harvard in alternative and integrative medicine. He also has a master’s in public health from Harvard. Dr. Kanodia currently practices Medicine in Columbus.

Urban Meyer is a retired college football coach, with over 18 years of experience as a head coach of NCAA Division 1 teams. As a coach, Urban led three of his teams to national titles. He was the head coach at The Ohio State University from 2011-2019, leading the Buckeyes to six major bowl appearances …

Emre is the Founder and CEO of DAtAnchor, a data security startup that helps companies keep their secure data safe, even when sharing it with team members and other remote teams. Emre is a professor at the Ohio State University and earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT.

Dan Sorenson is the CEO and Founder of Flywheel Advertising, a customer acquisition consulting firm that helps businesses accelerate their sales cycle and push more leads through the funnel by optimizing channels like paid search, paid social, website development and data analytics. Before founding Flywheel, Dan worked in customer acquisition for Manta and as a …

Jason Block is the CEO of Brewdog USA as of January 2020. Before Brewdog, Jason was the President at Homage, but he left that role in 2018. Between that role and taking over at Brewdog, Jason co-founded Innerspace, a coworking space aimed at health professionals.

Dr. Tsipursky is a consultant, speaker, coach, trainer, and author whose mission is to protect business leaders from dangerous cognitive biases and help them make better, data-driven decisions. Using his over 20 years of experience, Gleb has written 2 books, with his most recent book becoming a best-seller, Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering …

Alex Gertsburg is the CEO of Gertsburg Law Firm and Founder of CoverMySix. A serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, Alex has been involved in dozens of projects throughout his career, and even hosts his own podcast, “Best.Podcast.Ever”. He’s also a veteran of the Army Reserve, having been called to serve in Iraq.

Greg Oden is a former professional basketball player, as well as a former Ohio State basketball player, having helped lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and a runner up finish at the NCAA tournament in 2007. He was later drafted, as the number one pick, by the Portland Trailblazers and played 6 seasons …

Jeff is the Co-Founder and President of Clarus R+D, a technology-driven solution for claiming research and development tax credits, helping innovative companies get money back into their business so that they can continue to innovate and grow. Prior to Clarus, Jeff served in a variety of leadership roles at several companies, and he is also …

Adiya is the Founder and President of Yubi Beauty. Before founding Yubi, Adiya was the Director of International Counsel for Wendy’s. As a mother of two, she was leading a busy life and found she never had time for beauty, which is why she created Yubi – centered around a 9-in-1 beauty brush which slides …

Bob Lester is the Founder of PaveBid, as well as President and CEO of Dura-Seal. Dura-Seal is a high-quality commercial and industrial sealcoating, asphalt, and concrete services company based here in Columbus. Founded in 2007, Dura-Seal continues to grow and evolve today to bring their clients innovative solutions to their unique problems.

Rick Ricart is the President of ​Ricart Automotive Group in Columbus, Ohio. Ricart Ford was founded in July 1953 by his grandfather, Paul Ricart Sr. It was his grandfather’s philosophy that to lead, you must first work alongside the employees. Rick started out as a lot attendant, and by 2005 had worked in eight different …

Tony Guilfoy is the Founder and Head Distiller at Noble Cut Distillery, located in Gahanna. He founded Noble Cut with the help of his great-great-grandmother, Seraphina, whose limoncello recipe became a center-piece for the brand. They also distill several types of whiskey here locally.

Kelly Gratz is the President and CEO of g2o, formerly ICC. Kelly has led the charge to shape g2o as they have rebranded from ICC and explored new territory as a company in order to bring their customers more value in the ever-changing world of digital design and experience.

Lisa Arledge Powell is the President and Co-Founder of MediaSource, an award-winning creative agency that specializes in content-focused public relations, content marketing and national media exposure for major brands. As an industry leader, MediaSource was named the Best HealthCare PR/Marketing Agency by Ragan Communications for four consecutive years. They work with the nation’s top hospitals …

Jess Hellmich is the CMO and Paul Sherry is the COO of Dueling Axes, an axe throwing lounge here in Columbus that is helping to shape the fast-growing industry; both here and with their new location in Las Vegas, opening in 2020.

Imran Nuri is the Founder and CEO of The 52 Million Project. Imran is also currently a student at The Ohio State University, and he was the President for BuckeyeThon from March 2019 – March 2019, which raised over $1.7 million dollars for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The mission of The 52 Million Project is to …

Perry Maughmer is a Chair for Vistage here in Central Ohio. Vistage is an invite-only peer group for CEO’s and Business leaders, which provides a space for people who run their businesses to discuss challenges with their peers. Before Vistage, Perry served in a variety of leadership roles for companies like Alliance Data, Idegy, and …

Summary: Casey McCarty is the CEO of the Idea Foundry. Before taking over as CEO a year and a half ago, Casey had served as the COO for 7 years. The Idea Foundry is a community of makers, designed to inspire creativity and help their members bring out new ideas and unleash their passion to …

Summary: Alex Bandar founded the Columbus Idea Foundry, a community of makers, designed to inspire creativity and help their members bring out new ideas and unleash their passion to make things; from learning to weld, make video games, launch a startup, or even just take a class or two, you can do it all at …

Summary: John Young is the CFO for BOLD PENGUIN, an insurance focused startup. Prior to BOLD PENGUIN, John garnered extensive experience as the CFO for several other technology startups such as Nikola Labs, SestraSystems, Micropact, RedCloud Security, and more. He’s also an alumni of The Ohio State University! Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:00:42) Small Biz …

Summary: Lindsay is a Partner, as well as Chief Legal Counsel and Fund Manager, for NCT Ventures, a Midwest-focused venture firm based here in Columbus, Ohio. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:00:52) Small Biz Cares (00:01:30) The SunDown Group (00:01:52) FMX (00:02:27) Conquering Columbus Intro (00:03:20) Introduction to Lindsay Karas Stencel (00:04:10) Background and path to …

Summary: Joe Kahn created Condado Tacos in 2014. Joe began his restaurant experience as a busboy at Sizzler in Chicago. After bussing, washing dishes, and serving at several more restaurants, Joe went all the way to Colorado for his first bartending experience (but not before he spent some time as a roller-skating server in Boulder). …

Summary: Doug Ulman is the CEO at Pelotonia, and Joe Apgar is the COO. We had Doug on the show a couple of years back to talk about his story and how he ended up leading the Pelotonia team. Today, we’re here to talk about how things have changed since then, and learn more about …

Summary: Bob Otter is a longtime Firefighter for the Granville Township Fire Department, as well as the founder of CitizenAID – a platform designed to train everyday people to save lives between the time a person is wounded and the time help arrives. CitizenAID has developed several disaster prevention tools for citizens, including a free …

Summary: Nils is a Partner at Drive Capital, one of the most influential venture capital firms in the country. Before joining Drive Capital, Nils founded Bookbag Video, a commercial video production agency. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:00:46) Small Biz Cares (00:01:21) The SunDown Group (00:01:43) Facilities Management eXpress (FMX) (00:02:18) Conquering Columbus Intro (00:03:13) Introduction …

Summary: Mark is the President and Founder of Simple Times, LLC, and previously Karate Cowboy Spirits. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:01:05) Small Biz Cares (00:01:40) The SunDown Group (00:02:06) Facilities Management eXpress (FMX) (00:02:39) Conquering Columbus Intro (00:03:33) Introduction to Mark Tinus (00:04:21) Mark’s background and upbringing (00:08:15) MBA at NYU while juggling a full-time …

Summary: Rick Harrison Wolfe is the Executive Director of the historic North Market. Annually, over 1.5 million people visit The North Market, making it one of the most successful public markets in the country, and a big economic driver for central Ohio; not to mention, many of the Columbus’ most well known brands in food …

Summary: Michael Moran is the President and CEO of Affiliated Resource Group, a cybersecurity, managed compliance, and IT support firm located in Dublin, Ohio. Mike is one of the areas foremost experts on cybersecurity and network solutions. He is a regular speaker at the Ohio Association of CPA’s and the OHCA. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks …

Summary: Jon is the Co-founder and Head of Marketing and Business Development for Rhove. Rhove is a financial services application that partners with building and apartment owners to offer renters the ability to earn rewards, save money, and invest in real estate through their rental payments. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:00:38) Small Biz Cares (00:01:13) …

Summary: Acacia and Meagan are executive trainers at Articulation, and they have both taken over leadership of the TEDxColumbus event which is coming up on the 15th of November, 2019. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:00:44) Small Biz Cares (00:01:12) The SunDown Group (00:01:34) Facilities Management eXpress (FMX) (00:02:09) Conquering Columbus Introduction (00:03:04) Introduction to Acacia …

Summary: Abhi and Huy are the co-founders of Uplancer, a platform that helps universities and learning institutions connect their students with gigs that provide them with experience and insights into today’s work environment. Before Uplancer, Huy and Abhi both have experience as entrepreneurs and founders. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:00:40) Small Biz Cares (00:01:42) The …

Summary: Since 2009, Columbus Gives Back (CGB) has been providing fun, easy engaging volunteer experiences for Columbus residents. They are a 501c3 non-profit, with over 100 nonprofit and partner organizations in the community. Their team is made up of over 20 event leaders (6 of which are on the board) and they all volunteer our …

Summary: Evan Ryan is CEO and Founder of Abundat. Abundat collaborates with businesses of all sizes to launch their moonshot, build new product lines, and/or automate processes. Their goal is to use AI to help their clients help as many people as possible. Milestones: (00:00:00) Opening remarks (00:00:41) Small Biz Cares (00:01:16) The SunDown Group …

Summary: Jesse Lear is a serial entrepreneur — He was the co-founder of V.I.P. Waste Services, which was acquired in 2018 by Valet Living and is one of his most recent companies. V.I.P. Waste Services provides valet trash and recycling programs for the multi-family housing industry, as well as comprehensive waste management solutions. Milestones: (00:00:00) …

Summary: Kelly Ruoff is the Chief Brand Officer at Root Insurance Company, a car insurance company that helps good drivers get better rates on car insurance, based on how you drive. Before joining the team at Root, Kelly was a Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Ologie, and she also spent some time as a …

Summary: Gordon Gough is the President and CEO of The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants. In this role, he is the point person for the Ohio retail and wholesale issues in the Statehouse and Congress, and he manages the council’s budget, staff, and vendors. He’s spent over 15 years at the Ohio Council of Retail …

Summary: Chris is a partner and co-founder of the Green Block Group, a strategic communications and innovation consultancy firm working with businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations to build better products and get buzz doing it. Before co-founding the Green Block Group, Chris spent some time in politics and got his degree from Miami University here in …

Summary: Jeff and Neil are Partners at Nonfiction, a local branding and design agency based in Worthington. Their team works with clients like Huntington Bank, Columbus State, BalletMet and Echo Spirits Distilling. They envision every design project with less complexity and noise, and more honesty and meaning; which is how they help their clients stand …

Summary: Brett Kaufman is the founder and CEO of Kaufman Development – Brett has been working in the real estate industry for over 20 years, with a focus on investment, banking and development. He has received numerous awards for his professional accomplishments, including being recognized twice as the developer of the year by the Building …

Summary: Brandon is a serial salesperson, 2x Seven-Figure Entrepreneur, Sales Author, Angel Investor & expert speaker on sales, marketing & entrepreneurship. Brandon is the Founder and CEO of Seamless.ai, a sales leads company based in Columbus where they help companies maximize revenue, increase sales and acquire their total addressable market instantly using artificial intelligence. Milestones: …

Summary: Madison is the founder and CEO of POINT, as well as the Director of Corporate Development at GnomeDX. POINT is a 501c3 non-profit organization, which has designed an application to help connect volunteers with charity opportunities in their city. Last September, they secured $200k in funding, and they currently have over 4,000 users and …

Summary: Andy Panos is a Co-Founder and the COO at Cloudbreak Health, a tele-health company that provides a suite of industry-leading services to their customers. Andy first founded LAN, or the Language Access Network, back in 2003 when his brother got into an accident in Mexico, which was compounded by the fact that Andy’s family …