The Community's Conversation

Central Ohio's future promises growth, momentum, and opportunity. But as the region adds more people and faces mounting pressure on housing, health care, and human services, a challenging question is emerging: will the systems we rely on be able to keep up?

In this forum, we take one of the first public looks at a major new long-range study on human needs in Central Ohio through 2050. Commissioned by Columbus City Council ...

There might be more public resources for mental health than ever before — awareness months, crisis lines, wellness apps, and hashtags. But when someone's real life falls apart, many of us still don't know what to say, what to do, or how to show up.

In a deeply personal essay recently published in The Columbus Dispatch, CMC President and CEO Sophia Fifner wrote about grief, depres...

When communities face urgent challenges—from housing instability and food insecurity to family crisis—nonprofits often respond first and stay the longest. Yet many organizations are being asked to do more while navigating outdated funding systems, delayed reimbursements, and growing financial pressures. This week, leaders from philanthropy, government, and the nonprofit sector explore how funding mo...

Columbus is getting a National Women's Soccer League team—and with it, a powerful new chapter in the region's sports story is beginning. Set to begin play in 2028, the franchise brings major-league momentum, prominent ownership, and growing excitement around the future of women's sports in Central Ohio.

How did Columbus land the bid, and how can the region make the most of the opportu...

Ohio's Medicaid program covers more than three million people, but major policy and funding changes now underway could reshape how care is delivered across the state. This week, healthcare leaders, policy experts, and lawmakers examine what proposed Medicaid changes could mean for hospitals, providers, and the families who rely on the program every day. From healthcare access and rising costs to the long-term s...

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine returns to the Columbus Metropolitan Club for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, policy, and Ohio's future. In discussion with veteran Statehouse News Bureau journalist Jo Ingles, Governor DeWine reflects on his long career in public service while exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping Ohio today and tomorrow—from education and literacy to economic developm...

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 competi...

As Central Ohio grows, the question isn't just how fast...

What if the way we move is shaping the way we live — but not for the better?

Join us with the authors of the new national bestselling book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, and the hosts of the acclaimed podcast "The War on Cars" for a bold conversation about how automobiles have transformed cities, communities, and the climate — and what it might take ...

Central Ohio has become a magnet for data center develo...

Across Central Ohio, more older adults are facing housing instability as rents outpace fixed incomes and affordable housing falls short. A local experimental program offering just $330 a month in rental support showed striking results—improved financial stability, health, and overall well-being. Can simple, cost-effective solutions like this scale up to prevent homelessness and strengthen Central Ohio com...

It's no secret that Ohio is a fierce—and successful—economic competitor. But the state now faces pressing questions about its ability to remain competitive in a rapidly changing national and global landscape. 

With slowing population growth, workforce shortages, trade and tariff uncertainty, and the added strain of constricted international immigration, Ohio's economic trajectory is at a crossroads. 

We'll unp...

AI is getting smarter. But are we? What if the future doesn't belong to people who can out-calculate machines—but to people who can out-imagine them? In a world dominated by algorithms and automation, what makes us irreplaceably human? 

According to this week's special forum guest, the answer isn't logic—it's something more powerful: imagination, intuition, and emotional resilience.

Featuring:<...

What did the Vietnam War reveal about race, democracy, and the unfinished struggle for equality in America? In this powerful Columbus Metropolitan Club forum, acclaimed journalist, professor, author, and Columbus native Wil Haygood discusses his new best-selling book, The War Within a War: ...

This candid 1:1 conversation features Mitch Menchaca, the newly appointed CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, as he shares his unexpected journey from the stages of Arizona to leading arts policy in Phoenix—to now shaping the creative future of Columbus. Once a visitor who thought there might be "nothing to do" in Columbus, Mitch returns to a transformed city he's fallen in love with, ready to build on GCAC's momentum a...

Behind every report card is a bigger story. For many Central Ohio students, poverty, trauma, food insecurity, housing instability, and citizenship status create barriers to learning that schools can't solve alone. In this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum, leaders in education and student support unpack what's driving chronic absenteeism, why it matters for graduation and workforce readiness, and what it takes t...

A new study, Women in the Workplace 2025, reports a troubling reversal: stalled early advancement, declining company commitment, and a new ambition gap as fewer women aspire to promotion than men for the first time in a decade. In a fast growing Central Ohio economy, this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum asks: are women being left behind just as opportunity expands?

New research from McKinsey & C...

Hair is never just hair—it's history, artistry, and identity woven together. Inspired by the upcoming production of Jaja's African Hair Braiding (at the Contemporary Theatre of Ohio, March 5–22, 2026), this forum invites you into a conversation about the cultural, economic, and social significance of African hair braiding and the stories braided into every strand.

Jaja's African Hair Braiding, written by Ohio State Univ...

Women's health is at a pivotal moment in Ohio. From maternal care deserts and rising maternal mortality, to oncology advances and long-overdue conversations about menopause and postpartum mental health, this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum explores what our region is getting right—and where the system is still failing Ohio's women.

Featuring Panelists:

Jatu Boikai, Founder and CEO, Central Ohio Postpartum Extended Respite Ce...