Columbus Business First

•

Channel • 2 Shows

Business News

Business News

Updated 05/10/2024
Business News

Business News

Updated 08/18/2023

07/16/2021

Lori Duncan, Nocterra Brewing

Lori Duncan wasn't exactly sure what to do with her fine arts degree from Ohio State University. So she went rafting. Professionally. Duncan spent her post-college years as a whitewater rafting guide in West Virginia, filling her time during the winter months working in the ski industry. After nearly a decade, she realized it was time to get a "real job," a decision that led her to Columbus' retail industry. But that's not where her journey ended. On the latest episode of of Women of Influence podcast, Duncan detailed the winding road that led to her current role as co-owner and operations manager at Powell's Nocterra Brewing. She talked about the impact the pandemic had on the still-young business, what it's like to start a business with your husband, and what lessons she's brought from the world of outdoor sporting to the craft beer space.Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

07/16/2021

•

20 min
09/10/2021

Luconda Dager, Velvet Ice Cream

There were times, over the past few months, that Luconda Dager didn’t want to get out of bed. Dager is president of Velvet Ice Cream, and the Utica-based company was outsourcing ice cream production to three partners in the Midwest. The shift followed a listeria scare in April, discovered via the company’s routine testing. It’s also part of an effort to boost capacity after strong demand in 2020. It’s the right decision for the business, Dager knows, but it’s been a tough one, especially as it entailed some job cuts on the manufacturing side. Still, even on those days when the challenges of the past few months have seemed overwhelming, Dager knew she didn’t have the option of giving up. “You just have to get up and go in and be a fearless leader,” said Dager, who chatted with us recently for our Women of Influence podcast. Check out the full episode to hear more about Dager’s background, her experience rising through the family business, and what flavor of ice cream will always tempt her. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

09/10/2021

•

22 min
12/08/2023

75. Leah McDougald, Owner, McDougald Research

Today's guest, Leah McDougald, works in the field of design research, studying our world and people in it on behalf of Columbus's biggest brands, to innovate better experiences, products, and services. It's wide-reaching work: even as she now runs her own business, Leah remains closely involved in the firm's projects, working on her business, and working in it, at the same time. She's also a newly-appointed board member for the Women's Fund of Central Ohio, a reader of non-business books, a Carolina Cabin vacationer, and an energized proponent for female mentorship. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

12/08/2023

•

17 min
09/09/2022

Amy Acton and Jennifer Peterson, Rapid 5

You probably remember Amy Acton from her daily press conferences back in the spring of 2020, when she used colorful language metaphors and a general sense of compassion to guide Ohioans through one of the most uncertain times in our history. But it was a challenging job for Acton, who left the role in June, 2020, and returned to her previous employer, The Columbus Foundation. Then, like many in the workforce over the past few years, she took a big career leap. Joining the newly launched Rapid 5 non-profit earlier this year as its first CEO. Acton is my guest this week, but she's not alone; she brought with her Jennifer Peterson, who likewise left her job as a Chief Executive at Easton, to join the organization as COO. The pair are just a few days apart in age, so the effort to better connect central Ohioans to the region's waterways fits their passions at this stage of life. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

09/09/2022

•

38 min
10/21/2022

Megan Wood, Executive Director & CEO, Ohio History Connection

Megan Wood knows her Ohio history. She's been with Ohio History Connection for years, working in a variety of positions across the organization. This summer, she ascended to the top job at the nonprofit becoming the first female CEO in its history. She's overseeing the organization as it kicks off construction of a long awaited $17 million Collection Care Cear near the Ohio History Centers’s fairgrounds-area home, and as it watches economic conditions ahead of a potential recession. Megan joined women of influence just a few weeks into her tenure but already with plenty of ideas in mind for how she wants to shepherd the history-focused organization into its future. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

10/21/2022

•

27 min
05/22/2020 · BONUS

Preview: COTA's Joanna Pinkerton (plus a women's history lesson)

COTA CEO Joanna Pinkerton is always eager to pick up a new book. In fact, when she joined Columbus Business First's Women of Influence podcast a few weeks ago via Zoom, she said she was in the middle of four. Her interests vary from historical fiction to business books that get at the psychology behind performance, books like Questions are the Answer by Hal B. Gregersen. But Pinkerton's love of reading doesn't stop at her own nightstand. If she finds a book particularly insightful, Pinkerton holds on to, ready to share it with a colleague she thinks would enjoy it. "And then I bring into work and I pass them out," Pinkerton said. "I have my own little personal library here at work." Check out the latest mini-episode of Women of Influence to hear more about Pinkerton's love of reading plus other ways she's unwinding during this stressful time for all of us. You'll also hear some thoughts from me on a show I recommended a few weeks back, Mrs. America, and what a moment in history I never would've known about were it not for the show.

05/22/2020 · Bonus

•

8 min
03/17/2023

Darci Congrove, Managing Partner, GBQ Partners

For the first time in more than 31 years, Darci Congrove isn’t spending this tax season doing taxes. The longtime Columbus CPA and managing director of GBQ Partners retired from the firm’s tax department at the end of last year. That doesn’t mean she’s not busy, of course; there’s still plenty to fill her schedule as managing director of Central Ohio’s sixth-largest accounting firm. But she’s no longer working the crazy hours tax professionals often find themselves doing this time of year. That said, neither are many team members at GBQ. In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Congrove talked about how the firm has found new ways to embrace flexibility and make tax season more bearable for employees at all levels. She also talked about GBQ’s international approach to finding enough staffers, the ways she makes decisions about community involvement and more. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

03/17/2023

•

25 min
06/16/2023

Christy Farnbauch, Exec. Director, Contemporary Theatre of Ohio

Christy Farnbauch serves as executive director of the Contemporary Theatre of Ohio. If that name's not familiar to you, perhaps you might know the organization by its former brand: CATCO. The just-completed and revealed rebranding is one of the first major projects undertaken by Farnbaugh since she joined amid the uncertainty of Spring 2020. She recently visited our office to talk about that experience, what's on the schedule for this year, and much more. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

06/16/2023

•

28 min
08/18/2023

Live from the Inaugural Women Of Influence Awards

For nearly five years, our Women of Influence podcast has featured conversations with some of the most influential female executives in Central Ohio. This year, Columbus Business First decided to take things a step further with the launch of our inaugural Women of Influence Awards. We fielded 126 nominations, ultimately honoring 27 outstanding women in six categories: nonprofit leaders, community champions, entrepreneurs, trailblazers, mentors, and a rising star, along with Businesswoman of the Year, OhioHealth's Karen Morrison. We encourage you to check out our July 14th print edition for short profiles of each honoree and an extended Q&A with Karen. During our July 12th awards event, I sat down for brief chats with three of our honorees: Merry Korn, CEO and Founder of Pearl Interactive Network; Kari Jones, President & CEO of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio; and Emily Foote, Area Manager for Bechtel Corp. Listen on to hear what they had to say; and stay tuned for my onstage conversation with our keynote speaker, Bath and Body Works CEO Gina Boswell. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

08/18/2023

•

30 min
05/19/2023

Melody Birmingham, Executive VP, NiSource & Group President, NiSource Utilities

Melody Birmingham was a bit of a “unicorn” early in her career. There weren’t many young Black women from the Midwest in management at the Rochester, New York car factory she started her career at after college. But while she did stand out during her time there and later in the utilities industry, that didn’t change anything about the way she approached her work. Today, Melody serves as executive vice president of Nisource. During a recent visit to our office, she talked about her experience with gender parity – and the lack thereof – in the utilities industry, plus a whole lot more. Mentioned in this episode: Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

05/19/2023

•

27 min

Amplifying business intelligence in Central Ohio.