The Community's Conversation Columbus Metropolitan Club

A leading factor behind population growth in Central Ohio are immigrants and refugees; in recent years, of the newcomers moving to Central Ohio from outside the state, half are international immigrants.
The United States is home to the highest number of immigrants in the world. Some 50 million Americans —about 15% of the country’s population, were born in a foreign country. In Columbus, the nation’s 14th largest city, ten percent of the city’s residents are foreign born, a number that’s only expected to rise. 
Central Ohio’s reputation for affordable living and abundant employment opportunities, plus the presence of support networks and aid organizations, have long made the region an attractive destination for immigrants. But attitudes toward immigration are shifting yet again in America, and Columbus is no longer as affordable as it was just a decade ago.
Can our region continue to attract immigrants to fill critical jobs and add to Central Ohio’s cultural and economic vitality?
Featuring panelists:
Kim Emch, Founder and Executive Director, Festa  
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter, City of Upper Arlington, Council President & Mayor, and Partner, Taft Law
Sudarshan Pyakurel, Executive Director, Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio
And Guadalupe Velasquez, Managing Director, Welcoming City
The host is Peter Gill, Immigration Reporter / Report for America, The Columbus Dispatch
This forum was sponsored by The United Way of Central Ohio and Taft Law. It was supported by The Ellis and by The Columbus Dispatch.
The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.
This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on April 24, 2024. 

What are the chronic factors that are keeping so many Columbus families – more than one in ten – locked in a multi-generational cycle of poverty, and what new resources are needed to help these families break free of the poverty cycle once and for all? 
Central Ohio is a rapidly growing, vibrant community, generating the lion’s share of Ohio’s overall economic vitality. Yet despite its affluence and prosperity, Columbus is experiencing growing inequality between our neighbors with resources and those who are struggling. Franklin County’s poverty rate is higher than the statewide average, with 14.3% of county residents living in poverty in 2021, versus 13.4% across Ohio. From 2000 and 2020, over half (55%) of the net population growth in Columbus was comprised of people living below 200% percent of the poverty line.
Columbus is among the least-promising places in the nation for low-income children to climb the financial ladder. Personal savings rates have also hit a new low for many families: 68% of Americans are worried about being able to afford living expenses for just one month if they lost their primary income source, and 57% of adults are unable to afford a $1,000 emergency. 
We're joined by a panel of passionate experts to better understand the multi-generational cycle of poverty in Central Ohio, and the critical resources, initiatives, and programs that can help our Columbus neighbors escape the poverty cycle forever. 
Featuring panelists: 
Tony Collins, CEO & President, YMCA of Central Ohio  
Lawrence Funderburke, Founder, President, and Certified Financial Planner, Funderburke Institute of Financial Empowerment 
Stephanie Hightower, President and CEO, The Columbus Urban League  
And Karen Mozenter, CEO, Jewish Family Services   
The moderator is Tonisha Johnson, Emmy Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist and Anchor, Spectrum News 1 
This forum was sponsored by Kroger. It was supported by The Ellis.  
The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.  
This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on April 17, 2024.  

Optimal Health Series
Human beings are wired for social connections, but when those connections are few, our health pays the price. The U.S. is suffering from a loneliness epidemic, and the toll it takes on our health is both enormous and measurable. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness and isolation a “public health emergency,” saying loneliness can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The Surgeon General’s startling advisory found that poor social connections can raise the risk of heart disease by 29%, increase the risk of stroke by 32%, and increase the risk of developing dementia in older adults by 50%. There is hope: leaders across Ohio are working to combat loneliness, to re-establish connections lost during the pandemic, and create new resources to reduce social isolation. This thought-provoking panel discussion tackles the loneliness epidemic in Ohio and its profound health and societal implications, including actionable strategies to build socially connected communities that can thrive, enjoy better health outcomes, and develop resilience in the face of loneliness.
Featuring panelists:
Dr. Amy Acton, Private Practice, Preventive Medicine, and Former Director, Ohio Department of Health
Dr. Whitney Raglin Bignall, On Our Sleeves Associate Clinical Director, Nationwide Children's Hospital
Susan DiMickele, CEO, National Church Residences
Dr. Megan Schabbing, Medical Director of Psychiatric Emergency Services, OhioHealth
The host is Tracie McCambridge, Director of Art & Resilience, The Wexner Center for the Arts
The presenting sponsors of CMC’s Optimal Health Series are The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and OhioHealth.
This forum was sponsored by The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation and by National Church Residences. It was supported by The Ellis.
The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.
This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on April 10, 2024. 
Please note this CMC forum contains a conversation about suicide. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health or addiction, please contact the Suicide & Crsis Lifeline by calling 988.

Mary Lazarus Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund Celebrating Women in Society
The gender pay gap is unfair, inequitable, and even illegal – paying women less than men for the same work has been against the law in the US since 1963. And yet, based on today’s full-time, year-round wage gap, women entering the workforce stand to lose $398,160 over the course of a 40-year career.
This “lifetime wage gap” exists across the country: in every state, women’s career losses based on today’s wage gap would amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars—and in 12 states women’s career losses would amount to more than half a million dollars. If progress continues at the same glacial rate as it has since 1960, it will take some 30 more years for women workers to reach pay equity with men. 
The average Asian American and Native Pacific Islander (AANPI) worker would need until April 3 – the day of our forum – to make as much money as their male counterparts had earned by the end of the previous year. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women working full-time, year-round are paid just 92 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.
The wage gap within the Asian American community is often overlooked, and it’s far from monolithic. For example, Chinese women earn 83 cents to a white male’s dollar, Indian women earn $1.07, Bhutanese women earn 52 cents, and Nepalese women earn just 48 cents for every dollar earned by white men. Recognizing these disparities is the first step toward achieving true pay equity for Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian women. 
What’s being done to close the gender wage gap in Central Ohio for all women? Among other initiatives – The Columbus Commitment – a voluntary, employer-led pledge dedicated to closing the wage gap and fostering pay equity – has now been signed by over 400 Columbus-area employers to help spotlight equitable pay practices.
With an expert panel, CMC dives into why the gender pay gap has been a persistent feature of the US economy for generations, the importance of a nuanced approach to addressing pay disparities, what it will take to close the gender pay gap in Central Ohio once and for all.
Featuring panelists:
Barb Smoot, President & CEO, Women for Economic and Leadership Development
First Lady Shannon Ginther, Chair, Columbus Women’s Commission
Dr. Joyce Chen, Professor of Economics, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State University
The host is Tanya Salyers, Director of Advocacy, YWCA Columbus
Columbus City Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla makes opening remarks. 
This forum was sponsored by The Mary Lazarus Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund Celebrating Women in Society, Crane Group, Event Marketing Strategies, The Ohio State University, and The Columbus Women's Commission.
It was supported by The Ellis.
The forum partner was The Women's Fund of Central Ohio.
The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.
This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on April 3, 2024. 

This dynamic conversation challenges the conventional understanding of influence, delving into the profound impact of social media influencers on the identity and evolution of Columbus, Ohio. By examining their roles in shaping the cultural and social fabric of Columbus, we’ll uncover the subtle yet powerful ways in which our community is being redefined. We explore the responsibilities that come with this influence, encouraging a dialogue on how diverse voices can drive a more inclusive and connected future for our city.
Featuring Columbus social media influencers:
Alissa Henry, Wife, Mom, TV Personality, Content Creator, Reader, Tunner, Ohio University Alum and AKA @alissahenrytv
Morgan Pelt, Creator, Columbus Living Blog, @columbuslivingblog
And Jenny Zaerr, Brand Builder & Content Creator, Instagram’s @jennysbitesnbooze
The host is Heather Whaling, President & Founder, Geben Communication
This forum was sponsored by Geben Communication and was supported by The Ellis.
The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.
This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on March 27, 2024. 

This forum is part of CMC's Optimal Health Series.
Columbus may still be working toward an overall identity as a city, but leaders in healthcare have already put the region on the globe as a worldwide hub for health. Central Ohio is now home to four major hospital systems and a growing number of global leaders in therapeutics and medical technology. With the new heads of The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center and Cardinal Health, we dive into a conversation on what the future holds for advanced healthcare in Central Ohio and around the world. 
Featuring:
Jason Hollar, Chief Executive Officer, Cardinal Health
John Warner, MD, Chief Executive Officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Executive Vice President, Ohio State 
The host is Tracy Townsend, Anchor & Medical Correspondent, WBNS-10TV
The presenting sponsors of CMC’s Optimal Health Series are The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and OhioHealth.
The sponsors of this forum were The United Way of Central Ohio, Cardinal Health, Ohio Life Sciences, and The Columbus Partnership.
This forum was supported by The Ellis.
The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.
This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on March 20, 2024.