The Community's Conversation

Visionary speakers. Bold conversations. Meaningful connections. The Columbus Metropolitan Club cultivates big conversations, bold ideas, and meaningful connections that drive the region forward. For over 50 years, CMC has hosted weekly forums featuring visionary leaders — including CEOs, members of Congress, college presidents, UN ambassadors, artists, and other changemakers — sharing insights and discussion. Together, we examine issues that matter, exchange diverse perspectives, and forge connections that create a better Columbus. Whether it's a topic that impacts our local community, has global implications, or both, CMC participants leave our forums better educated, informed, and engaged. We invite you to join our community conversations each week. All CMC forums are recorded live in Columbus, Ohio.

The Community's Conversation is a news podcast hosted by Columbus Metropolitan Club, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Columbus Metropolitan Club hosts The Community's Conversation, a news show with 100 episodes published.

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  The Community's Conversation

  A Conversation with "Atomic Habits" Author James Clear

  Sep 30, 202651 min

  James Clear has helped millions of people rethink how meaningful change happens—not through dramatic transformations, but through small choices, better systems, and habits that compound over time. In this Columbus Metropolitan Club conversation, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits and creator of the popular 3-2-1 newsletter explores decision-making, continuous improvement, and practical behavior change. Listen to hear one of the world's most influential voices on habits discuss how small changes can add up to remarkable results. Featuring: James Clear, Writer, Speaker, and Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits and the popular 3-2-1 newsletter. Your host is Sophia Fifner, President & CEO, The Columbus Metropolitan Club. This forum was sponsored by Porter Wright Morris & Arthur. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. CMC's theme music was composed by Jeffrey Ciampa. If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, and you've already finished reading Atomic Habits , our fantastic partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend also checking out Rewire: Break the Cycle, Alter Your Thoughts and Create Lasting Change, by Nicole Vignola. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on September 30, 2026.

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  The Community's Conversation

  More Than a Meal: The Future of Fighting Hunger in Central Ohio

  Sep 23, 202652 min

  Hunger in Central Ohio isn't a problem at the margins of our communities. It's a workforce issue, a health issue, an education issue, and a test of whether our growing region can take care of the people who make it work (and the families who depend on them). As Matt Habash prepares to retire after 42 years leading the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we explore his civic legacy and the future of hunger relief in Central Ohio. Food banks and pantries are serving more families, seniors, children, and working adults at the same time food costs, public funding uncertainty, and household instability are making the work harder. What does hunger in Central Ohio look like today? What will the next generation of food-security leadership require? What role do new partnerships and innovative technology play? We mark Hunger Action Month and explore how Central Ohio can move beyond emergency response toward a more resilient and more equitable food system. Featuring: Matt Habash, President & CEO, Mid-Ohio Food Collective Danielle Tong, Executive Director, CelebrateOne Your host is Jerry Revish, Senior Pastor, Unity Temple, and Retired News Anchor, WBNS-10TV. If you'd like to dive more deeply into this topic, our fantastic partners at the Columbus Metropolitan Library suggest checking out "The Painful Truth About Hunger in America," by Marian Chilton (2024) The presenting sponsor of this forum was Nationwide. This forum was also sponsored by Cardinal Health, Ian Alexander Photography, Installed Building Products, and Kroger. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. CMC's theme music was composed by Jeffrey Ciampa.

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  The Community's Conversation

  Building the Workforce Behind the American Dream

  Sep 16, 202652 min

  Central Ohio is attracting historic levels of investment in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, bioscience, and other rapidly expanding industries. But landing new facilities is just the beginning. Our region's economic future depends on its ability to build and sustain the right workforce. We explore whether Central Ohio can create a workforce development system that's equal to its ambitions—one that connects people to opportunity, gives employers the talent they need, and brings the American Dream within reach for more Central Ohioans. Featuring: Dr. David Harrison, President, Columbus State Community College Kyle Koehler, State Senator, 10th Ohio Senate District Sandra Rodriguez-Toledo, Vice President of Site Operations, Amgen Ohio David White, Vice President, Talent Strategy, One Columbus Your host is Angela An, WBNS-10TV News Anchor and Host of 10TV's "Boomtown" series. This forum was sponsored by The Columbus Partnership, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Ohio Life Sciences, and Roeztel & Andress. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. CMC's theme music was composed by Jeffrey Ciampa. If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our fantastic partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading Trade Up: Why the Future Belongs to Skilled Trades and How Career Education Is Transforming the Workforce , by Jason Altmire (2026). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on September 16, 2026.

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  The Community's Conversation

  A 50th Anniversary Conversation: The Future of Civic Dialogue

  Sep 9, 202655 min

  For 50 years, the Columbus Metropolitan Club has brought Central Ohio together through moments of crisis and celebration, disagreement and discovery, grounded in the belief that dialogue matters. As CMC marks its 50th anniversary with this special forum, social psychologist Dr. Kurt Gray turns that tradition toward the future: Why do we fight so fiercely about morality and politics? What can help us find common ground? Drawing on his research into the moral mind, Gray explores why people across the political spectrum may have more in common than they think—and what the science of moral understanding can teach us about the next 50 years of civic dialogue. Featuring: Dr. Kurt Gray, Professor of Social Psychology, The Ohio State University, and Author, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground. CMC Board of Trustees member Carey Schmitt delivers opening remarks celebrating CMC's 50 th anniversary, and Elon Sims, Chief of Staff to Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, presents CMC with a proclamation celebrating its 50 th anniversary. Sophia Fifner, President and CEO, The Columbus Metropolitan Club, makes remarks on CMC's future and interviews Dr. Kurt Gray. The emcee is Matt Barnes, Morning Co-Anchor of NBC4 Today, and member of the CMC Board of Trustees. This forum was made possible by: Visionary Sponsors: Mary Lazarus, The Ohio State University Impact Sponsors: Columbus City Council, The Office of Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, The Columbus Foundation & The Center for HumanKindness, The Robert Weiler Company Community Partners: Lynn Greer, Huntington Bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Ambassador: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Advocate: Installed Building Products This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. CMC's theme music was composed by Jeffrey Ciampa. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on September 9, 2026.

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  The Community's Conversation

  Raising the Curtain on Columbus' Cultural Future

  Sep 2, 202653 min

  For 100 years, the Palace Theatre has evolved alongside Columbus, bringing generations of performers and audiences together in the heart of downtown. As the city continues to grow, what will it take to sustain a thriving performing arts ecosystem? Leaders from the Lincoln Theatre, Opera Columbus, CAPA, and BalletMet explore the future of Columbus' cultural life, the institutions and stages that support it, and how the performing arts can continue evolving in Central Ohio. Listen to this special Columbus Metropolitan Club forum recorded onstage at the historic Palace Theatre. Featuring: Suzan Bradford, Executive Director, Lincoln Theatre Julia Noulin-Mérat, General Director & CEO, Opera Columbus Chad Whittington, President & CEO, CAPA Remi Wörtmeyer, Artistic Director, BalletMet Your host is Amy Juravich, Host and Executive Producer of All Sides with Amy Juravich, 89.7 NPR News, WOSU Public Media. This forum was made possible by Carol A. McGuire Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund — Celebrating Arts and Culture. This forum was sponsored by The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Opera Columbus, Otterbein University, and WOSU Public Media. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. CMC's theme music was composed by Jeffrey Ciampa. If you would like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our fantastic partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "The Secret Life of the American Musical," by Jack Viertel (2016).

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