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 nearly 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. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

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

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  The Community's Conversation

  Designing a Democracy for the Next 250 Years

  Aug 12, 202655 min

  America's experiment in democracy was designed and launched 250 years ago—and it hasn't stopped evolving since. As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, we reframe America's semiquincentennial not as a momentary celebration, but as a democratic handoff with a commitment to the future. Can the age-old promise of American democracy be refined, improved, nurtured, and preserved? With a panel of key thought leaders, we explore what the next era of democracy in America may demand, including ethical and corruption-free leadership, responsive institutions, stable and solid democratic norms, civic education, and redesigned systems and processes that better serve the public. Centering Ohio and Columbus as testing grounds, we ask how American communities can move from reflection to renewal—and what responsibility today's leaders and citizens have to future generations of Americans. Featuring: Robert Alt, President and CEO, The Buckeye Institute Rita McNeil Danish, Interim CEO, The Matriots Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Associate Professor of History, The Ohio State University The host is Lee Strang, Executive Director, Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society, and Professor of Law, Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University. This forum was sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co. CMC's forum partner was The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus. 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 "On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World," by Jeremy Engels (2026) This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on August 12, 2026.

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  The Community's Conversation

  Written in Stone: Ohio Women, Public Memory, and the New Statehouse Monument

  Aug 5, 202649 min

  Public monuments tell us what a community chooses to remember — and who it chooses to see. For generations, the Ohio Statehouse grounds have honored presidents, governors, astronauts, and statesmen — but not actual women. That will change this fall, when the new Ohio Women's Monument is unveiled on Capitol Square, becoming the first monument on the Statehouse grounds to depict real women and their role in shaping Ohio's history. Ahead of the unveiling, we explore the story behind this landmark project: the women it honors, the artist bringing it to life, the public-private partnership making it possible, and the larger question of who gets remembered in the civic spaces we all share. As Ohio and the nation mark America's 250th birthday, we ask what it means to finally place women's courage, leadership, and fight for equality at the center of Ohio's public memory. Featuring: Brenda Councill, Ohio Women's Monument Artist and Sculptor Stephanie Kunze, Chair of the Ohio Women's Monument Commission, Capitol Square Foundation Board Member, and Former State of Ohio Senator Charley Moses, Capitol Square Foundation Board Chair The moderator is Charlene Brown, Co-Host, WOSU Public Media's "Columbus Neighborhoods" TV Series. CMC President & CEO Sophia Fifner delivers closing remarks. This forum was sponsored by KeyBank. Our forum partner was the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus. 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 dive more deeply into this topic, our friends at the Columbus Metropolitan Library suggest checking out "Buckeye Women: the History of Ohio's Daughters," by Stephanie Elise Booth, 2001. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on August 5, 2026.

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  The Community's Conversation

  Racing to Build a New Midwest

  Jul 29, 202655 min

  For generations, the Midwest built the products, industries, and institutions that powered America. Now we're racing to build what comes next: AI companies, advanced manufacturing ventures, health innovations, and more, all with new models of work and ownership. Across the region, founders are launching companies that are going to revolutionize how we manufacture, move, heal, learn, and live. What will this new Midwest look like? How can everyone contribute? How can more people benefit? Can Midwest cities collaborate instead of compete for the same talent and capital? Featuring: Brian Brackeen, Managing Partner, Lightship Anchor Fund Shannon McGhee, CEO, SEED SPOT Ted Velie, CEO, Midwest House, and Co-Founder, Start Midwest Your host is Wolf Starr, Founder and CEO, Venture Atlas. This forum was sponsored by 614 Tech Week. CMC's forum partner was Midwest House. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch . This forum is also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The Idea Foundry. 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 "Midwest Futures" by Phil Christman (2020). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Idea Foundry in Columbus, Ohio on July 29, 2026.

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  The Community's Conversation

  The Power of Showing Up: A New Case for Engagement

  Jul 22, 202653 min

  Community need is growing while many people feel increasingly disconnected—from their neighbors, their workplaces, and even their sense of purpose. What if one solution could begin to address all three? In this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum, leaders from philanthropy, business, and the nonprofit sectors explore how volunteering and community engagement strengthen organizations, improve employee culture, and build healthier, more resilient communities. Featuring: Matthew Goldstein, CEO, Besa Carrie Maun-Smith, Assistant Vice President, Inclusive Culture, Change & Community Impact, Grange Insurance, and Foundation President, Grange Enterprise Gives Kerri Mollard, Founder and CEO, Mollard Consulting Your host is Janelle Coleman, President, American Electric Power Foundation. This forum was sponsored by The AEP Ohio Foundation, Besa, GBQ, Grange Insurance, Ian Alexander Photography, Installed Building Products, Mollard Consulting, and Taft Law. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch. This forum is also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. If you'd like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our fantastic partners at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading "Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves Us from Surviving to Thriving," by Christine Porath (2022). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on July 22, 2026.

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  The Community's Conversation

  The Airport Advantage: Building Central Ohio's Next Economy

  Jul 15, 202655 min

  Columbus' major airports are much more than places to catch a flight. John Glenn International, Rickenbacker International, and Bolton Field are the region's front doors — a first impression for visitors, a critical link for global businesses, and a major piece of the critical infrastructure needed to support Central Ohio's next chapter of growth. As Daren Griffin takes the helm as the new President & CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, he arrives at a truly defining moment. John Glenn International is building a new $2 billion terminal, Rickenbacker International continues to play a major and ever-growing role in cargo and economic development, and Columbus travelers are asking the question every growing region faces: where can we fly from here? Meet Daren Griffin as we explore what's ahead for aviation in our region and how Central Ohio's growth will depend on bold airport innovations and investment. How will John Glenn's gleaming new terminal change the passenger experience? What will it take to attract more nonstop flights and stronger global connections? How are new technology, airline economics, cargo logistics, workforce needs, and customer expectations reshaping the future and the experience of air travel? Featuring: Daren Griffin, President & CEO, The Columbus Regional Airport Authority Deborah Scherer, Senior Vice President, Global Trade & Investment, One Columbus Your host is Jerod Smalley, Anchor, WCMH NBC4, and Host, Columbus 2.0. This forum was sponsored by The Columbus Regional Airport Authority. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream is The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner is The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. If you'd like to dive more deeply into this topic, our fantastic partners at the Columbus Metropolitan Library suggest checking out "Building of an Airport: Port Columbus," by Robert F. Kirk (2019).

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