Women Of Influence

A few years ago, Lori Gillett and a colleague from the Kokosing family of companies attended an event focused on women in the workplace and the challenges they face. It's easy to attend those types of events, resolve to take action based on what you've learned, and then quickly return to your normal daily routine without taking any steps to change things, Gillett said. But that's not what she and her colleague wanted to happen...

Columbus Crew SC’s leaders are adapting to the new working from home lifestyle like the rest of us. President Tim Bezbatchenko, Coach Caleb Porter and Chief Business Officer Steve Lyons are managing family, kids, uncertainty and fear – while trying to meet the needs of the Crew’s players, fans and spooked corporate sponsors. There’s also a $300 million Arena District stadium being constructed, while the economy takes an unexpected nosedive...

Why close your restaurant and what comes next? Joe DeLoss, founder of Hot Chicken Takeover, wrestled with the first question for a week and is grappling with the second on a daily basis...

About a month ago, Columbus Business First hosted its annual Mentoring Monday event. Dozens of accomplished and up-and-coming professional women gathered at the Grand Event Center in Grandview Yard to share wisdom, build connections and hear a live recording of our Women of Influence podcast with Lori Gillett, CEO of Corna Kokosing. Then the world changed...

The United Way's traditional workplace model isn't the lucrative source of funds it once was, as employees look elsewhere to do their giving in a crowded philanthropic environment. That puts Lisa Courtice, CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio, in a tough spot: She must lead the organization's Columbus office as it identifies new ways to raise money and continue serving the community. Three years in, the progress its made toward that transformation is one of her proudest accomplishments...

Lisa Courtice knows attitudes are changing about traditional four-year college degrees. And someday, she recognizes, the world may change enough that a certificate or another form of advanced training will be enough to help young people get ahead and the world today. But that's not what she sees today. According to Courtice, CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio, four-year degrees are one of the key differentiators between people who live in poverty in Central Ohio and those who don't...

Growing up, Amy Heintz wasn't totally sure what she wanted to do with her life. A lover of learning, she knew she wanted to go to college, and she knew she wanted to be "smart." But with the limited worldview of a child, she had an unusual role model for what that might mean. "As a child of the 80s, I really knew everything I knew from sitcoms," Heintz said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "And probably what I looked at the most was Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties...

About five years ago, several of Amy Heintz's friends and colleagues at Battelle started moving into management positions. But that's not what Heintz wanted to do. The chemist and materials scientist had her sights set on a pair of recognitions within the company: Inventor of the Year and Distinguished Inventor, the latter of which requires 14 U.S. patents...

As CEO of White Castle, Lisa Ingram is responsible for the future of a company with nearly 100 years of history behind it. As we wrapped up our podcast interview at the company's new headquarters – just one piece of a $65 million project that represents a dramatic shift for the company as it readies to enter its second century – I asked Ingram to talk about her own future...

Nocterra Brewing Co. marked one year of business this past weekend. To mark the occasion (and a return to beer after recent non-alcoholic and hard seltzer excursions), the News & Brews team opened a six pack of its Beta Flash New England IPA, one of the core beers offered up by the Powell craft brewery. Is it an IP-yay or IP-nay? Beyond tasting and evaluating that local offering we chat big picture...