The organization that globalized medicine is now reaching toward the stars to explore the next frontier of human health in orbit and to bring whatever it learns back to patients on Earth.

Ohio didn’t stop at inventing flight. It launched it to the Moon. Now it’s building the engine that funds the next 250 years.

“Companies Die When Their Leaders Run Out of Hope.” It All Begins Here

The Origin Story

A mentor challenged how I think about capital, community, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

What I learned: Capital without community becomes a closed loop. However, when it compounds through people, relationships, and shared experiences (connection), it becomes something much bigger; more importantly, it becomes sustainable.

In rugby, passing backward is the law. In life, it's a powerful leadership principle.

This installment of Leading Across the 3Cs explores what happens when Capital, Community, and Collaboration are structural rather than merely aspirational. It also reflects on the lessons rugby taught us about chaos, opportunity, and the trust needed to release the ball at precisely the right moment.

This installment features Roto, a Dublin, Ohio design-build firm that most people in Ohio have never heard of, even though they have almost certainly experienced their work.

I toured their facility alongside Cassidy Brozovich, a NASA Glenn Research Center Pathways Intern, an OSU doctoral researcher in spaceflight systems, and the Lead of Student Success and Workforce Development for the OSU Starlab ground location. This rocket scientist described it as mind-blowing.

If this series can inspire one person to believe they could be the next Cassidy or pilot Artemis III, then the mission is complete.

There is no Roto plaque on any wall. The branding is the experience, and that is exactly the point.

A library's mission is to inspire by providing resources, enabling dreams, and supporting one's audacity to pursue a future they didn't know was possible yesterday. As Lauren articulated, "We are not just offering resources. We are trying to change what feels possible."

Ohio stands out nationally in library metrics, boasting the #1-ranked system, a Moody's Aa1 credit rating, and recognition with a 2025 Library of the Future Award for AI innovation.

This aligns with the 3C playbook - Capital, Community, Collaboration - which has been at the heart of the library since 1907 at 96 S. Grant Avenue.

A StarLab is Born - That's what's happening in Columbus, Ohio. We’re in labor, and our due date is set for 2029 (Starlab's Launch Date).

Ohio built the machines that put humans in the sky. Now we're building the workforce that will keep them in space.

While headlines focus on coastal tech HUBs, Heartland is preparing for a post-International Space Station (ISS) era. NASA Glenn. Anduril's Arsenal-1 (775K sq ft, 4,000 jobs by 2035). Wright-Patterson AFB ($18B impact). Starlab's commercial space station development. Blue Origin. ARCTOS. GE Aerospace. Parker Hannifin. Lockheed. Raytheon. The list goes on.

This isn't just a collection of isolated wins. It's a systemic shift in where critical national capabilities are being built, and emphasizing workforce development highlights its vital role in maintaining Ohio's competitive edge. But here's the question most boards aren't asking loudly enough: Do we have the workforce infrastructure to sustain this advantage?

The commercial space economy is projected to reach $1.8T by 2035, according to recent World Economic Forum research. Defense budgets are accelerating. Anduril went from a clean-sheet design to a flying autonomous fighter jet in 365 days. The constraint isn't capital. It isn't technology. It's workforce capability, at commercial speed, and the HR infrastructure to build it sustainably.

Series Kickoff: Ohio has always been at its best when leaders choose to build.