The 2026 Ohio Tech Summit is one day away. Here's what's coming.

For four straight years, the Ohio Tech Summit has sold out. The reason isn't the production value. It's the room: Fortune 500 executives, startup founders, investors, and state tech leaders from every Ohio market, all in one place, for one day.

This year marks five. A sold out crowd of over 800 is expected at the 2026 Summit tomorrow in Columbus.

"When we launched the Summit five years ago, the goal was to give Ohio's innovators a stage," said Chris Berry, CEO of OhioX. "Connecting, promoting, and advocating for Ohio's tech community is what OhioX exists to do, and the Summit is the clearest expression of that work. Five years in, the size of the Summit continues to grow year over year. That's a sign of where this state is headed."

The lineup

The 2026 Ohio Tech Summit, presented by Verizon and powered by OhioX, takes place Thursday, May 14th at the Ohio Union at The Ohio State University in Columbus. The agenda features morning keynotes and four afternoon tracks covering Enterprise, Startups, Talent, and Growth — a full day built for anyone looking to connect, learn, and find their next partner, hire, or deal.

The lineup reflects the moment Ohio's tech sector is in. Chetan Kandhari, Chief Innovation and Digital Officer at Nationwide, takes the stage in the middle of the company's $1.5 billion technology transformation. J.P. Nauseef of JobsOhio moderates a session on re-industrialization with Andrew Lonsberry, co-founder and CEO of Path Robotics, Beth Flippo of Dexa, and Zachary Mears of Anduril Industries. Grant Schneider, CTO of Upstart, walks through what it actually takes to scale AI in a heavily regulated industry.

Then there's the special keynote fireside chat anchored by Ratmir Timashev, the entrepreneur behind one of the most ambitious bets on Ohio tech to date. Between his $110 million gift to Ohio State and the more than $100 million committed to launch OH.io, Timashev has put north of $200 million behind a single thesis: that Columbus can become America's next technology capital. His Summit conversation will be worth the price of admission on its own.

The conversation

Across the day, attendees will hear from leaders across the state working on what actually matters: How does enterprise-scale AI move from pilot to production? What does re-industrialization look like when the hardware-software gap is finally closing? How does Ohio attract, train, and retain the talent its growth depends on? And what comes next for the companies, investors, and institutions building the state's tech future?

The Summit attracts technology leaders and professionals from every region of Ohio, more than 10 states, and even foreign countries. It's a rare moment when the full weight of Ohio's growing tech sector is in one place at the same time.

The Details

• When: Thursday, May 14th
• Where: The Ohio Union at The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Who: Tech executives, founders, investors, and leaders from every corner of Ohio
• Tickets: www.ohiotechsummit.org