The Cincinnati Innovation District Announces Inaugural Advisory Council

CINCINNATI – September 28, 2021 – The Cincinnati Innovation District® (CID), a purpose-built innovation district where creative collisions occur and people, companies and organizations solve problems that matter, announced today the formation of an Advisory Council. The inaugural Council includes distinguished national business leaders, each with a connection to Cincinnati and the state of Ohio whose focus will be to provide executive-level expertise and guidance to the CID leadership, connect potential opportunities to the district and help demonstrate to the nation and the world Ohio’s commitment to growing, attracting and retaining talent.

The Council, chaired by Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, is a driving force in Ohio’s commitment to becoming the most innovative state in the Midwest. “I’m looking forward to chairing this Advisory Council and working with President Pinto and the talented team of business leaders he has assembled,” said Husted. “The mission and potential of the Cincinnati Innovation District is amazing, and it will be a primary driver for talent development and recruiting as well as further distinguishing Cincinnati as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Joining the Council is University of Cincinnati President and Chair of the Uptown Consortium, Neville G. Pinto, PhD, whose leadership has helped guide the creation of the CID.  “The Cincinnati Innovation District — with the University of Cincinnati at its heart — is unique,” said Pinto. “The university is able to provide much needed talent to companies within the Cincinnati Innovation District. And those practitioners who hire our students serve as co-educators. This builds on the model we founded through cooperative education more than 100 years ago. These innovative connections create a powerful win for our students, the business community and our region.”

“We are very proud to have assembled a stellar group of bold and experienced leaders to provide guidance to the innovation district leadership,” said David J. Adams, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Innovation District. “With their national and international acumen, we look forward to their engagement as ambassadors for the city, the state and the nation.”

CID Advisory Council members include:

• Lori Beer – CIO, JPMorgan Chase, member of the company’s Operating Committee and responsible for the firm’s technology systems and infrastructure worldwide
• Candice Brackeen – Founder and Executive Director of Lightship Foundation, dedicated to empowering innovative entrepreneurs and ecosystems across the nation
• Greg Carmichael– Chairman and CEO, Fifth Third Bancorp, the ninth-largest U.S.-based consumer bank in the country and recognized as one of the most innovative
• Phil Castellini – President and COO, Cincinnati Reds responsible for all business and ballpark operations of the organization and actively engaged with civic activities in the community
• Andrew Deye –Vice President, JobsOhio, oversees strategy, global business development, and research functions for Ohio’s private nonprofit economic development corporation
• Michael Fisher – President and CEO, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where he leads an organization of more than 16,000 employees who had more than 1.3 million patient encounters with children from all 50 U.S. states and more than 60 countries last year
• Leigh Fox – CEO, Cincinnati Bell, served in several executive positions during his tenure and has transformed Cincinnati Bell into a national and international technology company
• Jon Husted – 66th Lt. Governor of Ohio having taken office alongside Governor Mike DeWine on January 14, 2019
• Kimm Lauterbach – CEO, Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Cincinnati, founding member of REDI’s leadership team who has played a pivotal role in Ohio’s economic development
• Rodney McMullen – Chairman and CEO, Kroger, helped lead the company to become the largest U.S. supermarket retailer by revenue and one of the world’s largest retailers over his 40+ year tenure with the organization
• Kirk Perry – President and CEO, IRI, a seasoned consumer products and brand strategist with deep understanding of the global consumer marketplace
• Neville G Pinto, PhD – President, University of Cincinnati and Chair of the Uptown Consortium, longtime faculty member, researcher and administrator with more than 30 years of experience in higher education and UC’s 30th president
• David Taylor – Chairman, President and CEO, Procter & Gamble, driving the transformation of P&G to return the company to sustainable, balanced growth and value creation
• Mike Venerable – CEO and Managing Director, CincyTech, an experienced entrepreneur and executive leading one of the Midwest’s most active seed funds and springboard for entrepreneurs

About the Cincinnati Innovation District

The Cincinnati Innovation District is a unique and thriving ecosystem that attracts, produces, retains and develops talent by co-locating and collaborating with organizations. Unveiled in 2020 by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted along with JobsOhio and innovation district leadership, the district envelops myriad innovation assets and access to some of the world’s leading academic and research centers, organizations and talent pools. Powered by the University of Cincinnati, the CID includes the world-renowned Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and other national research centers. The district’s mission is to become a globally recognized talent hub and lead a transformational movement. The combination of industry engagement, unique experiential platforms and accessible research expertise — working at the pace of change — will become a model nationwide. For more information on the Cincinnati Innovation District, visit www.cincyid.com.