Smart Business Magazine, September 2017

September 2017 Smart Business Columbus 17 Noni Banks FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT The Diva Movement www thedivamovement org Noni Banks founded The Diva Movement in 2012 to give emerging women leaders and solo entrepreneurs the tools support and resources to grow in life and business Banks is passionate about ensuring women have a seat at the table and their voices are heard Banks began the Diva Movement after recovering from a painful divorce that left her homeless and a single mother She knows the pain of allowing her dreams to die so someone elses could live Now she tirelessly supports hundreds of members from across the country Her all female networking events are uplifting electrifying experiences that leave women inspired every woman walks away feeling like family The Diva Movement is a diverse community of purpose driven women eager to see other women win George Barrett CHAIRMAN AND CEO Cardinal Health www cardinalhealth com Under George Barrett Cardinal Health has evolved from drug and supply distributor to change agent creating or acquiring product lines consulting services and software to help hospitals pharmacies and physician practices operate efficiently and reduce the cost of care Through every integration and discovery the team never loses sight of the ultimate goal serving patients and their families One example is the Fortune 15 companys innovation center Fuse Biomedical engineers designers and scientists collaborate with providers and patients to develop ideas such as medication synchronization technology where patients pick up pharmacy prescriptions monthly rather than weekly Barrett believes facing problems head on and breaking through barriers creates the most effective leadership With his passion for inclusiveness the more than 40000 employees contribute diverse opinions and experiences Ohio Smart 50 Michael Stevens is six months into his role as the citys first chief innovation officer He spent five years in Chicago but prior to that was deputy director of the Columbus Department of Development He oversees the Smart Columbus project The U S Department of Transportation 40 million Smart City Challenge is a holistic vision for how technology can help all residents move easily and access opportunity Columbus was awarded another 10 million from Paul G Allens Vulcan Inc to reduce greenhouse gas emissions As the Smart 50 keynote speaker Smart Business caught up with Stevens for a Smart Columbus update SB What exactly is a chief innovation officer MS A lot of it is how do we make sure as we advance into the 21st century that we find ways to effectively and efficiently deliver government services to our residents at a level theyve come to expect knowing were in an environment where resources will always be challenged How do we work with the private sector and use public private partnerships to advance initiatives that support the city and its residents SB Where is Smart Columbus at this point What are your immediate and long term plans MS Year one has been a lot of work around developing the foundation so when we put the 15 U S DOT projects out on the street so to speak they are thoughtful and meaningful to the community In the near term American Electric Power a significant partner is doing a lot around grid modernization renewable energy as well as investing in charging infrastructure Columbus residents over the next six to nine months are going to see a lot more around the charging infrastructure and electric vehicles The Columbus Partnership who co leads Smart Columbus is planning Ride and Drive events information sessions where consumers can drive electric vehicles by different manufacturers It will make people aware of the possibilities price points and what they need to do to have an electric vehicle In the long term we will have digital short range communication radios in 3000 vehicles that can connect vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure Volunteers will put those radios in and by the end of 2020 well have tested and gathered data on a connected vehicle environment The U S DOT is interested to see what environment moves goods services and people faster and more efficiently Were going to eventually run an autonomous shuttle in our commercial district Easton to see how it interacts with non autonomous vehicles In our downtown district were working on an enhanced permit parking system and delivery zone application to help with parking and the movement of vehicles Were also working on an application for event parking SB What has been the biggest challenge so far MS The work has been more like a startup very different than typical government regulated work Were fortunate to have great private support so weve been able to overcome issues A challenge is the expectations are high Its a year into it and people want to see things I explain that its a four year grant because the federal government recognized youve got to spend that first year organizing for success so when were done we can share with other communities what went well and what didnt go well HONOREES LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY LAST NAME Keynote Speaker Michael Stevens Chief Innovation Officer City of Columbus