Nikola Labs welcomes Former Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman to Advisory Board

Nikola Labs
Aug 31, 2018 · 2 min read
Signing Day! Mayor Coleman with his Nikola Labs jersey. He was the 52nd Mayor of Columbus

(By: Will Zell, CEO) It is with great honor that I announce that Former Mayor of Columbus, Michael B.Coleman, has joined Nikola Labs as a member of our Advisory Board.

I met the Mayor on a flight from D.C. to Columbus last year and had a chance to share about our vision and work at Nikola Labs. Shortly thereafter we retained Ice Miller, where Mayor Coleman is a partner, as our outside counsel (Great firm, btw).

Over the past year the Mayor has not only helped Nikola through our work with Ice Miller, but has gone above and beyond to provide strategic insight, introductions and leadership advice to me personally. As a member of our Advisory Board, I am excited for the impact Mayor Coleman will have in the following areas:

1) Government Affairs — Wireless Power is regulated through the FCC and new regulations are emerging that differentiate wireless power from other communication regulations. It is important for Nikola Labs to take a leadership role in shaping the regulatory landscape affecting our industry.

2) Deal Making — Mayor Coleman is one of the most prolific deal makers in our region. I look forward to learning from one of the best on how to get deals done that create value for all parties.

3) The Columbus Way — Much of the success Columbus is experiencing now can be traced back to the beginning of the Columbus Partnership. The Partnership was championed by business leaders Les Wexner and John Wolfe almost two decades ago, who along with strong collaboration from government leaders like Mayor Coleman created the “Columbus Way” approach to economic and community development. The Columbus Way premise is that government creates an environment which empowers businesses, entrepreneurs and economic development, while the business community takes the lead to partner with government in tackling social and community issues. It is a belief of shared responsibility and success aimed at positive community impact across all segments.

I believe Nikola Labs will be a sustained and high growth company in Columbus. We are uniquely positioned to leverage local excellence to scale a market leading company in wireless power and IoT. This journey is possible only because of the rich resources and support available to us in Central Ohio. To that end it is critical that the Columbus Way is ingrained in our culture so we embrace the awesome responsibility of contributing to positive community impact.

Columbus continues our ascent as a vibrant technology community and I am thrilled to see leaders such as Mayor Coleman embrace and support emerging technology companies.

Onward.

Ushering in electricity's next great act, the transmission of power without wires.

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