The startup culture of Columbus
Reason #2 Columbus is good for business: culture
It’s hard to start a business. What’s even harder, however, is keeping businesses going. And that’s something we Ohioans have found out we’re actually good at.
There’s a deceptively large startup society in Columbus. Some of us have even taken to calling this city “the next Silicon Valley” (ok, maybe that’s just me). We’ve seen a lot of success in the past, and have even been noted as a great location for growing tech companies.
One of the reasons we’ve succeeded at growing businesses is the multitude of nearby resources. Not to mention the close proximity to several Fortune 1000 companies.
But, another reason startups excel here is the supportive culture.
In Columbus, there’s a strong sense of doing what’s best for the community, and rallying around those efforts. It’s what has allowed startups like Hot Chicken Takeover to thrive, a Nashville-style restaurant with a majority of its workforce having experienced incarceration. Business models like this thrive in a culture that prioritizes giving back.
An important factor in supportive communities is connectivity, something we proudly boast. Wakeupstartup is a very tangible expression of this ethos. Wakeupstartup is a community event (located at COSI) bridging the gap between startups and the public. They give entrepreneurs a stage on which to advertise their businesses, and make asks to further their efforts.
Launching startups is hard, and we’re thankful to be part of such a supportive community.
