In Ohio, Founders Win When Community Comes First

You don’t expect to find one of the country’s richest concentrations of founder-focused tech events in Ohio. Yet every summer and fall, the state becomes a magnet for entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators from across the country. Within the space of just a few months, Ohio plays host to Black Tech Week, Ohio VC Fest, and StartupCincy Week, a lineup with a density and caliber more often associated with the coasts than the Midwest.

These gatherings are not just about stages and slide decks. They are designed to leave behind lasting networks, opportunities, and a sense of belonging that carry founders forward long after the week is over. In Ohio, community is not an afterthought. It is intentionally woven into the programming, venues, and culture of each event, making it as much a part of the founder’s toolkit as capital or mentorship.

For founders, investors, and the entrepreneurial minded, the opportunity is clear. Ohio VC Fest takes over Cleveland on September 16 and 17, bringing together hundreds of startups and investors in a network-rich environment. StartupCincy Week follows from October 6 to 9, offering a deep dive into one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the country.

In just three events, Ohio offers a density of founder-focused programming that rivals major startup hubs, and surprises anyone who still thinks the Midwest is “flyover country.” The founder journey is hard enough without trying to go it alone. These are the places where connections become partnerships, where ideas find backers, and where communities rally around the people building the future.

StartupCincy Week: More Than a Conference

No event captures this better than StartupCincy Week. Each October, Cincinnati’s startup ecosystem comes together for four days that feel less like a conference and more like a homecoming for builders. Led by us at Cintrifuse and powered by the entire ecosystem, the week pulls in thousands of attendees, taps more than 20 content partners, and engages over 30 local businesses to bring the experience to life. The result is not just a gathering, but a deep driver of local community and economic impact.

Over the past two years, StartupCincy Week has facilitated more than 200 curated connections between startups and investors. Last year’s attendees included venture capital firms representing over $193 billion in assets under management. This year, the commitment to early-stage funding grows even stronger with a $200,000 pitch competition powered by Connetic Ventures. Midwest-based startups can apply for the competition here. 

The design of the week makes connection inevitable. The Startup Clubhouse serves as a pop-up headquarters where founders can meet, recharge, and prep for investor conversations. VentureHaus gives visiting investors a dedicated, comfortable space to work and build relationships. Every detail, from the spaces to the schedule, is crafted to spark trust and create the kind of opportunities that keep momentum going long after October.

Ohio VC Fest: Warming Up the Runway

A few weeks before Cincinnati takes the spotlight, Cleveland hosts Ohio VC Fest, a high-energy gathering that serves as a launchpad for relationships between Midwest founders and national investors.

More than 700 attendees converge over two days, with over 250 startups sharing space with more than 100 venture capital firms and investors. The event features 30-plus tech demos and 20 startup pitches, creating a rare density of opportunity in the Midwest. The structure of the event, curated networking, intimate meeting spaces, and hands-on programming, means connections are not left to chance.

For many, Ohio VC Fest is the warm-up lap before StartupCincy Week. Conversations start in Cleveland and continue in Cincinnati, giving founders a two-stop runway for building relationships and unlocking capital.

Black Tech Week: Belonging and Business Growth

In July, Black Tech Week brings thousands of Black and brown founders, technologists, and creatives to Cincinnati. This year’s event welcomed more than 5,000 attendees, a remarkable leap from the few hundred who gathered a decade ago.

The week blends business programming, VC matchmaking, panels on AI, branding, and funding, with cultural experiences that celebrate identity and connection. This combination has fueled both the event’s rapid growth and its lasting impact. Past years have generated an estimated 20 million-dollar economic boost for the city, but the true value lies in the durable networks attendees carry with them. The relationships formed here provide access, representation, and a sense of belonging that can be transformative for underrepresented founders.

Why This Approach Works

Together, these events create something that no amount of online content or virtual networking can match. They generate trust quickly and naturally. Founders trade hard-won lessons that never make it into a presentation. Investors see the person behind the pitch, which can turn a “maybe” into a “let’s talk next week.” Mentors step in at just the right moment with advice or introductions that change the trajectory of a company.

Ohio’s entrepreneurial support organizations, from Cintrifuse in Cincinnati to JumpStart in Cleveland, know that founders need more than skills and capital. They need a network that shows up when deals stall, when hiring gets complicated, and when the next stage of growth feels daunting. Events like StartupCincy Week, Ohio VC Fest, and Black Tech Week are where those networks begin and where they grow stronger.

Kate Hursh-Wogenstahl is Director of Marketing & Communications at Cintrifuse in Cincinnati, a non-profit organization focused on accelerating startup growth in that city. Kate trained as a designer, building her career in non-profit marketing and engagement, eventually working as a Creative Director before joining Cintrifuse. She received her Masters from Purdue and Bachelor’s from the University of Cincinnati.