Can Central Ohio’s prosperity truly become inclusive, giving more Franklin County families an economic stake in our region’s growth? A study completed last year by McKinsey & Company found that outcomes for the 330,000-plus Black residents of the Columbus region were substantially worse than those of their white neighbors. Median Black household income was $54,000, compared to $81,000 for white households. White residents live three years longer on average and were more than twice as likely to own their homes and to hold a four-year college degree. To catch up with their white counterparts, Blacks in Franklin County would need 700 years to catch up – an economic chasm that’s expected to only widen in 2025. With directives to wind down DEI initiatives and funding cutbacks from Washington rippling through the country, what new initiatives can Central Ohio employ to include more families in our region’s prosperity, especially at a time when employers can’t hire fast enough? From people-based strategies to place-based strategies, from programs to make housing more affordable and ensure quality early childhood education, we look at inclusive growth strategies that work, that don’t work, and that still need to be tried in Central Ohio.

Featuring Duwain Pinder, Partner, Ohio – Columbus, McKinsey & Company; Jason Reece, Associate Professor, City and Regional Planning, Knowlton School of Architecture, The Ohio State University; Keith Jones, President & CEO, Oakwood Management, and with moderator Mataryun “Mo” Wright, President & CEO, RAMA Consulting Group. Additional panelists to be announced.