There’s never been a better time to become a founder, also in Ohio!

Preface: Letters for the Next Generation of Builders

This is the seventh in a series of ten letters I’m writing to the next generation of founders in Ohio.

I’m writing these letters because Ohio stands on the edge of an extraordinary opportunity. For two centuries, this state has played an instrumental role in powering America’s rise, from the factories that built the industrial age to the universities and labs that helped shape the digital one. But now, as the next era begins, Ohio has a once-in-a-generation chance to co-lead history, not just to participate in it.

These letters are about the call to build. To take an idea that lives only in your head and turn it into something real. To create companies, movements, and institutions that move Ohio, America, and the world forward.

The next great wave of innovation doesn’t have to be born in San Francisco or New York alone. It can, and should, also be built in the heart of America.

The Moment We’re In

Every few generations, the world resets. The old centers of power lose their grip while new ones rise in unexpected places. People begin to look around and ask: What comes next?

We are living through that kind of moment.

Artificial intelligence is rewriting the nature of work. Robotics is reshaping how we build and move. Biotech is redefining life itself. Energy and climate innovation are changing how we power everything we do. And Ohio can help build what’s next. When systems break and paradigms shift, it’s not the incumbents who win but the builders, the ones who look at what’s missing and decide to create.

That’s the moment we’re in, and it belongs to founders.

Ohio’s Legacy of Building

Ohio has always been a builder’s state. It’s the birthplace of flight, where the Wright brothers taught the world how to leave the ground. It’s the birthplace of American steel, rubber, and the modern automobile. It’s the home of NASA’s Glenn Research Center and the innovators who carried us to space. Ohio is also the birthplace of seven U.S. presidents.

From the manufacturing floors of Toledo to the labs of Case Western, from the logistics hubs of Dayton to startups in Columbus, Ohio has the talent, the grit, and the heart to build again. We need more people to step forward and take a leap into dreaming big, founding, and building.

The numbers tell the story of Ohio’s gap and the opportunity. It’s the 7th-largest economy in the United States, yet it captures only 0.5% of national venture capital. Ohio educates tens of thousands of STEM graduates every year — from Ohio State, Miami, Cincinnati, Case, and more, but too few of them choose to build companies here.

Meanwhile, we sit at the epicenter of the industries being transformed by AI, robotics, and climate technology, to name a few:

Healthcare, anchored by the Cleveland Clinic and Nationwide Children’s.
Manufacturing, with a century of world-class know-how.
Energy and agriculture are critical to the next sustainability revolution.

The gap is an incredible opportunity for founders willing to build the next generation of companies that will make Ohio a critical innovation engine of America’s future.

Why is this the time to start a company in Ohio?

1/ The cost of building has collapsed. You can launch a company today from a dorm room in Athens or an apartment in Akron using tools that used to cost millions.

2/ The infrastructure is here. Ohio has world-class hospitals, universities, manufacturing facilities, and logistics networks. You can prototype, test, and distribute from day one — all within 200 miles.

3/ The culture is changing. A new generation of Ohioans is tired of waiting for permission. They’re building startups, studios, and funds — for profit and for purpose.

4/ Capital is awakening. Local investors, family offices, and new venture funds are recognizing that Ohio founders deserve a shot at building category-leading companies in the Heartland.

What makes Ohio uniquely positioned to be a winner in this next era?

• Values: Hard work, humility, and integrity. Traits that build trust and endurance.

• Talent: A deep bench of engineers, designers, healthcare professionals, and operators who know how to solve real problems.

• Geography: One day’s drive to 60% of the U.S. population.

Ohio can become a place where ambition meets authenticity, a place where builders can focus on substance over hype. That combination is rare, and it’s precisely what the world needs now.

If you’re reading this and you’ve ever thought, maybe I could build something of my own, this is your opportunity. Don’t wait for a perfect idea or a perfect time. Start now. The world is being rewritten in real time, and those who act will define what comes next.

You don’t need to move to the coast to make it big. You can build something world-class right here in Ohio. The hardest part isn’t starting — it’s deciding to start. And once you do, you’ll find a community ready to stand with you.

There has never been a better time to become a founder. Not because it’s easy, but because the world is changing, and those who start now will shape what comes next. And Ohio founders can play an instrumental role in this movement.

We came to build.
Yon

(Missed the previous letters? Read them here)