Designing tomorrow, today

Smart Columbus is the region’s civic innovation lab.

We address our community's most pressing problems by advancing what is new and next at the intersection of technology and community good.

Our vision is to make Columbus a national model for community-centered innovation.

A group of diverse people gathered around tables in a modern, well-lit indoor space, possibly a museum or community center, engaged in conversation. The background features informational displays, bicycles, and contemporary decor with hanging light fixtures.

Human-centered design approach

Four community leaders seated on a stage during a panel discussion, with a backdrop of cream-colored curtains and a colorful poster featuring multiple people's photos.

Align partners

We bring sectors together around shared goals.

Through cross-sector facilitation, we align needs, surface priorities, and build buy-in to move forward together

People seated at tables in a modern conference room, engaged in a meeting with documents, notebooks, and water bottles on the tables.

Co-design solutions

Residents help shape the solutions they need.

We partner with end users to define problems and co-create solutions that reflect real lived experience

Group of five people standing indoors, smiling, some holding a laptop, with colorful multilingual welcome signs in the background.

Test, learn, scale

We move fast, and we stay grounded in learning.

Through a step-by-step approach, we prototype, pilot, and refine until ideas are ready for real-world impact

From transportation to civic transformation

Group of people at a conference event holding signs that say "The Columbus Way" and "All of Us." They are smiling, some holding signs advocating for smart city initiatives in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus wins the USDOT Smart Cities Challenge. Smart Columbus launches, deploying 23 innovation projects with a collective investment of $720M across 100+ partners.

2016 →

A blue and green autonomous shuttle vehicle with the words "ONE LINDEN" and "Our Community. Our Future" on the side, parked on a suburban street in front of houses.

2020–2021 →

The pandemic exposes major community challenges: the digital divide, gaps in data infrastructure, and the need for sustained investment.

A large group of people posing for a photo at a conference, with a presentation screen behind them that reads 'Closing the Digital Divide Together' and mentions Columbus City Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman and Columbus City Councilmember Nick Bankston.

2022–today →

With federal grant funding complete, Smart Columbus transitions into a community-centered innovation lab, leveraging technology to meet community needs and shape Columbus into the City of the Future.

Our collaborators

A team of teams

Smart Columbus is part of a broader organization known as The Columbus Partnership. Collectively, The Columbus Partnership family of organizations is united around a common goal: to make the Columbus Region the most prosperous in the United States.

A graphic featuring the name 'Columbus' with the words 'Partnership' and 'Smart Columbus' and design elements in red, black, gray, white, and green.

Smart Columbus team

  • A smiling woman with blonde hair in a white button-up shirt, standing indoors with a dark background.

    Cami Albaugh

    Operations & Communications Coordinator

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  • A woman with dark wavy hair, wearing hoop earrings and a plaid jacket with gold buttons, sitting in a well-lit room with large windows and a potted plant in the background.

    Hailey Allison

    Director of Operations

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  • A smiling man in a beige blazer and blue checkered shirt standing in a bright office with windows and plants.

    Marcus Carano

    Project Manager, Partnerships

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  • A young woman with long brown hair, smiling, wearing a tan coat and burgundy turtleneck, standing indoors with a window and green plant in the background.

    Jordan Davis

    Executive Director

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  • A man in a blue checkered suit and white shirt smiling in an office setting.

    Arash Ghazvini

    Principal Product Manager

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  • Placeholder image with a camera icon and the text 'Image Coming Soon'

    Norah Goldman

    Communications Lead

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  • Portrait of a smiling woman with dark braided hair, wearing a blue blazer and white top, standing in an office setting with a plant and window in the background.

    Tosin Guobadia

    Project Manager & Change Management Lead

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  • Portrait of a young man wearing glasses, a gray suit jacket, and a white shirt, sitting at a desk in a well-lit office with a large window and green plant in the background.

    Brayan Pabón Gomez

    Service Designer

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  • A middle-aged man with glasses, a beard, and a turban, wearing a checkered shirt, smiling indoors with large windows and some greenery in the background.

    Ayaz Hyder

    Data & Integrations Lead

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  • Headshot of a man with curly dark hair, a full beard, wearing a navy suit, white shirt, and orange tie, smiling against a blurred dark background with warm lighting.

    Dylan Sansone

    Senior Project Manager, Digital Equity

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  • A woman with long dark hair smiling, wearing a yellow satin shirt, standing indoors with large windows and green plants in the background.

    Andreya Veintimilla

    Design Research Lead

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Smart Columbus Board

  • Calvin Cooper

    Founder, Vend3tta

  • Matt Habash

    President/CEO, Mid-Ohio Food Collective

  • Jason Hall

    CEO, The Columbus Partnership | Co-Chair

  • Nancy Kramer

    Chief Evangelist, IBMiX

  • William Murdock

    Executive Director, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission

  • Elon Simms

    Chief of Staff, City of Columbus, Office of the Mayor | Co-Chair

  • Administrator Ken Wilson

    County Administrator, Franklin County