A year of impact: 2025 by the numbers
As we close out 2025, Smart Columbus is proud to reflect on a year defined by collaboration, innovation, and community-centered action. Together with our 100+ nonprofit partners, City and County officials, and private sector supporters, we've transformed opportunity across Central Ohio.
Highlights
Visionlink was selected as the technology platform for the Community Information Exchange (CIE) Initiative after a rigorous nine-month RFP process
2,500+ residents graduated from the Digital Skills Hub program by November
ConnectUS Device Donation Program officially launched, creating a sustainable pathway to bridge the digital divide
70+ organizations coordinated for Digital Inclusion Week (October 6-11)
120+ community engagements, 8+ co-design workshops, and 22 Coalition meetings hosted
23 government briefings and 16 committee meetings were conducted, strengthening public-sector collaboration
1,025 residents engaged across 10 events in our Ride & Drive series, including 381 EV test drives
Building digital access & opportunity
A major focus this year was expanding digital access through devices, skills, and strategic community coordination.
Community spotlight: Digital Inclusion Week success
October's Digital Inclusion Week showcased the power of coordinated community action.
The mid-week Summit at Columbus Metropolitan Library brought together community members, partners, and stakeholders for meaningful dialogue around the importance of device access and digital skills for school, work and healthcare.
Digital Skills Hub: Transforming lives
The Digital Skills Hub, one of the largest digital upskilling initiatives in the country, scaled to 16 community partners, serving priority populations across 70 locations. The program aims to train 10,000 underserved residents by 2027. By the end of this year, we will be celebrating 2,500+ graduates who walk away with digital literacy skills and a device to keep them connected. Our partner, National Church Residences, even presented Central Ohio's model at the national LeadingAge Annual Meeting.
Learn more about our Digital Skills Hub program →
ConnectUS Device Donation Program: Sustainable Impact
Since launching this fall, the ConnectUS Device Donation Program has proven that sustainable digital access requires an integrated support system.
We offer Columbus-based organizations a secure, no-cost alternative to recycle retired technology.
Recent Impact: CAS donated retired laptops, resulting in no-cost devices for dozens of New American and refugee families at Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS).
How to get involved in 2026:
Donate Devices: Contribute retired technology (laptops and tablets prioritized).
Receive Devices: Refurbished devices will be distributed via Franklin County nonprofits beginning in early 2026.
Learn more about the Device Donation Program →
The Community Information Exchange (CIE) Initiative
2025 marked a transition from planning to building for the CIE technology platform, laying the foundation for a connected, resident-centered social service ecosystem.
Welcoming Visionlink as our technology partner
Following a rigorous nine-month evaluation process involving 30 reviewers across 20 organizations, Visionlink was selected as our technology partner. The platform will enable organizations to identify available resources and eligibility, coordinate referrals, close the loop on services, and track outcomes. The platform is slated to launch with 25 early adopter organizations in mid- 2026, with a full community rollout planned for 2027.
Defining common workflows that drive end-user value
This year, we worked with frontline staff, program teams, and nonprofit leaders to identify common ways that the CIE technology platform can reduce administrative burden and improve access to services. Through community co-design, we're building solutions that directly respond to community needs:
Build a “no wrong door” intake approach, powered by the CIE’s data-sharing infrastructure, that streamlines service navigation and connects residents to services.
Establish a trusted directory of services with near real-time visibility into program availability, eligibility, and capacity.
Securely link child and family data across providers to create a holistic view, enabling outcome tracking, reducing duplication, and strengthening coordination.
Enable self-service tools that help a person find the right services for them.
To date, 46 community-based organizations are collaborating alongside us to transform the way our community coordinates care for people in need.
Learn more and join the initiative →
Leveraging data as a strategic asset to enhance the health and well-being of Franklin County and Columbus, Ohio residents
The CIE Insights Hub was launched to house new resources on data sharing and readiness.
Data Sharing in the Health and Human Services Sector: Gaps and Recommendations – : Based on feedback from 59 nonprofit organizations, this report exposed critical gaps and provided seven concrete recommendations for stronger coordination.
Data Strategy for Health and Human Services: Developed by the Data Leaders Group, this strategy treats data as essential infrastructure for equity, outlining eight priorities from centralizing trusted data systems to staff training.
Toolkit: Developing Shared Language and Standardized Data Protocols– A practical toolkit with a readiness checklist and scoring rubric to help organizations assess capacity-building needs.
Innovation in mobility & sustainability
Smart Columbus continued to lead the nation in transportation and energy innovation.
MORPC Transportation Innovation Awards
This summer, Smart Columbus partnered with MORPC to launch the inaugural Innovation in Mobility Awards, recognizing three transformative projects:
The Capital Line development revitalizing downtown and projecting a $27 return for every $1 invested.
Connected Marysville's pilot, testing safety technology that could prevent an estimated 615,000 crashes annually nationwide.
COTA Transit App’s 15% year-over-year growth, democratizing transit access.
Central Ohio Living Lab
Smart Columbus, in partnership with Honda, launched the Central Ohio Living Lab focused on tackling our region’s most pressing transportation challenges. The Living Lab tests emerging technology from Honda and other industry leaders using Central Ohio’s existing smart city infrastructure to improve transportation safety and reduce transportation-related emissions. Three projects were launched in 2025 with three additional projects planned for 2026.
Ride & Drive series
Our Ride & Drive program demonstrated the evolution of the EV market and directly influenced consumer consideration.
The program hosted 10 events over 11 days across the region, facilitating 381 drives and engaging with 1,025 individuals.
Residents were nearly 2x more likely to purchase an EV after participating in R&D
87% of survey respondents rated the experience as a 5 out of 5.
Green IT Playbook 2.0: Leading with sustainable technology
In December 2025, Smart Columbus and Rackspace Technology published the Columbus Green IT Playbook 2.0. This updated manual for energy-conscious and responsible technology operations was informed by 100+ local tech leaders.
AI Integration: The 2.0 Playbook expands its guidance to incorporate the proliferation of AI and advanced automated technologies.
Business Impact: The playbook provides clear, practical steps to improve tech sustainability, helping organizations gain cost savings, operational agility, and a competitive edge.
Green IT MVP: Bread Financial was recognized for its successful implementation, using the Playbook to develop a Sustainable Technology Framework that embedded sustainability criteria into its capabilities and vendor selection.
Looking ahead: 2026 and beyond
As we enter 2026, Smart Columbus remains committed to demonstrating how strategic technology investments generate measurable economic and social returns. Through continued community partnerships and inclusive innovation, we're building a Central Ohio where innovation serves everyone.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you attended an event, donated a device, participated in a workshop, or championed digital inclusion in your organization, you made 2025's impact possible.
Here's to an even more connected 2026.
