The CYP Club is proud to present the 12th annual Columbus Emerging Leaders’ Summit, a leadership experience that brings together passionate, smart, and engaged young professionals from across Central Ohio to connect and grow while learning from local speakers and thought leaders. Young professionals and local employers participate as active participants in shaping the next generation of leaders — connecting professionals who are motivated, values-driven, and invested in their community.

This year’s summit will be hosted on Friday, March 27, 2026 from 8:00am-3:00pm at Capital Choice Office Furniture.

Supporting sponsors include BBB of Central Ohio, Brekkie Shack, Clean Eatz, Credit Union of Ohio, Fisher College of Business at OSU, HRACO, Huntington National Bank, Case Western Reserve University, Eldorado Scioto Downs, Alzheimer’s Association, Cancer Support Ohio, Columbus Early Learning Centers, Communities In Schools of Ohio, COTA, Dawson, Denison Edge, Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy (ELLA), Ohio Wesleyan University, OSU Honors Cohort, and Owens Corning. If your organization is interested in supporting this signature event, please view our Sponsor Packet.

HERE IS OUR AGENDA:

• 8:00 – 8:45 am | Arrival, Breakfast & Networking (breakfast is catered by Brekkie Shack)

• 8:45 – 9:00 am | Welcome Remarks

• 9:00 – 10:30 am | Fireside Chat with Columbus Innovators & Impactors

  • Aaron Helton - Leadership Consultant at Integrated Leadership Systems

  • Hannah Shafransky-Smith - Founder/CEO at Modern Maven Advisors

  • Katherine Grogan - Director of Operations at Accelerating Angels

  • Kenneth Williams Jr. - Co-Founder & Board President at Minority Autism Connection

  • Marilyn Mehaffie - Chief Executive Officer at St. Stephen's Community House

  • Moderated by Christian Noel Johnson - Founder and Empowerment Coach at Christian Noel

• 10:30 – 10:45 am | Coffee & Networking Break

• 10:45 – 11:45 am | Executive Speed Networking (intro, 2–3 rotations, wrap-up), featuring:

  • Ashley Otler - Owner of Simply Plated / Founder of Black Women Connect

  • Dana Sadiq - Vice President CCB Marketing Strategy Testing & Analytics at JPMorgan Chase

  • Elizabeth Skovron - Director of Marketing & Communications at Denison Edge

  • Erika Hidalgo - Deputy Director of Legal Operations at Franklin County Clerk of Courts

  • Kelsey Lensman - Founder & CEO at Xpand Your Limits

  • LaTasha Pannell - Owner and CEO of Agape Care

  • Laura Klarich - Chief of Staff at Columbus Young Professionals (CYP) Club

  • Lillian Morales-Laster - Executive Director at Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy

  • Michaun Winborn - CEO at Born2Win Coaching / DEI Senior Manager at United Way of Central Ohio

  • Michelle Brown - President and CEO at Children’s Hunger Alliance

  • Michelle Kellner - Vice President, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Huntington National Bank

  • Nick Fortine - President and Publisher at Columbus Business First

  • Phillip DiSilvestri – President, Capital Choice Office Furniture

  • Sarah Peters – VP, Branch General Manager, Huntington National Bank

• 11:45 am – 12:45 pm | Lunch (Open Networking + Sponsor Introductions)

  • Lunch will be catered by Clean Eatz

  • Attendees can mingle while eating, visit vendor tables, and recharge

• 12:45 – 1:45 pm | Leadership in Real-Time Talks

  • You’ll hear 5-7 minute talks from speakers in their 20s through 50s, sharing back-to-back stories of leadership, accomplishment, and learning across generations

    • Nicole Espinoza - Business owner and Board of Directors for the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus

    • Hannah McCorkle - Senior Manager of Marketing & Director of Marathon in Training at Fleet Feet Columbus

    • Ankit Shah - Manager of Organizational Development at EXPRESS and Vice President at Central Ohio Belonging Consortium

    • Kristy Wedel - Founder at ReMemora AI

    • Adero Robinson - Chief Executive Officer at Communities In Schools of Ohio

    • Anthony McIntosh - CEO at UpRys

• 1:45 – 2:15 pm | Moderated Q&A with Real-Time Talks speakers

• 2:15 - 2:45 pm | Key Takeaways from our 2026 Host Committee

• 2:45 – 3:00 pm | Closing & Call to Action

COST TO ATTEND: An "early bird" summit pass is $30. On December 1st the price will increase to $40 and on March 21st it will increase to $50 until we are sold out. Tickets include access to all speakers & presentations, networking with nonprofits and other attendees, light breakfast & coffee, catered lunch buffet, and free parking. Water, coffee, and snacks will be available throughout the summit.

🚌 IMPORTANT: FREE PARKING + SHUTTLE INFO!!

We strongly encourage attendees to use our free shuttle service for the easiest arrival experience.

Primary Parking Location:
Bridgeway Academy – South Lot
1350 Alum Creek Dr, Columbus, OH

👉 A FREE shuttle bus will run continuously from 7:00–10:00 AM, taking you directly from the parking lot to the event entrance.

👉 Look for EVENT PARKING signs and CYP host committee members to guide you when you arrive.

👉 View parking map & shuttle details here

Parking is also available near the venue, but spaces are limited - the shuttle is the most reliable option.

Join the next generation of Columbus leaders for this special event - now in its twelfth year!

This event will sell out, so don’t wait until the last minute to register! Attire is business casual.

Register for this Event

Thank you to our amazing event partners:

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