Startup Week will focus closely on Smart City

The third annual Columbus Startup Week will take particular note of Columbus as the winner of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City competition, with a half-dozen programs focusing on some aspect of the program that will develop the city into the nation’s proving ground for intelligent transportation systems.

More than 70 speakers will be on hand for the event that runs through Friday.

“Coming off Columbus winning the U.S. Department of Transportation Smart City Challenge last June, there’s so much excitement around Smart City that we felt Columbus Startup Week was an opportunity to dedicate a whole day,” said Mike Nemeth, chairman of Columbus Startup Week. “Columbus is quickly becoming a hub for startups, and global companies such as Ford are beginning to partner with our community to help drive innovation forward.”

Among the speakers who will focus on the Smart City program: Jon Coleman, director of city solutions for Ford Smart Mobility, who will talk about why Ford believes Columbus is a world-class test-bed for innovation; Columbus Partnership’s Mark Patton, who will present the State of Smart Columbus; and Ben Blanquera, leader of the Smart Columbus data work group, who will offer an overview of Smart City efforts.

The startup event — sponsored by Techstars, a global organization focused on inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. — will also include instructional sessions covering a range of topics for those interested in starting a business, strengthening their business and connecting with others of similar interests.

Other speakers include: the leaders of Fashion Week Columbus and Alternative Fashion Mob, who will share their plans for a fashion incubator in Columbus; and J.D. Vance, author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” who will discuss his career in venture capital and why he thought it was the right time to move back to Ohio from the West Coast and invest in Midwest companies.