Cincinnati didn't have to crown itself "America's Smartland."
Inc. Magazine and Fast Company did it first. The rest of the country is finally seeing what locals have long known: innovation, creativity and industry thrive in the heart of Southwest Ohio.
"Midwestern entrepreneurs with a good idea and a desire to innovate are increasingly setting up shop in Cincinnati," the publications say. "What gives the Queen City its competitive advantage is an unprecedented alignment between the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub, business connector REDI Cincinnati and JobsOhio, the state's private economic development corporation."
Cincinnati's entrepreneurial ecosystem connects bold startups with the talent, capital and mentorship they need to thrive, fueling the city's ongoing transformation into America's Smartland.
Smart cities start with smart people - and Inc. and Fast Company took notice. They singled out the University of Cincinnati's nearly 54,000 students, its celebrated co-op program and the cutting-edge UC 1819 Innovation Hub as catalysts powering the region's rise.
By the time they graduate, many Bearcats have logged roughly 1.5 years of hands-on work experience, bringing fresh, job-ready talent to Cincinnati's startup scene. Local entrepreneurs rely on UC students to fill co-ops and internships, who serve as a powerful talent engine fueling America's Smartland.
UC students turn to the 1819 Innovation Hub as their gateway to industry connections and career opportunities. As Inc. and Fast Company describe it, the Hub is "the University of Cincinnati's front door for industry, inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs."
1819 offers four floors packed with entrepreneurial opportunities:
As Inc. and Fast Company affirm, "Seven Fortune 500 companies, six mid-tier companies, 18 startups, five venture funds, three accelerator programs and the region's most advanced makerspace, create the nation's most complete innovation pipeline" at 1819 and in the surrounding Cincinnati Innovation District.
Cincinnati's Smartland status wasn't achieved in isolation. The University of Cincinnati joined forces with REDI Cincinnati and JobsOhio, blending education, entrepreneurship and economic development to drive the region's growth and redefine what's possible in the Midwest.
"What makes Cincinnati exceptional isn't any single organization," Inc. and Fast Company write, "it's the deliberate synchronization between all three." Add the following plaudits, and it's tough to argue against the starring role Ohio - and Cincinnati in particular - plays in the emergence of America's Smartland:
- #5 best state for business and #1 in the Midwest (Ohio, per CNBC)
- #2 for cost of doing business (Ohio, per CNBC)
- #6 for technology and innovation (Ohio, per CNBC)
- #7 for access to capital (Ohio, per CNBC)
- 60% of the U.S. within a one-hour flight (Cincinnati, per Visit Cincy)
- #1 innovation hub in the Midwest, 1 million + residents (Cincinnati, per CommercialCafe)
- #1 largest employment base in Ohio (Cincinnati, per Huntington Bank)
Ryan Hays, the University of Cincinnati's chief innovation and strategy officer, celebrates the momentum at the 1819 Innovation Hub. "[Cincinnati] is a team-first, innovation-heavy, talent-hungry, own-every-outcome march to unleashing what's next," he says. "You can build more than a business here; you can build a legacy."
Featured image at top: View over downtown Cincinnati. Photo/UC Marketing + Communications
