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Kickstart Ohio 2025: 3 Lessons to Maximize Your Tech Conference Experience
- Christian Steinert
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Why intimate gatherings beat massive trade shows, the power of bringing your tribe, and what Steve Wozniak taught me about staying true to your "why"
A Quick Note on Last Week’s Promise:
Last week, I promised we’d dive into Part 2 of our ROI series—building the complete business case and calculating total value creation. However, between Kickstart Ohio and other conferences this week, I didn’t carve out writing time until Sunday afternoon. Rather than rush through something as important as ROI frameworks, I’m shifting that to next week so I can give it the attention it deserves. Today’s issue focuses on something equally valuable: the lessons learned from being in the trenches with fellow entrepreneurs this week.
This week’s issue is not on data strategy, engineering, and healthcare. My goal is to capture the passion, connection, and productivity we had at the Kickstart Ohio 2025 entrepreneurship & technology event hosted at Ohio Wesleyan University this past week.
I’m diving into 3 key takeaways as a data entrepreneur attending what I consider to be the best technology event in Ohio this year. But first, a little background into the conference itself…
This year was the conference’s first go in the Columbus area. It was cool being part of something new. What helped was that the headline speaker was Steve Wozniak, the Co-Founder of Apple. Naturally, there was a lot of hype leading up to this event throughout the Columbus tech community.
Per the website (kickstartohio.com), the event’s goal was to capture the innovation, entrepreneurship, and community growth in Ohio. I felt that it did all of these things, but in a way that was intentional, intimate and approachable. Shout out to Ohio Wesleyan University for the great venue to balance networking, working sessions and doing client work in between.
With that being said, here are my 3 key takeaways as the founder of a high growth data consulting agency specialized in healthcare.
1. Number of attendees does not determine conference quality—the people present do.
With respect to industry, I’ve been to some of the largest conferences in the world. The National Restaurant Association Show 2024 in Chicago and RoofCon 2024 in Orlando. Filled with mainstream vendors and a large turnout, it felt hard to experience quality time with the presenters and leaders at these conferences.
Kickstart Ohio was much different. I think this being the first one helped in that regard. Each session was filled with maybe 20-30 people (besides Wozniak’s fireside chat). This made it easier to ask questions in the crowd. Furthermore, you felt strongly connected to the people around you.
The same faces were there each day, creating a circular energy that was felt each time you saw each other. It’s almost like we were in the same cohort, but instead of academic classes, we were rallying around all of our entrepreneurial characteristics and uniqueness.
I know for a fact I’ve made some connections that will go well beyond this conference. I even explored some deeply personal growth development conversations with other entrepreneurs.
We as entrepreneurs are often our own therapists, so getting to chat about our strengths and weaknesses, being vulnerable, and staying authentic, drives more self-awareness for our own lives and enhances those around us. It was a beautiful harmony of growth felt on both sides of the conversation. You also realize you’re not alone as a business owner—and that goes a long way.
2. Tag team the conference with mentors and people that push you.
Events are a huge source of lead generation. Attending with a mentor or people you routinely network with gets you into more conversations. Instead of having to brute force your way into every conversation, the introductions that are made if you have a mentor or connection “slingshot” you into a conversation are invaluable.
It creates immediate rapport and allows you to introduce yourself seamlessly. You find yourself talking to more people that you may not have gone up to without this dynamic. Furthermore, it makes the experience more enjoyable because you establish “your tribe” within the sea of other tech professionals and entrepreneurs.
3. Hearing a legend’s story reminds you why you started.
Steve Wozniak’s fireside chat was the highlight of the conference, and not for the reasons you might expect. Yes, he co-founded Apple. Yes, he revolutionized personal computing. But what struck me most wasn’t his accomplishments—it was his clarity about who he is and what drives him.
Three things stood out from his conversation:
First, Wozniak knows exactly who he is. That self-awareness allowed him to do his best work. He wasn’t trying to be Steve Jobs. He wasn’t trying to be a CEO or a business mogul. He was an engineer who loved solving problems, and he leaned fully into that identity. There’s power in knowing your lane and owning it completely.
Second, his humility was disarming. Here’s someone who changed the world, and he carried himself like your favorite uncle at a family gathering. He was generous with his time, genuinely interested in the people around him, and approachable in a way that made you forget you were talking to a tech legend. It reminded me that ego is optional—even at the highest levels of success.
Third, and most importantly, money has never been his priority. Wozniak built technology because he genuinely loves solving problems for people. The financial success was a byproduct, not the goal. In a room full of entrepreneurs thinking about growth, funding, and exits, this was a powerful reset. It brought me back to why I started my business in the first place—not to chase a number, but to solve real problems for healthcare organizations using data.
Sitting in that room, listening to Woz talk about building the Apple I and II not for profit but for the joy of creation, I felt a reconnection to my own “why.” We get so caught up in the hustle—the client deliverables, the revenue targets, the next milestone—that we forget the spark that started it all.
Sometimes you need to hear from someone who fundamentally changed an industry to remember: the best work comes from loving what you do and staying true to who you are.
The Energy You Take With You
Conferences aren’t just about the sessions you attend or the business cards you collect. They’re about the energy you absorb and carry forward.
Kickstart Ohio reminded me that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a lonely grind. There’s a community of people building, struggling, winning, and learning right alongside you. The intimate setting, the recurring faces, the vulnerable conversations, and yes, the wisdom from a legend who helped birth the personal computer era—it all compounds into something bigger than any single takeaway.
I’m heading back to client work this week with a clearer sense of purpose, deeper relationships, and a reminder that the best technology comes from people who genuinely care about solving problems.
If you’re an entrepreneur in Ohio, mark your calendar for Kickstart Ohio 2026. I’ll see you there.
📬 COMING NEXT WEEK: PART 2
Building the Business Case - From Costs to Value Creation
Next week, we move beyond time savings to calculate total value and present it to different stakeholders. We’ll walk through the complete ROI formula and explore value beyond time savings—faster decision-making, reduced turnover costs, and scalability benefits. Plus, I’ll show you how to frame ROI differently for your CFO vs. COO vs. VP of Operations.
Christian Steinert is the founder of Steinert Analytics, helping healthcare & roofing organizations turn data into actionable insights. Subscribe to Rooftop Insights for weekly perspectives on analytics and business intelligence in these industries.
Also - check out our free Healthcare Analytics Playbook email course here.
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