David Gilbert is the President and CEO of Destination Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

For more than three decades, David has worked to help Cleveland compete, attract visitors, host major events, and change the way the city is perceived — both by the outside world and by Clevelanders ourselves. Under his leadership, Cleveland has hosted events like the NFL Draft, NBA All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, NCAA Women’s Final Four, and the Republican National Convention, while Destination Cleveland has helped drive meaningful growth in visitation and visitor spending across the region.

In our conversation, David and I explore what it means to get people to “say yes” to Cleveland, the evolution of the city’s brand and civic pride, the role of major events in building momentum, the importance of place branding, and the generational opportunity to reconnect Cleveland to its lakefront.

David has been one of Cleveland’s most important civic storytellers and builders, and this was a thoughtful conversation about pride, perception, and helping a city more fully believe in itself — please enjoy.

00:00 The Mission to Change Perceptions of Cleveland
08:30 David Gilbert's Journey and Community Engagement
09:07 Understanding the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland
19:52 The Emotional Connection of Place Branding
24:18 The Evolution of Cleveland's Brand and Local Perception
27:27 Transforming Cleveland's Image
30:48 Cleveland's Pride and Community Engagement
36:48 The Future of Cleveland: Growth and Development
44:02 Harnessing Cleveland's Natural Assets
47:57 Hidden Gems of Cleveland
51:23 Outro
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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-gilbert-26427b7
https://www.clevelandsports.org/
https://www.thisiscleveland.com/

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SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at https://www.ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

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Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Duane Mancini, Founder and CEO of Project Medtech, a Cleveland-based platform helping medical technology companies move from promising invention to real patient impact.

What began as a podcast has evolved into a broader ecosystem of consulting, events, education, investor connectivity, and community-building for Medtech founders navigating the difficult path from idea to market.

In our conversation, Duane and I explore his path from science and research into entrepreneurship, how Project Medtech grew from a curiosity-driven podcast into a larger platform, and what founders often underestimate about building in Medtech. We talk about regulatory strategy, reimbursement, clinical validation, fundraising, the importance of team over product, and why Ohio may have a unique opportunity to become a more important node in healthcare innovation.

Duane is thoughtful, mission-driven, and deeply committed to helping more life-changing technologies reach patients. Please enjoy my conversation with Duane Mancini.

00:00 Building Trust Through Storytelling
07:53 The Evolution of Project MedTech
12:30 The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
20:37 The Founding Team Dynamics
23:43 Lessons from 250+ Conversations
28:58 De-risking in Life Sciences
33:38 Navigating Capital in Life Sciences
38:35 Redesigning the Market Entry Process
41:24 Understanding Economic Impact in Healthcare
44:18 Measuring Impact and Success
48:11 Optimism in Life Sciences and Med Tech
50:46 Opportunities for Ohio's Life Sciences
54:44 Building Supportive Ecosystems
59:23 Outro
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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanemancini
https://www.projectmedtech.com/

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SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at https://ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

What does it take for AI to matter inside a real operating business? Not as a demo, not as a dashboard, and not as a generic productivity tool — but as something that answers calls, reduces clicks, quotes freight, improves service, and helps people spend more time doing the work that actually moves the business forward.

Today we're republishing an episode from The O.H.I.O. Fund Report with Mark Kvamme — co-founder, CEO, and CIO of The O.H.I.O. Fund — Peter Coratola, founder and CEO of EASE Logistics, and Andy Jenks, co-founder of JAKIB.ai.

Together, they unpack one of the clearest examples we’ve seen of applied AI in Ohio: a service-heavy logistics business navigating a difficult freight market, partnering with an AI company to start small, solve real operational bottlenecks, and eventually build Amy — an AI layer embedded directly into how EASE works. They discuss track-and-trace calls, customer service, quoting, user adoption, CEO-level ownership, and why AI at its best may be less about replacing people and more about multiplying their output.

So please enjoy this conversation with Mark Kvamme, Peter Coratola, and Andy Jenks.

00:00 Introduction to the Ohio Fund and Ease Logistics
05:12 Challenges in the Logistics Industry
09:50 AI Transformation in Logistics
13:55 First AI Project Implementation
17:26 Integrating AI with Existing Systems
20:12 User Adoption and Trust in AI
23:20 Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings
26:36 AI as a Knowledge Transfer Tool
31:39 Lessons Learned in AI Implementation
33:04 The Supercharged Engineer: AI's Impact on Productivity
34:28 Empowering Non-Technical Users: AI for Everyone
38:03 AI as a Multiplier: Enhancing Workforce Efficiency
40:47 Customer-Centric AI: Transforming Client Interactions
44:26 Mindset for AI Adoption: Insights for Business Leaders
47:26 Evaluating Business Readiness for AI Implementation
51:03 The Ohio Advantage: Why Midwestern Companies Thrive
53:28 Future Predictions: The Next Big Leap in AI and Business
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LINKS:

• https://easelogistics.com/
• https://www.jakib.ai/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-coratola-jr
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajenks/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/markkvamme/

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SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/