Lindsay Karas Stencel
Partner, venture capital and emerging companies, Thompson Hine; partner, NCT Ventures
Lindsay Karas Stencel Rob Hardin | Columbus CEO
About: Lindsay Karas Stencel is the one of the region’s foremost legal minds in technology startups and venture capital. She has helped launch hundreds of companies and brokered more than 1,000 transactions. The Thompson Hine and NCT Ventures partner also is an adjunct professor at Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Karas Stencel previously served as chief legal counsel for NCT, chief investment officer and fund manager for Launch New York and managing principal of her private practice, LKS Law.
Now, more than ever, Columbus requires empathetic and compassionate leadership at all levels of government, business, nonprofits and academia.
Outside of work: Board member for Small Biz Cares, Data Inventions Inc. and Upstate Capital Association. Strategic adviser for Pride Fund and co-founder, W Fund.
What does Columbus need to thrive? Now, more than ever, Columbus requires empathetic and compassionate leadership at all levels of government, business, nonprofits and academia. Columbus is an incredible city where all of those intersect daily. We need a methodology to ensure all voices from all sectors and walks of life can be heard. Now is a time for openness and inclusion. All leaders need to look honestly and thoughtfully at their organizations and create microcosms of what they would like this great city to be. If we can build diverse organizations at every level, we are in a much better place to thoughtfully build this city in an inclusive way so that all people, regardless of socioeconomic status, may flourish.
Karas Stencel’s idea: Because it is imperative that we work collaboratively to recommend pathways forward, an advisory committee with representatives from the government, business, nonprofit and education should be nominated by their respective organizations and convened every two months to discuss the most pressing issues and possible solutions, which would be recommended to the appropriate body (Columbus City Council, a particular business sector, etc.). This way, we have a diverse group of voices calling for action (or inaction) on pressing matters to better ensure that no one group goes unheard or underrepresented.