Tech Toledo operated from 2011-2019 but we still get asked to help people find tech, entrepreneur, and design colleagues in the Toledo region.
The information below is mostly for community leaders, to help them collaborate in the Toledo Region innovation ecosystem. Technologists, entrepreneurs, and creatives can also use this to help them find groups to join and events to participate in.
This is what we know is going on, as of October 12, 2024. Send email to tech4toledo@gmail.com with additions, updates, and corrections.
Tech Events Calendar
Toledo.com now has a “Tech Events” listing. You can create an account to add your own events (which will have to be approved by a moderator). Contact the Events Administrator at events@toledo.com for more information.
Toledo Tech Company Directory
Toledo.directory is a new list (by Tom Bush of Actual Reality Technologies) of companies that do software development, IT services, digital marketing, and related “tech” services, plus organizations that support them (such as tech training providers).
Tech Night at TolHouse
EmpoweredAI, a local non-profit led by LeSean Shaw and Tom Bush, started hosting Tech Night at TolHouse in April. The networking event is every other Tuesday evening (October 15 & 29, November 12 & 26, December 10), to inspire collaboration, innovation, and the growth of our local tech community.
Toledo Tech Loft
Toledo Tech Loft (led by Chris Eischen, Jason Kelly, and Justin Beaudry) is a new education, event, and coworking space in downtown Toledo. The Loft debuted on August 1st and is scheduling LOFTALKS every Thursday evening, and more.
University of Toledo Business Incubator
The UT Incubator has been hosting monthly networking events (4th Thursday) for startup founders and tech enthusiasts. The Tech419 Pitch Competition (formerly known as Pitch and Pour) will be on November 7th.
Google Developer Group
Greg Miller and others continue to lead the local Google Developer Group, hosting monthly events since January, 2023 (2nd or 3rd Wednesdays, usually). They are also keeping once-very-active Toledo Web Professionals and the local Word Press group going.
- Google Developer Group Toledo (also on meetup.com)
- Toledo Web Professionals (also on meetup.com)
- Word Press Toledo on meetup.com
Northwest Ohio ISSA (Cybersecurity)
The local chapter of the Information Systems Security Association (led by Jacob Squire) has been hosting networking events for cybersecurity professionals. They have started producing Capture The Flag events again.
Microsoft Enterprise User Group
The Microsoft / SharePoint / Office 365 “enterprise user group” was restarted in July. Wanda Brotzki is still a point of contact.
AAF Toledo
Once known as the “AdClub”, the Toledo chapter of AAF (American Advertising Federation) now serves media, marketing, and design professionals (with “digital creatives” invited to join them). They have been hosting monthly networking events (usually on Thursdays) and programming about every other month. Their big awards competition will be in February, 2025. Valerie Thompson is the president.
Activate Innovate
The first Activate Innovate conference was June 13th, helping kick start Toledo’s innovation ecosystem. More planned for 2025.
Mercy Innovation
The Mercy Toledo Innovation team (led by Megan Reichert) supports entrepreneurial and economic development activities, helping build a culture of innovation in the region.
More to explain later (just noting for now)
- The Toledo Innovation Center, a high-tech business incubator at the former Jefferson Center, is slated to get funding from the state of Ohio to move it along
- Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium, esp. Lunch and Learns
- BGSU, such as Entrepreneurship Week/The Hatch in mid April, the State of the Region conference in March, Mark Fox (Research & Innovation), Computer Science, Art & Design.
- CodeMash, still annually in January in Sandusky
- NWO ACM Women in Computing
- ISACA
- UT Rocket Innovations, CCI, College of Engineering, College of Business and Innovation
- TolHouse, esp. coworking and hosting events organized by others
- BiG Fab Lab permanently closed on October 1st.
- JumpStart, based in Cleveland but serving northern Ohio tech startups, small businesses, and corporate innovation
- Toledo Museum of Art, as an innovator (e.g., TMA Labs) and as a venue for the community
- Toledo Lucas County Public Library, as a venue for meetups, small business support (see NPR story), digital equity, and more
- Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce: small business support, talent attraction, EPIC, and more
- TEDx’s spread ideas. TEDxToledo (2012-2022), TEDxBGSU (last one in March, 2024), TEDx Maumee Valley Country Day School (last one in April 2024). Other TEDx events in the region have come and gone.
- Press Club of Toledo hosted a “Pressing Issues” session specifically about AI in Journalism and Communications on September 5th.
- CIFT is our region’s Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), focused on innovation in food manufacturing and agribusiness. The 2024 Food Industry Summit included lots of sessions about technology, for example.
- ProMedica Innovations helps with inventions that can become commercially-viable products within the life sciences, medical, or health information technology fields.
- Ohio Tech News coverage of Toledo, including an AI startup that got accepted into a Techstars program.
- The Blade Business writer and the Toledo Free Press Biz Hub may start covering the local tech community more often.
Other Calendars of Events
Events for the tech, entrepreneur, or design community might show up on these calendars:
- TolRamp.biz includes a calendar of events aimed at small businesses. There is a “technology” category in that calendar.
- The Toledo City Paper has an online calendar that occasionally incudes tech, design or entrepreneur events, but there is no category to make it easy to find them.
Neighboring Ecosystems
Collaboration within the Toledo region is necessary but not sufficient. We also need to learn from and partner with neighboring tech hubs, who are more advanced in various ways. Some have had IT trade associations for 25 years, all have tech meetups we do not have, and often they host “statewide” conferences we can attend.
A few ways to get out of town, make connections, learn something, and bring it back to Toledo:
- OhioX
- Ann Arbor SPARK
- TechLife Columbus
- Greater Cleveland Partnership Tech Community and IT Career Exploration
- Technology First (Dayton)
- Detroit Tech Town, Tech United, Design Core
Finally, the “negative cycle” around funding community activities and local ecosystem builders in Pittsburgh resonates with our experiences in the Toledo region. We can do better! Just 1 example: “Empower Grassroots Leaders and Local Experts”.