Session 9

Investing in the Heartland

Mark Kvamme has spent his career at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment. A Silicon Valley veteran turned Midwest champion, he co-founded Drive Capital to back bold companies across technology, healthcare, and consumer markets. Now, as co-founder of The O.H.I.O Fund, Mark and his partners are continuing that mission—investing in the state’s next generation of high-growth companies. In this one-on-one chat, Mark will share his journey from California to Columbus, why he believes Ohio is the next great hub for innovation, and how he identifies opportunities others might otherwise overlook.

Moderator:

Dustin S. Klein
Chief Content Officer
Smart Business

Dustin is an award-winning business journalist, bestselling author, and the chief content officer of Smart Business. Over the past 30 years, he has interviewed thousands of business and civic leaders, and helped more than 50 CEOs and entrepreneurs transform their ideas into books. A trained investigative politics reporter and former digital media entrepreneur, Dustin joined Smart Business in 1997 after serving as an editor at several daily newspapers.

Panelists:

Mark Kvamme
CEO & Chief Investment Officer
The O.H.I.O. Fund

Mark Kvamme is a distinguished venture capitalist and entrepreneur with deep experience spanning Silicon Valley and the Midwest. As a partner at Sequoia Capital, he led pivotal investments, including LinkedIn, guiding its early growth. Previously, Kvamme co-founded CKS Group and held leadership roles at Apple. In 2011, he became the inaugural President of JobsOhio, significantly boosting economic investment and job creation. Inspired by Midwest opportunities, he co-founded Drive Capital in 2013, now the largest venture capital firm in the middle of the country. He co-founded The O.H.I.O. Fund in 2023, driven by the state’s accelerating economic momentum and his conviction that Ohio’s deep-rooted spirit of innovation will shape its prosperous future.

Investing in the Heartland

Conference Location

Hilton Columbus Downtown