Adit Anup, Srihari Das and Nithya Kondagari at the Ohio Tech Summit
The 2025 Ohio Tech Summit, held on May 8 at The Ohio State University, set a new benchmark for the state’s growing technology community. With more than 700 attendees from 14 states, the event highlighted Ohio’s emergence as a rising tech hub. Central to that story was the enthusiastic participation of students — particularly those from OHI/O, the university’s student-led tech initiative, which was named a significant contributor to the experiential learning landscape.
OHI/O Students in the Spotlight
Known for hosting HackOHI/O and other hackathons OHI/O was publicly recognized during the opening keynote. For student leader Adit Anup, this moment was especially meaningful.
“Listening to OHI/O get a shout out during the opening keynote fireside chat was a pleasant surprise,” said Adit. “It was an indication that the work we do as student leaders is highly relevant and impactful to the Ohio tech community.”
For many students, the summit was not only a place to learn but also to showcase the skills they’ve developed through OHI/O. Nithya, another student participant, found inspiration in the connections she made throughout the day.
“The most exciting part was definitely connecting with such a passionate and diverse community,” she said. “It was incredibly rewarding to learn directly from seasoned tech professionals and entrepreneurs. I left feeling inspired and excited to see how Ohio continues to evolve into a thriving tech hub.”
Preparing Students to Lead
OHI/O’s influence reaches beyond the summit itself. Through organizing large-scale hackathons and collaborative workshops, the organization provides students with professional development opportunities and real-world experience.
“Serving as a student leader at OHI/O helped me master the ability to form successful partnerships,” said Adit. “These experiences made it easy to connect with others at the summit and network meaningfully.”
Nithya echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of OHI/O’s experiential learning model.
“OHI/O has given me a clear pathway into the tech community,” she said. “It’s helped me build meaningful connections and develop essential skills like networking and public speaking in professional settings.”
Shaping Ohio’s Tech Future
Both students believe that organizations like OHI/O are instrumental in shaping Ohio’s tech ecosystem. By creating accessible, student-led programming that responds directly to community needs, OHI/O ensures that young talent is engaged and empowered.
“Student-led initiatives like OHI/O make a significant impact on Ohio’s growing tech scene,” said Nithya. “They foster a sense of community and teach essential industry skills like collaboration and communication.”
“OHI/O’s ‘for students, by students’ model makes our events uniquely relevant,“ Adit added. “We’re able to explore emerging technologies like generative AI, tech entrepreneurship, and cloud computing outside of the traditional classroom, which gives students the tools to make an immediate impact.”
Looking Ahead
As Ohio positions itself at the forefront of innovation in the Midwest, student voices will continue to play a vital role. The 2025 Ohio Tech Summit not only celebrated the present state of tech in Ohio but also underscored the importance of education, inclusion, and grassroots leadership in building the future.
For more on upcoming events or to get involved, visit OhioX or check the full summit agenda.
