Kickstart Ohio
Entrepreneurial Heavyweights to Headline Three-Day Ohio Wesleyan Conference Oct. 23-25, 2025
DELAWARE, Ohio – More than 60 business leaders, startup superstars, and entrepreneurial innovators – including Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak – will gather at Ohio Wesleyan University for three days in October for OWU's first Kickstart Ohio conference.
Tickets are available now for the inaugural Kickstart Ohio event, which also will feature leaders from Big Kitty Labs, Cyrannus, Performance Learning Academy, SightLine Ventures, Whop, and other groundbreaking entrepreneurial businesses. The conference will be held Oct. 23-25, 2025, on the Ohio Wesleyan campus in Delaware, Ohio.
Kickstart Ohio offers five program tracks – Conceptual, Startup & Early Stage, Growth & Expansion, Rapid Growth & Maturity, and Exit – to benefit attendees at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey.
Featured event speakers include:
Steve Wozniak, an American technology entrepreneur, electrical engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, and inventor. In 1976, Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer Inc. with his early business partner Steve Jobs. Wozniak is considered integral in launching the personal computer industry. He will participate in a conversation with Ohio Wesleyan President Matt vandenBerg.
John Hill, vice president story of Whop, a Brooklyn, New York-based social commerce platform for selling online. Whop's "make money app" currently handles more than $1 billion in yearly payments with thousands of active merchants. "I have a thing for cool job titles," Hill says. "I also believe 'changing the world' can be more than hyperbole. Building relationships and connecting people with opportunity are at my core."
Tushar Kulkarni, chief executive officer of Big Kitty Labs, a Columbus, Ohio-based software design and development agency with over 14 years of experience in deploying high-performance mobile and web solutions for businesses of all kinds. "At Big Kitty Labs, our mission is to create a better tomorrow through sheer will."
Howard Lee Mosbacker, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Cyrannus, a Columbus, Ohio-based company working to reinvent the venture ecosystem with the first all-in-one, AI-powered platform that evaluates seed stage startups at scale, providing rapid funding to founders and quality deal flow and liquidity to investors. Backed by more than $100 million in assets under influence, Cyrannus funds 200-plus of the most promising startups annually and syndicates high-scored startups to other investors on the platform.
Randy Mullen Jr., founder of SightLine Ventures Inc., a Dayton, Ohio-based company that helps post-seed tech startups and small businesses navigate the complexities of the U.S. Department of Defense marketplace. SightLine supports a range of cutting-edge industries, including artificial intelligence/machine learning, digital engineering, med tech, advanced manufacturing, space, cybersecurity, and quantum. The company provides fractional business development, capture, and proposal management services to accelerate growth by turning innovative capabilities into contracts faster.
Mark Sullivan, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Performance Learning Academy, which provides senior executive coaching, international keynote speaking engagements, and custom-curated leadership development seminars featuring resilience and performance impact skills in high-demand, high-challenge environments. Sullivan, an organizational psychologist, is a former Ohio State University Fisher College of Business executive educator and has served in leadership and operating roles in Dow 30 and Global 1000 companies.
Kickstart Ohio ticket options and prices are available at www.kickstartohio.com.
The conference will conclude with Ohio Wesleyan's second annual U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition, a "Shark Tank"-style contest with tracks for both professionals and college students. The winners will receive investment funds, professional mentoring, and additional benefits. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. Sept. 26, with the application including the Cyrannus app and rankings. Learn more at owu.edu/USEC.
The three-day Kickstart Ohio conference and U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition are organized by the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University (DEC OWU), a first-of-its-kind liberal arts business accelerator, as well as a first-of-its-kind city, county, and educational institute partnership.
Opened in 2018, the DEC OWU, 70 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, was launched in collaboration with the City of Delaware and Delaware County. Learn more about the DEC OWU and its opportunities for up-and-coming entrepreneurs at owu.edu/DEC.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.