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OhioX president urges stronger computer‑science education, points to gaps in K–12 access and venture capital
Summary
Chris Berry, president and CEO of OhioX, told the House Technology and Innovation Committee that Ohio has a statewide technology opportunity but is losing ground in K–12 computer science access (co.org data cited). He urged legislative support for CS education and suggested incentives to boost early‑stage funding.
Chris Berry, president and CEO of OhioX, told the House Technology and Innovation Committee that Ohio has a statewide "Silicon Heartland" technology opportunity but warned that K–12 computer science access is uneven and in some cases declining.
Berry cited the 2024 State of Computer Science report from co.org, saying Ohio had the largest raw number of high schools (47) that stopped offering computer science and that, "only 3.6% of Ohio students take computer science in any given year," according to the report. He argued that computer science is a foundational skill for artificial intelligence literacy and workforce readiness across sectors.
On industry concerns, Berry listed three priorities: stronger industry promotion to show Ohio as a tech destination, more venture capital and angel investment inside the state, and better alignment of education and workforce training. To address early-stage funding gaps, he suggested incentives such as angel investor tax credits and offered OhioX's partnership in developing proposals.
Members asked for specifics. Vice Chair Claggett pressed for ideas on organizing public spending to avoid wasting taxpayer dollars when trying to attract venture capital; Berry offered to return with partners and cited angel tax credits as a commonly used tool. Representative Jobos raised parallel work in biotech and computational biology and whether industry groups are coordinating; Berry said OhioX coordinates with Ohio Life Sciences and university partners and described a new initiative with University Hospitals called "Sportsland" that pairs health care and sports-technology applications. As an early-stage example, Berry mentioned Augment Therapy in Cleveland and its founder Lindsay Watson.
Representative McLean asked why some schools are pulling back from computer science; Berry pointed to limited teacher capacity and resources, lack of in-district expertise, and awareness gaps, and offered to provide additional data and follow-up support to the legislature.
Chair Miller closed by thanking Berry and reiterating a focus on teaching students to be creators of technology, not just consumers. The committee adjourned after the presentation.
