Columbus is well known for its status as a test market and innovation hub for fast food, technology, health care, retail and more. Thanks to its central location, a diverse economy and a well-educated population that skews younger than other big cities, the region has many attributes that companies seek when rolling out new products.
While newer industries such as biotechnology, IT and advanced manufacturing draw a lot of buzz—deservedly—there are professionals who want to ensure that the city doesn’t neglect its longtime, reliable economic drivers in other sectors. Count Yohannan “Yogi” Terrell among them.
Terrell, CEO of marketing firm Warhol & Wall Street and the founder and director of the nonprofit Columbus Fashion Alliance, wants to build on the city’s reputation as a design hot spot and has a plan to make it happen.
For this month’s cover story, freelance writer Sarah Donaldson visited CFA’s headquarters at the Idea Foundry in Franklinton to learn about Terrell’s vision and how he hopes to make it a reality.
Part of his plan includes a new fashion incubator called The Loom. “This is where the industry and the culture will converge,” he told Donaldson. “There’s nothing like this in the Midwest.”
Learn more about his bold goals in our September cover story.
This issue also features two very different recognition programs, both of which are longtime initiatives here at CEO. The first, Top Lawyers, honors 613 Columbus-area attorneys who come highly recommended by their peers. Through our partnership with Professional Research Services, we shine a light on attorneys and their firms who earned recognition in 59 practice areas.
Meanwhile, this year marks our 18th Best of Business awards, which is our longest-running recognition program. I don’t think any of us thought in 2008 when we piloted the reader poll that it would become so successful and beloved by both subscribers and the business community. The annual awards event is always a great celebration of the honorees and a representation of how special the Columbus region is—both as a place to live and run a company. I’m thrilled the program still has momentum and a strong fan base all these years later.
Also in this issue: find out why more patients are undergoing genetic testing to learn their risk for cancer; meet a 19-year-old whose own experiences with accessibility issues inspired him to start a business; get to know Hilliard City Lab; and more.
Thanks for reading.
This story appears in the September 2025 issue of Columbus CEO. Subscribe now.
This article originally appeared on Columbus CEO: Columbus CEO’s September 2025 Issue Features a Fashion Focus, Best of Business, Top Lawyers
Reporting by Julanne Hohbach, Columbus CEO / Columbus CEO
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