Profile: Dave Brewster

Meet Dave Brewster.
Managing Director at JobsOhio.

Name: Dave Brewster

Job: Managing Director, Information Technology Sector, JobsOhio

City: Columbus

Hometown: Amherst

Q: What’s the mission of JobsOhio?

JobsOhio’s mission is to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio. Unlike any other state economic development organization, JobsOhio has a unique business model. JobsOhio is a nonprofit company with a private funding stream and an independent board of directors. We collaborate with Ohio’s regional economic development organizations, academic institutions, federal installations, business sector organizations, and the State of Ohio to deliver comprehensive programs and investment initiatives that incubate innovations, enable sustainable economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for Ohioans.

Q: What’s your role?

I lead the Information Technology Industry Sector. These days, I describe the sector landscape as “…from silicon to software and all of the services in between.”  The breadth of the portfolio includes semiconductor companies and their supply chain, microelectronics manufacturing services, XaaS developers and providers, software companies, cloud and data center infrastructure companies and service providers, cybersecurity, IoT data science and analytics, AI/ML, and more; for both the commercial and defense industrial bases. The role is part management consultant, part industry architect, part change agent; all in an effort to help Ohio companies grow here as well as attract new corporate investment into Ohio. Having come from the tech industry with a background in military intelligence and commercial environments, I frequently find myself “talking shop” with the very companies JobsOhio is working with.

Q: Ohio is a leader in emerging industries like fintech/insurtech, EVs, cloud infrastructure, and American-made semiconductors. Is Ohio going to be a player in artificial intelligence?

I personally don’t feel AI will have a hub as other technologies may have. I believe for AI to mature in accuracy, it will also need accountability and it will need a fabric of collaborators participating in development, accountability, and adoption. Data and IT Services have governance, I believe AI needs it as well. AI has a long way to go in my opinion. I recently experimented with a popular AI tool asking it to write me a 350-word essay. I used different writing styles such as persuasive and one or two other styles. I picked three topics that were abundant in Ohio media and had been for at least 12 months. The write-ups produced by the AI tool had inaccurate facts and data points on every account. I also found statements duplicated inside the same tiny 350-word essay. In this era of false information being rampant across the internet or media; who takes accountability for AI’s inaccuracies? Switching experiments to asking the tool to write me a shell script to automate a task (yes, I still play with UNIX), AI provided an accurate output.

Q: What’s one moonshot idea that could help make Ohio a world leader in technology and innovation?

No matter who you are, no matter what you do, innovate where you are; never stop asking what if questions. Not the what if I had done this and question one’s past. 

Rather, the what if type of question that has us looking at the present state of a situation or challenge and being willing to research and brainstorm on how to bring positive change. We solve problems through forward thinking, thought leadership, trial and error. Asking what if questions allows us to stay engaged in the present, while strategizing on how to optimize the future. 

I once read an article on the Forbes website written by Matt Myatt. Myatt wrote, "Much has been written about the power of creative thinking, ideation, disruptive innovation, etc., but little has been written on how to successfully implement these processes." Recall, systems thinking is holistic in nature, it looks at not only individual parts, but it looks at how parts and subsystems are interconnected and interact with internal and external forces. Systems thinking understands how a solution may behave differently in isolation and across numerous use cases and applications. Systems thinking triggers changes to processes, explores reverse engineering, and fuels re-engineering and transformational maneuvers. What if questions uncover new chambers within systems thinking. What if questions drive innovation.  

In early 2022, Intel chose Ohio for its next mega-fab. Few know that prior to beginning the talks with Intel in May of 2021, I spent four to five months getting shot down by multiple semiconductor pure-play foundries and semiconductor industry consultants. Everyone kept saying it’ll never happen in Ohio. It would have been easy to scrap the idea of bringing the semiconductor industry to Ohio at a substantial scale. 

Rather, the list of reasons behind the rejections only expanded TeamOhio's thinking, our ideas, our creativity. The what if questions did not relent. Fast forward to today and construction is underway in Licking County for what could become the largest foundry on the planet. We’re still learning, we’re still growing. 

Q: What’s one moonshot idea that could help make Ohio a world leader in technology and innovation?

While a moonshot idea would be something disruptive, addressing a problem that seems impossible to solve, there’s a goal that seems very reachable that would put Ohio on the leadership path in technology and innovation: ensuring that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science. It’s a message that business, education, nonprofit and public sector leaders have been sharing in all 50 states. Computer science provides an essential foundation, not only for careers in technology, but for every career in today’s world. Education experts indicated last year that 48% of Ohio’s high schools offer computer science courses. In more than a dozen states, that number was up in the 70% to 90% range, so there’s room for meaningful progress that could make a very real difference for our children and our state.

Q: What’s a recent book, podcast, or news story that you found interesting?

I find myself cycling through different types of content based on mood. I still crack open my college text books from time to time. Steve Case’s book The Rise of Rest is always within reach as is Chris Miller’s book titled Chip War. I’ll binge on the technologies featured on the Asianometry YouTube channel. 

Q: What's your favorite place in Ohio?

I’ve lived out-of-state and overseas as a result of my military service and tech industry career. There are many fascinating places here in Ohio. When I look to get away and recharge, it’s typically to a cabin in Hocking Hills. The deeper into the woods the better. The types of areas where you have to drive for 15 minutes to get a cell signal.

Q: What makes Ohio special to you?

The people are friendly, and the work ethic is solid. 

What do you do for fun when you’re not working?

I train for Pelotonia and VeloSano. I’m addicted to both. I spend a good amount of time on the Rails-to-Trails conversions with a presence in Centerburg, Mount Vernon, Bellville, and Nelsonville areas.

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Learn more about Dave’s work at JobsOhio by connecting with him on LinkedIn.