To celebrate our 16th Anniversary, we’re highlighting 16 projects that our 16 team members have enjoyed working on throughout the years!
Some of these were one-time projects, some are long-term support clients, and some endevours are still underway. What they all have in common is that these clients align with our mission, goals, and interests. They’re why we keep doing what we do!
Steven
Collaborating with True Citrus to strengthen their online digital presence has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my time at Buckeye Innovation. This project has allowed me to blend my background in retail with new technologies and systems, all in service of achieving their strategic goals. What makes it even more meaningful is True Citrus’s mission – helping people lead healthier lives through simple, clean ingredients – a philosophy that resonates with me as someone who prioritizes an active and healthy lifestyle. Beyond that, their dedication to giving back, particularly through their partnership with Feeding America‘s nationwide network of food banks, reflects values I deeply appreciate.
Rachel
Working with the City of New Albany to create a brand new employee and police intranet has been really fun. It is a rewarding challenge to figure out how to solve problems for a growing city team that wants to bring everyone together in the employee community and also have a central location for a lot of resources that have previously been scattered throughout various locations internally.
Working primarily with Sriya and Madison for this project has been great. They are very organized and the communication and collaboration has been productive and wonderful.
I think the intranet will make a huge difference in employees being able to keep up on what’s happening internally, as well as accessing valuable information while saving time. As the City continues to grow, this space will allow them to stay connected.
Noel
As a former English teacher, working with Mansfield Richland Public Library is an absolute pleasure. When I transitioned away from the classroom, I made it my mission to keep supporting and participating in literacy initiatives in whatever capacity I could. Additionally, as someone deeply involved in community organization, I’m a staunch advocate for the development of third places, and libraries are a key example of the importance of these types of environments. Clients like MRCPL, who are cornerstones of community building, partners of lifelong learning, and champions of inclusivity, excite me to come into work each and every day.
Lemar
One of my most rewarding experiences has been working with The Wexner Foundation. Our team was tasked with enhancing their current application, a challenge that allowed me to significantly develop my abilities while delivering the features most important to them. I enjoy helping organizations that support others, and the Wexner Foundation focuses on supporting Jewish charities, and developing Jewish professional and volunteer leaders.
Stacy
Community Financial Wellness has been one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on at Buckeye for a couple of reasons. It was one of the first projects I got to be part of from the ground up, seeing it through early concept discussions to planning, building, and launching. From the start, it was a fun and collaborative project, with a great team effort between Buckeye, our client, and several other partners. Seeing this vision become reality and then watching it evolve and grow has been incredibly rewarding.
But even more importantly, I love the tremendous impact this project has had on our community. CFW is making a real difference in people’s lives, providing them with education and resources to help them build long-term financial stability. The practical and relatable content equips people with the knowledge and tools they need to set goals, make smarter financial decisions, and build better habits. The program even offers matching funds to help them establish an emergency savings fund. So far, Community Financial Wellness has empowered hundreds of people working with nonprofits in Central Ohio to take control of their financial futures. Having the chance to contribute to a platform that’s helping build a more equitable and financially secure community is something I’m really proud of.
Lorraine
The City of Hilliard project stands out as one of my favorites for a number of reasons. They’ve been a client of ours since 2019 and throughout the years we’ve completed a number of projects for them. David Ball and their team have been a pleasure to work with, and they really value the community they serve.
They have continued to make a positive impact by keeping their website current and easily accessible. We’ve most recently worked with their team to create a new Rec & Parks website that will benefit the residents of Hilliard by helping them access information about programs and upcoming activities.
Kaylyn
This project is still underway, but working with Coalition for the Common Good to build their website has been incredibly fulfilling. Their organization, founded by Otterbein University and Antioch University, brings university resources together to focus on equity, access, and workforce development. They work with businesses to create customized education plans that suit their needs, including degree completion pathways for current employees, job placement programs for current college students, stackable certificates that culminate in college credit, and more.
My career before Buckeye Innovation was spent in workforce development and community education programs that fill equity gaps left open by traditional models of higher education. I love that the Coalition for the Common Good is prioritizing access over exclusivity, and collaboration over competition. I’m excited to see what they do next.
Ben
Working on the Columbus Commons site has been some of the most enjoyable and rewarding work I’ve done recently. Working in the support space, I don’t often have the opportunity to build out new features for a site, but on this project I was able to help develop some key components like the flipcard animation at the top of the homepage. Columbus Commons is doing great work for downtown Columbus. They’ve turned what used to be a mall into a revitalized public space that brings people together with free events and helps support local businesses.
Tony
I remember when this project was first introduced to our team—I immediately had the idea to meet with the Downtown Columbus team in person, so they could give us a firsthand look at the areas experiencing exciting growth. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be part of it. Their passion was contagious, and it was such a rewarding experience to bring my creative vision to life through close collaboration—both within our team and with theirs. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved together, especially knowing I played a meaningful role in helping people discover where to go, what to do, and how to enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer. Our partnership with Downtown Columbus, Inc. has also opened the door to other inspiring work, like the Columbus Commons project—another one I’m deeply proud to have contributed to.
Scott
Ubihere stands out as one of my favorite projects at Buckeye, even though it’s not one you’ll find prominently featured in our case studies or portfolio. When they approached us, Ubihere was a small startup with an idea: retail analytics technology. They needed a partner to build a proof of concept to showcase to potential investors.
Their solution aimed to provide small retail stores with the same detailed foot traffic analytics that larger retailers enjoy – real-time data showing which areas of their stores attract the most customers and how to optimize store layouts. While major retail chains have long leveraged such systems, the cost has traditionally been prohibitive for smaller businesses.
I enjoyed working on this for a number of reasons. I came from a startup background before joining Buckeye, so I connected with their entrepreneurial spirit and culture. This project was also very technically challenging, and required us to learn multiple new technologies that we had never used before. Most importantly, Ubihere shared our core mission of providing equitable access to technology.
While Ubihere never became a long-term client, I still loved the opportunity to help them get past the first hurdle of building a proof of concept and getting their startup off the ground.
Andrew
Opportunity Port is a nonprofit that helps people with criminal record sealing and expungement. This makes it easier for people with non-violent offenses on their record to find jobs and housing. I believe people deserve second chances after making mistakes, so this is a great initiative!
I’ve spent a good amount of time improving the accessibility of the website, which is important to me. While I don’t need accessibility accommodations myself, working on accessibility broadens my perspective and reminds me of who I’m serving with my skills.
Melanie
Innovate New Albany was the very first project I was introduced to when I came onboard the team in 2019. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Neil Collins and Jackie Russell and seeing how their involvement has played a vital role in the growth and continued success of the Innovate New Albany.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute in several meaningful ways, including helping to host Expert Office Hours, presenting at my very first TIGER Talk, supporting the always fun and festive Innovate New Albany Holiday Party, and having many brainstorming sessions with Neil. I’ve truly enjoyed meeting incredible entrepreneurs and community members, while also sharing ideas, solving challenges, and celebrating progress. I’m grateful to be part of such a dynamic network and excited to continue supporting Innovate New Albany as it grows and evolves!
Margo
I think Besa will always have a special place in my heart because it was one of the first projects I’ve ever worked on as an incoming software engineer. The more I learn about Besa, the more respect I have for the company and those who make up the organization. Besa connects people with meaningful volunteer opportunities. They take the inconvenience out of the search and make giving back to the community accessible, intentional, and impactful. I came into the field with the belief that the technology sector has an insane amount of power and this is just one example of how that power can be used for good.
Brian
VocFit is an assessment tool that supports people with developmental disabilities to discover meaningful employment opportunities. We are working to expand job matches and integrate more thorough reporting to help job seekers and their support networks.
I’ve only recently started working on VocFit, but I already get excited every time there’s new work to do on it. I love building systems that help people, and there’s no better description of VocFit than that. Finding a way to make data both useful and actionable through charts and graphs is really, really satisfying. The impact VocFit has on the community is another reason I really enjoy it – helping people with disabilities achieve their goal jobs is incredibly meaningful.
Madeline
Deaf Services Center was the very first full project I worked on at Buckeye, and it set the tone for everything that followed. DSC empowers Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind individuals by promoting access to communication and services, and it was so inspiring to help bring that mission to life online.
This project taught me what it really means to guide a client through the full website process, from first conversations all the way through launch day. It also opened my eyes to how much thoughtful digital work can break down barriers and create real opportunities. Getting to support a team that’s making such a huge impact in Ohio (and beyond) made it an experience I’ll always be proud of.
Brad
I feel personally connected to the Columbus Metropolitan Library because I learned to write HTML, CSS, and JavaScript by reading software development books such as HTML For Dummies at the Dublin location of the library. My daughters love exploring books and events at our local library. The message “Open to All” inscribed on the main library downtown highlights the library’s inclusivity and the role they play in equitable access to information and resources. For that reason, CML will always be one of our most mission-aligned clients, and I love building technology for such a great organization that serves everyone in our community, including the most at-risk and marginalized. We run our Accelerate Columbus workshop series there, held part of our company retreat in their meeting rooms, and regularly attend their annual Celebration of Learning and Columbus Book Festival events. We love our libraries and appreciate the great work they do for our community!
