Announcer: Welcome to Business Life 360 with Kristi K., where we cover trends and impact in the world of business.

We get to know CEO leaders and innovators, and we see firsthand how business and life connect.

(Music) Kristi: Business like 360 with Kristi K. is made possible in par by KeyBank National Association trustee for the Walter E Cahoon Memorial Fun and ProMedica Toledo Hospital, celebrating 150 years of serving our community.

Also by viewers like you.

Thank you.

Welcome to Business Life 360.

I'm your host, Kristi K..

Here in our region, our business leaders who go above and beyond organizational success.

They not only work har to diversify their brand equity and build consumer loyalty, but they also have a growt mindset to support the community and meet the need of those living in our region.

So on this episode, we'll meet business leaders who make a difference through their corporate intelligence and contributions to the region and beyond.

So kick back, relax, and come along with me.

This is business life.

360.

I'm on location with State Senator Teresa Guevarra, a leader in our region who is doing great things for business, innovation, mental health, manufacturing, education.

And we're about to hear much more.

Teresa Guevara, thanks so much, Senator, for being with us today on Business Life 360.

Theresa Gavarone Thank you so much for having me.

Kristi: It is enjoyable to hear all about your long career as a senator, and we want to hear some details.

How did you start?

Theresa Gavarone: Well, politics was not something I ever envisioned growing up.

I went to college for business.

I studied here, Bgsu, and got my degree in business and marketing.

I wanted to be a better business person.

So I went to law school to be a business person.

When I got there, I found out I loved the law and really enjoyed working on cases.

I saw my role as an attorney as one who was helping people, helping people through the legal process.

And so when I had an opportunity to serve in public office, I kind of took that same philosophy.

If someone's having an issue, we could work on solving that.

So I started in city council at right here in Bowling Green, and, I really, really enjoyed public service and working with the publi and trying to make improvements.

My state representative, left for another job and I was urged to run for a seat.

I went for the appointmen and was appointed to that seat, and then ran for my first term shortly after there in 2016.

And you got to work right away to be able to go to Columbus and then change the laws.

I, I love it.

I mean, it's been really exciting.

Kristi: Talk to us a little more about some of your priorities this year in 2025 and going forward.

And some of the things that have really been important to you.

Theresa Gavarone: Oh, again, the menta health aspect has been something that's been very near and dear to my heart because I still see the impact every day and people are becoming more and more aware.

So really excited that, last year, right after the election in Lame Duck, we were able to take a plea.

One of my my priorities.

And that was, creating a new licensed mental health professional, a certified mental health assistant.

Seeing the state we are a leader in the nation.

Kristi: You have been such a leader in this region, and you have funde many organizations and projects.

Give us some examples of some of those projects that you've been able to fin funding for and really impact.

Theresa Gavarone: Just the last year with the capital budget and the one time strategic community Investment funds was able to bring back $47.7 millio to the second Senate district.

The Innovation Center in Toledo, you got universities teaming up with businesses and working togethe to make sure we have curriculum, and we're training our students for jobs that are in demand.

We're all going to win.

Kristi: You've also worked with, funding for the YWCA domestic violence shelter.

Theresa Gavarone: It's so important.

It is.

Yeah, unfortunately, that's something, you know, that is in demand.

Kristi: Tell us more about the small business impact.

And is it the fact that you're an entrepreneur that really kind of shed light on your interests there?

Theresa Gavarone: Absolutely.

You definitely have a very different perspective when you sign the front of a paycheck.

You you do things a little differently.

And it's an important perspective to have when you're down in the General Assembly.

It's important to, to understand the impact you're going to have on our business community, because our small businesses are employers.

Kristi: We're sitting in Bowling Green, Ohio, looking at Mister Spots.

That is your restaurant, Mister Spot.

So tell us more about that specifically and how you got started.

Theresa Gavarone: That's it's very interesting story.

So, my husband was recruited from, from Philadelphia to come to Bowling Green State University, to play hockey back in the day.

And, you know, he was a poly history major and of getting injured and playing lacrosse instead.

But, was wondering what he was going to do with his degree.

And he missed the food back home in Philadelphia.

So having never worked in a restaurant, he opened a restaurant and Philadelphia cheesesteaks, chicken wings waffle fries in a college town.

And the rolls are even shipped in from Philadelphia to make sure they are truly authentic.

In just, a few days will have been be celebrating 39 years in business.

Kristi: Congratulations.

That is impressive.

Theresa Gavarone: Thank you.

Kristi: So, Senator, how do you balance being an entrepreneur and a small business owner with being our state senator?

Theresa Gavarone: As a smal business owner, you learn that you need to roll up your sleeves and do what needs to be done.

I mean, you know, we w own a restaurant, Mister Spots.

And when when they are short, sometimes I fill in, I've even delivered food at times when when we've been short staffed and that's what you do as a business owner.

When you go to Columbus, you're you're continually you do what needs to be done.

Kristi: You went to school here, and now here you are.

You have a business.

You are state senator.

Your family is here.

What a great kind of hub of action for your family.

And then really where you gre up to raise your family, then.

Theresa Gavarone: That's right.

And when you think abou the education, our institutions, the education they put out, they attract people from all over the country and, and the world actually, you think about all the peopl who attended our universities, gotten that education and then stayed.

My husband came here from Philadelphia and stayed and I came from the Dayton area.

And today and together we, we have a business.

We employ a lot of people.

We raised our three children here in the community and have become really entrenched in this community.

And when we have top notc universities across our state, I just think of the people we were going to bring here.

Kristi: Keeping them here not having them go out of state.

Theresa Gavarone: That's exactly right.

Be the draw.

So the students will come here to attend our universities and stay and raise their families.

Kristi: Will you truly have a gift?

And we're so grateful that we have you as our state senator.

So thank you for being with us today at Business Life 360.

Theresa Gavarone Thank you so much for having me.

This has been a lot of fun.

Kristi: Thank you.

Next, let's head to the universi I'm on location with Matt Schroeder, the interim president of the University of Toledo.

As only the third alumnus to be in this position.

Matt is focused on power new Toledo in a positive way, and we're about to find ou more about his vision and goals.

Matt, it' so great to be with you today.

Matt Schroeder: Kristi, thank you for having me.

Kristi: It's good to have your business life to 60 and to be here on campus.

Matt Schroeder: Great campus to be on.

Beautiful day and for February in northwest Ohio.

Kristi: So our business life 360.

We talk often about leadership and a growth mindset.

And I enjoy being able to exemplify on this show what leadership is all about.

So tell us a little bit more about Matt Schroeder, because you truly exemplify leadership and a little bit more about your leadership style.

Matt Schroeder: Excellent.

Great question.

So number one, homegrown talent.

University of Toledo undergrad, Michigan grad, love everything about northwest Ohio and what it has to offer for not only me, but my family.

And so started out with the Medical College of Ohio.

Found my way t the position that I'm in today through various career ladders tha the university has afforded me.

But to be where I am today could not be without the people and the team that I surround myself with.

So as a leader, very much believe in empowering people and giving them the opportunities to succeed.

Most importantly, I really believing in them, setting expectation and holding people accountable.

And more often than not.

I've been very blessed with the team that's been around m because they are high achievers.

And right now in our history as a university, we need a high performing team to be able to do what we need to do.

Kristi: Here we talk about you, Toledo, being really integra to the community, to the region.

Tell us how you, Toledo, is helping the community and really making a difference here and then vice versa.

What is the community giving back to you?

Yeah.

Matt Schroeder: So as I said we are Toledo, northwest Ohio, and really the Tri-State area's research university.

My vision for the University of Toledo is the regional force powering opportunities to learn, care, work, and play.

And so you loo at those four legs of the stool.

It really describes nicely or succinctly the role that we play in northwest Ohio.

And that is the educatio we believe in lifelong learning.

Does not matter your age K through 12 or someone that's sort of in the twilight of their career or into retirement.

There is always something to study or to learn at the University of Toledo health care.

We obviously have an aging population in Northwest Ohio.

It's important that we bring world class health care, supported by research, to not only our community, but really the tri state area.

The third the work, economic development, the economic impact of the university.

You know, northwest Ohio is known for its skilled workforce in manufacturing, engineering, health.

We help to keep those tools sharp in those various employers tool chest.

And then the fourth play, which my favorite.

Yeah, we often call the fun factor, which is intercollegiate athletics, but also opening up our campuses to the communit to really become a destination.

Kristi: Yeah.

Let's talk about the two campuses.

Yeah.

So we have the main campus and we have the medical sciences campus.

Yeah.

Tell us more.

Matt Schroeder: Yeah.

So on the health science campus, the former Medical College of Ohio, we have about 2500 students over there.

College of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, a number of our allied health programs.

That is really where the next generation of providers.

So MDS pays our nurses.

Pharmacists really not only educate, but they train.

You look at our academic medical center, which is really a crown jewel for anyone to have to have an academic medical center and to have a partnership like we do with ProMedica t train 380 residents and fellows.

Those individuals often stay i the community that they train.

So to be a net importer o talent in the healthcare space across that portfolio of programs is truly special.

And then here on the main campus, strong Stem.

So science, technology, engineering, math, engineering school natural sciences, mathematics, the school.

We have a portfolio of professional programs.

And then you couple that with an academic medical center that is truly second to none.

And when you look at public universities in the United States, we're one of 18 that have the depth and breadt that University of Toledo has.

Kristi: So with that comes challenge, I'm sure.

And you obviously are up for the challenge.

Yeah, no doubt about that.

Tell us wha one of your top initiatives is.

As you look at the challenges that are facing and universities are facin and as you look to the future.

Matt Schroeder: Yeah.

So with challenge, as I say, comes opportunity, right.

And the University of Toledo, is no secret.

We've had some headwinds around enrollment.

Enrollment back in the early 2000 was easy.

Everyone across the country could grow enrollment.

And then as the economy rebounded after the great Recession in oh eight, jobs and well-paying jobs were quite accessible for direct from high school students.

And so our value proposition and, I think it's safe to say we lost our way on that a little bit.

And we tried, some gimmicks and some quick fixes.

And now as we sit here in 2025, it's really getting back to our fundamentals.

But more importantly, who are we?

What do we do well?

How do we differentiate ourselves.

And what we know is that we pull our students from within a couple hundred miles, and the students that we pull i are attracted to, as we talked about the health sciences, the Stem programs, and for us that is a differentiator.

We talk about universities looking the same on paper, but when you really div into the University of Toledo, if you want to graduate and be in a positio for not only an in-demand job, but a job that pays really well right out of college, the University of Toledo is your university of choice.

Kristi: It's focusing on the future mean obviously identifying strengths with you, Toledo, but also being ahead of the curve in terms of thing like AI, technology, research.

Tell us some of the things that you, Toledo, is doing in those areas that really is putting the university, both campuses, ahead of the curve.

Yeah.

Matt Schroeder So whether you like it or not, AI is the new reality, right?

And in the classroom it is in my opinion, it's very difficult to place.

Right.

Our faculty, you know, go out of their way, rightfully so, to make sure that, you know, folk are using a ChatGPT type product in a very thoughtful and appropriate way, where a university though, comes into play with AI, because that is here, it will be the future for a university like Toledo and really any university, but especially one that's a research university like us.

It's an opportunity for u to teach and to educate students how to use the power of AI in an effective manner.

To put your head in the sand and to just ignore it or to try and police it.

It is a very powerful tool as it relates to, you know, coding.

It's a very powerful tool on the research front.

But you have to know how to use that tool.

And so I think universities and honestly, when you look at ChatGPT, going back to version 1.0, some of the first adopters are college students.

And that's the beauty of being in a learning environment like Toledo.

You see some of the thing that are happening years before it really becomes mainstream.

And so it's an opportunity for us to help put some guid rails on that, to where you're maximizing the resources, but in infrastructure.

Kristi: And it becomes a grea tool for learning.

Absolutely.

That's great.

So, Matt, let me thank you for your leadership and growth mindset.

You are just the spark that we all need for this university and for this region.

So thanks again for taking us to new heights and keep powering you Toledo.

Ma Kristi: And now let's head out to KeyBank to see what's new in the banking industry.

Americans navigate a complex financial landscape with uncertainty, often financial stress, and yet financial resilience.

So here to tell us more about the banking industry is Dan Dower.

Dan is a regional president for King Bank.

And Dan, it' great to be here with you today.

Dan Dower: Thank you, Krisi.

Kristi: Thanks for being in Business life 360.

We can't wait to hear more about KeyBank and some of the impact that you're having on the region.

Dan Dower: Excellent.

Kristi: Tell us more about kind of an overview of KeyBank and where you are today.

Dan Dower: Yeah.

So KeyBank is one of the biggest banks in the country.

We would be define as a super regional, so roughly 200 billion in assets, and we are in 17 states from Maine to Alaska, 17,000 employees.

But our origins actually date back to 1825.

So it's a big year for us.

Kristi: OK..

If my math serves me correctly, 200 years.

Dan Dower: 200 years.

And as of April, our birthday is in April.

So our roots trace bac to the commercial Bank of Albany and Albany, New York, in 1825.

Kristi: So tell us then, about this 200th anniversary and what you'll be doing to really kind of acknowledge the history as well as the goin forward strategy with KeyBank.

Dan Dower: We're going to do a lot of exciting things this year.

Very few organizations survive multiple decades, let alone multiple centuries.

And really this year is about celebrating that, celebrating our employees with out there their work and their commitment and service to our clients and our communities.

We wouldn't have had the longevity that we have.

Kristi: So as you look at the banking industry, kind of 10,000ft up and looking down at where the industry is today, how would you describe it?

Dan Dower: I think the industry is in a really good spot.

I think it is, it's a leade in our society as a as it should be, has as it has been since really the founding of our, our country.

I believe the first bank wa formed in around 1791, roughly.

And I think the role of, of a bank, in terms of the security and the education that it ca bring and the opportunity that it can afford people to advance, their education and to create jobs and businesses, help businesses grow.

That's really pivotal to a thriving economy.

Kristi: As you look back, since when you came into the industry to today, what has changed the most?

Dan Dower: I think what's changed most is just the speed of response, whic I would attribute to technology.

So now we have so much more information and data, and it creates an opportunity for us to be even sharper, I think with our, decision making and with our analysis.

And as a result, we have a respo fluidity and with ease of doing business for our for our clients.

Kristi: You know you and I have talked a little bit about the disruptors in the industry and how innovation and technology, as you're alluding to, has really changed.

When we talk about things like AI or some of the things that are really maybe digital banking that are really coming to fruition in this industry.

How is that impacting the way you work with customers and clients and corporations?

Dan Dower: Yeah, I think it's as much about understanding, how you can be more efficient in what you do and understanding that, you know, you can break down silos, you can capture large swaths of data to help you make decisions, and you can reach people without having to physically be in front of them as often as you used to need to.

Kristi: KeyBank just performed a financial mobility survey, and I was really fascinated as I started to read more about this.

And really it talks about things like the findings are how customers view everything from debt management to income to kind of savings habits.

So how would you encapsulate some of the findings?

Dan Dower: Yeah, I think thought providing thought leadership is an important thing that we do our key.

So we do a lot of surveys.

We publish Kate, information on an economic basis and things like that.

Our corporate business is dedicated in certain targeted industries.

So we published a lot of things on those industries.

But performing, surveys specifically across wider audiences is something that we often like to do, as you alluded to.

So recently we surveyed 1000 individuals.

These were all adults.

So 18 to 70 age bracket all individuals that either had solo or primary responsibility of their household finances.

So decision makers and people with household responsibility and some themes we did we did hear, like you alluded to, that I thought were interesting.

One is that, homeownership up to many still feels like an unattainable, not attainable thing.

So I believe, the data was around 46% of the people that are not homeowners today felt like homeownership was unachievable to them.

Kristi: Interesting.

I also like to learn the Gen Z population.

What is an 18 to 28 or something like that?

Yes, a range right?

So how are they with savings?

And are they coming back to maybe where the baby boomers are?

Or how do you see that generation really fitting into this, this kind of dream of having a home and savings?

Dan Dower: Well, Gen Z, the survey result said, were much more pessimistic about the economy than al the other generation surveyed.

So, they had more of a negative outlook.

They also reported higher levels of credit card usage and stress.

So they definitely see to be feeling the burden of the, higher cost of living that most of us have have felt in the last 3 to 5 years.

So I think our responsibility in our job as a bank, our opportunit is to make sure that we provide good access and education and tools and meet them where they are, whether that's more digitally or whether that's more in the realms of budgeting and saving, so that, our subsequent generations have a better future tha our current and our former ones.

Kristi: For sure.

So what role can banks play, then, in helping individual and communities as KeyBank does?

Well, to achieve greater financial stability?

Dan Dower: Well, I think it really starts fundamentally with wellness reviews and budgeting.

So I think we again, we have both an opportunity but also a responsibility to try to help our neighbors understand, what financial security looks like.

And there's no one size fits all.

There's no mathematical numbe that makes sense for everyone.

But we really think about meeting your basic needs and then having, you know, peace of mind come comfort.

And to some that means, yo know, a certain amount of money.

To others it means other things.

But really identifying what your goals are and what you want to achieve for yourself and your family and helping people, char a path to achieve those goals.

Kristi So as we look ahead for KeyBank and some of the community initiatives, what are you most excited about as you get engaged and continu to be engaged in the community?

Dan Dower: I think our community is undertaking a lot of really cool things right now.

There's a collaborative effort across several of the, more prominent, nonprofits, if you will, to tr to get more community alignment on some shared goal and initiatives that really help move our communit forward and, and set priorities and make sure we attack, funding opportunities, for instance, at the state and federal level.

And, and make sure that we aren't just kind of siloed on the areas that we're, operating.

Well in today and reall thinking about where do we want metro Toledo and the Northwest Ohio community to be and how can we make more significant strides in areas of, wealth equality and education?

Within our Toledo education system, for instance, things like that.

So there's there's really coo collaborative efforts going on, that we are front and center at the table with as well.

And then we will always and continue to be focused on funding pillars that, align with KeyBank and the key bank's strategy.

And so we focus those in the areas of workforce development and education and affordable housing, and then really just trying to create safe and stable communities.

Kristi: What a great initiative.

Another exampl of how KeyBank is truly making a difference in our community and in our region.

So Dan, thanks for being here.

Thanks for sharing your vision with us and continued success to you.

Dan Dower: Thank you.

Kristi.

Kristi: And no let's head back to the studio.

Business leadership requires strategic vision as well as emotional intelligence and the ability to understand marketplace dynamics to meet the ever changing and evolving need of those living in our region.

And that's a wrap on this episode of Business Life 360, where we showcase excellence, leadership, and innovation in our region and beyond.

I'm Kristi K., and I'll see yo on the next business life 360.

Announcer: Connect with Kristi K. on LinkedIn at Kristi K. Hoffman.

And here are the business live 360 with Kristi K..

Conversation on FM 91 on Thursday mornings.

To watch previous episode and more, visit our website at Dawgs Bell 360 and listen to Kristi K.'s podcast, Business Life After Hours.

Wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Business like 360 with Kristi K. is made possible in par by KeyBank National Association trustee for the Walter E Troon Memorial Fun and ProMedica Toledo Hospital, celebrating 150 years of serving our community.

Also by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(Music)