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The O.H.I.O. Fund Report

The O.H.I.O. Fund Report

By: The O.H.I.O. Fund
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The O.H.I.O. Fund Report — a podcast dedicated to elevating Ohio’s collective ambition by highlighting the most compelling stories of innovation and growth throughout the state. Each episode carries the industrious DNA of Ohio, exploring the state’s economic renaissance across advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure, biotech, healthcare, energy, data centers & AI, consumer goods, and logistics advancements.The O.H.I.O. Fund® Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • ExactCare: From Pharmacist to Building a Billion-Dollar Pharmacy Care Company with Dale Wollschleger
    Jul 31 2025

    Dale Wollschleger is the Founder and former CEO of Cleveland-based ExactCare Pharmacy and the developer of the ExactPack™—a patient-specific medication packaging system designed to simplify complex medication regimens.

    This conversation with Jeffrey Stern (Principal at The O.H.I.O. Fund) and Dale dives into the unlikely journey of a pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur who started in the back of a small Cleveland pharmacy and built a billion-dollar organization serving patients across the country.

    ExactCare’s meteoric growth—from inception to a multi-hundred-million-dollar (revenue) business in under a decade—has earned it repeated recognition as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company; Dale himself was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

    Ultimately, Dale’s remarkable journey stems from an observation he made as a pharmacist: that pharmacists have the opportunity to play a more integral role in clinical care—and that their responsibility doesn’t end when the patient leaves the store. Many patients could live healthier, more independent lives if only they took the right medications at the right times.

    In our conversation, Dale shares how he navigated the many chapters of scaling a healthcare business: bringing in private equity and outside capital, evolving his leadership, and balancing high-growth expectations with a deep commitment to patient outcomes, company culture, family—and much more.

    https://www.exactcarepharmacy.com/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-wollschleger/


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    For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
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    Chapters
    00:00 - The Journey of a Pharmacist Turned Entrepreneur
    14:34 - Building ExactCare: Addressing Complex Patient Needs
    24:18 - The Evolution and Vision of ExactCare
    31:07 - Entrepreneurial Spirit in Pharmacy
    38:59 - Understanding the Pharmacy Industry
    43:24 - Pride in Building in Cleveland

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    51 mins
  • Remote Vans: Building The Best Adventure Vans in America With Tony Alexander & Daryn Hillhouse
    Jun 18 2025

    Remote Vans: Building The Best Adventure Vans in America With Tony Alexander & Daryn Hillhouse

    The O.H.I.O. Fund Report's second episode features Tony Alexander and Daryn Hillhouse, co-founders of Remote Vans — a Cincinnati-based company redefining the premium adventure van category by blending high-quality craftsmanship with the technology and design required for the modern lifestyle — and Jeffrey Stern, Principal at The O.H.I.O. Fund.


    Their journey captures a classic entrepreneurial arc—from piecing together their first custom van in a brewery garage at the height of the pandemic to scaling operations at their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Cincinnati, where Remote Vans is now producing meticulously designed, technologically advanced camper vans at scale, and is also where our conversation took place.


    Through it, we explore their entrepreneurial lessons, transitioning from custom builds to dealer-focused manufacturing at scale, the commitment to innovation and quality that permeates their brand, the power of community, the nuances of building an automotive company in Ohio and leading in an industry shaped by evolving consumer preferences, and the enduring appeal of adventure.


    Tony and Daryn give an awesome account and reflection of Remote Vans and provide a compelling example of Ohio’s entrepreneurial spirit, manufacturing might, and the adventure lifestyle.


    https://remotevans.com/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-alexander-676785118/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/darynhillhouse/

    ———
    For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
    ———

    Chapters
    00:00:00 – Remote Vans
    00:00:58 – Episode Intro & Remote Vans Origin Story
    00:03:18 – The Classic Startup Journey
    00:04:48 – How Tony & Daryn Met
    00:08:07 – Pandemic Pivot to Van Building
    00:11:43 – Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey
    00:14:07 – Evolving the Business Model
    00:16:28 – Defining the North Star
    00:18:22 – The Adventure Van Market
    00:22:10 – Remote Vans’ Brand & Lifestyle
    00:25:28 – Scaling Craftsmanship
    00:30:38 – Entrepreneurial Lessons Learned
    00:34:41 – Future Chapters
    00:40:30 – Measuring Success
    00:41:39 – Building Industry in Ohio
    00:46:51 – Ambitious Manufacturing
    00:47:10 – Ohio Adventures: Hidden Gems
    00:48:31 – Closing & How to Connect

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    50 mins
  • Eagle Electronics: Onshoring America's Critical Technologies with TJ Dembinksi
    May 15 2025

    TJ Dembinski, Eagle Electronics: Onshoring America's Critical Technologies

    The O.H.I.O. Fund Report's first episode features TJ Dembinski, co-founder and CEO of Eagle Electronics — dedicated to on-shoring America’s critical technology supply chain, starting with the IoT and automotive-grade cellular modules — and Jeffrey Stern, Principal at The O.H.I.O. Fund.

    This conversation traces a fascinating arc — one that begins with the macro and geopolitical forces shaping global commerce and lands in a Northeast Ohio advanced micro-electronic manufacturing floor where Eagle Electronics is domestically building one of the most critical pieces of our digital infrastructure: the cellular module.

    TJ's story, and the founding of Eagle, is deeply embedded in these broader structural shifts — from the decoupling of U.S. global supply chains to the bipartisan momentum around domestic manufacturing and reindustrialization, to the evolving national security concerns that now govern the production of connected technologies.

    Before founding Eagle, TJ was a Partner at Drive Capital, where he spent over five years exploring and investing at the frontiers of emerging technologies — from AI to cybersecurity to advanced manufacturing. In our conversation, we explore how his vantage point as an investor informed his transition to becoming a founder, and how Eagle emerged from an intersection of powerful global tailwinds and one very specific customer need.

    We also talk about the nuances of reshoring, what onshoring looks like in practice, what cellular modules are, and why Ohio — of all places — is emerging as the epicenter of America’s next industrial chapter. From partnerships to cutting-edge automation, from regulatory and security considerations to hard-earned insights about what it actually takes to build something physical at scale — TJ brings an insightful clarity to one of the most exciting, complex, and important entrepreneurial movements underway today and how Eagle Electronics is positioned to lead within it.

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/tj-dembinski/
    https://www.eagleelectronics.com/

    ———
    For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
    ———
    [00:00:00] Eagle Electronics
    [00:01:17] Introducing TJ Dembinski
    [00:02:57] The Macro Trends Shaping Eagle Electronics
    [00:06:03] Transition from Investing to Entrepreneurship
    [00:07:54] Eagle's Origin Story
    [00:08:51] Advanced Manufacturing and Onshoring
    [00:11:23] Political Drivers of Reindustrialization
    [00:12:21] Defining Critical Technologies
    [00:13:42] Why Ohio?
    [00:16:02] What is Eagle Electronics?
    [00:17:00] What is a Cellular Module?
    [00:17:46] Setting Up U.S. Manufacturing
    [00:18:59] Regulatory Environment
    [00:21:22] Addressing Real vs. Perceived Risk
    [00:23:11] Startup Life Cycle
    [00:23:47] Eagle's Market Strategy and Vision
    [00:26:25] Workforce & Talent for Manufacturing
    [00:28:13] Market Timing and Competition
    [00:30:01] Learnings as Investor and Founder
    [00:32:00] Capital and Funding in Ohio
    [00:34:34] Enabling Ohio's Manufacturing Ecosystem
    [00:37:15] Building in Hardware vs. Software
    [00:41:26] Fostering Nuance and International Collaboration
    [00:42:30] Earned Wisdom and Entrepreneurial Journey
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    47 mins
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