All In: Baiju Shah on Tech, Innovation, and a Future of Possibility
Baiju Shah, President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership
In a region with a proud history of innovation, Baiju Shah is steering Greater Cleveland toward a future of even greater possibilities. As the President and CEO of the nation’s largest regional chamber of commerce, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Shah brings a deep-rooted connection to the region and a wealth of experience in tech and innovation to his leadership.
Baiju’s entrepreneurial background has equipped him with a strategic mindset that focuses on setting bold aspirations, building key alliances, and fostering partnerships to propel Cleveland’s growth. With a vision that’s "All In" on the region’s potential, Shah is helping to align civic and business leaders around initiatives that elevate Cleveland’s status on the national stage.
In this exclusive Q&A with OhioTechNews.com, Shah delves into how technology and innovation are woven into the fabric of Cleveland's economy and why he believes the region is primed to lead in the clean tech revolution.
From the game-changing $3.7 billion in annual research and development to the critical partnerships forming between institutions and corporations, Shah offers insights on what’s driving Cleveland’s success. He also reflects on the region’s momentum, sharing exciting developments in waterfront expansion, business growth, and why Cleveland’s sunsets are one of its hidden gems.
OTN: The Greater Cleveland Partnership is the largest regional chamber of commerce in the country. You come from a tech and innovation background, what led you to this work and how does your background shape your efforts?
Baiju: As a Cleveland native, I have a deep-rooted connection to the region and a strong belief in its potential for even greater prosperity. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with CEOs and partners to align on an All In vision for Greater Cleveland and the priority initiatives to power the region's growth.
My experiences as an entrepreneur have shaped our approaches from setting inspiring aspirations, building partnerships and alliances to execute, and trialing, measuring, and adapting initiatives to realize short-term goals. My models of successful entrepreneurs include those who are willing to be rigid on vision but flexible on the approach.
OTN: What’s a typical day like for you as President/CEO of GCP?
Baiju: There is no typical day. I’m an early bird so my morning begins around 5 AM. My morning hours are reserved for reading the news, catching up on emails, thinking and planning, and exercising. My meetings schedule starts at 8 usually. Almost every day is a mix of conversations with CEOs and civic leaders, meetings with partners and team members on initiatives, and an evening reception, dinner, or event... which sometimes is at a stadium. I’m All In on our Guardians, Browns, and Cavaliers!
OTN: Why do you and GCP make tech and innovation such a core focus of your work?
Baiju: Cleveland companies and our region are powered by tech and innovation; it’s in our DNA. This has always been a region where we make things that matter; today we are doing that smarter and greener. Last year, the region ranked #4 in the Midwest in business growth and #2 in productivity, driven by companies leveraging technology to operate and innovate.
There is $3.7 Billion of annual R&D occurring across our region’s institutions and companies. A third of that is in our research institutions, including Case Western, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and NASA Glenn; two-thirds of that is corporate R&D in companies such as Sherwin-Williams, Avient, Goodyear, Avery Dennison and many, many others.
Connecting institutions and companies to work together on market-driven challenges is an enormous opportunity to accelerate our region’s growth. This is starting to happen especially in the Clean Tech space where new industry-institution alliances have launched in sustainable materials and manufacturing. The region can be a leading center for this revolution.
OTN: It’s been a big few years for Cleveland and NE Ohio. What’s something from 2024 that you wish more people knew about?
The big reveal in 2024 was the Cleveland Index -- an analysis conducted by Cerity Partners that tracks the stocks of Greater Cleveland companies. The analysis shows how Cleveland companies have significantly outperformed the market since 2010, but especially since 2020. It’s the picture worth more than a thousand words.
This is an exciting finding for Cleveland. Our biggest challenge now is getting enough people to move here to support our business growth. While that’s not unique, it is new for Cleveland to have the same challenge as other regions.
OTN: When you think about the future of GCP’s work in NE Ohio, what makes you most excited?
Baiju: On the business front, clean tech and sustainability. In the clean tech revolution, Cleveland isn’t just participating, we are a region leading the charge. For example, when most people think of clean tech, they think of companies like Tesla and places like California. But when we look at an electric vehicle, we see Cleveland. Our companies are driving the transformation that puts electric vehicles on the road, in the air, and even in space. But the story doesn’t stop at EVs, it cuts across many areas of clean tech. And Cleveland continues to lead the way in medicine and healthcare innovation.
Beyond businesses, to attract talent, we also need to keep enhancing our city and region with the types of places and spaces that the next-generation desires. We are excited about all the waterfront development occurring across the region, on our Great Lake from Sandusky to Ashtabula and in downtown Cleveland both on our lake and river fronts. We have $ billions of waterfront development in progress across the region. People gravitate to water; making it accessible for enjoyment is attracting capital and talent to our region.
OTN: What’s one “can’t miss” spot in Cleveland?
Baiju: Sunsets on Lake Erie. We are so fortunate to have a Great Lake here, with so many varied spots to watch the sun set. My favorites: Huntington Beach, Lakewood Solstice Steps, Edgewater Beach, Wendy Park, and Geneva-on-the-Lake.
OTN: Is there anything else you think more people in the region should know?
Baiju: Greater Cleveland is big! With 3.7 million people in our region, we are the 17th largest region in the country; it’s the reason we have 3 major sports teams. We need to stop thinking provincially and go to market as a region. As I like to say, if you root for any one of our sports teams, you're a Clevelander!
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Visit www.greatercle.com to learn more about Baiju’s work at the Greater Cleveland Partnership.