White Paper

Building Brain Capital

Ohio’s Engine for Human Flourishing and Sustained Economic Development

Ohio’s future depends on more than technology and physical infrastructure. It depends on the health, skills and potential of its people.

OBCA’s launch white paper introduces brain capital, examines why it matters now and considers what coordinated action could mean for Ohio.

Published:

July 2026

Authors:

Tatyana Norman-Webler, JD, BSN, RN; Arielle J. Lester, JD, MA, FLTA; Harris Eyre, MD, PhD

A Case for Investing in Ohio's Greatest Asset

Brain health and brain skills shape how people learn, adapt, connect, create, work and thrive. Together, they form brain capital: a human asset that influences individual well-being, strong communities and long-term economic prosperity.

Building Brain Capital argues that the foundation of thriving economies is not technology alone, but the powerful engine inside every person: the human brain. It examines the pressures affecting brain health and human capability, the cost of inaction and the opportunity for Ohio to connect its existing strengths around a coordinated, statewide strategy.

From the Executive Summary

“The same brain that drives innovation and propels humanity forward, when left unprotected, sits at the root of much of our modern suffering. The Age of AI is revealing, with sudden urgency, how much of our future depends on our brain power and how little we have done thus far to safeguard it.”

The paper traces several of Ohio’s paradoxes where world-class health systems alongside poor health outcomes, renowned academic institutions and high public-library use alongside literacy gaps to a familiar challenge: silos.

It calls for a coordinated brain capital strategy that connects healthcare, education, research, innovation, workforce development and public policy to strengthen brain health and brain skills across the lifespan.

Three Ideas at the Center of the Paper

AI Is Only Half the Prosperity Equation

Ohio's investment in artificial intelligence is important. But technology reaches its full potential only when people can bring creativity, judgment, adaptability, empathy and other distinctly human strengths to it. Scaling AI also requires strengthening the human brain.

Ohio's Strengths Are Not Consistently Translating into Outcomes

Ohio is home to leading health systems and has the nation's highest public-library utilization rate. Yet the state ranks 43rd in overall health value and continues to face literacy gaps. The paper argues that the challenge is not simply a lack of assets, but how effectively knowledge, investment and effort move across disconnected systems.

Coordination Creates a First Mover Opportunity

Ohio has many of the ingredients needed to become the first state to launch a coordinated, statewide brain capital strategy. By connecting existing strengths around shared priorities, Ohio can help shape the emerging human-first future in which brain health and brain skills are treated as essential infrastructure.

What's Inside

Read the full paper for the complete analysis, figures and references.

Executive Summary
Brain Capital as Critical Infrastructure
The Human Cost of Poor Brain Health Across the Lifespan
The Economic Cost of Neglect and the Case for Investment in Brain Capital
Why Ohio Must Prioritize Brain Health Now
Case Study: Project Metis and the Texas Brain Economy
Ohio's Strengths and Brain Capital Assets
Frameworks Guiding OBCA's Approach
OBCA's Mission, Vision, Goals and Proposed Initiatives
Meet the Authors

Help Shape What Comes Next - Take Our Stakeholder Survey

This white paper is a starting point, not a finished blueprint. OBCA is gathering ongoing input from people who care about brain health, brain skills and Ohio’s future.

Your perspective can help us better understand the priorities and challenges people are seeing across the state, improve the resources we provide and guide future initiatives and partnerships. The survey is an ongoing listening tool and is not designed as a scientific research study.