Culture & Jobs at Aware

Despite macroeconomic challenges, many startups continue to raise funding, add customers, and grow. 

There’s no doubt this year has had its ups and downs. Making national headlines were the slew of layoffs across the board at major tech companies like Amazon, Meta, and Netflix. While the Midwest hasn’t been totally immune to layoffs and rollbacks, it’s faring better than the coasts. 

This year has certainly had its share of ups and downs. It’s true that the Midwest isn’t totally immune to the widespread tech layoffs that are happening on the coasts, but overall the Midwest tech community is still going strong. Times might be tough. Our community is tougher. 

Columbus, Ohio has one of the fastest growing startup and tech ecosystems, not just in the Midwest but in the country. Why? Because it’s home to some incredible startup and tech companies. 

Layoffs, hiring freezes, venture capital slow down . . . these are the headlines currently making the news. And yes, there's no doubt all of that is happening right now. But during this uncertain time, there's also quite a bit of growth happening, too.  So we partnered with our friends at PeerSignal to stay on top of everything happening in the tech hiring market right now.

Hay rides. Pumpkin picking at the pumpkin patch. Apple picking at the orchard. There are tons of fall activities to take part in that kick off the season right. And the Midwest tech community is jumping on board! We've rounded up some of the most exciting events happening in the Midwest this fall — our community of tech companies and startups are bringing people together through creativity, innovation, and a good time. 

Despite last quarter being the slowest for VC funding since 2020, there’s still significant growth happening in the startup and tech space, especially in the Midwest.  This month already we’ve seen humongous rounds for top Midwest cybersecurity companies like NetSPI and Arctic Wolf, both based in Minneapolis and raised over $400M each. Cybersecurity funding slowdown who?

As the Ohio tech and startup scene continues to grow, so do the job opportunities! We've pulled together an exciting list of startups and tech companies in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati that are currently hiring and doing great things.  {{cta('5f6df6ea-8370-4070-9b21-e7064a12d0f8','justifycenter')}}

There’s no doubt a shift is happening in the hiring landscape. Many companies, big and small, have gone from rapidly hiring to cutting teams and reorganizing their labor force. But that’s not the whole story.  Despite the media’s focus on layoffs and hiring freezes, there are still many companies that are hiring. Just in the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen companies continue to hire, raise money and grow.

There’s no doubt a shift is happening in the hiring landscape. Many companies, big and small, have gone from rapidly hiring to cutting teams and reorganizing their labor force. But that’s not the whole story.  Despite the media’s focus on layoffs and hiring freezes, there are still many companies that are hiring. Just in the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen companies continue to hire, raise money and grow.

The Great Resignation, the Great Reshuffle, the Great Reflection . . . whatever you call it, one thing is clear: what’s happening at the workplace matters. And employers are taking notice. 

There’s no doubt a shift is happening in the hiring landscape. Many companies, big and small, have gone from rapidly hiring to cutting teams and reorganizing their labor force. But that’s not the whole story.  I want to provide a consistent place for anyone impacted by layoffs, or having difficulty landing a job during this time. A place with regular open job listings, resources to help you along the way, and ultimately some stability during this time. And as always, you can contact me directly at

Regardless of the current state of the job marketplace, we see employers posting new opportunities every single day. While the unfortunate layoffs are what we hear of most, there are still plenty of companies that are growing.  And they need great talent like you in order to continue that growth. There are over 160 companies hiring on the Purpose Jobs platform, but here are just a few that we especially love.

Whether you’re actively seeking a new role, casually browsing, or anywhere in between, these jobs are too interesting to pass up. From sales to design, specialist to director level, we’ve got some of the most exciting jobs in the Midwest all right here. 

From renewable energy to cyber security, there are a ton of great companies hiring engineers to work on exciting projects. If you’re looking for a job with a purpose, a team to call home, or the ultimate work-life balance, check out these 13 engineering roles that are hiring right now. {{cta('5f6df6ea-8370-4070-9b21-e7064a12d0f8','justifycenter')}}

The Vectorform team Hoping to find a product role with a Midwest startup? The Midwest continues to grow as a tech hub, and companies are looking to fill many open startup and tech jobs. Not only do we have some exciting openings, but every job on this list is also remote-eligible or fully remote!  If you’re looking for a Product role at a Midwest tech startup, check out the opportunities below. {{cta('7a2f6343-9119-4856-8d8a-4d4a73a10931','justifycenter')}}

If you’re part of the 76% of job seekers and employees who report that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers, you may be wondering: how do I find a diverse company?

Americans are leaving their jobs in record numbers to search for something better. So when it comes to the best places to work in 2022, what does that look like?

The Midwest had a banner year in startup funding, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing through 2021.

The list is out for 2023 — check out the Top Startups in Columbus, Ohio to Watch in 2023   It’s hard to even stay current on all the great things startups are doing around Columbus. 

A lot is changing about how we live and work as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Columbus is a quickly emerging tech hub for healthtech and insurtech startups. Many boomerangs are returning to the Midwest, especially to Columbus, to find great tech jobs. 

It’s time we’re all aware of this Columbus startup.

There’s an undeniable momentum to Columbus’ startup scene. 

The list is out for 2022! Check out the Top Columbus Startup and Tech Companies to Watch in 2022   Columbus is one of the best cities for tech jobs, and 2020 proved that. This Midwest city was in some major headlines last year for startup jobs, startup funding, tech IPOs, and rapid growth. 

2020 certainly was a challenging year for startups across the board. And fundraising, though it fared better than many thought it would, was still no exception. 

For the most up-to-date list of the best Columbus startups, check out the Top Columbus Startup and Tech Companies to Watch in 2022 The researchers have spoken—Columbus is the 9th best city to launch your career (and no, we’re not surprised that the top 9 cities are all in the Midwest). 

Columbus is a hotbed for fast-growing startups and tech companies. We featured a few of them on our list of the top startups in the Midwest, but there are lots of companies in Columbus that are growing, hiring, and still getting funded. Back in March, Olive raised $51 million, and Finite State just announced they raised $12.5 million.