SPONSORED BY
     

Thursday, August 27, 2026
7:30 a.m. – Noon
CSU Student Center

Click on the speaker names to view bios.

  • 7:30 am: BREAKFAST & NETWORKING

    Hearty breakfast and connections.

  • 8:00 am: OPENING KEYNOTE

    Take the Shot … vision, courage, and risk
    Sponsored by:

    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Allison Howard
    President of Business Operations, Cleveland Sirens

    Bold leadership demands action in the face of uncertainty, not after it clears. Explore the intersection of vision, courage, and risk, and what it really takes to bet on yourself, your team, and your city when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

  • 9:15 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    The Consensus Trap
    Sponsored by:

    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Tom Gill (LC 2021, CEF 2010, CLI 2009)
    President, Urban Community School

    David Abbott (ALI 2018, LC 1989)
    President, West Side Market Board of Directors

    MODERATOR
    Rachel Ciomcia (LC 2027, CBB 2010)
    Chief Program & Impact Officer, Cleveland Leadership Center

    Not every room needs to agree before progress can happen. Learn how to navigate pushback from external forces, read when consensus builds momentum, and recognize when it quietly kills it.

    The Leader in Your Way is You
    [BALLROOM A/B]

    Kris McGuigan
    Founder, Professional Courage

    Fear, self-doubt, and internal barriers are often more limiting than any external challenge. Learn how to recognize these limiters, reframe what it means to be ready, and build the self-awareness to move forward, even when fear says otherwise.

    Intent Isn’t Enough

    [ROOM 313/315]

    Habeebah Rasheed Grimes (LC 2020)
    Founder, Habeebah Rasheed Grimes LLC

    Trust isn’t built on good intentions, it’s built on what people actually see and experience. Discover how accountability, honest contribution, and perception shape team culture, often in ways leaders don’t expect.

  • 10:15 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Imagine. Inspire. Innovate.
    Sponsored by:

    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Dan Brown
    Chief Services Officer, JumpStart, Inc.
    Co-Founder Rust Belt Riders and Tilth Soil

    Bold ideas only go as far as the people willing to rally behind them. Learn how to frame ambitious visions in ways that inspire action at every level and walk away with practical tools to turn imagination into real innovation.

    Lead Without Certainty
    Sponsored by:

    [BALLROOM A/B]

    Sara Ismail-Beigi Bartlett (CBB 2021)
    Owner, MOD Network LLC

    Effective leaders don’t wait for all the answers, they create direction in the middle of ambiguity. Explore how to communicate with conviction, embrace uncertainty as part of the process, and keep teams moving when the path isn’t fully clear.

    Risk Smarter
    Sponsored by:

    [ROOM 313/315]

    Diana Rosa (LC2 2022, LC 2021)
    Rosa Consulting, LLC

    There’s a meaningful difference between bold risk and reckless risk. Explore how data-driven criteria can sharpen strategic decisions and help leaders move with confidence.

  • 11:15 am: CLOSING KEYNOTE

    Fail Forward, Rise Stronger
    Sponsored by:

    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Sandra Morgan
    Mayor, City of East Cleveland

    Natalie Joseph, MD
    Chair, Department of Surgery
    The MetroHealth System

    MODERATOR
    Becky Ruppert McMahon (LC 2018, CBB 2008)
    President & Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Leadership Center

    Every bold move carries the possibility of failure. Dig into what it looks like to fall, the resilience required to rise after, and the clarity, grit, and purpose leaders gain through it all.

Thank you Professional Courage for supporting the Recharge time where attendees refresh, recharge, and refocus for the next session.

Thank you for joining us today!

Be sure to mark your calendar for Accelerate: Citizens Make Change, now a two-day event. On Thursday, January 28, 2027 where more than two dozen unique ideas to improve our community will be pitched for a chance to move on to the finals. On Thursday, February 25, 2027, the finalists will pitch for a chance to win the $5,000 grand prize.

Applications to pitch at Accelerate will be open on October 1.