Accelerate accepting civic pitches

December 6 deadline to submit ideas in competition to improve region

Individuals with visions to improve Northeast Ohio can apply before Friday, December 6, 2024, to be part of Accelerate: Citizens Make Change, a civic pitch competition presented by Cleveland Leadership Center in partnership with Citizens and dozens of other supporters.

The annual competition provides funding and networking that bring ideas to reality. It will take place Thursday, February 20, 2025, in downtown Cleveland’s convention center. Details, including a guidebook to help craft the short online application, are at www.cleveleads.org/Accelerate.

“At Citizens, our commitment to strengthening communities is at the heart of everything we do and we’re proud to continue our support of Accelerate and its work to improve Greater Cleveland,” said Matt Kuchta, Ohio Commercial Market Executive at Citizens and Co-Chair of Accelerate. “This pitch contest gives residents a powerful platform to share their ideas and drive meaningful change.  We’re excited to see the passion, innovation, and vision that each participant brings to improve our community for the future.”

Pitches can be for one-and-done efforts or ongoing initiatives. Proposed ideas cannot be affiliated with an established business or nonprofit. Pitches are accepted in five categories:

  1. Arts & Culture: Improving lives and spaces through arts and culture. (Sponsored by Centric Consulting)
  2. Climate & Energy Innovation: Developing innovative solutions for energy efficiency and collective climate action. (Sponsored by NOPEC)
  3. Education: Advancing access, readiness, and success for learners of all ages. (Sponsored by Nordson)
  4. Health & Well-being: Promoting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals and communities.
  5. Social Change: Increasing equity, access, and opportunities.

The top prize winner receives $5,000, runners-up each receive $2,000, and all participants are exposed to the Leadership Center’s network of civic and community leaders.

Ideas that use technology have a chance to compete for a $3,500 award from the Cleveland Foundation, which is supporting a Technovation Competition at Accelerate. Separate awards also will be given to high school students who compete in Teen Accelerate, hosted by the Young Entrepreneur Institute. This year for the first time, the Institute will award a special prize to a presenter who is an undergraduate college student.

In addition to Citizens, other confirmed event sponsors as of November 4 are: MAGNET, The NRP Group LLC sponsoring the networking reception, Oswald Companies, and Thompson Hine LLP.

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Media contact: Michael E. Bennett, Vice President of External Affairs
Work: (216) 592-2426, Cell: (216) 408-3874, mbennett@cleveleads.org