Thursday, August 29, 2024
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

    Today’s leadership paradox
    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Carey Jaros
    President & CEO, GOJO Industries, Inc.

    Leaders are being asked to go faster than ever, to deliver more value than ever, often with fewer human and financial resources. At the same time, we are also focused on driving engagement, providing opportunities for growth and development, and advancing critical ESG (environmental, social, and governance initiatives) from diversity and equity & inclusion to environmental sustainability. Carey will share some of the latest thinking from some brilliant social scientists and organizational behaviorists who have studied and written about this paradox for many years, as well as some of her own perspectives on leading in this moment.

  • 9:15 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Teaming up for peak performance
    Sponsored by: First Commonwealth
    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Nic Barlage
    CEO, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Rock Entertainment Group

    Paul Matsen
    Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Cleveland Clinic

    Explore the profound economic impact and community benefits that arise when two local powerhouses collaborate. By leveraging their combined expertise and resources, they aim to create long-term, sustainable growth and position Cleveland as a global leader in sports medicine and wellness. Discover how this partnership is transforming the city’s landscape and driving significant advancements in both healthcare and athletic performance.

    Leading with authenticity
    Sponsored by: Blue Streak Consultants
    [BALLROOM A/B]

    George Sample
    Principal Consultant, Blue Streak Consultants

    Your most valuable contribution to our community comes when you are operating with full authenticity, and you multiply your impact when you authentically engage with others. Drawing from George’s extensive experience in human resources, diversity and inclusion, and community leadership, we will discuss how you find your authentic voice, and how you engage with the community to amplify your impact.

    Civic dialogue in the social media era
    [ROOM 313/315]

    Denise Polverine
    Publisher, Cleveland Magazine

    Explore the evolving landscape of public discourse in the digital age. Social media platforms have transformed how we engage in civic conversations, how we receive and react to news and information, the challenges and opportunities, and impacts community engagement.

    Dive into:

    • The pros and cons of social media in civic dialogue
    • Strategies for creating meaningful online conversations
    • The need more than ever to be educated on social content
    • The influence of immediate public opinion
    • Best practices for leveraging social media to enhance civic participation and awareness


    This presentation is for everyone – we are all impacted by this topic. Engage in a lively discussion and gain insights and suggestions to better navigate and contribute to civic dialogue in today’s connected world.

  • 10:15 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Community building for social impact: Cleveland’s North Coast Lakefront
    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Joyce Pan Huang
    Director, City Planning Commission, City of Cleveland

    Allison Lukacsy-Love
    Managing Director, Major Projects, Greater Cleveland Partnership

    Take a deep dive into equitable community engagement approaches for the North Coast Lakefront initiative. Learn about the vision for reimaging our waterfronts as a source of healing and joy for Cleveland’s communities, with values and goals co-created with the community. Lessons will include examples of strategies, partnerships, and must-have conditions for inclusive community engagement for large-scale infrastructure projects.

    Inclusivity & elevating community voices
    [BALLROOM A/B]

    Patrice Blakemore
    SVP – Equity & Inclusion, Greater Cleveland Partnership

    With this being an election year, we are inundated with polarizing voices in the media. Learn different techniques on how to lean-in and elevate different perspectives at work and in the community. The workshop uses negotiation tactics from Kwame Christian’s book “How to Have Difficult Conversations about Race.”

    Unlearning for creative problem solving
    Sponsored by: PRADCO
    [ROOM 313/315]

    Karla Wludyga
    Vice President of Organizational Development, PRADCO

    To stay relevant in a world that keeps changing, the ability to creatively solve problems is extremely important. In order to think differently, we’ve got to unlearn. Explore a variety of strategies for unlearning and demonstrating flexibility, including:

    • Creative problem solving
    • Being resourceful
    • Leading change
    • Avoiding biases


    Explore how experience can be a trap, and how sometimes, it’s better to unlearn what you know.

  • 11:15 am: CLOSING KEYNOTE

    Breaking down silos
    Sponsored by: Cuyahoga Community College
    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Dr. Michael Baston
    President, Cuyahoga Community College

    Craig Hassall
    President & CEO, Playhouse Square

    Moderated by: Becky Ruppert McMahon
    President & CEO, Cleveland Leadership Center

    Community change happens when leaders collaborate, but true collaboration can be difficult. It requires building trust and stepping outside of silos to work toward a common goal. Gain insights from two community leaders who are successfully building bridges to make great things happen in Cleveland.

Thank you for joining us today!

Be sure to mark your calendar for Accelerate: Citizens Make Change on Thursday, February 20, 2025 where more than two dozen unique ideas to improve our community will be pitched for a chance to win funding and find supporters. Applications to pitch at Accelerate will be open on November 1.