SPONSORED BY
     

Wednesday, August 27, 2025
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

    Adapt to Rise: Leading Cleveland into Tomorrow

    Sponsored by: and
    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Lillian Kuri
    President & CEO, Cleveland Foundation

    Randy McShepard (LC 2003)
    VP – Public Affairs & Chief Talent Officer, RPM International Inc. & Board Chair, Cleveland Foundation

    The most impactful leaders aren’t those with all the answers, but those with the courage to evolve. Two of Cleveland’s foremost leaders kick off Spark with an honest and forward-looking conversation on what it truly means to lead in times of change.

    Drawing from their own experiences of how adaptability has shaped their leadership journeys and partnership, they’ll explore the critical themes that define today’s changemakers, including:

    • The role vulnerability plays in cultivating a growth mindset.
    • How failure builds resilience.
    • Why flexibility is critical in building trust and navigating leadership partnerships.
    • How storytelling drives organizational agility and transformation.
    • What it means to balance performance with wellbeing.
    • How to lead responsibly in the age of AI.
    • What action-based leadership looks like under pressure.
  • 9:15 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Fear Less, Risk More: Failing Forward

    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Dr. Jimmy Kenyon (LC 2025)
    Director, NASA Glenn Research Center

    Kristin Warzocha (CLC Board, LC 2010, CBB 2002)
    President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Food Bank

    Myesha Watkins (LC 2025)
    Administrator, Office of Violence Prevention, Cuyahoga County

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

    Explore the difference between fear and risk in leadership and learn to view failure not as something to avoid, but as a powerful catalyst for growth and change. Learn how to move beyond fear-based inaction into the momentum of meaningful risk-taker as a leader.

    The leaders of tomorrow won’t be those who avoided failure, but those who leveraged the lessons from their failures as stepping stones to success. Stop asking yourself, “What if I fail?” Start asking, “What will I learn when I do?” Become someone who fails forward.

    The Storytelling Advantage: Influence that Lasts

    [BALLROOM A/B]

    Micki Byrnes (CLC Board, LC 2005)
    Chief Communications Officer and Senior Advisor, Adcom

    Lexi Robinson
    Senior Director of Content & Managing Editor, Destination CLE

    Chris Webb
    Emmy Winning Journalist, Filmmaker, Performer, Activist

    Learn how storytelling, both personally and professionally, can advance your mission and goals. You’ll learn why effective storytelling is essential in today’s world, how to embrace social media as a powerful tool, and strategies to overcome the challenges of our current times. Discover how leadership thrives in the stories we tell, creating meaning that drives action and inspires impact, helping you build deeper trust, spark stronger emotions, and ignite meaningful movement.

    The Empathic Edge: Leading with Emotional Intelligence

    [ROOM 313/315]

    Kathy Sullivan (LC 2023)
    Principal & Owner, Talent Principles LLC

    Have you ever felt misunderstood or struggled to understand someone else? Empathy helps bridge those moments. It is something we all need, especially in a world where we interact and work with others across differences in age, background, culture, and perspective. Empathy gives us an edge; it helps us connect, communicate, and lead with integrity, having a greater impact.

    Engage in real conversations and meaningful exercises to:

    • Explore an emotional intelligence framework to understand why empathy is important for building relationships and improving outcomes.
    • Discover how your individual experiences, identity, and emotions influence how you lead and interact with others.
    • Practice techniques to improve your listening skills and respond with empathy, so you can better relate to others – even across differences.

    Whether you are a student, parent, leader, or community member, you’ll walk away with practical tools to build trust, improve communication, and lead with empathy in everyday life.

  • 10:15 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Barrier Breakers: Leading with Action

    Sponsored by:

    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Emily Campbell (CBB 2019)
    President & CEO, The Center for Community Solutions

    Daniel Lettenberger-Klein (LC2 2023, LC 2022)
    Chief Executive Officer, Stella Maris

    Erica Merritt (CBB 2008)
    Founder & President, Equius Group

    MODERATOR
    Angela O’Donnell (CBB 2014)
    Director of Cleveland Bridge Builders and Advanced Leadership Institute, Cleveland Leadership Center

    In today’s ever-shifting landscape shaped by federal and state mandates, leaders are constantly facing new challenges. Explore how purposeful action can drive real change and help you shift your perspective from seeing barriers to uncovering opportunities for innovation, problem-solving, and reimagining what’s possible.

    Walk away with tools to ask the right questions: What do we know? What can we learn? What will we do?

    Leadership happens in motion. This is your call to step up, speak out, and show up…especially when the path forward isn’t clear.

    The Ripple Effect: Wellbeing Starts with YOU

    Sponsored by: 

    [BALLROOM A/B]

    Dr. Ellen Burts-Cooper
    Chief Improvement Officer, Improve Consulting & Training Group

    Prioritizing your own wellbeing is essential to sustainable leadership and lasting impact. Learn why rest, reflection, and renewal aren’t just self-care, they’re strategic leadership practices that fuel your ability to lead effectively. Discover how filling your own leadership tank creates space to support others, helping you move beyond burnout toward a balanced, mission-driven approach where wellbeing truly ignites positive ripple effects throughout your team and community.

    Listening Leads: Humility in Action

    [ROOM 313/315]

    Sara Ismail-Beigi Bartlett (she/her/hers) (CBB 2021)
    Owner, MOD Network LLC

    Being a real leader means owning your stuff and trying to get where the other person is coming from. Get real with vulnerability and humility and discover how they can make you a stronger leader by focusing on taking responsibility and seeking to understand. Dive into:

    • Why trust is the bedrock, and how being open about your weaknesses builds it.
    • How to handle disagreements head-on instead of letting them fester.
    • Getting everyone on the same page and bought into the plan.
    • The  importance of accountability through effective feedback and focusing on collective results.
  • 11:15 am: CLOSING KEYNOTE

    Stronger Together: Trust Is the Bridge

    Sponsored by: 

    [MAIN BALLROOM]

    Kevin Clayton (LC 2023)
    EVP, Chief Impact and Equity Officer, Cleveland Cavaliers

    Peter John-Baptiste
    Chief Communications Officer, Haslam Sports Group/Cleveland Browns

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

    Trust is the vital thread that connects individuals, aligns visions, and fuels authentic collaboration beyond surface-level cooperation. It is a transformative power that builds thriving, interconnected communities, teams, and partnerships.

    Dive into how trust creates space for vulnerability, curiosity, and innovation and moves us beyond ego and competition toward collective empowerment where every voice is heard, every contribution valued, and the impact is greater than the sum of our parts.

Thank you for joining us today!

Be sure to mark your calendar for Accelerate: Citizens Make Change on Thursday, February 26, 2026 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 October 31.