On February 27, 2019, twenty-eight individuals will share their civic visions at Accelerate 2019: Citizens Make Change. Six finalists will win prize money to help advance their ideas.
Big ideas, little ideas, even medium-sized ideas… they want to make our community a better place to work, live, play, and visit. You may have the connections, resources, or advice they need to bring their idea to life. Be there and be a part of the change. Get your tickets today >
Authentic Cleveland Experiences
Presented in partnership with Destination Cleveland
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Never, Ever Give UpAllison Meyer Honoring Cleveland’s perseverance by allowing people to share and motivate others to never, ever give up with a wall of handwritten stories, answering the question: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do? |
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Daylilies and eErie NightsAnnemarie Roeder This initiative engages city dwellers and visitors in community gardening and local history by day (Daylilies) while showcasing the landmark Armory and Erie Street Cemetery by night (eErie Nights) with lantern tours and moonlit history. |
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Vyne: Connecting you to what’s happening in your citySahithya Wintrich Vyne has one mission: to connect you to Cleveland experiences. Through an easy to use platform, you can discover events and stay in the know of what’s going on in your city. |
Community Change
Presented in partnership with Oswald Companies & Westfield
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C-SchoolKareemah Hairston + Melissa Libertini A three-month program for organizational culture-and-change influencers. The cohort will undergo training and individualized coaching, accompanied by a personal app, to learn techniques in conflict management, resolution, and transformation. |
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Just to Be Heard!Andre Holland Redesigning telephone booths into creatively designed spaces that give people in neighborhoods with high incidences of homelessness the opportunity to tell their story. |
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Compost CollaborativeBenjamin Krutko An opt-in public-private partnership composting program. Households will receive instructions and an odor-sealed container for compostable material, which will be collected in conjunction with their weekly recycling and trash city waste services. |
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My Fab HouseSonya Pryor-Jones A grassroots neighborhood-based digital fabrication lab and co-work space to combat social problems and inequity, such as the tech divide and housing vacancy and abandonment, while providing learning and entrepreneurship opportunities. |
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Fighting-to-UnderstandTed Wetzel + George Williams An online platform utilizing various methods of safe spaces/brave spaces, including face-to-face and online interaction, to build civil discourse skills and re-assemble the foundation of what “We the People” agree on, one issue at a time. |
Economic & Workforce Development
Presented in partnership with Oatey Co. and The Lubrizol Corporation
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Protecting Pensions – Protecting PeopleNatasha Kalas, CFP A nonprofit credit union, that utilizes blockchain technology, where all profits go to a foundation that will support pensions in danger of becoming insolvent, through grants, incentives, low-cost loans, and ongoing counseling services. |
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The ATLAS ProjectSonny Ali Reversing the population flight by making Cleveland a hot spot for affordable housing and on-the-job training that leads to valuable skills and a career path by employing the unemployed to rehab vacant houses for the homeless. |
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Queens BanquetJacci Hammer Equipping women who struggle with issues such as poverty, domestic violence, recent incarceration, and paralyzation with the resources to “Step Up.” |
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People and Food on the GoRonald Nelson Creating jobs and growth in Cleveland through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, culinary training organizations, and entrepreneurs to help people capitalize on the entrepreneurship opportunities that mobile food offers. |
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Stores @ StorerGuillermo Sanchez Reinvigorating Storer Avenue by forging an identity rooted in the arts through an anchor arts center. The building opening and accompanying “Summer Art Garden” festival will feature original artwork, poetry, performances, and music by local artists. |
Educating for Tomorrow
Presented in partnership with Nordson
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Oné RespéKarson Baldwin + Israel Kambomba A partnership where students at local schools and the International Newcomers Academy visit each other’s schools, play, create, and eat together as they share their lives. These friendships cultivate honor and respect for immigrants and refugees. |
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YouthVoicePatrick Hackett + Jack Lupica Teaching youth to dialogue intelligently with those in the community through podcasting. The show will feature episodes from different students, each presenting her or his idea after learning how to develop a podcast aimed at constructive protesting. |
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Shoreway KidsGail Johnson + David Adams Bridging the two Detroit-Shoreways (the vital arts district and those living in poverty) through arts activities and programs such as a reader’s theater to increase literacy and a club that encourages the social-emotional growth of preteen/teen boys. |
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Leaders for the Education Advancement of Disabled Students (LEADS)Constantine Madias Leaders for the Education Advancement of Disabled Students (LEADS) is a mentorship program promoting post-secondary education and career advancement for disabled students in local middle and high schools. |
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BAAM!Diane Mastnardo Teaching children four self-care techniques (breathing, aromatherapy, acupressure and movement – BAAM) in five minute increments during the school day to decrease anxiety and increase impulse control to aid in academic achievement. |
Health & Wellness
Presented in partnership with Cleveland Clinic
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Divorce TalkLex Briggs A website for children, supervised by medical professionals, featuring text and voice chat rooms where the medical staff can identify and address issues affecting the children. It is will also help anti-social kids open up and establish friendships. |
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Easy-off Medical TapesDonghui Li + Zhe Ren Bandage that removes easily after the adhesive holding it in place is exposed to ultraviolet light—an especially important development for elderly patients with delicate skin which can actually tear when a standard adhesive is removed. |
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Recipe Re-MixSusan Porter A program and website focused on changing how Cleveland’s urban population prepares their food, instead of trying to change the food they eat. The recipes on the website will have simple instructions and videos to follow for those with limited reading skills. |
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Unchained FiltersKayla Ruffner Coffee filters containing protein amino acids to be infused when you brew your favorite coffee. The benefits include increased attention, improved cognitive function, blood sugar regulation, reduced hypertension, burning visceral fat, and much more. |
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Mobile Med-ConnectFaye Thornton An onsite mobile medical check for the homeless. Volunteer nurses, doctors, and social workers would provide health screenings, counseling, and referrals. |
Quality of Life
Presented in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College and Thompson Hine LLP
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Arties™Jenny Buck Arties™ is an art + philanthropy kit that includes the ideas + supplies to host a pop-up mini-art show for a cause. Guests select a work of art and leave a donation in its place for the artist’s chosen charity. |
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Bee Friendly NeighborsBrian Hall A city-based bee keeping program and competition that provides participants with a bee box and pairs them with an experienced keeper to maintain the hive. The competition provides the bee-friendliest city a donation to a charity of their choice. |
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Art on WheelsMcKenna Y. Hankins An art truck stocked with all the essentials for people to express themselves creatively. The programming would focus on populations that may not have access to these resources, particularly inner-city youth, troubled teens, and geriatrics. |
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Elevating Local ArtLiz Maugans + Hillary Lyon An initiative to help commercial real estate projects stimulate the economy and create community engagement through local art. The project also aims to expose local artists and make art accessible to everyone through events and education. |
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Feed CLEKennon Walton + Antony Peng Collecting leftover foodstuffs from various local restaurants to help those struggling to feed their families. Volunteers would collect the food and take it to libraries and churches where it can be distributed to those in need. |