The Leader Lunch Breaks take place every Wednesday at noon. Visit our calendar to see upcoming sessions.
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Unleashing Inner Superheroes
Lisa Kollins, Founder & Executive Director, The Superhero Project
Lisa spotlighted The Superhero Project, a nonprofit empowering youth facing illness, disability, and life challenges. Through personalized interviews focused on the child’s interest, and custom superhero art by over 800 artists, the project has supported more than 1,800 children worldwide— boosting confidence and resilience.
Lisa emphasized the importance of trust, inclusion, and representational justice, through work created by and for children of color. She emphasized that talking about kids’ interests builds trust and helps them open up to share their stories.
She also introduced Heroes Within, a new initiative supporting LGBTQ youth with mental health challenges. Lisa encouraged attendees to get involved through volunteering, fundraising, and advocacy, noting the vital role of grants and donations.
Recorded 07/16/2025
Cleveland Neighborhoods: Challenges, Changes, & Chances
Tania Menesse, President & CEO, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Tania provided an overview of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and its efforts to strengthen community development in Cleveland, particularly through collaboration with community development corporations (CDCs). She highlighted the challenges faced by CDCs due to the foreclosure crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for flexible funding and technical assistance to help them operate effectively. Tania advocated for the inclusion of CDCs in the City of Cleveland’s general fund budget, stressing the importance of transparency in funding processes and the necessity for CDCs to self-advocate.
She introduced the Middle Neighborhoods Initiative, aimed at revitalizing stable neighborhoods, and encouraged community support for legislative changes to secure funding. Tania also suggested promoting the Collinwood neighborhood to foster local pride and engagement.
Recorded 07/09/2025
Improving lives through literacy
Bob Paponetti , President & CEO, The Literacy Cooperative
Bob discussed the critical role of literacy in addressing social issues such as poverty and food insecurity and emphasized that literacy is foundational for educational attainment and income levels. Bob highlighted alarming statistics regarding early learning, including the 30 million word gap between children from affluent and low-income families, and the fact that two-thirds of children in Cuyahoga County are not fully prepared for kindergarten. He discussed shared the negative impact of poor reading skills on future academic success and stressed the importance of early language exposure.
Bob also addressed adult literacy challenges, noting many low-skilled adults struggle to connect with career opportunities due to inadequate reading and math skills. He shared successful strategies from a pilot program that integrated literacy training within vocational education, resulting in higher engagement and literacy gains. He discussed Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program, which provides free books to children under five. He encouraged attendees to support literacy programs, raise awareness, and collaborate with local organizations to enhance service delivery to improve educational outcomes and job opportunities in the community.
Recorded 06/25/2025
Leadership that fits the Bill
Bill Caster, , GFP Private Wealth & Carleton McKenna
Bill recounted his journey with the Cleveland Leadership Center which began with being a Leadership Cleveland 2010 class member. His involvement extended through service on the CLC Investment Committee to help with the initial planning for an endowment fund, which lead to a position on the Board of Trustees and ultimately his role as Board Chair. He noted the extra year he served as Board Chair to provide consistency in leadership as the organization faced it’s first President & CEO transition in 14 years.
Bill highlighted the breadth of CLC’s programs and offerings. He also announced the approval of Vision 2035 and a three-year strategic plan aimed at reinforcing the organization’s core purpose, and emphasized the importance of collaboration among Northeast Ohio organizations to address community issues. He also discussed the need for succession planning and maintaining strong relationships with funders amid leadership transitions, and touched on what’s on tap for him going forward.
Recorded 06/18/2025
Building bridges to optimal health & well-being
Sherri Brandon, Executive Director, Front Steps Services
Sherri discussed the intersection of permanent supportive housing, mental health, and homelessness in Ohio, and highlighted that approximately 30% of chronically homeless individuals struggle with both mental health and substance use disorders. Front Steps has evolved into a behavioral health organization that prioritizes individualized, integrated services to improve recovery and quality of life. Sherri emphasized the Housing First model, which provides safe, affordable housing without preconditions, and introduced a new facility designed to offer on-site services to residents.
Sherri detailed the extensive behavioral health services available at St. Joseph Commons and noted the success of the housing stability program. Additionally, she discussed Front Steps’ current strategic planning process which is focused on creating operational and financial resilience, building community partnerships, and adapting to evolving client needs.
Looking forward, Brandon aims to enhance behavioral health services and community engagement and celebrate the organization’s 40th anniversary.
Recorded 06/11/2025
Making Clark-Fulton a model for healthy living
Marielee Santiago-Rodriguez, Director, Transformative Knowledge & Education, MetroHealth Institute for H.O.P.E.
Marilee discussed MetroHealth Institute for H.O.P.E.’s Viasana project, which aims to address health disparities in at-risk communities, particularly in the Clark Fulton neighborhood. She highlighted the challenges of unaffordable housing and low internet access, stressing the importance of data collection and community partnerships for effective health interventions. The Viasana project, a 72-unit mixed-income affordable housing initiative developed in collaboration with NRP Group, is designed for residents earning at or below 60% of the area median income.
Marilee shared how the MetroHealth Opportunity Center at Viasana serves as a community hub, and offers educational workshops and support groups. Marilee highlighted the Tri-C Access Center, which provides educational resources and hosts over 130 events focused on financial literacy, health education, and workforce development, as well as community-led listening sessions to gather resident feedback for continuous improvement.
Recorded 06/04/2025