Category finalists and overall winners receive checks from event sponsors.
AI program to teach sign language also a big winner
CLEVELAND, OH – Two Cleveland teens who created a youth employment program that provides neighborhood and community services, and a college student using AI to help teach American Sign Language, were the top winners at the 11th annual Accelerate: Citizens Make Change civic pitch competition Thursday night, February 20, 2025.
Health & Well-being category sponsors Ethan Karp, left, of MAGNET, and Dr. Bill Lewis of The MetroHealth System, hand winning check to Drevian Arrington and Andre Willis.
Nearly 500 people were part of the event presented by the Cleveland Leadership Center, whose mission is to build a continuum of engaged, civic leaders who are committed to Cleveland’s excellence. The event was made possible through the partnership of Citizens and dozens of other corporate, foundation, and individual supporters. Accelerate brought to light 24 initiatives pitched by a diverse group of 30 individuals from across northeast Ohio. The pitches were grouped in 5 categories with one finalist from each category chosen to compete against each other for the grand prize.
“Accelerate’s presenters and supporters are driving meaningful change in our community,” said event Co-Chair Matt Kuchta, Ohio Commercial Market Executive at Citizens. “As the presenting sponsor since 2016, we’ve had the privilege of witnessing the impact these social enterprises are making to strengthen our region. We’re honored to recognize this year’s winners and look forward to the lasting transformation they will inspire.”
Teen brothers Drevian Arrington, 13, who attends the Brilliance School, and Andre Willis, 16, at North Shore High School, both in Garfield Heights, pitched “From Trash to Triumph!,” a program they founded seven months ago to employ youth to haul trash bins to the curb, salt walkways for seniors, and provide cleaning, yardwork and other services. “We’re building a cleaner, safer future for everyone,” they said during the pitch at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.
Amirali Rezaei makes his pitch, “AISA School,” in the early rounds of competition.
An audience vote awarded them the $5,000 grand prize, and they received $500 as first runners-up in a Teen Accelerate competition earlier in the evening hosted by Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI). Their pitch had earlier been selected a finalist in Accelerate’s Health & Well-being category presented in partnership with The MetroHealth System and MAGNET.
Amirali Rezaei, 20, a first-year student in computer science and business management at Case Western Reserve University, received $3,500 for winning a special Technovation contest which recognizes a pitch that addresses an issue through use of technology. His initiative, “AISA School” (Artificial Intelligence Sign Language Assistance) uses technology to bridge the communications gap with people who are deaf or have hearing loss. The platform offers an interactive study plan with an AI interpreter to provide instant feedback.
This was Accelerate’s fourth year of offering the Technovation award opportunity in partnership with the Cleveland Foundation.
Rezaei also received $2,000 for being selected as the finalist in the Education category presented in partnership with Nordson, and $2,500 in Accelerate’s first College Competition, also hosted by YEI.
The other finalists, who each received $2,000, were:
- Brittany DeMudd, who pitched “JuxtaVandal” to improve teen mental health through uplifting mural projects in schools. “This is more than an art installation,” she said. “Its mission is to combat mental health issues and connect the community through a pay-it-forward initiative, and online Empowerment Shop.” The pitch was in the Arts & Culture category presented in partnership Centric Consulting.
- Wallace L. Thomas, who pitched “Cleveland Compost Catalyst” to create a recycling center in Collinwood for composting trees, leaves, and other debris. “We are constantly shipping our resources to other cities,” he said. “I want to invest in our community.” The pitch was in the Climate & Energy Innovation category presented for the first time this year and in partnership with NOPEC.
- Morgan Lewis, who pitched “Better in Color Cleveland” to support LGBTQ youth and young adults on Cleveland’s east side. “It’s more than a queer initiative,” she said. “It’s a movement about creating a safe community hub.” The pitch was in the Social Change category presented in partnership with Thompson Hine LLP.
In addition to the cash prizes, all five finalists will receive a spot in the 2025 NEO SEA Change cohort for social entrepreneurs and a one-year membership in ECDI, which offers support, resources, and connections to entrepreneurs.
The networking reception, which enabled current and past Accelerate presenters to connect with community members who could help make their vision a reality, was sponsored by The NRP Group.
Teen connections
Presenters and guests crowd the Concourse level of the Convention Center during the early round of pitches.
Imre Huss and Amogh Tripathi, students at the Mastery School of Hawken, won $1,000 as winners in YEI’s Teen Accelerate competition with their pitch, “Govvy.” Govvy is an innovative civic engagement platform that creates an interactive space where citizens can track legislation, participate in polls, and provide direct, actionable feedback to their elected representatives.
Teen Accelerate: Students Make Change, hosted by YEI, marked its third year as part of Accelerate and featured 10 pitches from student teams in grades 9-12 across Cuyahoga and neighboring counties. Runners up each received $250.
Teens also had a visible Accelerate presence at the Teen Entrepreneur Showcase and Pop-Up Shop sponsored by Burton D. Morgan Foundation and The Lubrizol Corporation. The shop was developed from the winning Accelerate 2018 pitch by Tory Coats to support the endeavors of young businesspeople and has been featured at Accelerate each year since.
This year, about a dozen students sold products ranging from pens and pillows with inspirational sayings to clothing and makeup. In addition to selling their products, they shared their stories. Coats and his team had been mentoring these students through their participation at the EJ Kovacic and Zelma Watson George recreation centers on the city’s east side.
Event background
Ten presenters from past years of Accelerate were on hand to display and talk about the progress and impact of the visions they launched at the competition. Many of the 273 initiatives that have been pitched in the past decade continue to have impact on individuals across the community as LLCs, nonprofits, and programs taken on by existing organizations.
The Cleveland Leadership Center launched Accelerate in 2015 as its signature annual event to support the Center and to promote social innovation. Presenters have represented a broad diversity of age, race, gender identity, and background. Among this year’s presenters, 60% are women, 73% are people of color, and 17% identify as LGBTQ+.
“The Cleveland Leadership Center is grateful to all those who make Accelerate possible,” said Becky Ruppert McMahon, CLC President and CEO. “This event shows the power that collaboration has to create long-lasting and sustained positive impact across the region.”
In the months leading up to Accelerate, presenters received training in presentation skills from Andrea Peck of Andrea Peck Communications and Michael Barakiva, Artistic Director of the Cleveland Play House. Hathaway Brown School hosted presenters for a practice session.
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Background and links to full descriptions of all pitches: www.cleveleads.org/Accelerate
Twitter: #AccelerateNEO, @CitizensBank, @cleveleads
Facebook: @cleveleads, @CitizensBank
Instagram: @cleveleads @citizensbank
Media contacts
Joan M. Palumbo, Chief Advancement Officer, cell (440) 315-1037, jpalumbo@cleveleads.org
Michael Bennett, Media Consultant, cell (216) 408-3874, michael@bennettstrategic.com