Championing rising Leaders of Color
Cleveland Champions is an LC2 Fellows Class of 2020 project in response to the 2019 PolicyBridge report, “Missing in Action: an analysis of black leadership and the challenges that impede success and impact.” The vision was to create a “new leadership ecosystem” to foster relationships among leaders across government, business, and nonprofit sectors. The program aims to increase the visibility of emerging Leaders of Color and foster connections between emerging Leaders of Color and C-suite executives.
The inaugural cohort launched in September 2023 with thirty-two individuals: 16 Cleveland Champions and 16 rising leaders. Each Champion is paired with a rising leader, and the pair is placed in a “pod” with three other pairs.
The cohort meetings take place over four large group sessions where all participants gather to learn about the Cleveland community landscape, and develop diverse networks, and candid discussions. In between sessions, the Champions and rising leaders gather in the community in pairs and in small groups (pods) to learn more about each other and expand and strengthen their networks. Champions also invite the rising leaders to community-wide events to further expand their networks.
To learn more about Cleveland Champions, email Claudia Owens or call (216) 650-3312.