CLEVELAND, Ohio — A competition in Cleveland empowers local citizens to share ideas that can strengthen the community, keep talented people in town and attract new residents.
- Accelerate Cleveland is in its 6th year
- Organizers expect about 600 people to attend
- About 29 pitches are expected
Allison Meyer took a big step in dealing with grief when she stepped onto the stage at a storytelling event for Story Club Cleveland.
“I was really scared to share that story, but at the end of the night, there was a line of strangers waiting to talk to me. I made connections that night that I still have today,” said Meyer.
That story was about losing her mother in a traffic accident.
“When you share it, and you share your pain and your trauma with other people, it can help you carry that load, so you don’t have to carry it all by yourself,” Meyer said.
This motivated Meyer to create Never, Ever Give Up, a local storytelling project honoring Cleveland’s perseverance by allowing people to share stories about the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do.
The project took off when she showed it at “Accelerate Cleveland,” a competition presented by the Cleveland Leadership Center, that gives people the opportunity to promote ideas that range from organizing a college information nonprofit for families, to establishing a healthy coffee brewing product — all with the shared goal of improving the quality of life in Cleveland.
“Today, we’ve collected over 650 stories and letters,” said Meyer. “And I’m really excited to see what happens next.”
Brittany O’Connor is the vice president of public affairs for Citizens Bank, which partners with the Cleveland Leadership Center to bring the six-year-old event to life.
“People come, they make their pitches, they make connections, they find people who want to help champion their ideas, and they grow and grow overtime,” said O’Connor.
She expects about 600 people attend the annual event this year, which has about 29 presenters with a diverse group of ideas coming from participants as young as 11 years old to those in their 60s.
“With this partnership with the Cleveland Leadership Center, we think we’re doing something really important to help our fellow- citizens make a difference in the community,” said O’Connor.
“Accelerate, Citizens Make Change” takes place Thursday at the Global Center for Health Innovation. Tickets can be purchased at the door.