Cleveland Foundation Annual Meeting Features Collaborative Work of Fund Partners in Workforce, Wealth Building Initiatives

On Septemer 3, the Cleveland Foundation hosted its 2021 Annual Meeting: It Starts with Community, featuring several panels highlighting key themes of the foundation’s work.

The Fund’s Director of Job Preparation, Bishara Addison, spoke on the panel Creating Pathways to Opportunity, along with leaders from Jumpstart, Inc. and College Now. This panel focused on the systems change necessary to close the racial gap between education and the workforce.

Fund member Ricardo León, Executive Director for Metro West Community Development Corporation, spoke on the Fostering Inclusive Economic Growth panel. During this discussion, he explained the collaborative work Metro West is undertaking in partnership with the Fund and other stakeholders to develop a Community Investment Fund, which is designed to increase ownership and build wealth among community residents in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood.

Watch both panels below, or view the full annual meeting on Youtube.