The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Who Owns America ? (WHOA) is an ambitious effort by the Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS) at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to uncover land ownership patterns with unprecedented accuracy, ease, and nuance. By equipping municipalities, states, and nonprofits with comprehensive, tailored analyses of ownership, WHOA helps purpose-driven organizations understand and respond to their challenges, including unprecedented investment by institutional investors in moderate income housing across America.\r\n\r\nFounded to help people and the planet keep up with the pace of change, the Lincoln Institute's CGS specializes in improving how data is accessed and applied across boundaries - within an organization, between partners, and across sectors or jurisdictions. Its WHOA analysis uniquely fuses parcel data with environmental and social information to unlock a holistic understanding of our systemic challenges. To date, the organization has helped reveal property ownership patterns in dozens of cities and states, including Cincinnati, helping local leaders to take action to drive more equitable outcomes.

As more of our daily lives move to the digital realm, protecting our sensitive information from unauthorized access, theft, and hacking has never been more important. Still, every month, major corporations, school districts, health systems, and even municipalities and public utilities have become targets of these increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. This puts not only our personal information at risk, but also raises questions about national security. What trends are experts seeing in cybercrime? And what are the actionable insights and tips to safeguard our digital realm?\r\n\r\nJoin the City Club as we explore the current cyber threat landscape and learn about the threat actor's tactics, techniques, and procedures with leading experts in the industry.

BorderLight is an annual theatre festival showcasing innovative theatre that inspires, builds cross-cultural understanding, and celebrates the diversity of the human experience. A nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Dale Heinen and Jeffrey Pence, the festival will once again open on July 24th and run through July 27th. And this year, they have really outdone themselves! Part of the lineup includes 4 International Shows, 43 Fringe Shows, and 8 Workshops across 20 stages in and around the Playhouse Square District.\r\n\r\nAt the heart of the festival are the artists. The Festival strives to give exposure to up-and-coming and BIPOC artists to share their stories and creativity on their own terms. Join the City Club, in partnership with BorderLight, as we hear from featured artists from the 2024 Borderlight Theatre Festival about the importance of representation and diverse creativity in the arts and culture industry.

After a rollercoaster few years defined by a global pandemic, war, supply chain chaos, and a technology arms race, many people are left asking, \"Is Manufacturing Okay?\" The answer to that high-stakes question is worth 50% of Northeast Ohio\'s economy.\r\n\r\nJoin us as Dr. Ethan Karp, President & CEO of MAGNET, provides a state-of-the-union for manufacturing, addressing the myths and misconceptions that threaten our collective promise and prosperity, while providing a blueprint for the future of our regional economy\r\n\r\nA former consultant with McKinsey & Co, Dr. Karp joined MAGNET in 2013. MAGNET works across Northeast Ohio to support manufacturers of all sizes, creating opportunities for growth, economic inclusion, and workforce training.

This summer, Superman announced they will begin filming in Cleveland from June 17 to July 16, joining a legacy of pictures filmed in our neighborhoods--like The Avengers, Spider Man, and A Christmas Story. For decades, major cities across the United States have jockeyed to attract the major motion picture industry in hopes of spurring jobs and economic growth. But the industry isn\'t limited to just Hollywood blockbusters. Film, television, and media production as a whole leave a notable footprint in the economic engine of Northeast Ohio. Yet, BIPOC representation in this industry for Ohio lags behind other states. Is opportunity being left on the table?\r\n\r\nSheila Wright, Founder and President of The CREW Foundation wants to make sure Ohio builds a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive industry to catalyze economic growth. CREW strategically supports projects and partners committed to providing hands-on training, full access, and real work opportunities for underrepresented populations. And with these skills and experience comes the power to become creators themselves--telling their community\'s stories in their own words and shifting narratives for lasting change.\r\n\r\nJoin us for a panel conversation featuring Sheila Wright, Founder and President of the CREW Foundation, and Amir Miller, CEO/ Founder, Pure Vitality Productions, and learn how we can catalyze economic growth and increase representation in film, television, and media production industries.

Eric D. Seals grew up eating just about every southern delicacy you could name: pulled pork, liverwurst sandwiches, fried fish, alongside his father, Donnie Seals Sr. Living in Wheaton, a west suburb of Chicago. He also watched his dad drink and smoke for almost 10 years, until 1995 when he almost died. Over the next fifteen years, Donnie would have a total of three quadruple bypass surgeries and be forced into early retirement.\r\n\r\nHowever, the story doesn't end there. Donnie is now 70 years old and bicycles more than 30 miles a day; his heart problems have all but disappeared. Having once been on more than 20 daily medications, he is now down to one and his doctors call his recovery miraculous. Directed by son Eric Seals, Bike Vessel follows father and son as they cycle from St. Louis to Chicago. The film takes a hard look at the health disparities plaguing Black men, and the systemic racism that has elevated them to one of the lowest life expectancies and highest death rates in the nation.\r\n\r\nPart of the Health Equity Series sponsored by the Saint Luke\'s Foundation, join the City Club, Bike Your Neighborhood, and the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival for a special film screening of Bike Vessel. Following the film, Donnie Seals will join a panel conversation about the documentary, health equity, and the transformative power of cycling.

Earlier this year, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced a $156 million grant to a Cleveland organization to fund an effort to ensure access to solar power for low-income communities across the Midwest. Although solar power has been available in this country for decades, the upfront cost of even small residential solar arrays has been prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest and most committed homeowners. The EPA\'s support of Growth Opportunity Partners (Growth Opps) could change that.\r\n\r\nThe EPA grant provides the seed capital needed for the GO Green Energy Fund, the nation\'s first African American led Green Bank, which was created by Growth Opps in 2020. The goal of the Green Bank is more than just access to solar power for residents of poor communities. It\'s a step towards fundamentally restructuring the regional economy to disrupt intergenerational poverty, while supporting low-income Midwesterners in building wealth and improving health outcomes-all while helping the nation and the globe address climate change.\r\n\r\nGrowth Opps Founding CEO Michael Jeans has been working towards this for years. He has appeared on the City Club stage before as a moderator and panelist in support of the efforts of others in our community. Join us as he takes center stage to share his vision for a greener-and more inclusive-future.

In November 2023, Cleveland\'s West Side Market named Rosemary Mudry it\'s first Executive Director of the Market\'s new nonprofit arm, the Cleveland Public Market Corporation.\r\n\r\nHome to more than 60 small, local business owners, and boasting 800,000 visitors annually--the West Side Market serves as a neighborhood anchor and economic hub. Yet, it continued to struggle to live up to its full potential. A 2023 master plan by the Bibb administration suggested - as many have over the decades - that the Market transition to a nonprofit management style to improve vendor and visitor experience. The switch would align with nationwide best practices for public markets. In April 2024, Mudry officially took the helm.\r\n\r\nPreviously, Mudry served as Executive Director of West Park Kamm's Neighborhood Development; was Director of Neighborhood Development at Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation; and started her community development career working for Ohio City Inc. during the heyday of the Market\'s Centennial Celebrations. In addition to her leadership in community development and urban planning, Mudry is a small business owner, serving as Midnight Owl Brewing Co co-owner with her husband Joel Warger.\r\n\r\nTo kick off our 2024 Outdoor Summer Series, join us as Ideastream Public Media\'s Mike McIntyre talks with Rosemary Mudry about her new role and vision as the first Executive Director of the Cleveland Public Market Corporation.

The Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance is an independent, neighborhood-based organization dedicated to maintaining peace and keeping young people out of gangs. Through grassroots efforts, the organization utilizes community violence intervention targeting individuals ages 14-24 who face the highest risk of being involved in gun violence. The organization provides a range of services, including court advocacy, hospital-based programs, employment opportunities, mental health services, and more.\r\n\r\nSince 2020, Myesha Watkins has led Cleveland Peacemakers Inc. She is a licensed social worker, youth development professional, and violence prevention expert. In 2021, Myesha was selected to participate in Mayor-elect Justin Bibb\'s transition team and public safety committee. Then in 2022, she was invited to the White House and recognized for her work in violence prevention by President Joe Biden. Earlier this year, she was invited back to the White House after she graduated from the inaugural cohort of the University of Chicago Crime Lab's Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.

For generations, leadership in Cleveland's Arab-American community have been working to advance equity and peace for Palestinians, and others, in both our city and the region. But the current round of hostilities and headlines coming out of Gaza has put their cause front and center. To date, more than 36,000 Palestinians-more than half of which were women and children-have perished in Israel's military response to the October 7, 2023 deadly attack by Hamas.\r\n\r\nAcross the country, diverse sectors of advocates have demonstrated on college campuses and spoke out at public events to draw attention to the plight in Gaza. This includes Cleveland, where a repeated call for a ceasefire was won in March. Still, at the heart of it all, is the local Palestinian community, neighbors and coworkers, who are grappling with grief and worry of losing family and loved ones; as well as navigating a documented increase in anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hate and sentiment across the country.\r\n\r\nWe invite you to hear from key leadership in Cleveland's Arab-American community who hold Palestinian heritage on how their community is faring, and what is needed to move toward equity and peace.