From underground clubs to sold out arenas, every musician and band who \"made it big\" started small. The success story of one of Akron\'s most successful bands, The Black Keys, is no different. Together with bandmate Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney began recording in basements and touring in a 1994 Plymouth Grand Voyager. Ultimately, the band chose a similar minivan for the cover of their double-platinum album, El Camino, which rose to No. 2 on the Billboard album chart in 2011. It was a humorous nod to their humble beginnings and \"band van\" days.\r\n\r\nWhile the hustle and grind can seem like a rite of passage for rock bands, it doesn\'t necessarily need to be that way. John Panza at the Panza Foundation believes that even small amounts of assistance can have a profound effect on the artistic output and morale of independent artists. Established in 2014, the Panza Foundation aims to support local, independent musicians and bands--allowing those artists the freedom to pursue their craft with the best tools and opportunities possible.

What\'s the case for college these days? For much of the last fifty years, research very clearly suggested that college was the key to unlock the American Dream. A college degree not only ensured a route to a stable career but was also strongly correlated with future financial well-being. Events of recent years, along with the affordability challenges, seem to have stood that conventional wisdom on its head.\r\n\r\nAnd yet, more than 15 million students are enrolled in undergraduate programs at close to 4,000 institutions. And despite the headlines about name-brand private colleges and universities, it\'s important to remember that more than 70% of those students are at public institutions--community colleges and state schools that prioritize affordability alongside educational quality.\r\n\r\nTo make the case for college in these turbulent times, we\'ll hear from the President of one of the more affordable higher education institutions in Northeast Ohio, the chief executive of the regional organization that supports more than 42,000 individuals every year, and the best-selling author of The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions: A Conversation about Education, Parenting, and Race.

This is a youth-led forum, powered by student voices.\r\n\r\nFrom center stage to the sports arena, athletes and public figures have long used their platforms to do more than entertain. They have used their voices to lead, challenge, and inspire change. This youth-led forum explores how some of Cleveland's most recognizable names have influenced the city's culture, conversations, and commitment to justice.\r\n\r\nFrom the legacy of Congressman Louis Stokes' fight for fair representation and voting rights to the 1967 Cleveland Summit, when prominent Black athletes took a public stand for their beliefs, Cleveland has a deep history of leadership that connects sports, civic engagement, and advocacy. Today, new generations of athletes, artists, and influencers continue that tradition, using their visibility to push for equity, uplift communities, and redefine what civic leadership looks like.\r\n\r\nPanelists and students will discuss how influence can create real impact, what responsibility comes with a public platform, and how young people can learn from these examples to shape the next chapter of Cleveland's story.

Becoming a successful entrepreneur and maintaining success in a startup business has its own unique set of systemic and structural challenges. Many of those challenges start well before the hunt for investors and developers begins. Often, the toughest barriers can be found in simply trying to meet basic needs for themselves, or their families. Access to food, wraparound services, and community health can make a significant difference at the start of any entrepreneurial endeavor. Add to this, access to education, key resources, technology, and quality mentorship can truly make the difference between an idea launched, or shelved. What can we learn about the work being done here in Northeast Ohio that is truly breaking barriers, and building futures in entrepreneurship?\r\n\r\nTiffany Cashon is a Senior Director at Case Western Reserve University\'s think[box] is a seven story makerspace and entrepreneurship ecosystem that is free and open to the public. Opened in 2015, its goal is to bring together resources for venture creation and entrepreneurship under one roof.\r\n\r\nKate Fox Nagel is Chief Executive Officer of MetroHealth Community Health Centers. Launched in 2018, the centers support inclusive and equitable community wellbeing in collaboration with other critical community organizations.\r\n\r\nTiffany Scruggs is the VP of Community Access and Executive Director of Community Resource Center at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Opened in 2022, the Community Resource Center serves as a one-stop shop for a healthy choice food pantry and to connect with over a dozen social service partners all under one roof.\r\n\r\nModerated by Renee Richard\r\nPresident and CEO of Corporate College, Cuyahoga Community College

As the nation readies itself for what could turn into the longest federal government shutdown in history, 42 million people - or about 1 in 8 - are bracing for a pause in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Here in Cuyahoga County, 190,000 residents receive SNAP benefits. Funding for the program will run out starting on November 1st. Regardless of whether the government reopens or Congress passes a SNAP funding bill, changes to SNAP eligibility and work requirements will take effect beginning November 1-impacting immigrants, families with teenage children, and others.\r\n\r\n\r\nFood Banks across the nation are readying to meet increased demand. Yet, SNAP provides about nine times the amount of food aid compared to food banks. Add to this, 1.4 million federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay, stressing household budgets and driving up food insecurity. How are area organizations managing the increased demand? And how can we support the region\'s wrap-around services to become more resilient in the face of external pressures? \r\nSpeakers: Annette Iwamoto\r\nDirector, Cuyahoga Human Services Chamber, Center for Community Solutions\r\nPatrick Kearns\r\nExecutive Director, Re:Source Cleveland\r\nDavid Merriman\r\nDirector, Cuyahoga County Department of Health and Human Services\r\nModerator\r\nGabriel Kramer\r\nReporter/Producer, Ideastream Public Media

In the 1960s, John Lewis led the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, committed to the belief, as the New York Times put it, \"that allowing himself to be beaten nearly to death in public would hasten the collapse of Southern apartheid.\" Which is more or less what happened, most notably at Bloody Sunday.\r\n\r\nJohn Lewis would go on to lose leadership of SNCC and decades later win election to Congress, representing Georgia from 1987 until his death in 2020.\r\n\r\nIn a moment in which our nation seems defined by both national politics and the activism those politics provoke, Congressman Lewis\' life offers a model of resistance, optimism, and leadership, one that ultimately changed our nation for the better.\r\n\r\nAs part of the City Club\'s 2025 Annual Meeting, join us as Thompson Hine\'s Robyn Minter Smyers leads a conversation with biographer David Greenberg on John Lewis\'s remarkable life and the lessons it holds for all of us.

Known for his no-BS approach, irreverent sense of humor, and love of unicorns, Vu Le is the writer of the popular blog NonprofitAF.com. He is known for his satirical approach to calling out and unpacking challenges in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Through humor, he says the quiet part out loud, underscoring many of the silent frustrations of nonprofit professionals.\r\n\r\nIn his latest book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector, Vu Le goes where many dare not. It is a guide for nonprofit leaders, professionals, and donors seeking to completely reimagine the way nonprofits think, operate, and make an impact. Each chapter delves into a specific area of work - including fundraising, boards, and hiring - analyzes the challenges, and provides concrete solutions for change.\r\n\r\nVu Le is also the former executive director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by supporting leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration among diverse communities.

This is the inaugural forum in The Kathryn J. Lincoln Series, a new annual series being presented in partnership with Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.\r\n\r\nFor the last several years, LAND studio, in collaboration with the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation (NCWDC), has attempted to pin down an elusive solution that connects the city to its lakefront. Announced in 2023, the North Coast master plan was developed after numerous workshops, public forums, and community input. This summer, the project secured $960,000 from the Department of Transportation\'s BUILD program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.\r\n\r\nNow, the project has wrapped the planning phase and is firmly entering the next era-it\'s time to do the work. Looking at peer cities that are further along in their own waterfront projects, what best practices can we learn, how were they successful, and how can we all prepare to get the job done?

Can Artificial Intelligence, or AI, make us all better off? Currently, experts anticipate shifts across various industries and occupations. They believe it is time to prepare workers, institutions, and ecosystems for the impact of AI on jobs.\r\n\r\nTiffany Hsieh is director of innovation programs in the Incubation practice at JFFLabs. She is responsible for strategy and operations for the launch of the Center for Artificial Intelligence & the Future of Work-which convenes stakeholders across sectors to shape the national dialogue on AI and the future of work and learning. Leading with discovery, design, and action, the Center ensures AI accelerates access to quality jobs by shaping policy, practice, and investment in innovative solutions.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we gather for the fifth annual Deborah Vesy Systems Change Champion Award forum, in partnership with the Deaconess Foundation, to discuss the evolution of AI, the promise of its use in workforce development, and its implications for the future of work.

Dr. Warren G. Morgan will deliver his annual State of the Schools address at a pivotal time for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The district is looking to improve on strong academic gains from last year, while also addressing the enrollment declines of recent decades and expanding opportunities for better student experiences across all schools.