The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

A lifelong Ohioan, and born in Cleveland, Congressman Dave Joyce graduated with his Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton and worked as a public defender before serving as the Geauga County Prosecutor for 25 years. In November of 2012, Congressman Joyce was elected to represent the 14th Congressional District of Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives and is currently in his sixth term. In January 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.\r\n\r\nThroughout his years, Congressman Joyce has championed bipartisan bills and efforts to combat pressing issues facing Ohioans--including ending sexual violence, supporting our Veterans, securing critical funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and ending the opioid epidemic. Mostly recently, Congressman Joyce introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Protect First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act, which aims to protect first responders from exposure to fentanyl and other dangerous drugs.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we hear from Congressman Joyce on his priorities for the 118th Congress, and his plans to put policy over politics and work across the aisle to find solutions to the challenges facing the lives and livelihoods of Northeast Ohio families.

What is the future of Cleveland? And who will have access to contribute to its growth? It\'s clear the city is emerging as a tech hub, and rapidly growing its network of startup businesses and entrepreneurs. Yet, equitable access to capital and growth opportunities continues to lag, particularly in BIPOC communities, highlighting deficits in the tech and startup ecosystem. It begs us to ask what can be done differently to leverage the talent, grit, and passion of the next generation of all of Cleveland.\r\n\r\nFutureLAND believes taking a home-grown approach should be part of the solution. They view their work as not just a conference, but a movement driven by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. They aim to make Cleveland a leading destination for founders of color looking to build their startups in an environment where they can thrive.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the Happy Dog in Cleveland\'s Gordon Square neighborhood as we hear how to transform Cleveland's innovation and tech ecosystem, and together, build Cleveland's future.

Released in 2022, The Blueprint for Ohio's Economic Future is a comprehensive report that focuses on the key areas for economic growth and improvement for the state of Ohio. The report focuses on six strategic areas of opportunity to increase Ohio's competitiveness, and produces recommendations and policy solutions that aim to drive economic growth in the state. Providing these recommendations is The Ohio Chamber of Commerce--the state's leading business organization whose mission is to aggressively champion free enterprise, economic competitiveness, and growth for the benefit of all Ohioans.\r\n\r\nSteve Stivers was selected to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce as President and CEO in May 2021. Prior to joining the Ohio Chamber, Stivers represented Ohio's 15th Congressional District from 2011 until May 2021. He served on the Financial Services Committee and was the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we hear from Steve Stivers on what it will take to tackle the next frontier of challenges and opportunities for Ohio's business community.

With the political landscape of the United States is ever evolving, Gen Z is finding themselves asking, "What's next?"\r\n\r\nRank choice voting, the possibility of a true third-party contender, changing voting habits, more diverse ballots and more are issues now front-and-center in American politics. Compounding all of the issues being brought to the forefront is the issue of the lack of youth in politics-despite this past election having the first Gen Z elected official. A September poll by CBS News found 47 percent of Americans site the lack of young people in politics as a immediate concern. Further, 9 in 10 Americans believe there should be an age cut off to be president.\r\n\r\nRank choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting or preferential voting, is a voting system believed to be an answer to our current voting system. The system allows voters to rank their second, third, and, so on, choice for an open political seat. So far, only Alaska and Maine use this system in federal elections. However, if expanded, could this bring about a more diverse, inclusive ballot, better reflecting the U.S. population overall.\r\n\r\nHow should this new generation of voting Americans handle this new frontier of American politics? What changes could be made and implemented to be sure voting Americans truly feel their voice are heard, while also being sure our ballots truly reflect the most pressing and pertinent issues in the U.S.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as the Youth Forum Council welcomes a panel to discuss the future of American politics.

Black philanthropy is ever present, vibrant, and is deeper than just charitable acts of kindness or dollars. In 2019, The Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland (TSOPCLE) vividly displayed the power of African American philanthropy, and centered Cleveland's Black community in a national conversation on humanity, giving back, and transformational change. Ever since, Cleveland has been Celebrating Those Who Give Black and challenging the narrative of Black Cleveland as beneficiaries of philanthropy versus benefactors.\r\n\r\nThe movement catalyzed by TSOPCLE, inspired the establishment of the Cleveland Black Equity and Humanity Fund to support and facilitate investment in causes and issues that promote and support Black-led social and economic change throughout northeast Ohio. How can the intersection of humanity, equity, and giving black help further bolster equitable outcomes and opportunities for Cleveland's Black community?\r\n\r\nJoin us for a conversation with Cleveland\'s Mayor Justin Bibb and Connie Hill-Johnson, Board Chairperson of The Cleveland Foundation. This forum is presented by the Cleveland Black Equity and Humanity Fund powered by The Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland.

Lenore Anderson has built her career on reforming criminal justice, both in her previous position as chief of policy in the San Francisco District Attorney\'s Office and in her current role as co-founder and president of Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ). In her debut book, In Their Names: The Untold Story of Victims' Rights, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety, Anderson examines how the United States' focus on victims' rights often perpetuates mass incarceration. She argues that bureaucrats justify increased incarceration under the guise of public safety, rather than creating solutions to better serve crime victims.\r\n\r\n"The fact that decades of increased investments in criminal justice have been justified in service of protecting victims of crime, when most crime victims haven't seen the justice system offer any real protection or help, is perhaps the most sinister aspect and irony of mass incarceration," Anderson writes in the introduction. Booklist called In Their Names a "well-researched, results-driven, and readable work" that "challenges ideas of victimhood and offers a way forward from mass incarceration to true public safety."\r\n\r\nAnderson is also the founder of Californians for Safety and Justice, the statewide flagship of ASJ. In 2014, she chaired and co-authored a California ballot initiative to reduce incarceration and reallocate prison spending to programs addressing mental health, drug treatment, education, and victim services.\r\n\r\nLenore Anderson and Brenda Glass will be joined on stage with Shakyra Diaz, Chief of Federal Advocacy at ASJ to discuss how state leaders and advocates can create effective public safety solutions that replace over-incarceration.

Native Americans are these land\'s first scientists and innovators. In fact, more than fifty present-day medications used across the globe have been developed using traditional Native medicines. And Indigenous teachings continue to fuel innovative solutions to modern-day issues. From designing and building renewable energy infrastructure, to developing hybrid electric commercial aircraft--Native Americans today have left lasting marks on science and technology for the benefit of all.\r\n\r\nJust last October, NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann became the first Native American woman to go into space. Her historic flight on NASA\'s SpaceX Crew-5 mission has also reignited a conversation about Native women\'s role in STEM. Many tribes still maintain a matrilineal structure, where women hold the power and decision-making authority among their people, and are often heads of houses. Investing in Native women in STEM has the power to improve families and communities, yet Native women still face barriers with access to STEM careers.\r\n\r\nFounded in 1977, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a national nonprofit organization that aims to reverse this trend. Now in its 45th year, AISES supports 230 pre-college schools and 196 college and university chapters in the U.S. and Canada. To date, AISES has awarded nearly $12 million in academic scholarships, and counting.\r\n\r\nSarah EchoHawk, a citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, has led AISES as CEO since 2013. Prior to joining AISES, she served as the Executive Vice President of First Nations Development Institute, a national nonprofit organization with a focus on economic development for Indigenous people.

What if you could pull back the curtain on the world\'s most powerful consulting firm? In their new book, When McKinsey Comes to Town, two investigative reporters for The New York Times take a close look at McKinsey & Company, an international consulting firm that advises governments and corporations. By gathering tens of thousands of documents and conducting hundreds of interviews, Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe outline how McKinsey's public image as a prestigious company sits in stark contrast to the work it does behind closed doors.\r\n\r\nHas this work made the world more unequal, more corrupt, and more dangerous? Shielded by NDAs, the authors expose how McKinsey has escaped public scrutiny despite its role in advising tobacco and vaping companies, purveyors of opioids, repressive governments, oil companies, and more.\r\n\r\nWalt Bogdanich joined The New York Times in 2001. He is the recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes for specialized reporting, national reporting, and investigative reporting. Michael Forsythe joined the Times in 2014 after more than a decade Bloomberg News. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.\r\n\r\nJoin the City Club as we hear from these two authors on the consequences of increased power and unchecked influence from one of the world\'s largest consulting firms.

Every other year, the U.S. State Department hosts an open call for applicants to curate an exhibition to be presented at the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Archittetura. It\'s a competitive process, featuring as many as 75 countries, and those selected are considered some of the best in the world. This year\'s exhibition will take place May 20 through November 26, 2023, and a proposal submitted by a small local nonprofit art gallery, SPACES was selected for the U.S. pavilion--thrusting Cleveland into the spotlight of international art and design.\r\n\r\nSPACES\' theme Everlasting Plastics is rooted in an exploration of plastic as a single material with infinite forms. It aims to ignite a critical conversation about the ways that plastics both shape and erode contemporary ecologies and economies, while also suggesting possible alternatives for the ways in which plastics are used.\r\n\r\nJoin the City Club at the Happy Dog in Gordon Square for a panel conversation with the Gund Foundation\'s Jennifer Coleman on Everlasting Plastics, and Cleveland\'s prominence at the acclaimed Venice Biennale.

At a time when America is facing immense polarization, there are lessons to be learned from other nations that have faced similar challenges. From South Africa to Northern Ireland, other societies have struggled with intense divisions that nearly tore them apart. What solutions worked for countries like South Africa that Americans can consider to reconcile our own divisions? And what does truth and reconciliation look like here in our own country with its own history of colonization and slavery?\r\n\r\nRoelf Meyer is known for his role as the South African government's chief representative in the 1993 negotiations to end apartheid and establish a democratic country. He served in the cabinet of former President Nelson Mandela, and later became secretary-general of the National Party. In 1997 he co-founded the United Democratic Movement. Meyer consulted on international peace processes in Kosovo, Myanmar, Northern Ireland, and Rwanda, among others.\r\n\r\nMohammed Bhabha is a former Member of Parliament, qualified attorney, and experienced negotiator. He was part of the African National Congress (ANC) team at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA), and later as part of the agreements on the final South African Constitution. Mohammed has worked on transitional and constitutional support projects in Kenya, South Sudan, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Palestine, Bahrain, and Zimbabwe.\r\n\r\nJoin the City Club of Cleveland for a conversation led by Carina Van Vliet with the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, and two renowned world leaders who were instrumental in ending apartheid in South Africa on lessons that we can apply to current American divisions.