Culture + Community + Culinary Arts = Culture.CLE
Culture.CLE is a nonprofit organization focused on creating a community that values diversity and appreciation for the local immigrant and refugee population by promoting immigrant-owned small businesses. Culture.CLE creates spaces that allow for open conversation and opportunity to comfortably experience other cultures and communities. One of its’ approaches is to bring together groups around food - a universally important component of culture. Given that many cultures have a strong connection to food and the time spent around the table, the monthly dinner series featuring ethnic culinary businesses is a prime way to both support small businesses and educate people on other cultures.
Culture.CLE understands the value that the restaurant industry brings by offering a path to entrepreneurship and meaningful employment opportunities for many minorities. By supporting these local, minority-owned culinary businesses we are helping generate a new customer base for years to come for these small businesses. The 50+ restaurants owned and operated by Cleveland’s immigrant and refugee population assists these newer communities in thriving in Cleveland and also adds flavor to the existing community. These businesses greatly contribute to Cleveland’s reputation as a foodie town. Simultaneously, they also help enrich a sense of place for ethnic minorities by offering a slice of familiarity from their country of origin.
Central Kitchen and Culture.CLE formed a partnership to create an authentic dining experience that would offer a unique opportunity to learn about international cultures at its’ beautiful kitchen event space. The location gives participants an intimate look into a culture by allowing them to experience being in the kitchen and chatting over regional drinks with a different ethnic chef each month.
In the dinner series first event, Chef David Ina from Zaytoon Lebanese Kitchen taught guests how to prepare a number of traditional foods and what spices make the flavors unique to a Levantine cuisine. Event guests left with: a brief overview of the history of the Lebanese culture/community/ethnicity, a history of the food, a live demonstration of how to traditionally prepare the foods, unique cultural dining customs and, where to buy and dine these foods locally.
Culture.CLE’s monthly newsletter ties together the dinner series with the larger mission by promoting the chef’s small business. The newsletter includes recipes and menus from the featured chef and connects to the nonprofit’s second component, the international book club. Soon the book club will align with the dinner series and participants will have the option to immerse themselves in a culture through literature and food! Upcoming cultures include Honduran (4/30), Congolese (5/21) and Northern Indian (6/25), and a larger line-up soon to come. So why wait for a vacation, when you can experience 50+ cultures unique cuisines without ever leaving the 216?
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Written by Samantha A. Peddicord
Meet Our Newest Board Member: Colin R. Jennings, Esq.
"Cleveland has always been a City that welcomes newcomers, and it has profited greatly culturally and economically from being open and inclusive. As a new member of the Global Cleveland Board, I want to make sure that this great tradition remains a core part of our City, and to help facilitate the creation of opportunities for newcomers and their families within Cleveland. Growth and opportunity are key to our City’s continued success. We need to harness and support the great institutions and businesses that attract talented people to Cleveland from around the global, and in turn we provide opportunities to attract talented individuals to these public and private institutions. By recognizing and developing these mutual benefits, we can see our City and region continue to grow and prosper in the world economy."
Learn more about Colin, by reading his full bio below:
Colin R. Jennings has been selected as primary outside counsel for global compliance work by more than 35 public and privately held global companies, and regularly provides guidance and counseling in connection with these companies’ ongoing compliance efforts for both their domestic and international operations, including, when necessary, investigation and defense of compliance-related concerns.
Colin’s experience includes conducting independent reviews of the structure, operation and performance of established compliance programs. Colin regularly conducts compliance reviews and internal investigations throughout the US and globally. His advice on the design, implementation and assessment of compliance programs is informed by extensive internal investigations Colin has conducted and his experience in litigating claims arising from compliance-related matters. Colin regularly presents on global compliance programs, and is the author of numerous articles and chapters on the topic.
Colin has successfully tried numerous civil and criminal matters in various federal and state courts. His active litigation practice focuses on complex civil and criminal matters, including responses to governmental investigations and enforcement actions. As a natural extension of his compliance and litigation practice, Colin has an active data privacy and breach response practice. He regularly interacts with federal, state and international authorities concerning data breaches, and coordinates the forensic analysis and resulting claims or litigation that inevitably follow a breach.
Colin’s criminal practice involves representing public and private corporations and business professionals in response to criminal or regulatory investigations. Throughout the US and globally, he conducts internal investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, fraud or other business crimes, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, False Claims Act, Economic Espionage Ace, OFAC sanctions, money laundering and cybercrimes.
In addition, Colin has diverse and extensive experience in complex civil litigation arising from matters of fraud, abuse and criminal misconduct. This work includes the regular representation of professional athletes and other high-net-worth individuals who are the victims of fraud and violations of trust. Colin has represented athletes in all major sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA and LPGA.
Colin is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Ohio Super Lawyers.
Colin is the former chair of the Certified Grievance Committee for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) and has served as trial counsel for the CMBA in various attorney discipline matters. He is also the former chair and a member of the leadership team for the CMBA’s Criminal Law Section, and a member of the John M. Manos Inn of Court.
Ohio City Farm’s 2019 CSA Registration Now Open
Located at Bridge Ave & W 24th St, the Ohio City Farm is Cleveland’s premier urban farm, offering fresh vegetables and herbs as well as added value items such as raw honey, dried spices, and fresh bread all produced on the farm by local refugees using organic methods. One of the best ways to get in on the action is to join the farm’s Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). The CSA is a weekly opportunity to access in-season produce harvested at its peak quality and thoughtfully packaged each week just for you.
We offer two CSA share sizes and pickup locations on both the East and West sides. Visit our website at http://www.ohiocityfarm.com for more details and to purchase your share!
All CSA members receive 20% discount on all refugee response events, including our popular annual REAP the Benefit street festival.
Global Teen Performance Project: Found in Flight
Cleveland Public Theatre in partnership with Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy of the Cleveland Metropolitan School district presents
Global Teen Performance Project: Found in Flight
March 14 & 15
Teenagers from different corners of the world arrive at the airport ready to travel the globe, reunite with family, and make a new home. Flight delays and changing plans compel the travelers to reach out for help and find community in the kindness of strangers. In sharing their personal stories, they find they are not alone despite traveling to an unfamiliar country and being separated from family. Found in Flight, an original performance based on the experiences of 11 international teenagers from 7 countries, is a story of finding footing, forging new pathways, and discovering the power of friendship and family. Global Teen Performance Project participants risk by sharing their path while uncovering commonality as they look to each other for guidance and community.
Found in Flight features original stories and performances created by Global Teen Performance Project, students from Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy, ages 14-19. This performance is the culmination of a rigorous and collaborative after-school rehearsal process between students and CPT teaching artists, with the support and involvement of the school's teachers and staff. Together they have created an original work of theatre based on the students' stories and cultures, and their experiences as newcomers in the U.S. Global Teen Performance Project seeks to enhance cross-cultural understanding among a diverse group of international teens and their new Cleveland community.
7:00pm, CPT's James Levin Theatre.
Tickets: FREE
$5 suggested donation
The Creative Production Team:
Adam Seeholzer – Director & Program Manager
Lexy Lattimore – Assistant Director
Anastasía Urozhaeva – Teaching Artist
Inda Blatch-Geib – Costume & Scenic Designer
Val Kozlenko – Set Construction
For more information visit https://www.cptonline.org/performances/seasons/2018-2019/global-teen-performance-project/?dm_i=4W7A,4UH1,25E9R5,I80G,1
I Moved to Shanghai to Work for Disney!
I moved abroad to Shanghai, China at the end of August 2018. The decision to work and live abroad in Shanghai was motivated by a job opportunity with The Walt Disney Company. I started working for the company in May 2014 as a performer through the college program at Walt Disney World in Orlando. I was intrigued to see how a company as big as Disney functioned in China compared to in the United States. I work as an English teacher for young children through Disney’s extracurricular English program known in China as Disney English. In 2017, China’s extracurricular education market exceeded $4 billion. Many Chinese parents are eager to enroll their children in an extracurricular program to give them a head start in school. Disney English has created their program as a standout among the many other English learning programs throughout China. Shanghai itself is an incredible city. There is a fascinating contrast throughout the city in almost every area. Take, for example, the food. Within the same block, you will likely find carts selling cooked chicken feet, a common street food, and McDonald’s selling some of the exact burgers as in the US. You see the same contrast on the roads, which will be swept by hand with brooms made of bamboo branches, as Teslas and Rolls Royces drive by. It is a unique opportunity to live somewhere growing at a rate as fast as Shanghai, and I’m glad I made the decision to take on the challenge. While many cultural aspects in China including the language and food are still foreign to me, both experiences of working for Disney and living abroad have helped me appreciate how universal many of the classic Disney lessons are. Disney characters and their stories are beloved by the Chinese the same way they are by Americans.
We Are The Champions
Several weeks ago our community was ranked the number one community in the United States in which to become a fully naturalized US citizen. This A+ grade was given to us by Boundless, a policy shop in Seattle. This is a really big deal; it shows how a geography served by the Northern Ohio Federal District Court can attain the highest designation precisely because of our nature. Cleveland is a hard working, nose to the paper place. Our Court and those who serve the United States in the capacity as government employees take their work very seriously. The processing time is fast, the judges are awesome, the office that processes the large caseloads takes every opportunity to treat our newest newcomers with professionalism and expediency. We are also blessed to have some of the most astute immigration attorneys in the nation, women and men who went to law school and mastered one of the most complex aspects of the law. Add to this a multi cultural multi ethnic metropolis that provides affinity and welcome to people whose ancestry is shared and you have a designation that speaks to what is possible.
At Global Cleveland we have been attending each and every naturalization ceremony since June of 2016. We have met and hugged and selfied with people from over 100 different nations. We have provided official certificates of welcome from our civic leadership and added value to these newest citizens’ journeys with information on how to start a business, where to turn if one needs economic development assistance, and mostly an embrace and a gratitude for the almost 12,000 people who have pledged an oath to the United States from the courthouse room here in downtown Cleveland.
There are three things to note:
1. Thousands of people every year are choosing to become US Citizens and doing so here in Northeast Ohio.
2. Four times a month Global Cleveland shows up to this most magical hour to witness and support the newest US Citizens beginning this chapter of their lives. WE ALWAYS WELCOME VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US. PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME AT [email protected] TO LEARN MORE. It will change your life.
3. It’s good to be number one.
Thanks to you for making us the best. Let’s keep the streak alive!
Joe Cimperman, President of Global Cleveland
Volunteers for Professional Connection Program
Among various volunteer opportunities at Global Cleveland, Professional Connection program also includes a volunteering opportunity. Global Cleveland Professional Connection Volunteers are professionals working in Greater Cleveland area, from a variety of industries and with unique backgrounds. Their rich experience and thoughtful insight in their industries are the core asset to this program.
When an international job seeker (immigrant, refugee and/or international student) requests professional connection service, they will be paired with professional connection volunteer(s) based on similar professional backgrounds and interests.
What are your responsibilities as s GC Professional Connection volunteer?
- Meet an international job seeker based on their interest/industry
- Share your professional experience and how you get into the industry
- Give suggestions/advice on their resume
- Take mock interview
- Encourage them to ask you questions they are uncertain about
- Explain them the importance of networking and help them connect to your network.
If you are interested in becoming Professional Connection volunteer and help international job seekers, please contact Supriya Tamang at [email protected]
