Meet Zhenting: From China to Cleveland, From Intern to Vice President
As a native of China, Zhenting brings the first-hand experience in American immigration. Zhenting began as an intern at Cleveland International Fund (CiF), then rose steadily up the ranks to Market Analyst, Operations Manager and now serves as Vice President. CiF is a proven EB-5 Regional Center that connects foreign investors seeking U.S. residency (“green card”) to quality real estate projects. The EB-5 Program is an Immigrant Investor program that provides a method for qualified foreign nationals to receive a permanent US Green Card if they make a $500,000 USD investment into a qualified, job-creating project. As of today, CiF has raised and invested more than $248 million in successful projects and thus preserved over 15,000 jobs in Northeast Ohio. CiF was founded in 2009 and Zhenting has been working for CiF since 2010.
At CiF, Zhenting is responsible for the daily management and monitoring of investment projects, investor relations and immigration process. He reviews all the investment offering materials, establishes and executes operations protocols, manages all the project escrow accounts, and ensures the up-to-date account activity and fund flow monitoring. In terms of investor relations, Zhenting leads the establishment and implementation of the client management system, which is CiF’s proprietary database used to maximize the accuracy and efficiency of company operations.
Moreover, Zhenting is a co-founder of Cleveland Chinese Entrepreneur Association, a professional organization bringing Chinese entrepreneurs to Cleveland and Cleveland to China. Together with his entrepreneur partners from both Cleveland and China, Zhenting further established a Chinese network platform ("Sun Tribe", a social media platform on smartphone), which currently covers the whole Chinese community in the Greater Cleveland area. As the new generations are used to do everything on smartphones, Zhenting and his partners are now cooperating with the mobile payment services from China and aiming to help businesses in the US tackle payment barriers to the Chinese consumers, processing and settling cross-border payments into US dollars.
In 2018, Zhenting is selected by Crain's Cleveland Business for the prestigious “Forty Under 40" group. When asked the reason why choosing Cleveland, Zhenting said it is actually his honor to be selected and accepted by this city. This city offered him one opportunity to stay and now it is his pleasure to bring investments and jobs back to this beautiful place.
Zhenting earned his Bachelor’s degree from Nankai University in China and two Master’s degrees in business administration and accounting from Cleveland State University. Zhenting lives in the eastern suburb of Cleveland with his wife from Taiwan and they have a lovely daughter Mia.
The 9th Annual International Holiday Celebration!
Greater Clevelanders are invited to the 9th Annual International Cleveland EXPO on Friday, December 7th – described by past participants as the “best” celebration of the area’s diversity.
This year the EXPO is hosted by La Villa Conference and Banquet Center at 11500 Brookpark Road in Cleveland. The parking is FREE and plentiful.
The event begins at 6 PM and continues until 10 PM. Special features include: a buffet of international foods, DJ Chris Koch with an international dance party, and special appearances by “Paprika” – Russian Women’s Dance Ensemble, the “Cuyahoga Cossacks” – Russian Male Chorus, Lebanese Folk Dancers with Middle Eastern melodies and Polynesian dancers performing the Hula, Tahitian, and other Pacific Island dances to warm up any cold evening.
The event is open to all. Online advance tickets are $10 per person which include food. Onsite admission is $15 per person and students are $5 with a school ID. Cash bars will be available!
Wear your traditional outfits and be part of the International Fashion Show!
RSVP: www.ICC-WIN.org
Credit cards and Paypal available.
Guest Blog: How Studying Abroad Changed My Life!
To expand my perspective and learn from experience and to take a fun break from school, I took the advantage of the opportunity to study abroad twice during my time as an undergraduate at Ohio University. My sophomore year, I participated in a Global Public Health Program in Costa Rica and my senior year I participated in a service project in Jamaica.
These two trips motivated me to view my life and career more creatively, examine my purpose and think about what difference I really want to make in the world. The pieces didn't come together all at once, but the conversations I had, everything I experienced and the people I met shifted my perspective.
In Costa Rica, people speak Spanish, so I was ready to practice my skills every chance I got. My most used phrases were:
"Where's the bathroom?"
"I'll have chicken, please." and
"Party on the beach!"
When I chose the program, my major was biological sciences and I planned to become a Physical Therapist. So I thought it was a great opportunity to study health practices in another country. It was interesting, but I didn't really enjoy learning about it as much as I hoped I would.
Back story: My freshman year, I took the intro biological sciences class and failed literally every exam! I decided to drop the class, to avoid getting an F on my transcript. I thought, "Hey, quit while you're ahead!"
My experience in Costa Rica was so much fun! This was my first time flying in an airplane so I was super excited about that! I got to leave the country! We stayed at a hotel in the capital city San Jose, we also stayed on an island for a few nights where we slept in cool tents and celebrated the New Year. The island was my favorite, we travelled by boat to get everywhere we went. How cool is that!
We participated in some exciting excursions as well, snorkeling in the ocean, visiting a rainforest, zip lining through a forest, dinner at a restaurant on the top of a mountain, hiking through a mountain trail, flying in a mini airplane over the beautiful waters and mountains, it was such nice experience.
While staying on the island, a woman who was on vacation told our group about what she did for a living. She was from England and she got her Masters degree in Education and she travelled around the world teaching. She told us she genuinely loved traveling and teaching, so she created a way to make a career out of her passions. This sounded so fun and interesting to me and I asked more about her career journey, her future goals and plans and why she was doing it all.
My interest was peaked after hearing about how she earned her living traveling around the world, teaching, building relationships, learning and helping people. This was in 2013, when I knew very little about entrepreneurship and starting a business. I thought "That's beautiful, I need to do something I genuinely love doing too." So I switched my major to Communication Studies to pursue a career in marketing and public relations because it would be fun and I could be creative and I'd be able work in any industry, because everyone needs marketing and PR.
However, now that I am a lot further along in my career than I was in 2013, I am honing in on the career that best fits my skill set and personality. I am passionate about seeing families thrive and bypass the barriers of work and bills and experience the mindset shift that empowers them to pursue their true dreams. So my goal is to create tools and stepping stones, in the form of personal and professional development workshops and housing programs, to help people live out their full potential and accomplish their goals.
Moral of the story, my studying abroad experience was life changing! Studying abroad was a great way to take a creative vacation for winter break that was beneficial for my career and I earned class credit hours by doing it! It helped me think about my career path and determine what I really want to do and I had so much fun.
I encourage every college student to take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. Seek out scholarship resources, talk to family and friends as well as faculty and staff to get funding! Do what is necessary to experience the world through a study abroad program that will help you earn credit towards earning your degree.
Problem Solvers: Making An Impact in Greater Cleveland
Members of Design for America have found plenty to improve upon in and around University Circle. They helped the Ronald McDonald House organize its donations using spreadsheets, streamlined the recycling process at a campus café, and developed a pedometer that encourages the elderly to use their walkers.
But as the local studio begins its sixth year, DFA members say they’re ready to make a broader impact in Greater Cleveland. The volunteer group—made up of students from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art-- is extending a wide welcome to its campus showcase December 7. It’s hoping to attract more off-campus community groups and causes in need of change agents.
“We identify problems and try to design solutions,” said Jasmine Lee, the studio lead for the CWRU-CIA chapter of Design for America. “We bring students from diverse backgrounds to every project. We’re donating our time because we want to make an impact.”
The chapter numbers about 50 students from CWRU and CIA. Engineering students make up the largest cohort. But Lee, a senior majoring in biology and psychology, does not feel out of place. Her teammates are aspiring scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, business managers and industrial designers.
They share a belief in innovation and a willingness to help. Sometimes, that’s enough.
The grassroots network began in 2009 at Northwestern University, where students were challenged to use design thinking to solve real-world problems. DFA chapters, or studios, spread to dozens of other campuses and emerged at CWRU in 2012.
Lee was walking through the Spring Student Activity Fair her freshman year, she recalled, when someone from the DFA table called out to her. “What do you think about designing for social good?”
“I was hooked right way,” she said. “I’m a biology major. But I really wanted to be creative and help people. This club is perfect for me.”
On her first project, she and teammates cooked up a meal at the nearby Ronald McDonald House, then helped the non-profit better organize its donations and contributions. They set up an Excel spreadsheet on an iPad and showed staff how to use it.
“Sometimes it’s a simple solution,” Lee said, smiling humbly.
A more recent project tapped both design skill and empathy. A DFA team worked with staff from Medline Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, to address the problem of elderly persons not using their walkers as often as they should.
Working with a local focus group of seniors, the students identified a stigma issue.
“They don’t want to start using it until they see other people using it,” Lee said. “There’s a huge emotional component.”
The solution? The students devised a pedometer for walkers, a device that allows walker-users to count their steps, set goals, and engage in friendly competition.
They called their device the “Geri-active.” Medline has said it is pursuing a patent.
“We start small but think big,” Lee said.
Sunniva Collins, an associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is the group’s advisor. She said the students are ready to tackle larger projects farther afield and that an upcoming showcase offers a great opportunity to see what student designers can do.
The Design Spotlight will showcase team projects and personal startups as it celebrates innovation beginning at 5:30 pm. Friday, December 7, at Sears think[box]. DFA is extending an invitation to alumni, student groups, community groups and non-profit organizations—anyone with a worthy cause and a problem to solve.
Learn more about the Design Spotlight, and partnering with DFA, at the event’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/events/247753606092828/
The 2nd Annual InterCLE, Connecting International Young Professionals
On September 8, 2018 Global Cleveland held the 2nd Annual InterCLE event, a grand welcome for international students and young professionals in the region. All in attendance had the opportunity to engage with community organizations and to network with fellow international students. This event was sponsored by WKYC Channel 3, Margaret W. Wong & Associates, Case Western Reserve University, John Carroll University, Cleveland State University, Knez Homes, and Buckeye Business Products.
For those who couldn't make it, here's what you missed:
Attendance: 200 plus students
Nations represented: Ghana, Mexico, China, Nigeria, India, France, Somalia, Japan, India, Italy, Venezuela and more!
International Food Samples: Aladdin's Eatery, Nate's Dei, LiWah, Siam Cafe, Crust Pizza and Kan Zaman
Employers and Community Organizations: 18 including Cleveland Recruiting, Cleveland International Fund, The International Youth Leadership Foundation, Destination Cleveland, CAMEO, ICC-WIN, Mexicanos in Cleveland, Besides C Plus Compass, Margaret Wong & Associates, Ariel Ventures, Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Speakers: Guest speaker Margaret W. Wong, born in Hong Kong spoke about her journey to Cleveland and success becoming an award-winning practicing immigration lawyer. Attendees also heard from our panelists of international students, recent graduates and young professionals about "Why I Came to Cleveland and Why I Stayed." Attendees participated in an interactive activity guided by Valdis Krebs "Connect on Your Similarities, Benefit From Your Differences"
To see pictures from the event visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2131389260267580&type=1&l=705d22b4a3
If you would like to participate in 2019, there will be a College Council created early 2019 with representatives from the region to assist in planning. There will also be opportunities for sponsorships and information tables. Universities can hang their banners. Law firms, banks, insurance agencies and civic organizations can display and explain their services to bright young people from around the world. Contact [email protected]
Jose Antonio Vargas joins Cleveland Public Library for Writers & Readers
Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and a leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, joins Cleveland Public Library for Writers & Readers on Saturday, Oct 13th. In his recent memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, Vargas personalizes the experiences of life as of an undocumented immigrant in America.
In 2011, Jose Antonio Vargas revealed his life as an undocumented immigrant in an essay published in The New York Times Magazine, and he appeared a year later with other undocumented immigrants on the cover of Time Magazine in connection with a follow-up cover story that he wrote. As the political climate continues to fuel the storms around those in the United States without documentation, Vargas sparks conversation about both sides of this contentious issue. He produced and directed the feature film Documented as well as the MTV television special White People, which explored what it means to be young and white in an America of changing demographics. He is the founder and CEO of Define American, the nonprofit organization that uses the power of story to transcend politics and shifts the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in a changing America. His memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen (September 2018), promises to advance both his personal story and the larger conversation about American identity.
Register Here: https://cpl.org/eventsclasses/writers-readers/#vargas
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/15/648011874/dear-america-writes-a-pulitzer-winning-journalist-and-undocumented-immigrant
2018 International Life Changers Awards & Fundraising Dinner
Liberia Economic Development Initiative (LEDI) will host the 2018 International Life Changers Awards and Fundraising Dinner on Friday, October 26, 2018, at 5:30 PM at Cleveland State University Glasscock Family Ballroom, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. This celebration includes a dinner, silent auction, awards recognition, giveaways, live entertainment and so much more!
2018 LEDI International Life Changers Award Honorees:
Mrs. Nichelle McCall Browne, CEO, Bold Startups
Mr. Joe Cimperman, President, Global Cleveland
Mr. Kenneth J. Kovach, The Kenneth J. Kovach Company
Dr. Valerie J. McCall, Chief of Government and International Affairs
As LEDI's premiere event, this fundraiser will support the construction of modern public libraries and student scholarships in Liberia. Since 2007, LEDI has remained committed to providing life-changing programs to women and children in Liberia. We invite you to join us on this amazing journey as a supporter and vital partner, as we bring hope and literacy to Liberia – one child at a time, one book at a time, one library at a time!
For more information and tickets visit: https://ledifundraiser.yapsody.com/event/index/120411/2018-international-life-changers
Metrics Matter: Getting Our IQ (Immigrant Quotient) Up!
The New American Economy, an organization with whom Global Cleveland is proud to partner, recently produced a report detailing several measurements of cities across the United States and how well those cities welcome newcomers. A few facts first:
1. Studies like this are precisely essential now with the turmoil in policy due to our national government. While the typical human reaction is to retreat, this is the time when all of us need to do everything we can to convey the truth of newcomers’ power on our economy, communities, and regions.
2. This is the first effort like this and it is our hope that New American Economy builds on this monumental undertaking. Full disclosure, we have been huge fans of New American Economy since we met during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Along with Robert Frost, Chairman of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party and the national leadership from New American Economy (based out of New York City) Global Cleveland held several powerful forums around the vital importance of immigration, immigration reform and its impacts. We continue to work with New American Economy as we share values of inclusion, sound economic policy, community integration, and better legislation to expand the number of immigrants coming to America, and a means to make individuals participating in DACA/DREAMER programs to become permanent and full citizens of the United States.
3. The methodology is key. While I encourage you to look up this report yourself and see how Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Northeast Ohio stack up, there is a real method and metric to the research. It is important to understand all of it if we are to get the most value from the work.
There are a few clear paths to improvement: Policy inclusivity, socioeconomic job opportunities, and socioeconomic civic participation. In each of these categories, we achieved a score of 2 (or less) out of 5. There are 2 paths that show strength and must be reinforced and continued. For policy economic empowerment and socioeconomic livability, we scored the best we could, 5 out of 5. For all other categories we are in mid range. The headlines blared “Cleveland isn’t welcoming” and while I appreciate a juicy soundbite as much as the next reader, the truth is more serious, and the solutions more within our grasp and command, than one may initially surmise.
Needless to say we at Global Cleveland have a plan. We have already begun by deep diving into the report and its helpful ladders to climb. We also know that for what we are doing well we have to double down and not slip. We are in communication with New American Economy and true to our strong relationship they are helping us with best practices from other communities to make this report the map for our improvement that it is intended to be.
We know who we are as a community, and we know how much better we can be. We will be better, and we will need each and every person, we need you, to help us get there. Please read the New American Economy Cities Index and email me/text me/tweet me your thoughts: [email protected] ; 216-215-6765 ; or @joecimperman on Twitter.
Onward onward onward in and for this great place we call home, and a home with more seats around our dining room table for all who would come as we prepare to break bread.
Guest Blog: Windows to the World
Growing up as a Croatian-American, I have had the privilege to have my life enriched with culture in every way it can. However, living in the Cleveland area, it isn’t difficult to get a taste for the world right in our city. Between the hundreds of restaurants represented by a variety of nations, to the cultural gardens, and festivals and fairs year-round, it’s easy to experience different places close to home.
Something that adds a special touch to learning about any culture would definitely be having a working understanding of the language. Being able to speak Croatian shaped my whole life, and has played into all kinds of aspects. For example, my decision to study Spanish in high school and now minor in college and have a major in International Business was rooted in my ability to speak Croatian. The more languages you know, the easier it gets to learn even more. My ability to speak Spanish has led me to start learning Italian, which I have noticed comes much more naturally, being a fourth language. My appreciation of other cultures led to my decision to study abroad. If you’re reading this and you are a college student, I can’t emphasize enough how beneficial studying abroad is. Regardless of what may be holding you back, I guarantee there is a solution to it. There are scholarships offered within universities and through outside programs for those worried about the financial aspects, and there are summer programs for those that are worried about fitting study abroad into a busy class schedule. There is no better way to understand a culture than by completely immersing yourself, living in a foreign country and learning the language by being surrounded by it.
The link below is to an article outlining several different language learning programs, including details such as price (some free or very low cost!) to the number of languages offered. If you have access to a computer, you have the ability to learn another language. It’s no longer a necessity to have a formal experience by sitting in a classroom. In addition to the programs listed in the article, there are other ways to learn new languages for free. Youtube has many multilingual users who post videos, many of which involving language lessons. Watching movies in foreign languages is a way to immerse yourself from the comfort of your own home. Or, challenging yourself to translate and read short stories or children’s books in another language also prompts results. While it takes dedication, the benefits of exposing yourself to new points of view is a life skill, and is guaranteed to enlighten.
“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.”
-Chinese Proverb
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381904,00.asp
By: Zeljana Opacak
How Advocates Can Advance Immigrant Workforce Issues At The State and Local Level
The National Skills Coalition released a new report that gives state and local advocates fresh ideas for advancing policies to improve immigrant access to workforce and adult education services. At the Intersection of Immigration and Skills Policy: A Roadmap to Smart Policies for State and Local Leaders focuses on the fast-growing phenomenon of state Offices of New Americans and city Offices of Immigrant Affairs, and their intersection with public workforce and education agencies.
The report gives advocates practical examples of how state and local officials have invested in immigrant workers’ skills through programs and policies to date, and offers policy recommendations for how advocates can further advance immigrant workforce issues in their own communities. The report is relevant both for states and localities that have immigrant affairs offices, and those that do not.
Six states and 30 cities now have immigrant affairs offices, while more than 90 communities have launched “welcoming” initiatives, some of which are housed within municipal government. Skills issues are a notable and growing focus for many of these offices, both in response to constituent requests (e.g., for more English classes) and as a result of the overall direction and agenda set by the governor or mayor when establishing the office. Similarly, workforce issues are also on the radar screen for many local welcoming initiatives.
At the Intersection of Immigration and Skills Policy includes select examples of policies advanced by immigrant affairs offices to support the education and workforce goals of state residents, and provides recommendations for those offices to further expand their efforts.
The report also emphasizes the importance of ensuring that state policymakers capitalize on immigrant affairs offices’ expertise as they design and meet overall workforce goals, such as the postsecondary attainment goals that 40 states have established. (National Skills Coalition previously published 10 state-specific fact sheets on the importance of investing in immigrant skill-building to meet the demand for middle-skill workers and help states meet their credential attainment goals. Links to each are available on the immigration page of NSC’s website.)
Among the recommendations included in the At the Intersection report:
• For established offices of immigrant affairs: 1) designing formal mechanisms for immigrant-affairs offices to participate in workforce and education policy decision making; 2) exploring how non-skills issues can be a gateway to foster connections with other public agencies; 3) capitalizing on the convening power of public agencies; and more.
• For newly created offices of immigrant affairs: 1) Consider housing the office within a labor, education, or economic development agency; 2) build inclusion of US-born community members in from the beginning; 3) rather than fighting for a programmatic budget, fight for a seat at the table and ability to be a creative policy entrepreneur; and more.
• For workforce and education agencies: 1) “Cross-fertilize” business leaders’ input on immigration and skills policy goals; 2) incorporate an immigrant lens into state and local workforce data policy; 3) ensure that immigrant-owned businesses are specifically included in education and workforce policy efforts; and more.
View the complete recommendations and an array of examples from Maryland to Michigan and beyond in the full At the Intersection of Immigration and Skills Policy report.
By Timothy Walden, Welcoming America
