Welcoming Week Celebrates Cleveland’s Past and Future

Global Cleveland invites residents of Northeast Ohio to celebrate Welcoming Week, September 15 to 24, by participating in events and activities that recognize the region’s immigrant heritage and the cultures shaping our future.

Welcoming Week is celebrated each fall by hundreds of communities coast to coast under the guidance of Welcoming America, a non-profit group that promotes multicultural inclusion. Global Cleveland is proud to co-sponsor three events that capture the spirit of the week.

On September 15, we will help The City Club welcome Kavita Pawria-Sanchez, the Assistant Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs  for the City of New York, to its 2017 Constitution Day Forum. She will speak about the power of citizenship at a noon luncheon. (For reservations, go to www.cityclub.org.)

Pawria-Sanchez oversees efforts to advance immigrant inclusion across city government. Immigrants comprise more than 35 percent of the population of New York City and more than half of it small business owners. In contrast, Cleveland is about 5 percent foreign born.

Her office credits immigrants with boosting entrepreneurship, revitalizing neighborhoods, and making New York competitive in the global tech economy.

“Naturalization and citizenship is important, not just for the individuals who live here but also for the economic vitality of the city as a whole,” said Jazmin Long, who leads naturalization initiatives at Global Cleveland. “New York has shown that immigrants can be successfully integrated into a city, to everyone’s benefit.”

Joe Cimperman, the president of Global Cleveland, thinks Cleveland would see similar results.

“Our immigrant ancestors set the foundation for this great city,” he said. “We’re not New York City, but we’re still an outstanding destination for immigrants. We have a high quality of life and leaders who are eager to welcome new cultures.”

That welcoming spirit will be on display September 17 at the International Village Festival on Cleveland’s near west side. The festival celebrates International Village, Ohio’s first refugee-centric neighborhood.

The Metro West Community Development Organization is restoring abandoned homes and marketing them to families whose children attend Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy, the city’s English immersion school.

The festival will bring together the neighborhood’s established residents and newcomers for a multicultural potluck and storytelling led by Talespinner’s Children’s Theatre. It runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Michael Zone Recreation Center Pavilion, 6301 Lorain Avenue.

Finally, on Friday September 22, Global Cleveland will sponsor a lunchtime meet-up at an international restaurant with old world ambience. Meet Global Cleveland staff and friends at Emperor’s Palace, the flagship of Old Chinatown, at 2136 Rockwell Avenue, Cleveland. Let us know you’re coming by emailing [email protected].

by Global Cleveland

A Grand Welcome For Our International Students This Saturday!

Time for a grand welcome for our international students

Hundreds of international students are expected to descend upon InterCLE 2017 Saturday, September 9, at the Global Center for Health Innovation.

Northeast Ohio’s international students, an economic force waiting to be tapped, are being invited to a first-of-its-kind event September 9 at the Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland.

Young adults from around the world will descend on InterCLE 2017, where civic and business leaders will, for the first time, formally welcome them to the region.  The event will feature music, food, cultural demonstrations, networking with employers and an after-party in the Flats.

Organizers hope the welcome and the camaraderie will enhance the international student experience in Northeast Ohio and entice more of the world’s best and brightest to stay on after graduation and launch careers and businesses here.

The event is being presented by Global Cleveland in partnership with the Friends of Global Cleveland—a new, international young professionals group—and with the support of the City of Cleveland.

“We have an exceptional group of international students studying in Greater Cleveland,” said Yulu Li, president of the Friends of Global Cleveland. “But too many of them go home or leave for other parts of the country after graduation. We want them to know they are welcome in Cleveland and Akron and they can have a great life here.”

Li, a native of China, earned her master’s degree in public administration from Cleveland State University in 2014 before starting her career with Hanna Commercial Real Estate’s Corporate Services Group in downtown Cleveland.

She and other Friends describe Cleveland as a city that deserves to be better known around the world.

“Cleveland has been my home for the last 10 years, and there is no place as close to my heart,” said Omar Kurdi, the vice president of the Friends of Global Cleveland.

Kurdi, who holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Jordan, earned his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Cleveland State University in 2013 before starting his career in public relations and eventually becoming the CEO of Friends for Life Rehabilitation Services, an agency that provides services for adults with disabilities.

“Many of my friends who came as international students are now proud Clevelanders with thriving careers,” he said. “If this does not scream to the world that Cleveland is great, then I don’t know what will.”

More than 6,000 international students will arrive this fall at colleges and universities like CSU, Case Western Reserve, John Carroll, Kent State, Akron, Baldwin Wallace and Oberlin. Economic development experts say they could offer an advantage in the global economy. Compared to their native-born classmates, international student are more likely to:

• Earn degrees in the in-demand STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math
• Be awarded a patent for an invention
• Be bilingual or multilingual
• Have contacts in global markets

Research also shows that Northeast Ohio could do a better job connecting with this talent source. According to a 2015 study commissioned by the Ohio Board of Regents, the region retains less than 40 percent of its international students. The national average is 45 percent.

By lifting the retention rate to 50 percent—which is not uncommon for major cities--the region would benefit from increased population, a better-educated workforce and job creation, researchers concluded.

“It starts with a welcome,” said Joe Cimperman, the president of Global Cleveland. “These are some of brightest minds from China, India, Israel, the Middle East and Europe. We want them to know they are welcome here and can build their lives here. We want their talent, we want their drive, and we want the companies and inventions they are going to create. It starts with a welcome.”

InterCLE runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, September 9 at the Global Center, 1 St. Clair Avenue.

by Global Cleveland

Marian Wright Edelman Wins 2017 Inamori Ethics Prize

Marian Wright Edelman, advocate for children’s rights and the disadvantaged, chosen for 2017 Inamori Ethics Prize

A Washington Post profile of Marian Wright Edelman describes a scene from 1967 in which she, as a 27-year-old civil rights attorney, led Sen. Robert F. Kennedy through the Mississippi Delta to meet sharecroppers. She wanted him to see their dire conditions first-hand—especially the starving children.

Edelman “watched him try for five minutes to poke and tickle a listless baby,” she recalled for the story. “The hungry child did not respond.”

Fifty years later, the founder and president of the Washington, D.C.-based Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), which grew out of the Civil Rights Movement, remains a fierce advocate for the nation’s poor, and especially children’s rights.

For her life’s work, the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University has chosen Edelman for the 2017 Inamori Ethics Prize, awarded annually since 2008 to honor an individual for significant and lasting contributions to ethical leadership on the global stage.

Case Western Reserve will present the 2017 Inamori Ethics Prize to Edelman during Inamori Center events on the Case Western Reserve campus, Sept. 14-15.

“Marian Wright Edelman is a hugely inspirational change agent who has been indefatigable and remarkably effective in her efforts to improve lives, especially the lives of children,” Inamori Center Director Shannon French, the Inamori Professor in Ethics and a professor at the School of Law and in the Department of Philosophy, said today in announcing the center’s 2017 prize winner.

A champion for children

Edelman grew up in South Carolina, the youngest of five children of a Baptist preacher who taught her early on about the importance of serving others and pursuing an education.

Under Edelman’s leadership, the nonprofit CDF, which she established in 1973, has become the nation’s leading advocacy organization for children and families, championing policies and programs to lift children from poverty, protect them from abuse and neglect and ensure their access to health care and quality education.

Recognized for her tireless work

Edelman has received more than 100 honorary degrees and many awards, including the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize, the Heinz Award and a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship.

In 2000, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her writings.

Edelman serves on the board of the Robin Hood Foundation and the Association to Benefit Children, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Inamori Center was endowed by a generous gift from Kazuo Inamori, who established Kyocera Corp. and is a global telecommunications leader and founder of the Inamori Foundation that presents the annual Kyoto Prize in Kyoto, Japan.

by Global Cleveland

Community Partner: The Cleveland Leadership Center

Leadership Cleveland trains young leaders, too

The Cleveland Leadership Center is known for its programs that give senior- and mid-career leaders the knowledge and skills to enhance their community impact, such as Leadership Cleveland and Cleveland Bridge Builders. But the nonprofit center, a Global Cleveland community partner, extends its civic training to emerging leaders as well.

Young professionals who want to explore how to make a positive difference in their workplace and community can climb aboard OnBoard Cleveland.

OnBoard is a leadership and civic development experience tailored for early-career professionals. It’s designed to enhance communication skills, strengthen workplace presence, build an appreciation of local assets and an awareness of the civic realm, and build connections among employees, their organizations and opportunities to become involved in the community.

Through the OnBoard experience, participants also come to better understand critical community issues, learn collaborative leadership skills to address those issues, and find new ways to connect with civic opportunities that align with personal interests and talents.

Here’s what some recent participants said about the program:

• “OnBoard serves as a launchpad for early career professionals to develop professionally and engage civically. It gives participants the knowledge they need and mentors their skills so they can become effective members of the community.”
• “A program where I get to learn more about Cleveland's civic landscape as well as meet like-minded young professionals and network with important ‘movers and shakers’."
• “Professionally, nothing beats learning to communicate effectively with others, opening oneself up to new experiences and gaining knowledge of things that are important to you.”

The next cohort of OnBoard will launch in 2019, but those interested should contact Jill Pecoraro now for information about the application process, at (216) 592-2226 or [email protected].

OnBoard is one of several transformative experiences offered by Cleveland Leadership Center to connect, inspire and challenge individuals of all ages to make a positive community impact. For details, visit www.cleveleads.org or call (216) 592-2426.

by Global Cleveland

There’s Much "The Land" Can Learn from the Holy Land

A trip to Israel, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, was eye opening and life changing.

 By Joe Cimperman

Last week, a group of non-profit leaders, through the insight and support of Tom and Joan Adler and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, learned about a most beautiful, historic, epic, spirit filled, and complicated place called Israel.

This visit was a first for me and for many of the luminaries on the experience. As a native Clevelander raised in a very Roman Catholic home, I read and prepared and inquired as much as I could to be ready for this. But let’s be straightforward – no amount of books or conversations can adequately prepare you for the sacred land where Islam, Christianity, and Judaism blossomed. No amount of white papers or blogs or Facebook posts can prepare you for the meaning of Israeli entrepreneurialism, national get up and go, or semi-regional cooperation like the work ongoing on the Israeli-Jordanian border. And as many interviews and meetings and phone/text message chains as I initiated, nothing, absolutely nothing prepared me for the wide, deep, million miles traveled roads between The Holy Land (Israel) and The Land (Cleveland).

We landed in Tel Aviv, and through the kindness and connectedness of Elie Weiss we went on a block by block by block graffiti tour of this amazing city – a city whose name means The Old New Land. So much of Tel Aviv history and present time was painted in doorways, alleyways, and canvasses large and small throughout. The poignant, hilarious, sad, inspiring, joyful, and enduring images of this city and Israel were all around us. The one piece that burns still in my memory was the illustrated depiction of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. You cannot shake the haunting image of what was in one moment the closest and furthest from peace that this great land experienced.

We met with the leadership from the LGBTQI Center in Tel Aviv, thanks to Gregg Levine and John Corlett. In true open door, open welcome, judgment -of -no -one- so- prevalent- in -this -community fashion, youth from all over and every faith (EVERY FAITH) are given support as they need it. We were welcomed as sisters and brothers and talked about the Cleveland Tel Aviv connections from the International Gay Games we hosted here in Northeast Ohio. And to travel to Jaffa and see the intersections of faith and commerce in one of the oldest ports in the world was a real lesson in history.

Ancient civilizations came to a head here: Roman, Greek, Judaic, Ottoman empires all have fingerprints on these ancient stones. The market in Tel Aviv reminded me so much of our own West Side Market, and the wall breaking, bridge building nature of sharing food is a universal truth. And then. And then we traveled to a magical place called Kiryat Gat, where the Jewish Federation of Cleveland supports the growing Ethiopian Israeli community. I was blown away. These ancient, beautiful, persecuted and resilient people are welcomed everyday and supported as they fulfill millennia dreams of return. The dance, music, FOOD, and deep civic and civil society building is made possible by generous support from Northeast Ohio’s Jewish community.

These connections are real, they are important and they are two-way streets. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.

We then traveled to the Sea of Galilee, and for the first times among many on this journey I was speechless. To be where Jesus spoke of the Beatitudes was soulful and wondrous.

When we visited with the Kibbutz Nir David, we had the distinct privilege of meeting with our adopted sister city, Beit Shean--Valley of Springs. The similarities between our people were apparent from the beginning: gritty, multi-cultural, resilient, searching, pride without arrogance, civic responsibility and looking for a way forward.

I kept thinking about the work of Destination Cleveland and how we took our greatest assets and amplified them. The Kurdish Jewish community hosted us for the evening, and from the Cuyahoga to the River Jordan, we felt the connection. The connection this community has with my home community, the St. Clair Superior community, is also real. It is important. It is a two-way street. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.

We then visited three places that work collaboratively, strategically, thoughtfully and beautifully EVERY SINGLE DAY.

1. Havat Hashomer: an IDF army base that specifically works to re-integrate youth who have made mistakes, and creates a path for them to live lives of meaning and thrive in their second chances.  Can you imagine this program here? Working with the future by meeting them where they are. Meeting the leader, Samuel, was a moment I will never forget. His charisma and emotional/human intelligence was unlike anything I've ever seen. And every one of his commanders is a woman. A group of boys who made a mistake, being given the chance to come back, aided and led and directed in their journey by young women. This is how societies thrive. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.
2. The Jerusalem Foundation: "Jerusalem is a complicated city that needs to care for its diverse residents." Amen. No truer words were ever spoken.

This organization programs specific events that invite and include and bring together Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Bedouin citizens and they are making real progress. From shared meals to community meetings to real opportunities for employment and empowerment. All of this, so Holy Jerusalem, the birth city of Judaism, Christianity and Islam can thrive together. And it's not easy. And it's real and important. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.

3. Meeting with Shadi Abu Jaber, the Palestinian Director of the Youth Futures program in East Jerusalem: this was a moving experience along the lines of Samuel from Havat Hashomer. Shadi said ten years ago he viewed Israel very differently than the view he held five years ago. Five years ago his kids were born, and he wants a better future for the Palestinian kids of Israel and the Jewish kids of Israel. He does this by tutoring, mentoring, hosting soccer tournaments for Arab Israeli students. And in this is the most sacred part of any holy city -- how to make tomorrow better for our children's children. These children who may come from different places and faiths and neighborhoods, find common ground, and Shadi inspires community engagement. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there. This work = real. This work = most important.

I will be meditating on this journey for the rest of my life. We as a group will continue this dialogue. With the goodness and guidance of Steve Hoffman, Oren Baratz, Jessica Cohen, Kelly Rubanenko, Elie Weiss and Cheryl Davis and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland  this experience w ill continue to be real for the people who went on this journey and for the people who have yet to return. And we will all take up the mantel of building more two-way bridges and travelling more on the bridges already built.

But make no mistake, none of us travel to the City of Gold, the Holy Jerusalem. We follow in the words of the great Yiddish Poet Yitzchak Yasinowitz:

“One does not travel to Jerusalem. One returns. One ascends the road taken by generations, the path of longing on the way to redemption. One brings rucksacks stuffed with memories to each mountain each hill. IN THE COBBLED ALLEYWAYS ONE OFFERS A BLESSING FOR THE MEMORIES IN THE PAST WHICH HAVE BEEN RENEWED. ONE  DOES  NOT  TRAVEL  TO  JERUSALEM.  ONE RETURNS.”

This is real. This is important. Let us return as one Cleveland, one Cuyahoga County, one Northeastern Ohio, a diverse and united community, TOGETHER.

by Global Cleveland

The Refugee Response Presents "No Place Like Home" REAP the Benefit

In 2010 the Refugee Response was established. Since inception the organization has been able to provide unique and important services to Cleveland’s new neighbors allowing children and families to excel in school and in life. Refugees resettled to Cleveland do better on average than those who resettle in other areas of the country. They work and they overwhelmingly give back to the city, making the most of the investment Cleveland places in them. The strength of organizations such as Catholic Charities, USCRI, Global Cleveland and US Together in providing critical support has allowed these families to make Cleveland their home. Coordination through the Refugee Services Collaborative which include health care and education providers has allowed for an unparalleled sophistication of support.

The Refugee Response provides a fourteen month long program of targeted support in education and employment training so that families can be safe and secure in the long term. These programs are critical to both the short and long term economic success and the social and emotional assimilation of our region’s newest community members. This support allows families to have the time and the opportunity to make Cleveland their home and to become engaged citizens of our community.

Our annual benefit this year is on Saturday, August 26th, 2017 for a summer evening at our nation's largest urban farm, the Ohio City Farm, overlooking our lakefront city skyline. Enjoy exciting culinary experiences from Cleveland's premiere chefs using produce from the farm. The evening will feature live performances from Opus 216 and the Lucky Ones, seasonal tastings from 18 of Cleveland's finest restaurants and caterers, farm tours, cocktails, the Cleveland Culinary Experience Raffle and much more.

The benefit this year is entitled "No Place Like Home." Through this event we will highlight the unique and valuable resources of this city we call home, and where so many of these new families hope to build a new home. We also want to underscore that fact that a refugee camp, where so many of these new families have just come from, is in fact, no place like home. Please join this most special evening with us and celebrate the diverse and wonderful place that is Cleveland.

For more details, please visit: https://www.refugeeresponse.org/benefit

by Global Cleveland

My Immigration Story

How I met my wife, fell in love and got my green card. Thanks America!

By Neil Singh

I am not new to the immigration process. My parents migrated from the Island of Fiji in the Pacific to Australia when I was two and then eventually to New Zealand, where they settled. As a result, I spent nearly 34 years of my life in the trans-Tasman or Australasian circle, with the majority of that time in New Zealand, where my family adopted citizenship in the late 1990’s.

Today, people worldwide are able to communicate with relative ease using the Internet. In my case, online games led to me meeting my wife, Kristen, in 2014. With me in New Zealand and Kristen in Cleveland, there were definitely challenges we both had to accept in forming our relationship. It took more than two years of letter writing, video conferencing and communication for us to establish that we were right for each other and that it was time for us to move forward and test the tangibility of our relationship.

In September of 2016, I decided that it was time to take action and visit the USA. At first, I spent much time, many months in fact, researching my best options for coming here. New Zealand happens to be one of the few lucky countries that shares a Visa Waiver program with the U.S. New Zealanders can visit for up to 90 days without a visa.

So I opted to visit the U.S. by applying for a visa waiver, not knowing what to expect when meeting Kristen. I booked my plane tickets with a return date to New Zealand within the 90-days allowance. I figured if our relationship was indeed genuine, as it seemed then, living together as a couple for three months days would certainly validate it.

I arrived in Texas from Auckland on December 26, the day after Christmas. Two months later, Kristen and I decided it was time to make a serious commitment.

Because neither of us knew the immigration process very well, we looked online thinking that we could follow the typical Fiancée Visa application and change my status from a tourist on a visa waiver to a fiancée of an American citizen. That would have been a mistake.

That process would have required me to return to New Zealand once my travel visa ended and then wait nearly 18 months to be reviewed, interviewed and processed by the U.S. Embassy in Australia. The last thing I wanted to do was to go back without knowing when I could see my loved one again.

Global Cleveland referred me to Erin Brown, who operates an immigration law firm in Cleveland.  Erin was candid. She asked me whether I wanted to stay here or not and what steps was I prepared to take to make it possible.

My goal was a Permanent Resident card, also know as a Green Card because it once was green. As a Legal Permanent Resident, or LPR, I would be allowed to live and work permanently in the United States and could apply for citizenship down the road.

The staff at Global Cleveland provided me with guidance and support at this challenging time when my immigration status was in limbo and often I did not know what to do.  Wenzhu Sun was especially helpful. She had gone through the same process to be with her husband, who is from Cleveland. She explained to me how things worked and constantly reminded me to stay positive.

So I visited Erin Brown and discussed my case. Erin outlined the fees and the conditions of the application in a contract and confronted me with a decision earlier than I expected. She advised that we should get married and file a new application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

On the 13^th of March, 2017, Kristen and I got married. I returned to Erin, who then guided me through the immigration process step by step. We had to submit the following documents to USCIS:

• I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
• I-485 Application to Adjust Status
• I-765 Application for Employment Authorization
• I-131 Application for Advanced Parole
• G-325 for Petitioner and Beneficiary (enclosed within the I-130)
• I-864 Affidavit of Support from petitioner and co-sponsor
• I-94 Admission Record
• A sealed medical examination conducted by USCIS approved clinics
• Birth certificates and passports

It was a lot of paper work, and each step of the process took time. We filed in March. It took four months for USCIS to process the application. The cost including, legal expertise, was around $4,000. If you choose not to use a lawyer, then you can probably do it for about $2,500. But I recommend an immigration lawyer. It is a lot of paper work and not wise to make mistakes on any of the forms required in the process.

Each form was submitted at the request of USCIS and followed by certain testing processes conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. These include a biometric test, where I had to report to be fingerprinted and have my eyes scanned for a background check.

Finally, there was a face-to-face interview.

I dressed formally, as instructed. Both Kristen and I were ready to answer personal questions. We were asked for details about how we met, how long we had known each other, our communication prior to me coming to the USA, and whether we had met before my arrival. (We had not).

For genuine couples like Kristen and I, these questions were no problem. We know each other very well and have spent years forming a close relationship.

The interview took about 30 minutes. At the end, we were told that my application was successful.

I can’t describe the feeling. I was relieved. It had been many months of waiting nervously and hoping that the outcome would be successful. The focus was very much for my wife and I to start our lives together.

With a green card, it means we can finally create the life and family we want. I was very happy and so was my wife.  When I told my family, they were happy as well.

I worked hard in New Zealand to earn my master’s degree in business and marketing but the career opportunities were just not available to me in that smaller country.  Coming to the USA means greater opportunities because it is a much bigger country, one that appreciates innovative, creative and entrepreneurial people like myself who desire to contribute and create success here.

In my heart, I know that this is only the beginning. It is simply one opportunity and must be used as a foundation to create others and this is how I feel now.

*My immigration process is unique to my situation and will not necessarily apply to you. I hope you enjoy my story, but I caution against applying it to your own situation if you hope to immigrate to America. Each case is different, and so is the process that the U.S. immigration system demands.

by Global Cleveland

Ohio's First African American Entrepreneurship Conference

Join business and community leaders at the Presidents’ Council conference

The Presidents' Council Business Conference on August 21-22 is presented in collaboration with Downtown Cleveland Alliance and the Commission on Economic Inclusion.
It is a unique opportunity to directly engage with those who share in The Presidents' Council mission of closing gaps that negatively impact minority communities; have a shared passion for, and understanding of, the issues and needs of African American business owners; and actively seek progress in removing barriers linked to those challenges.

The conference program on August 22 features keynote speakers Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief emerita of Essence magazine, and David E. Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

It also will include panel discussions led by regional business and community leaders on these topics:

• Innovations and How to Protect Them
• Access to Capital: Everyone Needs It, How Do You Get It?
• Risk Management and Succession Planning
• Expanding Your Business in Today's Political and Economic Climate

There will be a kick-off golf outing on Monday, August 21 at Canterbury Golf Course followed by a welcome reception in the evening. Click for more information.

For more information and sponsorship options please call (216) 771-8702 ext. 205 or email [email protected].

by Global Cleveland

Friends of Global Cleveland, Dedicated to Helping International Young Professionals

A new kind of young professionals group emerged July 13 when the Friends of Global Cleveland held its kick off party in Tremont. Young adults from around the world descended on the Ukrainian Museum and Archives for a night of networking and fellowship.

Organizers hope it is only the first of many such events. Friends of Global Cleveland is dedicated to helping international young professionals find success and fulfillment in Northeast Ohio.

 "We want to connect and engage international young professionals, help them learn more about local communities, and make Cleveland a home for everyone." -- Yulu Li, the President of Friends of Global Cleveland

 The kick off party was an auspicious beginning, but group leaders expect to make a bigger splash September 9. That’s when the Friends of Global Cleveland will co- hosts InterCLE2017 at the Global Center for Health Innovation downtown. The free event is aimed at welcoming the more than 6,000 international students studying at area universities, in hopes more will stay to pursue careers in Northeast Ohio.

International students are a potent economic force. They are more likely than most college students to be honing in-demand skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Typically bilingual and well travelled, they can help the region to compete in the global economy.

But they are also far from home and often alone as they navigate a foreign culture. Friends of Global Cleveland saw a need to connect the scattered students and build mutual support systems.

First, introductions were in order. The kick-off reception attracted more than 100 young adults from an atlas of nations, including China, India, New Zealand, Russia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Romania and Egypt. They enjoyed international foods and wine and engaged in networking games on the museum grounds on a balmy summer night.

They were welcomed by museum director Andy Fedynsky, who connected with his multicultural audience by describing his immigrant roots. He said he was born in a displaced persons camp in Europe after World War Two and came to America with his parents as a refugee.

“It’s Cleveland’s enormous strength that we were built by immigrants,” he said.

David Fleshler, the director of international programs at Case Western Reserve University and chair of the board of Global Cleveland, told the young people they represented the hopes and the spirit of a multicultural city.

Friends of Global Cleveland is open to international students, international professionals and globally minded young professionals. To join, fill in the FGC Membership Form or contact FGC via email.

by Global Cleveland