Global Cleveland launches region’s first Global Employer Summit
The May 31st conference is designed to help Greater Cleveland employers connect to the world-class talent in their backyard
Global Cleveland is excited to announce the first economic development conference of its kind in Northeast Ohio. The Global Employer Summit will help local employers connect with the region’s international talent to enhance their competitiveness and strengthen the local economy.
The summit will unfold May 31 at the InterContinental Cleveland Hotel and Conference Center, a global employer and conference co-sponsor, on the campus of Cleveland Clinic, another conference co-sponsor. Registration is now open at globalcleveland.org/global-employers.
The conference is designed to demonstrate to area employers how to take advantage of the global talent being educated, resettled or immigrating to Greater Cleveland. National talent acquisition experts, as well local employers who are successfully tapping diverse talent streams, will share their insight.
“We know that access to global talent is a key part of competing in the global economy,” said Joe Cimperman, the president of Global Cleveland, a non-profit economic development agency. “After this conference, our employers will be in a better position to fill workforce needs and to become a driver of regional economic growth.”
Greater Cleveland enjoys an unusually rich concentration of international talent. Forty percent of adult International Newcomers in the metro area hold college degrees, and 21 percent hold an advanced degree. That ranks Cleveland 5th nationally for the education level of its International Newcomer population. Meanwhile, area universities are educating nearly 7,000 international students, many of whom are pursuing STEM degrees, honing sought-after skills in science, technology, engineering and math.
Many Northeast Ohio companies are already using high-skill International Newcomers to enhance their competitiveness and grow their businesses. But just as many seem unaware of the international talent in their midst or are unsure how to tap it.
At the Global Summit, experts will offer insight into:
- Migration trends and how to build a globally competitive team
- Engaging with work-ready Displaced Personss, community members and partners to grow a reliable and productive workforce
- The business case for international hires
- International talent retention and engagement strategies
- The skillset of the area’s international students and how to navigate the visa process
Companies and organizations sharing their expertise will include Cleveland Clinic, Dwellworks, Envoy Global, Oatey Co., Jergens Inc., Thompson Hine, the Brookings Institution, FWD.us, Jumpstart Inc. and the Displaced Persons Services Collaborative.
The conference will kick off with an address by Brookings Institution scholar Dany Behar, an expert on international economic development and author of the provocative article A spicy red sauce and how International Newcomers generate jobs and growth in the US.
The conference also features business leadership conversations and an International Student Showcase that will offer an exhibition of business ideas generated by students from around the world.
Other event sponsors and partners include New American Economy, Case Western Reserve University and Case Western Reserve University School of Engineering, and Squire Patton Boggs (U.S.). The InterContinental hotel is the title sponsor.
Cleveland's most internationally oriented hotel has had great success hiring international talent, starting with the general manager.
“I’m very excited to be a part of the unmistakable energy happening here in Cleveland,” said Peter Clarke, who arrived in Cleveland last year from Shanghai - by way of Budapest, Bangkok, Bali, London and San Francisco.
Clarke, a native of Ireland, offers a perspective heard often from newcomers. “Cleveland is a city on the rise in every aspect and I look forward to experiencing this and adding to it,” he said.
For more information on the summit, contact Jessica Whale, Director of Global Talent and Economic Development at Global Cleveland:
[email protected] or 216 472-3282
We Live In the Best Place On Earth, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
Over hummus and shishtawook, Global Cleveland hosted the producer and director of the amazing documentary "Resistance is Life," along with our cosponsors, Cleveland Public Theater. The film made its world premier at the 41st Cleveland INTERNATIONAL Film Festival.
Apo Bazidi and Goran Zaneti came to our offices near Public Square and shared how they got to know the people in the small but vital city of Kobani, in northern Syria. Our filmmaker friends talked about the unimaginable struggle the families face as they defend their community against extremists of the Islamic State, their ordeal in Displaced Persons camps across the border in Turkey, and the dangers that await them when they return home.
What came from the meeting wasn't something our team expected. Goran and Apo spoke of the unquenchable hope that these Displaced Personss exuded. And it gave us an idea. So often in these times, the good people of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County ask: “What can we do?” With the help of our filmmaker friends and Cleveland Public Theater, we hope to establish a direct line to the residents working to remake their lives in Kobani.
How will it manifest? That’s not yet clear. Right now, the people of Kobani need help simply surviving. Global Cleveland plans to take the lead in directing cash donations to the appropriate agencies. In the near future, perhaps Kobani could join our pantheon of Sister Cities and become one of the world communities with which we share cultural and economic ties. We will talk with members of our proud and successful Syrian community to see what they think is the best course of action.
Meanwhile, I urge you to try and see the movie. I know you will see what I did--the qualities that we Clevelanders cherish.
In spite of the daily bombings, remnant ISIL threats, and the struggle to rebuild the basic necessities of life, the people of Kobani hope and persevere. Their community is made up of people who remind me a lot of us in Northeastern Ohio.
If you are reading this, you get it. You get that Displaced Personss are forever thankful for a second chance, that International Newcomers bring the kind of hope and energy that creates jobs. You get that new Americans want what we all want for our loved ones--safety, freedom, a future.
You get that we have a shortage of people now in many of our neighborhoods as well as in our labs; that our companies are in a constant search for the talent they need to grow.
And mostly, you get that the geography we live in, the best place on earth--Cleveland Cuyahoga County NEO--was built by people who came from far away under great stress to take up the plow of planting and growing America. They brought borscht, ginger, saffron, and life. We are here because Cleveland welcomed them.
The challenge we have now is to see the need to be more welcoming. To see the greatest opportunity for human, economic and community development in our region.
It's time. We need your help.
Email or call me if you want in. Thanks for getting it.
Joe Cimperman
President, Global Cleveland
International Student Pitch Showcase
Listen up, international students!!! This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard. If you have an innovative idea that you want to pitch in front of employers, this is your time. Global Cleveland is hosting the 2017 Global Employer Summit, and invites you to submit your idea.
You might have worked on a research paper, given a presentation at school or come up with a brilliant idea that you think might benefit a company or workplace – if so, this is your time to shine!
The showcase will assemble Global Cleveland’s employer partners and other community leaders to discuss the topic of engaging with international talent. This conference will show companies how to effectively tap into the immense potential of the global talent being educated, resettled or immigrating to Cleveland to fill workforce needs and become a driver of economic growth across the region. We are expecting 120+ attendees from 80+organizations, ranging from CEO to human resources and talent acquisition staff.
This whole day summit will be breaking into a morning session, a lunchtime international student showcase session, and an afternoon session. While the morning and afternoon sessions are informational panels for the employers, employers will be directed into the international student showcase during lunch, where they will have the chance to browse and listen to students’ pitches. This will be a great opportunity to gain exposure in the business world – and to prospective employers or professional connections.
This opportunity is not just limited to current students; if you were previously enrolled, a graduate or an International Newcomer currently residing in Northeast Ohio, you can also start filling out your application form.
Global Cleveland is currently accepting application through May 10th, only applicants submitted during this time will be considered. Winners and runner-ups will receive a certificate issued by Global Cleveland, and possible opportunities to pitch at future Global Cleveland events.
For more information on the requirements for pitching, how to submit your pitch idea, judging and voting process for 2017 Global Employer Summit click here
The Race for H1B Visas
Hundreds of thousands of applications are submitted each year on April 1st for H1B employment-based visas. Only 85,000 of those will be selected and approved. Last year, employers in the City of Cleveland filed for 1,161 H1B workers.
While H-1B visa application rates have been an ongoing issue, many people are getting more and more concerned due to the political climate. Within the international community, there are also many innovative entrepreneurs who would like to start their business here, but struggle to do so because they are not able to obtain legal status to stay in the United States.
On March 25th, Global Cleveland joined the Cleveland Chinese Entrepreneur Association (CCEA) and Flashstarts to present on the Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence program. The informative event turned out to be a success with more than 40 attendees and additional speakers including Migration attorneys and partners.
FlashStarts and Global Cleveland have launched the Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence (Global EIR) program in Northeast Ohio to provide colleges and universities with a mechanism to increase global outreach and expand entrepreneurship offerings to students. Through this program, academic institutions leverage the expertise and experience of international entrepreneurs who serve as technical experts and mentors for students.
Global Cleveland believes that partnering with Flashstarts to bring more global talent to Cleveland and help more International Newcomer entrepreneurs grow their businesses will be beneficial to our community. Global Cleveland views engaging International Newcomers as an ingredient of regional economic development and is positioned to catalyze and launch efforts that will help attract newcomers to the region and support those that are already here.
Here’s how it works.
For universities:
International entrepreneurs dedicate 20 hours of their experience and expertise per week toward the universities’ mission. Contribution includes mentorship and office hours, published research, and facilitating collaboration between universities and industry.
For International Entrepreneurs:
Foreign entrepreneurs are able to focus on developing their business ventures in the U.S, not on obtaining a visa through the lottery system.
About FlashStarts:
Flashstarts is a Cleveland-based business startup accelerator, consultancy and venture fund focused on unique and innovative uses of software and technology. Startups will benefit from Flashstarts’ executive team’s deep expertise in Health IT, SaaS and Enterprise software. Flashstarts’ rigorous 12-week summer accelerator program is powered by rapid cycles of feedback and iteration, customized guidance from dedicated coaches, and an extensive network of top-tier, experienced mentors. For more information, visit www.flashstarts.com or follow @Flashstarts
About the Chinese Entrepreneur Association:
Cleveland Chinese Entrepreneur Association (CCEA) is a non-profit organization established in purpose to facilitate investments and entrepreneurs from China and Cleveland. The organization was founded by a group of Chinese-American entrepreneurs and professionals in late 2016. We are committed to fostering/empowering entrepreneurs through all aspects of creating a valid business, bringing Chinese entrepreneurs to Cleveland and Cleveland to China, and ultimately helping them to make entrepreneurial dreams to reality. We welcome entrepreneurs, business owners, VCs, business service providers, and other high-level business or government personnel from all ethnic groups and entrepreneur groups to join us. Our vision is to create a home for globally-minded entrepreneurs in Cleveland and it is the backbone of CCEA’s activity.
Everywhere I Go, I Represent Both of My Passports
My grandfather, W. Louis Cohn was born to a prominent family in Berlin. His family was involved in various industries, from diplomacy to automobiles to music. He grew up in France and moved back to Germany during the initial years of the Nazi regime. His Jewish father, a career diplomat, was no longer permitted to represent the country abroad. As the political situation grew worse and after Jewish people were stripped of their German citizenship, his family moved to Belgium. The morning after the Nazis invaded Belgium, my grandfather was arrested for being German while walking to school and was deported before he could even notify his family. He was just 12 years old. His train, bound for Nazi Germany, stopped in occupied France and left all Jewish passengers at a concentration camp.
My grandfather spent the next year or two in various Nazi concentration camps in France before finally ending up in Mauthausen, a Nazi death camp in Austria. At that camp he knew his only chance for survival was escape and ultimately worked with a handful of fellow prisoners, aided by the French Resistance, to escape by foot. After their escape, he and his comrades walked from Austria to France, shielded by fake French documents. Having grown up in France, his accent did not give away his true German and Jewish identity.
Just weeks before crossing into neutral Spain, my grandfather and his comrades stumbled upon a group of escaped American POWs. While my grandfather’s English was basic, he was able to connect with a man who said he was from Berea, Ohio. Between having a cousin who lived in Cleveland and this new friend he met by chance from Northeast Ohio, he chose to move to Cleveland after the war.
My grandmother is also a Holocaust survivor, although she and her parents were lucky enough to escape Nazi Germany when she was 8 years old via Holland before it was too late. After living for a few months in a crowded NYC apartment, her parents were given the choice to relocate with assistance to either Pittsburgh or Cleveland. Her parents chose Cleveland.
Fast forward over a decade, after my grandfather had moved to the U.S. after fighting back against the Nazis with the French Resistence, U.S., and British armies. My grandfather had to finish high school before he was able to go to college. He studied full-time and worked full-time installing furnaces. He received a call to install a furnace in the house of a German-speaking family on the east side of Cleveland. That house happened to be my grandmother’s. He met her and fell in love. He asked her on a date. She said that she was busy and had other plans (she was a social butterfly---not playing hard to get). He returned and asked her out again. Again, she was busy. He returned a third time and told her that if she was busy again, he would never ask her out again. Luckily, she was free and they went on a date. A few months later they married, then bought a house and started their family.
One of the things my grandfather was asked about the war is why he didn’t hate Germany for what the Nazis had done to his family. He was very clear that he hated the Nazis, but that there were plenty of good people in Nazi Germany who fought back. He would talk about the people who helped his family get out, or his neighbors who safeguarded some of his family’s dearest possessions, and he was clear that not all Germans were Nazis. Because of those words, I made the decision to reclaim my German citizenship. Germany today is not the same as Nazi Germany. It’s a country that’s open, tolerant, and diverse---it reflects exactly the kind of people my grandfather talked about when explaining why he couldn’t hate the country. He was a proud U.S. citizen. He loved Cleveland and this country. But he also taught me to be proud of who I am, to look beyond the surface, and to recognize that there is good in every society—even if you have to look a bit harder to see it.
In my life, I have been fortunate to live in different states and in different countries. I have studied abroad in Spain and Turkey, lived as an expat in Colombia, and I’ve spent summers volunteering in Ecuador and Argentina. Everywhere I go, I represent both of my passports (and Cleveland too, of course!), and I relish every opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life and from every background. This outlook, shaped by my grandfather’s words of wisdom and worldview, is why I consider myself so fortunate to be able to work with globally-minded people from all over the world every day at the Center for International Affairs at Case Western Reserve University.
Cleveland is such a special place. We have people here from every country and background, all with such unique stories, passion, and potential to shape our community’s future. I thank my lucky stars that my grandparents both chose to make this special, wonderful community their own.
Written By:
Jody Bonhard
Coordinator of Communications, Office of Global Strategy
Center for International Affairs at Case Western Reserve University
Community Partner: City of Cleveland Economic Development Department
The City of Cleveland Economic Development Department, in partnership with Cleveland Citywide Development Corporation, has led the way in helping create an environment where businesses, from the very smallest mom-and-pop shops to the larger international corporations, thrive and grow. As the economic arm of the mayor’s administration, our mission is to provide assistance to businesses expanding within or locating to the City of Cleveland. Through our efforts, we seek to encourage investment which will spur job creation and increase revenues to the City of Cleveland.
What exactly does the Department of Economic Development do?
Our primary way of assisting business to start, grow or relocate to our city is through our various loan and grant programs. Our programs help to offset costs and fill financing gaps at rates that are lower and terms that are longer that traditional banking institutions. Loan and grant programs can pay for construction and renovation costs, equipment and machinery costs, as well as inventory related working capital needs. In return, we require businesses to create jobs locally through our workforce development agreement administered by Ohio Means Jobs and encourage the contracting of local MBE, FBE and CSB for construction projects to help keep our dollars local.
Navigating City Hall
In addition to our financing services, our department can assist businesses in navigating the complexities that arise as they seek to interact with various departments within Cleveland City Hall. We are more than willing and capable of assisting you with permits, business related licenses and technical assistance questions.
Connections
Public-private partnerships are vital to the growth and development of our City. That’s why our department works with a variety of both business financing and technical assistance partners who can help you develop a business plan, find financing and provide other business related services.
So whether you are having trouble identify financing that will fill the gap in your project financing, need help with a business plan or are looking to expand and need assistance identifying a new facility that will best meet your needs, we want to be your one- stop shop for all your business needs. Our professional and friendly staff is ready and willing to work with you to help your business succeed.
Call us Direct at 216-664-2406
[email protected]
Traveling to Odisha to see the Sun Temple in Konark
By William G. Barnard, IV; [email protected]; He lives with his wife Sujata Lakhe and step-daughter Samira in Chagrin Falls and has visited India seven times. His interests include Computer Sciences, Leica photography, wood-working, Arts, traveling and volunteering. His photographs have appeared in the Cleveland Museum of Arts rack card and had honorable mention in the Washington Post travel contest. He also creates art from pressed Botanical specimens.
Whenever Sujata and I travel to India we try to stop at one of the 35 World Heritage sites that can be found within the country. The attention that the UNESCO designation gives these sites makes for a trip that will have an interesting landmark and have the tourism infrastructure that allows for adequate lodgings and transportation. This is especially nice for me with my limited Hindi skills. It allows me to hail an auto in Agra and just say “Taj Mahal” and I know the driver will get me there.
This year we traveled to Odisha to see the Sun Temple in Konark. This 13th century temple was built to represent the “chariot” that the sun god, Surya, rides across the sky every day. The chariot is defined by the seven stone horses that pull the temple on its 24 carved wagon wheels that the temple appears to ride on. Although the main sanctum of the temple and the surrounding structures have fallen the remaining Audience Hall (Jagamohana) is an impressive structure that seems to tower over the market leading up to the temple entrance. The real sights to see are not the imposing structures but the detailed and extensive carvings covering the temple. Many of the carvings show important scenes from life around the temple. Wedding processions, deities and signs of trade with foreign lands can be found covering the temple.
One of my favorite things to do in India is visiting the smaller temples that you find along the way during your trip. The more interesting ones usually have been in existence for many years and are located at a geographical landmark. Some times they have an oddity that makes the visit to the temple extra special. They are not the most interesting architecturally, but they and their surroundings tend to have a character that is difficult to ignore.
Not far from Konark we found the Ramachandi Goddess Temple that over looks an estuary at the mouth of the Kushabhadra river. This small temple with its lively market gives visitors an impressive experience of Indian life. Within the temple lamps can be lit before entering the sanctum of the temple. The lamps along with flowers and other votive items can be purchased inside the temple. The Ramachandi Temple has a very interesting feature. It has a partial skeleton of a whale shark that was found in the Bay of Bengal near the temple in 1994. The six foot tall skull of the shark was draped in garlands and treated almost as if it were a deity itself.
The market outside of the temple seemed low pressure compared to the stands we encountered outside of the Sun Temple in Konark. The owners would wait until you showed interest in an item for sale and the seller would engage with us. In the market we found a merchant tying bracelets he would sell for use as sacred threads to be blessed in the temple.
Not far from Konark is Puri where the famous Jagannath Temple is located. Despite the warning that non-Hindus were not permitted inside the temple by our travel guide book we proceeded to Puri. Sujata told me that she was not going to miss a chance to enter the temple when she was so close to it. I decided to make the best of the situation and bring my camera to the entrance of the temple so I could catch some of the life that was happening outside of the temple.
When we arrived in Puri we traveled down Grand Rd. a wide avenue that leads to the temple is lined by shops and restaurants. Cars and buses are not permitted within 1km of the temple so our driver parked on the street and we hired a rickshaw to the temple. At the entrance of the temple, the market that marks the end of Grand Rd. was vibrant with pilgrims, shops and rickshaws. The day that we visited on was just a typical Wednesday with no religious significance but the number of people were more than I have ever seen in front of other temples or cathedrals that I’ve visited before. This was a really popular place to be at. I wondered what it would be like when a festival that would draw more pilgrims to fill the square up. The Jagannath Temple is famous for the Rata Yatra festival which lasts for a few days. The procession in which the Gods are taken out of their shrine to visit another temple.
The priest or Pandaas, as they are called, are omnipresent. But they were silently and quietly present and not very pushy. Sujata made a contract with a traditionally, but stylishly dressed younger Pandaa. He said it would be impossible for me to enter the temple as I was not Hindu. The Pandaa also said Sujata should not mention her Marathi heritage to the priests inside the temple. Evidently the Odiya priests in the temple remember when the Maratha Empire ruled over this part of Odisha in the 17th century. Sujata told me she would meet me at a textile shop in the square in an hour and then she headed into the temple. With that I was left to explore the market on my own.
I hoped to get some good photographs of the devotees as they entered or left the temple, so I positioned myself at the exit of the temple waiting for an interesting scene to unfold. It didn’t last long for me to be chased out from the front of the temple by beggars looking for donations. I then decide to move to the shops that stood across the square from the temple. One shop that sold metal items including plates and cups had craftsmen out front inscribing items with just a hammer and punch. Many of the other stands in the market were selling bangles and devotional items for the pilgrims to buy for blessing in the temple or donating to the deities.
I worked my way the Textile shop that I was to meet Sujata at and found that the store front was elevated above the street. The area in from of the shop hosted popup vendors with their wares in baskets. This area had what seemed to be an army of barbers armed with only straight razors. There were several men getting their heads shaved when I arrived. They were being shaved before entering the temple. Some were saving the hair but most were leaving it to lay on the ground to be swept up later. One family with a little girl who was not interested in having her head shaved was crying and thrashing around violently while a very patient berber with his razor waited for the girl’s parents to hold her still.
When Sujata returned from he temple she told me of all the things she saw in there. She said that the puja and blessing included being struck on the head with two sticks by a priest. The sticks would make an audible crack when they connected with the head. So I didn’t feel too bad about not getting to go inside.
Brain Waste: A Challenge for New Americans
Brain Waste
Researchers find high-skill International Newcomers are often forced to labor at low skill jobs
It can be one of the most frustrating challenges that new Americans face. Often their academic or professional training is not recognized in their new home, and so they must labor at jobs far below their skill level.
Thus do engineers become cab drivers and doctors become physician assistants.
Researchers call this mismatch “brain waste.” A recent study by the Migration Policy Institute found it to be pervasive across the land, affecting nearly two million college-educated International Newcomers and costing communities billions of dollars in untapped potential.
Study co-author Margie McHugh, director of MPI’s National Center on International Newcomer Integration Policy, urges states and communities to take action.
“When highly qualified doctors, engineers, social workers, teachers and other professionals are unable to utilize the academic and professional skills they brought with them to the United States, nobody benefits,” she said in a press release.
High-skill International Newcomers and Displaced Personss confront several obstacles to a professional comeback, including new licensing requirements, the lack of universal accreditation standards, often a language barrier and maybe employer bias.
The researchers suggest states and policy makers help their economies be more competitive by guiding high-skill International Newcomers back to productive careers. They urge business leaders to support efforts to harmonize qualifications across accreditation bodies, and to give international talent a chance.
They also urge communities to adopt “bridge programs” that help International Newcomer professionals gain the licenses and accreditations they need to re-launch.
“This report shows that small, targeted interventions can often lead to big payoffs in reducing brain waste—and that the field is poised on multiple fronts to unlock the skills of International Newcomers and allow families, employers and local economies to benefit,” McHugh added.
The report singles out a Michigan hotline that connects International Newcomer professionals with state licensing specialists, as well as a California program that provides career counselors to help identify alternative professions for International Newcomers who likely cannot return to their previous careers.
At Global Cleveland, International Newcomers are matched with a professional connection volunteer who works in their target field to assist in navigating the process of finding or growing a career in Northeast Ohio.
You can find the complete report, Unlocking Skills: Successful Initiatives for Integrating Foreign-Trained International Newcomer Professionals, at http://tinyurl.com/unlocktalent.
