The 11th annual Accelerate: Citizens Make Change civic pitch competition last week drew a crowd of 500 guests and aspiring entrepreneurs committed to improving the community through innovative ideas and projects.

The event, held Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland, was an evening filled with pitches from a diverse group of 32 individuals ranging in age from teenagers to age 53.

Cleveland Leadership Center presents the event each year, with support from lead sponsor, Citizens Bank. Dozens of other corporate, foundation, and individual sponsors also helped bring together the large group of entrepreneurs wanting to help accelerate Cleveland’s momentum.

Accelerate 2025“Citizens is proud to [be a] sponsor,” says Accelerate co-chair Matt Kuchta, Citizens Ohio commercial market Executive. “It is unique in that we can see our time, our energy, the money, going into helping make a tangible impact on our community.

“These people in our community making an effort really seems to always create huge momentum and something good always seems to come of it,” Kuchta continues.

In the Accelerate competition, 24 initiatives were pitched by a diverse group of 30 individuals from across Northeast Ohio. Pitches were held simultaneously in various rooms of the convention center—covering five categories: social change, climate and energy innovation, arts and culture, health and well-being, and education. One finalist from each category was chosen to compete against each other in front of the 500 guests for the grand prize.

In addition to Accelerate, there was also the Teen Accelerate, hosted by the Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI), and Technovation, which included pitches that leverage technology to address community challenges. Guests could sit in on any of the pitches that fit their interests.

As co-chair, Kuchta had a birds-eye view. “It was packed—huge energy,” he says. “I get to be up there and announcing the winners and hearing the pitches—so that, to me, is always really inspiring. Our winners this year are a great example.”

Audience members voted using an app on their phones. Then the overall winner of the Accelerate pitch competition was revealed, as well as the Technovation winner.

Top honors went to two teenage brothers who created a youth employment program that provides neighborhood and community services. A college student using artificial intelligence (AI) to teach American Sign Language (ASL) won the Technovation competition.

Trash to Triumph

Brothers Drevian Arrington, 13, and Andre Willis, 16, of Garfield Heights, bravely pitched “From Trash to Triumph!”about the business  they launched seven months ago and say they hope will build a cleaner and safer future for everyone.

Accelerate winners Drevian Arrington and Andre Willis, The Trash BoysIn May of 2024, their mother encouraged them to step away from video games and get out in their neighborhood to pick up trash to better their community and beautify the space around them.

“We did not like it at all at first,” recalls Willis.

The dislike didn’t last long. The teens recall seeing an elderly woman who was struggling to take her trash to the curb. The scene tugged at their heartstrings, and they helped her. In return, the woman thanked them with a tip.

With that, The Trash Boys was born as a business and the brothers quickly expanded their efforts.

“I just never wanted to quit, to be honest,” says Arrington.

Arrington and Willis now have clients, both paying and non-paying. Services for seniors and physical challenged individuals include hauling trash bins to the curb, washing trash bins, cutting grass, salting walkways, yardwork, cleaning, and more.

As winners of Accelerate, they plan to use the $5,000 in prize money, plus $500 earned in the as first runners-up in a Teen Accelerate competition earlier in the evening, to help fund their business, “The Trash Boys.”

The teens have multiple community sponsors, as well, and they say Accelerate brought some potential new sponsors their way. Pitching their concept gave them a celebrity moment, as well.

“People were so nice. I didn’t expect that,” says Willis. “They came up and wanted to take pictures with us!”

The Trash Boys have already expanded to help fulfill requests, employing other area youth. They use earned funds and sponsorships to pay for supplies and gas to get to their clients in Garfield, Bedford, Maple Heights, and Cleveland. Some businesses sponsor seniors who can’t afford to pay for the much-needed services.

The teens have big plans. Mom and Chief Operations Officer Jasmine Arrington is proud seeing boys meeting the needs of the community and is supporting them every step of the way as they give back as a family.

“This has changed us in such a way that we feel like we’re now leaders and have this huge responsibility to continue to have a great impact and inspire others because people are watching us,” she says. “We’re proud of ourselves and what we do.”

The family says they hope to begin a nonprofit and eventually open a center where teens can come and work.

Bridging the gap for the hearing impaired

The Technovation competition recognizes pitches that address an issue through the use of technology.

Amirali Rezaei, 20, from Iran, took home a top prize of $3,500 for his “AISA School” (Artificial Intelligence Sign Language Assistance) pitch. AISA School uses the unique technology to bridge the communications gap with people who are deaf or have hearing loss and don’t have access to tutors or schools that teach ASL.

Rezaei co-founded and developed the AISA app with a friend in Iran and now works with seven others in countries around the globe, including China, to help further the technology.

AISA co-founder Amirali Rezaei with his three awards checksUsers take a virtual class on an interactive app that teaches ASL with an AI interpreter providing instant feedback. Rezaei says the app is used primarily by the hearing-impaired community but can also be used by friends and loved ones to improve communication.

Rezaei lived in the U.K. prior to his move to the U.S. about seven months ago. He says he knew he wanted to attend Case Western Reserve University to access educational opportunities he couldn’t find elsewhere. Additionally, he says he feels the U.S. provides the most freedom to be an entrepreneur.

The freshman is double majoring in computer science and business management with a double minor in finance and economics. Rezaei is already ahead of the curve, having developed life-changing technology that is the first of its kind in the world.

“More than 70% of the individuals have family and friends who do not learn sign language,” explains Rezaei, adding that 63% of parents of hearing impaired children do not learn ASL.

Rezaei says he hopes to officially make AISA School a business. He and his team are testing the technology with a group of 50 people internationally, and it’s proving to be successful and ready to expand soon.

“It’s exactly what you want to see as a community, right—finding a home here and utilizing the resources we have,” observes Kuchta. “He’s brand new to this country—hasn’t been here that long—and he has the courage to throw it out there and see what happens.”

Rezaie also received $2,000 as the finalist in the Education category presented in partnership with Nordson, and won $2,500 in Accelerate’s first College Competition, sponsored by YEI.

Runners up

Accelerate finalists each received $2,000 and include:

• Brittany DeMudd, who pitched “JuxtaVandal” in the Arts & Culture category to improve teen mental health through uplifting mural projects in schools. “This is more than an art installation,” she said. “Its mission is to combat mental health issues and connect the community through a pay-it-forward initiative, and online Empowerment Shop.”
• Wallace L. Thomas, who pitched “Cleveland Compost Catalyst” in the Climate & Energy Innovation category to create a recycling center in Collinwood for composting trees, leaves, and other debris. “We are constantly shipping our resources to other cities,” he said. “I want to invest in our community.” The pitch was presented for the first time this year and in partnership with NOPEC.
• Morgan Lewis, who pitched “Better in Color Cleveland” to support LGBTQ youth and young adults on Cleveland’s east side in the Social Change category. “It’s more than a queer initiative,” she said. “It’s a movement about creating a safe community hub.”

Teen Accelerate, which marked its third year at the event, featured 10 pitches from student teams in grades nine through 12 Cuyahoga and neighboring counties.

Imre Huss and Amogh Tripathi, students at the Mastery School of Hawken in University Circle, won $1,000 as winners in YEI’s Teen Accelerate competition with their pitch, “Govvy.”

Govvy is an innovative civic engagement platform that creates an interactive space where citizens can track legislation, participate in polls, and provide direct, actionable feedback to their elected representatives.

The runners up each received $250.

Teen students also had a presence at the Teen Entrepreneur Showcase and Pop-Up Shop, which was developed from the winning Accelerate 2018 pitch by Tory Coats to support the endeavors of young businesspeople. Coats’ concept has been featured at Accelerate each year since then.

About a dozen students sold products ranging from pens and pillows with inspirational sayings to clothing and makeup.

In addition to selling their products, participants shared their stories. Coats and his team have been mentoring these students through their participation at the EJ Kovacic Recreation Center in St. Clair-Superior and Zelma Watson George Recreation Centers in Woodland Hills.