Last week in Cleveland, some 200 Forward Cities attendees from across the nation explored strategies that foster entrepreneurship and social innovation in minority communities.

A conversation with Nicole McGee about the Upcycle Parts Shop and her work as a community organizer, fundraiser, and creative reuse artist.
 

Last night, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish joined Cuyahoga County Corrections to congratulate the first cohort of graduates of the Comprehensive Reentry Services program. Students have completed more than 165 hours of classroom and hands-on training over the past nine weeks. They learned baseline kitchen, safety, preparation and cooking skills and earned a three-year Servsafe Food Handler certification through the National Restaurant Association.
 
“Too often, individuals who have paid their debt to society confront many obstacles to good jobs and quality education and training”, said County Executive Budish in a statement.
 
“It's exciting to see the progress of these individuals and the culinary program”, added Ken Mills, Cuyahoga County Director of Regional Corrections.  
 
The voluntary program fosters pre- and post-release employment and job readiness for male adult individuals serving court sentences with the County jail and housed at the Euclid facility. 
 
Euclid service providers are Towards Employment, Recovery Resources and Project Learn. Services to be provided pre-release at the Euclid facility include: employment assessment, individual success plan, career exploration, job readiness skills training, ABLE/GED classes, behavioral health/substance abuse counseling services, Thinking for a Change workshops, and culinary arts training.
 
To be eligible, inmates must be convicted as an adult and imprisoned under the municipal, county, Federal, or state law but have not been convicted of a sexual offense other than prostitution; and have enough time remaining on the sentence to complete the program.
 
Post release, previous offenders will continue to receive ongoing services as well as additional supportive services to help them successfully reenter the community and find employment.
 
“Their accomplishments demonstrate the potential impact of innovative and collaborative programming,” said Mills of the graduates and program.
 
Partly funded from the U.S. Department of Labor grant; Comprehensive Reentry Services is a collaborative partnership that includes Cuyahoga County Corrections, OhioMeansJobs|Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, and Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry and Edwin’s Leadership and Institute.
 

Fresh Water contributor Brandon Baker uncovers compelling success stories from Clevelanders who have overcome untold challenges and crises.

"Creating jobs is our secret ingredient."
 
Such is the slogan of Bloom Bakery, a downtown entity that offers premium pastries and breads as well as opportunities for Clevelanders facing employment barriers. Now the social venture is asking for a little extra "dough" to continue its mission.
 
Last week, Bloom Bakery launched a $25,000 Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to provide capital for its Campus District location at 1938 Euclid Ave. (The bakery has another shop at 200 Public Square.) Funding will go to hiring additional staff, says Logan Fahey, Bloom Bakery co-founder and general manager.
 
"Our reason for doing (crowdfunding) was to get the community involved," says Fahey. "We rely on the consumer to find us and appreciate the mission."
 
Supporters can pre-purchase coffee, lunch, corporate catering, and exclusive baking lessons before the campaign ends June 10. Bloom Bakery is a benefit corporation - essentially a hybrid of a standard corporation and a nonprofit - owned by Towards Employment, a Cleveland nonprofit that offers job training and placement as well as removal of employment barriers for people previously involved in the criminal justice system.
 
All revenue from Bloom Bakery goes to Towards Employment's job readiness programs. Meanwhile, the bakery educates, trains and employs low-income and disadvantaged adults for work as bakers, baristas and other positions. Entry-level jobs pay $8 to $10 hourly, with opportunities available for upward mobility within the company.
 
"Our sole purpose is to give a second chance to individuals who otherwise wouldn't get one," Fahey says. "These jobs can be resume builders or allow people to move onto supervisory positions here."
 
Bloom Bakery currently has 15 staff members, ranging in age from their 20s to early 60s. New employees are vetted through Towards Employment programming, then undergo another month of training at the bakery.
 
As of this writing, the social venture's crowdfunding effort has reached 10 percent of its goal. Fahey and his fellow staff members will spend the next couple of weeks pushing the campaign via social media and word-of-mouth. The ultimate goal is to become the state's best bakery while continuing to operate as a "business with a heart."
 
"There's a large segment of the population in need of an opportunity," says Fahey. "If we become the best bakery, then we can create as many jobs as we want." 

In an unusual community vote, some 520 Collinwood residents chose nine Ballot Box art projects from a field of more than 30. The eclectic efforts will begin unfurling in the north coast neighborhood as soon as this month.

The nationally syndicated columnist chats about the state of feminism in America, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Earlier this week Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) honored the 2016 Vibrant City Award winners amid 600 guests gathered at the Cleveland Masonic Auditorium. The winners were chosen from a field of 21 finalists.
 
CNP president Joel Ratner honored Cleveland Metroparks with the first-ever Vibrant City Impact Award. The community partner was recognized for its role in managing the city’s lakefront parks, rejuvenating Rivergate Park and bringing back a water taxi service.
 
Ratner also bestowed the Morton L. Mandel Leadership in Community Development Award upon Joe Cimperman.
 
"Joe is a true champion of the city of Cleveland and Cleveland’s neighborhoods," said Ratner. "He truly is a visionary for making Cleveland a fair and equitable place to call home for all city residents."
 
Cimperman recently left Cleveland City Council after 19 years and is now the President of Global Cleveland.
 
Click here to see the seven other Vibrant City Award winners.

The Cavs once again made it to the NBA Playoffs and this morning the schedule was announced for the first round against the Detroit Pistons.

To celebrate the accomplishment and to rally the city, the Cavaliers today began decorating the Cleveland landmarks – starting with Quicken Loans Arena – with banners and signs with boasting “#ALLIN216,” referring to the motto “All In to 16,” the number of wins needed to win the championship.
 
A full window wrap is being installed on the north and west sides of the building, including the front window. Banners are being placed on each arena bridge one on the bridge that connects The Q to Gateway east garage and one on the north bridge that connects to JACK Casino Cleveland’s Collection Auto Group Centre parking lot. Additional banners on the east and west side of the arena are also being flown.
 
After the signage is in place at the Q banners will then be hoisted all over town, many local businesses are also hanging banners with the motto.
 
“There’s so much signage going up in the next week or so,” says Tracy Mare, Cavs chief marketing officer. “Definitely fans will see it throughout the city.”
 
Cavs team representatives urge other businesses and individuals alike to also show their support. Last year, Marek says many residents painted their front lawns or put up their own signs to show support for the Cavs.
 
“We encourage all of Cleveland to recognize this as one more moment to show just how great Cleveland is, and to showcase our community,” Marek says. “Our playoff run provides an opportunity to look at the city with a different lens.”
 
Even if you don’t have a ticket to the home games or when the Cavs are on the road, there are plenty of ways to get in on the excitement. Marek says they will host watch parties and pre-game entertainment outside the Q, complete with food trucks, beer, live music and the Cav entertainment team for several hours before the games.
 
“There are so many more ways for people to get involved,” she says. “Even if you don’t have a ticket to the game, come on down. It’s an outdoor fun fest. Downtown Cleveland’s a great place to be.”
 
For a full Cavs playoff schedule and a rundown of activities, visit the Cavs Fan Guide. 

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has announced 21 finalists for its 2016 Vibrant City Awards. Winners will be revealed on May 2 at the second annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch, hosted by CNP and presented by Key Bank and Community Blight Solutions.
 
“We are proud to convene community partners and stakeholders to celebrate city neighborhoods. These leading efforts in neighborhood revitalization are what help us all create a vibrant city,” says Joel Ratner, president and CEO of CNP. “The organizations and individuals being honored have displayed tremendous passion, dedication and collaboration. We’re excited to recognize them for their successful efforts in community development.”
 
CNP received more than 70 nominations for this year's awards.

Learn more about all 21 finalists and continue reading.