The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

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Episodes

441

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Podcast of The City Club of Cleveland's Friday Forum and other City Club events.

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September 4, 20261 hr 0 min

Israel at a Crossroads: Charting the Path Within and Beyond

Since October 7, Israeli society has undergone a profound transformation. The attacks, the ensuing wars, and the intense international scrutiny have reshaped how Israelis-Jews and Arabs alike-understand their identities, their relationships with one another, and their visions for the country\'s future.\r\n\r\nWhat does it mean to be Israeli today? How has the events of the last three years changed the relationship between Jewish and Arab citizens? And how have regional conflicts and global reactions to Israel influenced Israel's internal and external dynamics?\r\n\r\nFor Americans, these questions are more than matters of foreign policy. As debates over Israel have become increasingly central to American politics, campuses, and Jewish communal life, understanding the realities and complexities inside Israeli society has never been more important. Join us for a timely conversation exploring how Israel is changing-and why those changes matter far beyond its borders.

August 28, 20261 hr 0 min

Rx Kids: A New Maternal and Infant Health Model is Coming to Cleveland

Pregnancy and infancy are critical periods in children's development and are also the most economically vulnerable times for families. Rx Kids is a public health initiative addressing this dilemma for families in Michigan with a bold approach: It gives moms $1,500 during pregnancy and $500/month for their baby\'s first six months-no strings attached. Announced in early July, Cleveland has been selected as the first expansion site outside of Michigan.\r\n\r\nFounded by Dr. Mona Hanna and Luke Shaefer, Ph.D., Rx Kids is the nation's first-ever community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program. Launched in 2024 and serving more than 15,000 families, the public health intervention is built upon the principle of trusting mothers. It focuses on improving birth outcomes, increasing food and housing stability, and providing every child a healthy start in life. Now, a new study has found that neonatal mortality-the death of an infant within the first 28 days of life-fell by nearly 50% in Flint following the launch of Rx Kids.\r\n\r\nDr. Mona Hanna is the Director of Rx Kids and Associate Dean for Public Health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. In 2026, Dr. Hanna was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in Health for her work leading Rx Kids. She was also named one of Time magazine\'s 100 Most Influential People in the World and recognized as one of USA Today\'s Women of the Century for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts.

August 27, 20261 hr 0 min

Honoring the Legacy, Revitalizing Together: The Future of Shaker Square

Cleveland\'s Shaker Square is not just a place, it\'s a living piece of history. For nearly 100 years, Shaker Square has served as a community anchor and cultural destination. In 2029, it will officially celebrate its 100th birthday, providing a timeline to both honor Shaker Square\'s history and steward it for the future.\r\n\r\nBuilding on insights from a 2019 planning study, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc. acquired Shaker Square and raised over $5 million for capital repairs, completed a market analysis, and embarked on an extensive community engagement process. The resulting 2025 Vision Plan offers solutions to retail vacancies, housing, safety, public spaces, pedestrian access, and more. What can we learn from the plan? And what will it take to make sure Shaker Square remains an inviting, inspiring, and timeless space for all residents to enjoy?

August 21, 20261 hr 0 min

The Port of Cleveland: Driving Economic Growth and Opportunity Across Northeast Ohio

The sound of cargo ship horns ringing through the night is a familiar sound for any Clevelander. It\'s also the sound of roughly 13 million tons of cargo moving through the Cleveland Harbor every year. Managing the North Coast traffic is The Port of Cleveland, one of the largest ports on the Great Lakes and the only local government agency whose sole mission is to spur job creation and economic vitality in Cuyahoga County. The Port generates over 23,000 jobs and $7.07 billion in annual economic activity.\r\n\r\nJoining the Port as President & CEO is Jeff Epstein, who brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of economic development, public-private partnerships, and transformative urban investment. Before joining the Port, Jeff served as Chief of Integrated Development for the City of Cleveland, where he advanced equitable community and economic development across the city. He also spent time as the Executive Director of MidTown Cleveland, a nonprofit economic and community development organization.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we hear from Jeff Epstein on how The Port of Cleveland is driving economic growth, global connectivity, and sustainability for Northeast Ohio and beyond.

August 14, 20261 hr 0 min

The Power of Music Education for Our Youth and Communities

The future of Cleveland\'s thriving music and arts scene begins with our youth. For decades, studies have shown that high quality music instruction leads to a variety of benefits for young people: greater confidence, self expression, collaboration, leadership, and creativity-to name a few. Our communities benefit, too. Yet, the high costs of instruments and supplies make it challenging for many talented young people to explore their creative potential. And decades of nationwide disinvestment in K-12 music education only adds to the challenge.\r\n\r\nYet, here in Cleveland, we are home to several leading arts and cultural institutions that have truly changed the narrative and raised the bar for musical education for our city\'s young people. The Music Settlement and The Rainey Institute were both founded over 100 years ago to provide arts and culture education to Cleveland\'s immigrant and wage earning population. They have since grown into neighborhood anchors, together serving thousands of youth. Founded in 1995, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra allows students to study and perform new and contemporary music-introducing students to opportunities in the creative arts industries. Together, their work continues to increase access to music education, empower the next generation of artists, and strengthen Cleveland\'s cultural economy.

August 7, 20261 hr 0 min

Liberated Mind: Clarity, Identity, and the Conditions That Shape Us

In a moment where more people than ever are feeling the weight of "the system," or even losing faith in individual self-determination, how do we reclaim agency within this system?\r\n\r\nIn Liberated Mind: A Guide to Black Clarity, author Dr. Timothy D. Goler examines how inequality becomes embedded not only in institutions but also in perceptions and the internalization of stereotypes. \"For generations,\" Goler notes, \"Black people have been taught to cope, adapt, survive. We learned to shrink in rooms that weren\'t built for us. To silence ourselves before speaking. To call exhaustion \'strength\' and suppression \'discipline.\' We mistake the weight we carry for who we are. But what if that weight was never ours to begin with?\"\r\n\r\nDr. Timothy D. Goler is a nationally recognized social psychologist and educator whose work examines how people come to understand themselves under pressure. His scholarship bridges medical sociology, social psychology, and culturally grounded approaches to community life, with a particular focus on how structural racism, intergenerational strain, and life course stressors shape the mental and emotional realities of Black people. Dr. Goler is also the founder and former CEO of the HBCU Preparatory Schools Network in Cleveland; and a co-founder of PolicyBridge, a public policy think tank connecting academic insight with applied practice.

July 31, 20261 hr 0 min

Dignity of Work: Building Opportunity in a Changing Economy

As Towards Employment celebrates its 50th anniversary, join the City Club and kick off the first annual Dignity of Work forum-a community conversation exploring the future of work, economic mobility, and the partnerships that create pathways to rewarding careers.\r\n\r\nAs Cleveland continues to adapt to changing labor markets and emerging industries, this conversation will offer timely insights into how workforce innovation can expand opportunity, strengthen businesses, and build a more inclusive regional economy.\r\n\r\nIn a moderated conversation, Jill Rizika will speak with Earl Buford, President of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and one of the nation\'s leading voices on workforce development, adult learning, and talent strategy. Together, they will explore how communities, businesses, educators, and workforce organizations can work together to ensure that every individual has access to meaningful work and opportunities for economic advancement.\r\n\r\nThis moment also serves as an opportunity to honor the legacy of Towards Employment\'s three transformational leaders-founder Soad Mansour, former Executive Director Walter Ginn, and retiring President & CEO Jill Rizika-whose collective leadership over the past five decades has helped thousands of Greater Cleveland residents overcome barriers to employment and build family-sustaining careers, while providing talent to our local businesses.

July 30, 20261 hr 0 min

What is a Cultural Plan? Lessons from Four Cities

Across the country, communities are increasingly turning to cultural planning to support and grow their creative economies. Whether a city is actively drafting its first vision or beginning to activate it, the process requires constant adaptation, collaboration, and shared learning.\r\n\r\nThis forum explores the practical tradeoffs, constraints, and successes of shaping local culture at every stage of development. Featured arts leaders will share insights from peer communities on how these ongoing planning efforts play out amid civic and economic realities-offering an open space to learn from peer communities, ask questions, and deepen shared understanding about what cultural planning can look like in practice, while reflecting on Cleveland\'s evolving cultural landscape.

July 29, 20261 hr 0 min

We The People: How Things Really Get Done at the Ohio Statehouse

Democracy works best when citizens are more informed and better understand the institutions that govern them. And advocacy work and movement building become more effective - and successful - when citizens are empowered to become active participants in shaping their communities, and their future.\r\n\r\nYet, the halls of the Ohio Statehouse can seem like an overly complex, insiders network-hard to break through. So, what really happens in the Ohio Statehouse? And what does lobbying and advocacy work actually look like, in action?\r\n\r\nAs we mark the nation\'s 250th birthday, the City Club\'s 2026 Outdoor Summer Series WE THE PEOPLE will dive into topics centering our communities, organizations, and the very people who help our democracy thrive.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club for a discussion with those who know the secrets of the Statehouse, learn how to enact change from within, and find out how things really get done at the Ohio Statehouse.

July 24, 20261 hr 0 min

Protecting Children Through Innovation, Collaboration, and Advocacy

Nationally, 1 in 7 children is abused before their 18th birthday, and there are over 19,000 reports of child abuse and neglect annually in Cuyahoga County alone. To help address these issues, Canopy Child Advocacy Center (CAC) opened its doors in Cuyahoga County in 2018. It was the last urban county in the country to establish a CAC, a national model for helping children and families affected by abuse and neglect.\r\n\r\nBefore the CAC, and in communities without a CAC, an abused child would have to tell their story an average of nine times to receive the services and support necessary to begin the healing process. And some abused and neglected children do not receive services at all. The innovative CAC model reduces potential trauma for children and families impacted by child abuse by having clients come to one child-friendly, trauma-informed location when they receive services and resources to begin the healing process. Today, Canopy CAC serves nearly 5,000 children and families affected by abuse and neglect, and behind every one of those numbers is a child who was believed, supported, and given a chance to heal.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we hear directly from Jennifer Johnson, Executive Director of Canopy Child Advocacy Center, on how they are advancing child safety, addressing abuse, and supporting healing of the region\'s youngest victims.