Economic Inclusion (Our Commitment)
Ensuring the full participation by minority businesses and individuals in the economic engines that drive Northeast Ohio is a key priority for the Greater Cleveland Partnership.
Commission on Economic Inclusion
The GCP has committed leadership and resources to develop and sustain initiatives to improve workforce, supplier, senior-staff and board-member diversity within the region’s employer community. GCP is also working to enhance wealth creation in minority communities by facilitating the growth of promising minority-owned businesses through access to capital and other key resources.
Minority Business Development
The GCP has set a goal to position the organization in Northeast Ohio’s private, nonprofit community as a model of diversity and inclusion in board membership and senior management. The supplier diversity program allows GCP to develop ongoing working relationships with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) and small businesses and provides these businesses with the opportunity to compete with other GCP vendors.
In addition, GCP supports other efforts to promote minority business development such as the Northern Ohio Minority Business Council (NOMBC), which certifies minority businesses and facilitates relationships between its corporate members and Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), and the MWV Pinnacle Fund, a venture capital fund that supports the growth of high-potential, minority-owned businesses.
Regional Inclusion Model
The Commission on Economic Inclusion's new Regional Inclusion Model represents a collaborative, coordinated economic development effort that leverages the region's resources to provide the best services to its members and the region's minority-owned businesses.The model was developed to:
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Promote collaboration around economic inclusion
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Leverage the core competencies of existing resources in the region
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Minimize redundancy and confusion around economic inclusion
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Drive efficient and optimal service delivery to MBEs and Commission members Facilitate the growth of win-win business relationships between MBEs, Commission members and other Northeast Ohio employers.
The Fund for Our Economic Future has approved a grant of $1 million to launch the first phase of the model, a Minority Business Accelerator that will help medium and large African American and Hispanic-owned businesses in Northeast Ohio thrive and create new jobs-a key component in the business community's overall strategy to grow our region's economy. It is a joint initiative of the Commission, the Hispanic Business Association, JumpStart, Inc. and the Northern Ohio Minority Business Council(NOMBC).