Production and distribution of city club forums and ideastream.

Public media are made possible by PNC and the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc.. Good afternoon and welcome to the City Club of Cleveland, where we are devoted to creating conversations of consequence that help democracy thrive.

It's Friday, December 13th.

And I'm Carrie Carpenter, senior vice president of community Philanthropy and Engagement at Huntington.

And I'm proud to introduce today's forum, which is part of the City Club's Building Success series in partnership with Huntington.

When I think about entrepreneurs who serve as community champions, Connie Hill-Johnson and Kevin Johnson take this role to another level.

They are each leaders in their own right, but together they're even stronger.

They're lifelong investments in economic development.

Volunteer efforts and philanthropic contributions have left an indelible mark on northeast Ohio.

Today, we have the privilege of hearing directly from them on the progress made in the work yet to be done, particularly concerning bipoc entrepreneurship, philanthropic investments and community leadership.

Connie Hill-Johnson has been owner and managing director of Visiting Angels Senior Home Care for more than 20 years.

Since 2022.

Connie has served as a chair of the Board of the Cleveland Foundation.

The first black woman elected to the position and where I've had the honor of serving under her leadership.

She also served as co-chair of the successful citywide Cleveland Reid's campaign with the Cleveland Public Library.

Kevin Johnson is managing partner at Next-Gen Interactive, LLC, a technology consultancy.

He has held countless roles over the years and areas of engineering, I.T.

and management here in Northeast Ohio and across the globe.

And his community leadership includes serving as the past chair of the Board of Cozy Together.

Connie and Kevin were instrumental in producing the soul of philanthropy in Cleveland in 2019 and also launched the Cleveland Black Equity and Humanity Fund.

Moderating the conversation is Rachel Mitchell, anchor and managing editor at WKYC.

If you have any questions for our speakers, you can text them to 3305415794.

And City Club staff will try to work it into the Q&A portion of the program.

Members and Friends of the City Club of Cleveland please join me in welcoming my friends Connie Hill-Johnson and Kevin Johnson.

Rest of the day.

Mm hmm.

Karen, thank you.

And good afternoon, everybody.

Thanks for coming out today.

Connie and Kevin, it's great to see you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Happy to be here.

I know if I just kind of step back and let you guys go, you can talk for an hour and a half, but I'm told I have to moderate this.

So here we go.

Been big fans of both of you, obviously, for for quite some time.

But let's let's talk about giving back and where the concept came from for for both of you.

Connie, I'll begin with you.

Why is it important and where did this come from?

While it would probably take me back to to how I grew up in a family that just always served in and did for others.

We didn't talk about it outwardly, but you just do for those in need.

I clearly remember things growing up when my mom would say things to my brother, like go down the street and break Mr. So-and-so's leaves and you better not ask him for any money, you know, things like that.

And so just doing for others is a part of how I was raised.

And I know we're going to get into the whole philanthropy thing a little bit later, but when you when you think about how we gave or how we continue to give, it's all philanthropy.

And so I'm a service person and it just comes naturally for me to give to others.

You're going to talk about that word in just a minute.

But Kevin, let me ask you, where does this come from, this concept of giving back?

You know, for me, unlike Connie, it was probably learned I did not have that familiar family experience.

So we were just very focused on trying to make sure we got through.

And so it was really life experiences that that really had a feedback with me whereby philanthropy ended up being one of what I call a dynamic number of pillars.

For me, it's it really evolved over time into faith, family, finance and philanthropy and that's kind of a dynamic pillar because those are not stand alone legs on a stool.

They are very dynamic, they interrelate.

So philanthropy ended up being something that was learned, but also understanding how I could be a difference maker and how I could help create some of the outcomes that I think are important.

Again, having heard you both speak, you talk about the importance of giving back.

Let me ask you that aspect of it in your book.

Kevin, I'll start with you.

Why is it important for people to do that so I'm going to say that what's important for me is the whole issue of what difference did you make, right?

My view of, of of success is incomplete if it only includes me.

So the issue becomes why be all dressed up with all of this background and all of these experiences and all of these, you know, educate whatever you want to call it, if you didn't really make a difference, that included others.

And so that's that's kind of a motivating factor for me.

It is an inclusive perspective with respect to giving back, with respect to creating what I call not moments, not not not moments, but movements enduring value.

That's kind of where I'm at.

Connie will tell you I don't like doing just someone off.

What's what's the connective tissue?

What's what's the leave behind?

What's the long term value as a strategist?

That's kind of how my head thinks and how I look at it.

And so I'd like to I like to make sure that if I'm engaged, it's going to make a difference.

ANDERSON Your engineering background comes into play here, as you said, and it's fascinating to watch that at work.

That, too.

It's a process and and trying to figure out how to how to put things together and create something.

Yeah.

Kind of importance.

Yeah.

And I have to say this, too.

I'm so happy you mentioned the engineering background because we stopped Kevin Because we see, we, we, we have jokingly spoken about his technical background, engineering technology, and I'm the liberal arts young lady, you know, And it took a while for Kevin.

See, there he goes is rare back in to see how it took a while for Kevin to I think appreciate this liberal arts girl and her involvement in the community and her her desire to give back.

And he says to me one day I was speaking somewhere, talking as I usually do, and he says, I get it now.

Why you're so good at what you do.

That's that's beach background at Case Western Reserve.

And I said, Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.

You pulled my liberal arts degree for years and years.

Now you're giving it some value, but it is because of that liberal arts degree and, and my being this extrovert, the importance of making an impact.

And, you know, when it's all said and done and we're we're probably in the second half of our season of living we're older than most people think we are that the importance of making an impact.

You know, when I'm long gone and people mention my name, I want them to say that she stood for something and she made an impact.

And it's still here.

And that's what drives me the most with anything that I'm involved in, that when my name is lifted up, people will be able to put their finger on what I contributed to.

That hopefully is long lasting.

Well, certainly now you have said can we can say something there?

I'm sorry.

Okay.

Just just making sure it's just me.

I don't get I want to be on point.

All right.

All right.

All right.

Well, moving along, Connie, you've said and I'm a quote, you here, you don't have to be Oprah to give.

Each of us can make an impact.

Now, let's go back to that word, philanthropy.

It can be intimidating for some people.

You hear that word and you think something, perhaps something that you can't be a part of.

How do you demystify that word to most people?

I think and you know, you've hit on a hot button for both of us, but when you think of the word philanthropy, I always go back and remind people and I even said this and Carrie might remember, and Randy, who's on the board at the Cleveland Foundation, the root word of philanthropy means a love of mankind.

That's what it means.

That's what it means if you love people, if you love people and humankind and mankind, then you will give.

And that giving may look different.

And yes, we need all of your dollars.

Please don't forget that.

But particularly in our community.

And I hope you don't mind me going there.

Philanthropy.

We have always been philanthropists in the African-American community.

We didn't call it that.

We didn't know that.

We didn't know how to spell the word probably when we were young.

But we gave.

Whether you're giving in Sunday school, whether you're giving to little man down the street and raking his leaves.

And so for me, when I think about service and giving philanthropy is a wide tent.

And there are many ways to be a philanthropist, end to end to contribute to your family, your community, your inner circle, the nation.

And I think we all need to be able to look at how we give, which may not always be monetary, but be able to proudly say, I'm involved in the arena of philanthropy and I feel good about what I do.

Yeah, I think when most people a lot of people hear that word, they think, I don't have $1,000,000.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Do you have $1,000,000 either?

But in other words, and another word for that perhaps, and you both talked about this is helping as well.

That's a big factor as well, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, with one of the business with the visiting angels business, one of the things I always talk about is the fact that you have to really want to help people because not every opportunity to add value involves money exchange.

What it involves, though, in terms of value is imparting information that's going to help someone.

And that so one of the businesses is even focused on just that.

And that's really what it's about.

But broader than that.

When I think about it and for me and when I personalize it, the whole issue comes back to again, what difference did you make?

And and that's where that meeting and that desire to help people becomes important.

And the feedback that I get not from as as a sterling, not from this, but from the work and the outcomes that most of the time no one even knows about.

And that's fine.

I think for for for philanthropy.

It's not necessarily just the name on the building, though.

It's that there's a place for that.

It really has more to do with What difference did you make in the time that you have the clock that started for me, I'm not in control of what I get to add input with is the dash.

The dash between when I came in and when I don't know, I'm going out when I get up every day.

The issue is, well, I woke up.

What do you do today?

What What's on the list?

And trying to figure out the half to do's from the wants to the needs to do and trying to make sure that that that that takes place.

Do you mind if we give a real life example of helping who's in this room today?

Absolutely.

Okay.

I think, you know, if you do, I think you know where you're going, where I'm going here.

A young lady from Cleveland who represented Cleveland incredibly well in the Summer Olympics this year, billion dollar beau McCain, who seemed to know, in fact, Mo was part of a city club forum back in July that I was honored to moderate as well.

And my bruises are still there.

So but it was a wonderful experience.

But I know when you heard her story, you both jumped in action.

Yeah.

And Kevin and I can't can't just take this on ourselves because, you know, I always want to take advantage of the opportunity to share that.

A lot of the work that we do, we have two other partners in Angie Thomas and Cecil Lipscomb from the United Black Fund.

But when we met this young lady through no, where's no no's back there, when we met at the door and heard her story, number one, she's from Glenville, we're from Glenville, everybody knows that.

And we knew what she was trying to do to raise money to get her family to go there.

Yeah, and that was something that we just immediately wrapped our arms around.

And so when I talk about giving back and making an impact, all I knew was the sharp young lady who had a brilliant talent, didn't want to be over in Paris without her family.

And I thought, How dare we not support her and raise money so that her entire family could go to Paris with her.

And we were successful in doing that and really galvanizing the city.

When I saw Morrell's picture at Playhouse Square, I knew we had knocked it off the bar.

Oh.

Oh, again?

Yeah, I know.

Yeah, yeah.

It's an incredible story.

Incredible, young lady.

And thanks for coming today.

I know.

I know these folks.

Appreciate it.

And in so do I want to talk to you about something that's on this show Love philanthropy in Cleveland a website and Kevin, we talked about this.

In fact Cameron said, I want you to go to this website and look at this statistics and talk about it.

But it's fascinating.

African-Americans give 8.6% of their discretionary income to charity, more than any other racial group in America.

African-Americans donate 25% more of their discretionary income than do Americans of European descent.

Nearly two thirds of African-American households give the charity were formerly to the tune of $11 billion each year.

So, Kevin, when you tell those statistics to people I'm gathering, some people are surprised by that.

What do you say to them?

Part of our I believe part of our mission is to correct.

And then communicate the narrative properly.

And one of the things that that's important to us is to make sure that people understand that minorities and particularly black people are not at all a handout.

We're doing a lot.

We have a nature.

I think it's in our DNA to be philanthropists.

We just refer to it in different ways.

It is, yes, it is time, talent and treasure.

But getting the story straight and making sure that the legacy has to do with the facts is very important because we have a way and we have a way of distorting truth.

All right.

And painting narratives that are negative, I think very good at that.

The soul of philanthropy and the work that we have done with the four of us is part of that.

But the truth of the matter is, it hasn't just been the four of us.

If it was just the four of us, we wouldn't have gotten anywhere.

You know, I would guarantee that half of the people in this room have been involved with the soul of philanthropy as volunteers because they share that mission.

Anything that you see, the soul of philanthropy, it's not just the four of us.

It's all of the volunteers and the folks that come from brilliant people that bring their time and talent to the mission and that's the soul of philanthropy.

Cleveland Yeah.

When you share those numbers of people, what do people how do people react?

Typically when you hear this, they they don't believe it because, again, as Kevin said, that narrative of people that look like me being on the receiving end and not on the giving in, one of the things that that I will share is my heart for this work really started as I stood back and admired the work of Steve Minter, who was the CEO at one time of the Cleveland Foundation and the last award.

And I so wish Robin was here, and she told us she had to be at an important meeting the day that the last award Stephen Minter received was the night in I think it was September 6th, 2019.

Yes.

When he was honored as a legacy philanthropist at our reception and he stood before 350 people and said he never thought he would see the day, and I'm paraphrasing, where he would see a group of folks who were givers and not the receivers.

And I think a couple of weeks later he passed away.

And so when you think of a legacy and the impact that he's had on many Clevelanders life, not just black folks and even the work that I do at the Cleveland Foundation now, the journey that I've been on as board chair, I think of him often and wonder what he would be thinking now and saying and and whispering in my ear during the times I'd want to have coffee with him.

And so I, I view him as that person that I'm sure I would be seeking approval from, that I was on the right track in terms of the work that I do.

Yeah, it is chairperson of the Cleveland Foundation.

As we pointed out, the first African-American woman to hold that position.

What has that role meant to you in terms of of how you carry out your mission?

Yeah, I don't think I recognized at the beginning the largeness of this position.

I'm just locally.

And so when I was first approached about, you know, throwing my name in to be the chair, I was just like, Oh, no, I'm cool, uncle.

I'm doing some committee work.

And I don't think I recognized really the magnitude until I got into it.

And it has been rewarding.

It has stretched me.

I think we have the best board in the city of Cleveland.

Randall MC Sheppard is here, Carrie Carpenter is here, and I don't think there are any other board members here, just 15 of us.

But we do the work.

We do the work.

And I think for me, I like to think I set the tone at the beginning by saying that everything we do at the foundation has to be viewed through a racial equity lens.

When we made the decision, when we were sitting right down the street in the where were we in the Hannah Building and a building about moving to the city, it was that we were not moving to just plop a building in the city that we wanted to be able to have an impact on the neighborhoods and the residents and to versus doing to the community.

We wanted to do with the community.

And so that's what got me excited about being the chair was being from the community.

Now I could really, really be able to speak up and be engaged in communities whose lives were to a degree similar to mine growing up.

And it made the work for me more meaningful and more impactful.

So I'm winding down my chair person ship.

You're staying on board?

I'm staying on the board after three more years, I think.

But it is probably been one of the highlights of my life.

Yeah, You both are.

Yes.

Yes.

You both touched on this, but what does it mean for both of you personally to be part of this community, a place where you are from and you are giving back in such the way that you are?

Yeah.

So, you know, it's interesting.

Both of us have lived other places for a lot of time, so we've had an opportunity to see a lot of communities, a lot of a few cities, travel internationally, hang out, do work abroad.

And it's interesting because because we had a heart for Cleveland.

And so economic development is right there as something that's critical in my work.

You really don't see me in any other space other than those that have the opportunity to create the changes that are that are important.

So it's sacrosanct to me.

It's it's it's really part of of the outcomes that I'm seeking and the ways that in which I go about it, I love working with people who are really focused on some of that type of thing.

It's it's really important.

It's rewarding to be part of those teams, part of those initiatives.

So, you know, there's a lot more that I can see.

What I just kind of want to make sure that we we we get to everything that we want to get to, because this hour, a half hour ago so quickly, I professed to just and a few other people here that I was not going to out talk my husband.

So I am having it.

I do have to ask you, this is hard.

It's hard.

You know, Connie from Glenville, it means a lot to you.

That's right.

Yeah, it does.

And let me first say, even though I have on red and black, I did not go to Glenville High School.

I did go to Hollywood, but I grew up in Glenville and my heart is there.

We still kept my brother, kept our family home after my parents passed.

And he said it wasn't about rental income, it was about legacy.

It was about this is the neighborhood we grew up in.

I grew up on a phenomenal street, Thornhill Drive, and there are just such rich memories there.

And so even when I drive by the house now, I think you better not tear up my mother's house.

And, you know, I think that when I drive by, but now I'm excited about the development that's occurring in the global community that will be coming that hopefully, as we see neighborhoods across Cleveland, particularly on the east side, we all know that the east side has not received all of the wealth and the dollars and the money as the West Side has discussed.

So we're starting to see that change.

And I'm just excited about what what's going on in the communities on the East and as business owners.

Kevin how how does it affect what you do?

Oh my goodness.

Just to be sure, how does what effect it how does what you do?

How, how does the way you approach things affect as a business owner?

How does that part of your life affect this part of your life?

You know, it's interesting because one of the things that I talked about at the front end had to do with the interaction of faith, family, finance and philanthropy.

So what happens for me is that I'm thinking in terms of how to make those things work together so that, you know, one plus one plus one equals, you know, 400.

It's not a linear situation.

And so part of what I'm looking at, I spent, for example, a couple of months earlier this year looking at some tradable sector sector businesses to purchase.

Why?

Because there's a way with which we can create wealth and and development by being engaged and and buying some companies, putting capital stacks together and doing it in a way that, you know, I'm not looking to run businesses at this age and adding more, but I sure am interested in developing a portfolio and having people in place and letting them be able to do what I couldn't do at their age.

So how does that work together?

So that's where my head is and that's how that part of the business DNA that I have, part of the, you know, experience of putting products into, into, into production and all that stuff that I've done, the mindset of business models and financial models, but also the mindset of philanthropy, but a different twist on philanthropy.

And, you know, look, one of the things I talk to a lot of people about is that this is not some relay race.

This is, you know, if you can't run that race faster than I ran it, I didn't do a good job.

That's how I look at it.

You know, we're all on race.

But the issue is the issue is the ability to share information, knowledge, and maybe more importantly, that on ramp to where you want to be, not where I want you to be, where you want to be, and being able to help get folks there faster and have them be far more successful than I ever have been in that perception of what whatever we've done.

You're visiting angels started You started visiting Angels by 2000, 1000, 2000, 2002.

We were not married at the time and I was living in Saint Louis.

Where you're from?

Yes, I was living inside.

Did you do anything?

So long story short, I was I was unemployed, had been laid off.

And I remember reading a Black Enterprise magazine that had an article about the number of minorities buying franchises.

And I saw Visiting Angels listed.

I did not grow up in an entrepreneurial family.

I don't even think I had anybody in my family that owned a corner store or a gas station or beauty salon.

But I read about it in my graduate degrees in health care.

And so I'd been in the health care sector more in acute care hospitals.

And I saw this home care agency and I knew that the demographics of people getting older and living longer and the direction going towards more to home based services and I went back and forth to I stay in Saint Louis and buy this franchise.

I moved to Cleveland back and forth and back and forth, and my dad had passed by then.

So I packed up and I moved in with my mom.

I was older and started in the basement.

I sat in the basement with a desk and a space heater and started my business and did all of my interviewing at Borders bookstore at seven remembers the Borders Bookstore seven.

And that's where I interviewed all of my all of my caregivers.

And that's that's how it started in 2002.

And how is that same question for you as an entrepreneur who's been helping you do what you do here?

It has been utterly amazing.

I mean, Kevin had said to me before, whoever thought you'd have a business or we'd have a business where you're employing people, because for many of my aides, who are many are single women and single parents, this is their main income.

This is how they feed their children by serving seniors.

So who would have thought you have a business where you're employing people, you're taking care of one of the most vulnerable populations that we have?

It's either babies or old people that that's it.

That's at both ends of the spectrum.

And you're able to make some money and you're able to make some money.

Now, being an entrepreneur and I do more probably to discourage people sometimes because I don't think people recognize how hard it is.

You will never work harder for yourself, for anyone else, than you will for yourself.

And people see the inside the end.

But no one was around.

When I'd get up at three in the morning to go pick up a caregiver because her car broke down.

But I dare not tell her, the daughter, that I don't have anybody to take care of your mother.

And so those those are long hours and pouring in.

The young people.

And in this business, you become like social worker.

You know everything because you're trying to keep your staff employed.

But it has been rewarding.

Probably the biggest reward for me, excuse me, was being able to not only take care of my father in law when he passed, but my mom had one of my eight sitting right by her side in the same host home I grew up in when she took her last breath.

And so when I think about having visiting angels, if for no other reason, I was able to care for my mom in our home, because we would have been like many families, what are we going to do?

What does she have to go in a facility we have to pass around amongst the four children?

But to be able to have this business and I as a as a Christian, I just believe it was providential that God sort down the road, knew my mother was going to get dementia, and I had the business to be able to to be able to keep her at home.

And that that's the biggest thing for me and for friends that it is coming up in 1230.

So we're about to begin the audience Q&A once again and Russ Mitchell, anchor and managing editor and moderator for today's forum, you're hearing from two of Cleveland's biggest champions who together embody the soul of entrepreneurship and community leadership.

Let's introduce them one more time.

Joining me on the stage is Connie Hill Johnson, owner and managing director of Visiting Angels senior home Care, chairperson of the Cleveland Foundation.

And Kevin Kay Johnson, managing partner of NexGen Interactive.

We welcome questions from everyone City club members, guests, as well as those joining us via live stream at City Club dot org or on the live radio broadcast in 88 pardon me 89.7 Ideastream Public Media If you would like to text a question for Connie and Kevin, please text that to 3305415794.

Once again, that's 3305415794.

And City Club staff will try to work that question in to the program that the microphones are set up here.

I think we've got a question.

Yes.

So we're going to start with the text question.

And this one is for Kevin specifically.

If you have an incredible background and an impressive background in engineering, can you talk about what it means to see more people of color in STEM fields are leading STEM companies, particularly how it intersects with economic development?

Mm hmm.

Mm.

So, you know, interestingly enough, I was talking about this earlier today with Cynthia.

Cynthia's husband is a aerospace engineer at NASA and Native American.

And we talk about the fact that, you know, for for Native Americans, one and a half percent, I believe, is the number that you told me of of engineers in this country are Native American.

You know, if you're black, that number's really big.

It's 3%.

So so the point is, is that you there are opportunities in those fields now with respect to philanthropy and tying these things together.

And Russ, we talked about this earlier.

We touched on it.

For me, one of the things is, as I've kind of said, is how these things work together.

When I left Cleveland for and I was gone for almost 20 years and, you know, somewhat similar to Connie, I came back here in part because of care and caregiving.

But when I left, I remember thinking, you know, I was young.

I had an undergrad degree, mechanical engineering, and it was like, okay, they they, they, they, they don't understand this.

They, they, they, they, I was young, and when I came back, it was, okay, if I'm going to be back here, it's got to be about we can't be about that.

And so I kind of figured out and took the time to figure out how this city worked, who was doing the work, and where the movement needed to take place, and what are the levers for that movement.

I spent time actually doing.

One of the first things I got engaged with was something called the International Children's Games, and I did the technology plan for that.

And to true to what I said earlier, there's a big legacy presence of that of those games from 2004 that exists to this day.

That a lot of people would never know about.

And you shouldn't because it has to do with security.

But at the end of the day, that was a philanthropic endeavor.

And it it took the background that I had, both technology and business and melding that and figuring out how to create something that wasn't here before, that had value that endures.

And so that's kind of how it worked together.

I was asking about STEM to what that is still.

But should she want to know about getting what she she'll have to do it.

So yeah, stem is critical.

But you know what?

I think some of the work that I do, I will tell you this, it's we are in a STEM mode now.

STEM, stem, stem.

I'm a stem as a undergrad, mechanical engineering, but I'm a steam person when it really comes down to the arts are critical and I don't cut that short.

They're critical for creativity, They're critical for understanding the critical for melding everything together.

So it all works together.

For me, it's not just about STEM, although that's critically important.

How do you do it?

Well, thank you.

Right.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

The philanthropic, philanthropic statistics, Ros, that you presented were were amazing.

And speaking to that, the generational impacts of things, albeit negative or positive.

I think about that.

I think about I grew up in the Heights area and I've benefited tremendously from from African-American philanthropy in the form of coaches and mentors.

And I think to myself, they had a second job.

They invested that money, the compound interest, you know, you name it.

It's monumental What.

They gave to their communities, these philanthropic souls.

So I want to talk about that a little bit.

The the generational negative impacts and that generation and all positive impacts.

Thank you.

So, no.

Did you know you were always so deep?

You know, always so deep.

What I have conversations.

Okay, I'll follow it up.

You know, Pastor Otis Moss said, well, Reverend Dr. Otis Moss Junior, he said that he said there's hasn't been a scientific documentation, you know, and that is powerful because, you know, you walk through the Cleveland History Center and you see that documentation.

It's powerful.

And if it's not there, it's like it didn't exist.

And, you know, it's interesting.

You you you bring that up because just this week, how many of you all have heard of the history makers or so yours truly was contacted about a month ago and on this past Tuesday, I spent 6 hours being interviewed by someone from the history makers.

And once again, I get this call like, what do you want to interview me for?

I made it.

And the woman said to me, and she has done everyone from Barack Obama to people like me.

And she said, What kind of touching on?

Naw, she said, if we do not archive and record the significant contributions and the works of African Americans, it will be lost for generations.

Now, this is going to be a digital you got a history makers dot org account.

That's what she's been working on.

I remember seeing her on 60 Minutes and so I think about that in relationship to your question is that how much have we lost.

Because when she started asking me questions about not just my parents but my grandparents and my great grandparents, I can really only go back so far.

Yeah, I could.

And there's so much that we don't know.

And when we think about the fact that we are where we are today because of our ancestors and how they gave and sacrificed, it's it's huge.

And so to be a part of that project still blows my mind that you all will be able to log on one day and, Google my name, and I'm going to be in the history maker.

Can you believe it?

It's a great program.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Believe it.

One question right here.

Hi.

Hi.

Hi, Connie and Kevin.

Hi.

Bell.

Belva, you know, I've known you for a while and you are a power ful couple.

And I love the fact that you're focused on family, faith, family, finance, philanthropy and service.

So how do you find time for each other, and how do you nurture your relationship?

Come on, spill the tea.

I got to tell you, that was not on my list of things.

Leave it to Balbo.

Leave it to Bella.

Leave it to Belva.

So I recognize the cues.

That was my.

That was my turn to go delete.

It was subtle.

She's moved.

Look, one of the challenges that we have is, is that that pie only gets sliced so thinly, and it's.

It's sliced thin now.

And I am so blessed.

You know, part of it, I think, is you have to have someone that is a good a good match, a good fit, because if it becomes work, it's problematic.

And it's not work.

Relationship for us not is not really work.

The other thing is, you know, believe it or not, we laugh a lot, a lot of stuff that we just we just we just have a good time.

And I think we enjoy each other's company.

No, I just I happen to like him.

I do.

I happen to like him.

I happen to like him.

The other thing is, you know, one of things kind of said I said some things to her when we when we met and she said some things to me.

One thing she said to me was that I like to travel.

She had she had a whole list did of women, don't we.

Rex had a list of when I was little I did.

And you know.

It was interesting because in the early days I was working a lot internationally and oh, girl was really busy.

You know, she's just busy, busy, busy.

But when it was time to go somewhere, really, you know, I was headed to Paris, all of a sudden she had time.

She's ready to go.

I'm headed.

Here she comes.

And so, you know, we have a lot in common.

We have a lot in common.

But but our interests, you know, because until she really became chair of the board of of the Cleveland Foundation, a lot of people in the city didn't know we were married.

Yeah.

Because her board work and her philanthropic and stuff.

It was different from my Now all of a sudden I show up at a lot of the things that she's doing with, quite frankly, great seats.

Thank you.

And and it was her moment for a lot of people.

And so I said, well, that's out now.

So so it's but but it's it's experiential.

It's it's humor.

It's having someone that's compatible.

You know, she's extremely you wouldn't know this from from talking to her but you know she's she's quite the outgoing person.

And so but Belva, I would say this no, I really would say this.

We we enjoy each other.

You know, I remember and here we married at a later age.

I was not 25 and I remember thinking, I want it to be with someone where I enjoy being with them.

And I remember going to friends homes and she'd be in one room watching TV and he'd be in another room, but they'd be watching the same thing.

And so I like being with Kevin.

I think the other thing is my mother told there's three girls in my family and an A boy, and I remember this and Kevin said, Your mother was so wise.

Sage said, Pick a sport and learn it.

You will always have something to enjoy with your husband.

And so and overachiever that she is three sports and so three and so that's those are the times you know he is not going to go to a Cavs game without me How dare he?

Unless I have another commitment.

I don't do the Browns in the wintertime.

I don't do that.

I love baseball.

I grew up with my father listening to the radio, the back porch and herb score.

So when I lived in Saint Louis, people couldn't believe at listen to the Cardinals in the car.

Wow.

But I'm a baseball fan.

And so those are the things.

Velva And then on top of that, probably the crux is, is our faith.

You know, we're up on Sunday morning.

Yeah.

And we're at church.

Unless one of us is sick.

We did not turn into the virtual folks.

You know, we're like, no, we we are going for the fellowship and the word and learn something.

And so I think that too, is really what knits us together.

Even before we got out of the car, the day I said, Lord, please don't let us make a fool of ourselves.

Well, please show me when to be quiet and let my husband talk.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Oh, she actually did.

I mean, I did.

But wouldn't you have a wife who's such an extrovert?

You know, I don't have to talk that much.

It's an efficiency issue with me.

You know, I do have an undergraduate degree in Canada as well.

He'll to me in a heartbeat, kind of Reader's Digest.

Give me the Reader's Digest sheet.

She's War and Peace.

I'm Reader's Digest, you know, but but patience is important.

Patience is important.

I have to listen.

I have to whatever.

And then go from there.

Go ahead.

Yes, sir.

Yes, yes, yes.

But like like she said question over there that afternoon.

We've got a text question.

This is for Connie.

So there are likely more little girls from Glenville that are looking to become entrepreneurs.

What opportunities and challenges can they tap into today to make their journeys more successful?

Wow.

You know, I said to someone who asked me the question of who was around when I started my business, and I had to really be honest and say, I don't remember one woman black or white who came to me and said, How can I support you?

Now, granted, that was 22 years ago, but I don't.

And I had to be honest.

And so the first thing I would say to any young girl or woman is, is find someone.

I think if I had a dollar for every woman I met at an bar, which happens to be shout out to Dunbar, that's my favorite place that I met for coffee.

I'd be laying on a beach right now because I want to be able to give back in that fashion again, giving back.

And so when when people come to me, particularly young women, and say, I'm thinking of starting a business or tell me more about franchises or whatever, shame on me if I can't carve out a half an hour or 45 minutes to pour into someone, even though that was not the case with me.

And so I would say to any young woman, be bold, walk up to a woman that you know, has a business and and and ask, you know, don't take up a lot of their time because entrepreneurs are busy, but say, can I buy you a cup of coffee and can I can I grab 45 minutes just to ask you some questions?

And as I start this journey, is it okay if I check in with you periodically?

That's what I would say.

That's what I would say.

The question right here.

Hi.

Thank you to both of you.

It feels like we're in that big family table.

We I think in the city of Cleveland, we are very connected with each other.

It's not six degrees, but one degree of separation amongst each other.

And I'm also one of those intrepid nurse who is starting the basement with a heater.

Yeah.

Yes.

Hold down there.

We moved to the garage eventually.

Yes, But I was wondering what philanthropy can do to be more attractive to people like us, because I know all of us receive multiple requests to be in every war and everybody more smaller.

And we receive made many requests for all the shakes that need to be collected.

But what philanthropy can do to be very appealing for people color.

So I want to make sure I understand.

You mean in terms of how philanthropy can support entrepreneurs or rephrase that for me because I want to make sure I understand what you're saying, how philanthropy can get their act together.

Oh, well, okay, so more of us can be other tables.

Okay.

And that's an excellent question.

And I think again, and I'm always going to look at my peers because, Carrie, we talk about this.

Randi knows we talk about this.

We we recognize that the tent needs to be broadened.

We do recognize that in the in the political landscape we're in right now, we and with the attack on DNA, we have got to be singularly focused.

I heard someone say the other day as that as it's get SD and AI is getting dismantled and people do want to use the word.

And someone said to me on another board said, we have to be more stealth.

I love that word.

We have to be more stealth at still getting the work done and we have to invite more people that look like you and me to the table, the decision making table, and we have to be intentional about it, which means we have to go into the communities and find people with a heart to serve and who have the lived experiences.

I know on my board and I'm going to give Randall the shout out when he spoke at the NAACP Freedom Fund dinner couple of years ago.

And you were honored, Randy told his story of being a black man in Cleveland.

I am convinced that half the folks in that room had not seen that side of Randy when Randy talked about being pulled over by the popo and having to go get cousins out of jail.

And I said to him, Thank you for doing that, because people say he was just on the on the cover of a podium as well as the concept of the ultimate black man.

The ultimate black man, right.

We salute you, Randy.

We salute you.

But but those are the stories that people need to hear, because when they see people like me and Kevin or Randy or people like you, and we're all dressed up and we're doing good work, there's a story behind where we are, and that's what makes us more valuable at the table is because of our life stories.

And so you're right, You know, in my position, those of us who sit on foundation boards, those of us who are involved in philanthropy, have cannot lose that focus that we are here to serve the community.

And in Cleveland, the community is predominantly black and brown in the city of Cleveland.

And so we have to keep our eye on the ball in that regard.

I have a question over here.

Yes, Thank you.

I really appreciate the authenticity and transparency of this conversation.

The question I have is what does a more successful Cleveland look like to you and what do we need to start doing or do differently or stop doing that to you?

All right.

Well, I'll I'll I'll I'll I'll start.

I'll start first.

That is that is such an interesting and layered question.

There's so much to do.

I will tell you that some of the things we hear today and some of the focus is on workforce and trying to bring trying to make sure that there's enough there's enough work here for the opportunity and trying to match supply and demand.

That's very important to growing what's what's going on here, making sure that we talk about Cleveland as proud Clevelanders not as some mistake.

Cleveland look, Cleveland's happening.

If you've done some traveling anywhere in the country, let alone the world, Cleveland has an awful lot going for it.

And it's very, very focused.

I will tell you that I'm not a workforce person.

I appreciate it.

I know it's necessary.

I'm all in.

I'm working toward it.

For me, it's about wealth building.

That's what makes generational change.

I'm not you know, I'm not interested in job statistics.

I'm interested in opportunities that move people up and give them opportunities for generational change.

So you know, both they don't exist separately, but the issue becomes what types of opportunities are we creating?

And that's a big focus that I think is important when you look at economic development and and actually moving communities forward.

I was having having a conversation with last night and we were talking about that.

But but I think that's how I see it.

You know, that's why I talked earlier about trade sector businesses and the like.

It's important, you know, entrepreneurship is important, but I'm not interested in buying a job.

I need to buy shifts.

Okay.

You have to you have to have shifts and and that that move the needle, not just self-employment.

That is important as well.

But sometimes and we talked about it a little bit.

We do we take a good look at what those businesses are and what the upside is, what gross margins are going to be.

And sometimes people get into things and they realize that's the ceiling.

And the ceiling maybe isn't what they thought it was going to be.

Well, today, in 2024, soon to be 25, you can research anything and you can figure out where you're going to be if you are fabulously successful.

And if we take that look, sometimes we might have a change in direction as to which way we go depending upon where our Northstar is.

So that's a lot of input, a lot of a lot of response to that.

But it's it's a layered question.

And the answer is, is not as simple as it as it seems in my mind.

We've got about 4 minutes left.

We've got a question from Beyond the Room.

Yes, absolutely.

So this question actually comes from inside of the room, from Mo.

She says, What do you believe is the most effective way to inspire others to get involved and giving back?

And what advice would you give someone who is looking to be an entrepreneur there to give you a chance to give back?

There are pick a nonprofit.

I said, this is somebody the other day when when folks want to get involved.

We have hundreds of nonprofits in the city and they're all looking for support, whether it's serving on their board, whether it's volunteering in their office.

Find a nonprofit where you have a heart for what they're doing, if you like literacy.

Bob is back there from that.

If you like literacy, if you like the arts, if you're there, they're looking for support.

They're looking for people.

Because people will say to me or say to Kevin, you know, you're all on this board, you're on this sport.

I'm thinking, get on a nonprofit board in your community.

You know, most nonprofits are struggling.

You're right with money.

So if you happen to have a talent or skill, give back that talent or skill.

They can't afford to pay probably for what you're doing.

And so that's the way to serve.

So that's the first thing that that I would say is find the nonprofit in your community, roll up your sleeves and go to work and work like this.

Ed Yes, but I could.

But Connie does a great job.

I just I'll just do I sue aspect.

I just, you know, sometimes and this is just me on panels.

I don't unless what I have to say is totally different or whatever.

And with Connie, she's got it.

She's smart, man.

That Kevin's got about 2 minutes left.

Yes.

All right.

I'll try to keep it short.

I appreciate your patience here.

I'm losing my voice, but I think so.

I'll give a quick preface and it'll be a two part question.

Hopefully, you know, maybe I got a minute and a half my break, so I moved here.

I chose Cleveland with my wife.

She was from the area, but I chose Cleveland.

We chose Cleveland together and I moved here before the pandemic.

One of the things that I realized when I came was that and I met people like actually like Andrew's father, who are a good representation of this business leaders that were also very active in civic endeavors.

And pretty quickly in those few months, I was trapped in a basement or in the house.

You know, as the pandemic came, I kind of came to this realization that it's not like other places I've lived in Illinois or East Coast, D.C. And to me it felt like there's a different sense of duty to be involved in philanthropy, in nonprofits here in Cleveland.

So I guess as to people who are very worldly and have an experience, other places, I wonder, do you agree?

I'd be the first part of the question, and if you do, then what do we attribute that to?

This may be a question we'll have to answer after the session, but I'll give you a 30 seconds each, if you would.

All I know is I always heard that Cleveland was a philanthropic city and people in Cleveland give and they do.

And I have I have not lived a lot of different places, but I've not seen the level of giving and involvement as I do here.

When when the foundations started, The Colbert Report released.

But it was just our idea, the people who stepped up around that.

And so I don't know what's in our DNA here.

I really, really don't know.

I'm glad you're here, but we're a special city.

Yeah.

And we need to stop hating on ourselves to the outside.

Amen to that.

You know, I mean, I want to thank very much Connie Hill Johnson and Kevin Johnson for joining us at the City Club today.

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Next Tuesday, December 17th, City Club will be at the Happy Dog in the Gordon Square Arts District for a free evening forum talking about the future of downtown Cleveland's lakefront.

From Burke to the Browns, that should not be controversial at all.

Then I am.

No, no, no.

Then the city and the city club will be off for the holiday break before returning on Friday, January 10th, with our friend Victor Ruiz, president and CEO of Esperanza, Inc.. You can learn more about these forums and others at City Club, dawg.

That brings us to the end of today's forum.

Thank you all for coming today.

Happy holidays to all of you.

And thanks again to Connie and Kevin.

The same not ring the bell on this forum is now adjourned.

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