Accelerate 2023: Citizens Make Change

Accelerate is a high-energy annual civic pitch competition. This Shark Tank-style event gives individuals across Northeast Ohio a chance to win seed money to help launch their idea to make the region a better place.

Every fall, individuals with an idea to improve Greater Cleveland can submit an application to pitch at the event. Five proposals are selected from each of the six pitch categories (30 pitches total) to be pitched at the event. In the first round, presenters pitch their ideas to a panel of community leaders who select one finalist in each category to pitch in the Finalist round to the full audience, which votes for the winner.

The winner receives $5,000, and the remaining five finalists each receive $2,000 to help fund their ideas.