It was in November, 2002 when our board consultant Thomas Mulready—now known for his work with Cool Cleveland—looked me in the eye having worked with me for 4 months and said, “Stephanie you need to get a vision for yourself.” I took those words to heart, deeply disturbed at the implication of Thomas’ advice and perspective... Read More »

Before SVP, Partner Dick Cahoon claims he was “on no purposeful trajectory of any kind.” He describes his career as being one where he “fixed stuff that was broken or created stuff out of nothing” – no small feat, but clearly not driven by the appreciative self-awareness he has now. He attributes his change of heart to SVP. Read More »

Two expressions spring to mind with SVP Fellow Bishara Addison: “Good things come in small packages” and “Small but mighty.” Though diminutive in stature, her passions and knowledge loom large as do her aspirations to bring resources to the neighborhoods and communities she knows and loves. She describes how inspired she is by the “hidden gems of neighborhoods which show America at its best” like the Kinsman community garden which flourishes amidst blight and disinvestment or the public libraries in Cleveland which burst with “polite kids who are really using them.” Above all, Bishara is “driven by the idea that Cleveland is on its way to beautiful neighborhoods in which to live, work and prosper.” Read More »