It’s the last week to apply for Cleveland Leadership Center's annual Accelerate pitch competition, which offers people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to make connections and win funding for their plans to make Cleveland a better place to live, work, play, and visit.

There are three paths to pitch an idea: Core Accelerate, Young Entrepreneurs Institute Teen Accelerate, and Technovation Accelerate. Check out the 2025 winners in all three areas for inspiration.

Category finalists with the category sponsors and Accelerate leadershipThe deadline to apply for this year’s Accelerate is this Friday, Dec. 5.

Cleveland Leadership Center president and CEO Becky Ruppert McMahon says the competition is designed to be accessible and inclusive. "Accelerate is for anyone, of any age or experience, who has the spark of an idea for how to make Cleveland better,” she explains. “Every participant will receive support to shape their idea, sharpen their pitch, and connect with people who could help turn their vision into reality.”

Michelle Kane, Cleveland Leadership Center director of marketing & communications, says the competition is designed to be inclusive and accessible. "It's a free opportunity—there are no strings attached at all," Kane explains.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Accelerate competition is its diverse participant pool, says Kane. "We've had an applicant as young as eight years old—she presented with her mom a handful of years ago and they were finalists.

“Two years ago, we had a young man, who was 11, present an idea,” Kane continues. “The age range for applications is single digits all the way up—we've had folks from all walks of life, or in their 80s, apply."

Both McMahon and Kane assure people who have an idea but are hesitant to apply to Accelerate to take the leap and put an application in.

Three past Accelerate winners share their experiences pitching their business concepts and how they navigated the process.

Too cool to lose
When Laura Balliettt first stepped onto the stage in 2015 for Cleveland Leadership Center's Accelerate: Citizens Make Change pitch competition, she admits she wasn't quite prepared to sell the judges on her educational platform that teaches science through engaging comic strips.

“I was a rookie and wasn't really sure what a pitch was or how to craft anything,” she recalls of her first attempted at pitching Cool School Comics. “When I stood up in front of the judges, I wasn't as professionally prepared as I could have been.”

Balliett's a images of a newer comic about variables.That early stumble didn't stop Balliett. In fact, it became the foundation for her eventual grand prize victory in the 2024 Accelerate competition.

“I kept working on my business and kept learning,” she says. “And when I re-approached it, I felt better prepared.”

Today, Cool School Comics is a growing business that serves students from kindergarten through ninth grade, with content expanding into Spanish translations to reach English-as-a-second-language classrooms. Balliett left her teaching career to pursue the business full-time, working with school districts—including her first major client in New Jersey—to develop subscription models that give teachers open access to educational comics for their students.

But for Balliett, the real value of Accelerate! extends far beyond the competition itself. "It's not just the actual pitch competition," she explains. "It's all the people that you meet and the networking and the people that are there and also learn about your business and are willing to help. Because it's not just the pitch. It's a whole community of people that are all about helping businesses grow."

The community aspect has kept Balliett involved even after her victory. She now helps mentor new applicants, sitting in on early pitch rounds to offer tips and guidance to the next generation of entrepreneurs. This year, Balliett will be reviewing the applications.

“I'm excited to read some of the applicants and see what we got this year,” she says.

From passion to action
When Ariana Smith stepped into the Accelerate! competition room at Huntington Convention Center in February 2024, she carried more than just a business pitch—she brought more than a decade of experience working with young people and a deep understanding of their struggles when she pitched M.H.M. Youth Summit to empower students by addressing their mental health concerns.

Ariana Smith pitching Mental Health Matters: Youth Summit at Accelerate 2024“The sustainability of our community depends on the mental health of our community,” Smith said before pitching her concept in the Health & Well-being category, adding that her win was validation of her mission to address the youth mental health crisis in northeast Ohio.

Working with high school students for years, Smith witnessed firsthand the challenges they faced. In her pitch, Smith explained how she could "teach entrepreneurship all day" and "be a mentor," but couldn't solve the underlying issues students brought from home—trauma, family responsibilities, and mental health struggles—that prevented them from focusing on their potential.

This realization sparked the idea to create mental health summits that bring community resources directly to students. Her first summit featured partnerships with organizations like the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), while also incorporating community-based initiatives like "Ghetto Therapy"—free workshops led by local therapists that normalize mental health conversations for entire families.

Smith held her first M.H.M. Youth Summit in October 2024 —just eight months after her success at Accelerate—and hosted the second summit this past October with the theme “Speak Your Peace”—inviting students to share their truths, challenge stigmas, and imagine new ways to support each other; while asking educators to step back, reflect, and pick up tools to care for their own well-being while also championing their students' health.

Smith adds that the networking opportunities alone make participation worthwhile— creating a platform for people to showcase innovative approaches to community challenges and connecting them with resources and supporters they might never have found otherwise.

Growing a business and building confidence
The Accelerate competition welcomes entrepreneurs of all ages—from seasoned professionals, like Balliett and Smith, to young innovators like brothers Drevian Arrington, 13, and Andre Willis, 16, who won in 2025 for their residential garbage and yard cleanup business, The Trash Boys.

Nearly a year after their victory, the brothers reflect on how the experience fundamentally changed their approach to entrepreneurship.

The Trash Boys named Community Partner of the Month. The plaques say, "That experience just helped us overall—we've built confidence, and we've really just improved," Arrington says. The competition's impact extended far beyond the prize money, adds Willis, like "being able to speak in front of people that big of a crowd, it really helped me build confidence. It helped me build self-esteem as well."

The transformation in confidence has been remarkable, with the Trash Boys’ services expanding its services beyond trash collection and now operating across Cleveland neighborhoods and inner-ring suburbs with approximately five employees.

The brothers have also launched a youth program called TTT (Turning Trash into Triumph), working with teen boys ages 13 to 19 to teach character development and business skills.

Arrington and Willis say an added bonus of participating in Accelerate is learning to be comfortable speaking in public and selling their business. They both say they may have been nervous at first when they pitched the Trash Boys at Accelerate, but they now embrace public speaking opportunities.

"I love speaking in front of people now,” says Arrington. “I love describing my business and just connecting with different people."

What it takes to win (and why you should try)
All of the past Accelerate winners encourage their fellow entrepreneurs to put their fears aside and take the initial steps to be a part of the Accelerate competition.

"You have to start somewhere,” says Cool School’s Balliett. “That first step, it's definitely a journey, but it's a constant learning process, and I never regret taking it."

Balliett’s own journey proves that winning isn't about being perfect from the start. After her initial unsuccessful attempt, Balliett "kept working on my business and kept learning,” she says. “And when I re-approached it, I felt better prepared."

The application deadline for Accelerate 2026 is this Friday, Dec. 5.The key ingredients for success? Balliett says persistence, preparation, and a willingness to learn from each experience are the key components.

"Even if you're super nervous on stage the first time you're trying it, and then in the next round you might be like, ‘okay, last time I was a little nervous. This time I know what I have to fix,’" Balliett notes. “Every time you take that step forward, you’re learning and getting better at whatever you're pushing for."

For those hesitant to apply, Smith tells applicants, “don't overthink the process—try to focus on your passion, the community needs, and the difference you are trying to make.

"No one else is going to know your project, your pitch, your dream more or better than you do," Smith continues. “Even if you don't have all the answers during judging, authenticity and passion matter more than perfection.”

Arrington and Willis are also quick to encourage other potential pitchers.

"I would tell them to just do it and believe in themselves," says Willis, while Arrington adds, "You may just win.”

How to apply
Applications for Accelerate 2026 are open to anyone who has an innovative business idea to improve the quality of life in Cleveland. The deadline is this Friday, Dec. 5.

Anyone with questions can email Courtney Chaney, special events and database manager, or call her at (216) 592-2243.

“To apply, all someone needs is an idea and the courage to complete a simple online application,” says Cleveland Leadership Center’s McMahon. “The Cleveland Leadership Center can help with everything else!"