Every city has its champions, its innovative leaders – those who, no matter their work, embody the spirit of their city and help drive progress and inclusivity forward. And Cleveland is full of them.

From June 14-17, Forward Cities leaders will meet in Cleveland to explore how to drive inclusive innovation. Out of town participants will have the opportunity to meet with Cleveland entrepreneurs, business incubators, social innovators, and neighborhood and government leaders. These local innovators give us the opportunity to share best practices, and learn from and be inspired by their work.

Here are a few that will be highlighted during the Forward Cities convening:

Gloria Ware is the principal officer for inclusion at JumpStart, a non-profit venture development organization that unlocks the potential of diverse and ambitious entrepreneurs to economically transform communities. Ware manages theJumpStart Focus Fund, a $10M seed-capital fund that invests in tech companies that are either female or minority owned/led. Believed to be one of the largest funds of its kind in the nation, it invests between $250 thousand to $750 thousand into companies that are located in Ohio or relocating to Ohio. Ware’s role at JumpStart also allows her to advise many small, minority and women owned businesses through their Core City: Cleveland Impact, an intensive business assistance program that supports the development and growth of businesses in Cleveland’s most underserved neighborhoods.

Read the full story at The Huffington Post.