With over 30 years of urban revitalization and economic development experience, Ken most recently served as Senior Economic Development Advisor and Executive Director of the award-winning University Park Alliance for The University of Akron (UA). Reporting directly to University President Luis M. Proenza, Ken was responsible for the revitalization of the neighborhoods surrounding this prominent urban university.

He also provided strategic guidance for UA’s local and regional economic development initiatives, and helped attract over $15 million in grants for UPA and UA initiatives.

Previously, Ken served as Senior Vice President of the Downtown Cleveland Partnership (DCP) where he initiated and led their efforts to revitalize lower Euclid Avenue, Cleveland’s Main Street, resulting in over $400 million in real estate investment in only six years. Ken’s other projects at DCP included management of DCP’s advocacy efforts on over $1 billion in major infrastructure projects, and management of all safety initiatives.

Prior to his tenure in Cleveland, Ken worked as a redevelopment expert in several South Florida cities, including work in Downtown Miami and South Beach. He is also a recognized expert in urban safety programs and holds a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois.  Ken has completed consulting assignments in over a dozen states and Canada.

Ken is a 2004 University of Miami Fellow of the Knight Program in Community Building, a full member of the Urban Land Institute, a member of CEOs for Cities, Florida Redevelopment Association, and a graduate of Leadership Akron Class 20.

He has served on the boards of the Southeast Florida District Council of the Urban Land Institute, Downtown Akron Partnership, the 79th Street Corridor Steering Committee in Miami, and a number of other urban revitalization non-profits. He regularly makes invited presentations at national and international conferences.

Michael has 20+ years of experience in strategic marketing, public relations and project launching for executive leadership of companies, universities and economic development organizations. He is President of Michael Bloom Consulting, LLC.

As a Senior Vice President for Downtown Cleveland Partnership, Michael led communication and public affairs teams for the economic & real estate development organization, providing crisis communications counsel to the president and CEO and acting as liaison to 25+ downtown businesses and organizations.

Most recently, Michael served as Associate Vice President for Corporate Engagement and Commercialization at Kent State University, where he led efforts in strategic marketing and public relations, building and expanding long-term relationships with industry, leading to new research and development funding, technology commercialization, and economic development.

Michael received a Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication from McGill University in Montreal, where he was a Doctoral Fellow of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He earned a B.A. Summa Cum Laude in Mass Communication from Cleveland State University.

Kent has an extensive and diverse background in urban project administration, asset management and redevelopment. His consulting focuses on areas including: financing plans, housing affordability, historic preservation, public-private partnerships, land-use management, visioning and placemaking, capital projects, adaptation and sustainability, and military base relations.

During his 26-year career with the City of Miami Beach, Kent was responsible for managing a wide variety of development and redevelopment initiative within the City of Miami’s City Center Historic Convention Village (City Center), and South Pointe Redevelopment Areas (CRAs) – considered the most successful redevelopment district in the country. Kent led the creation, update and ultimate approval of the City Center Historic Convention Village CRA Plan and the CRA Plan Amendment.

He received his B.S. in Business Management from the University of New England.

Jonathan is a professional security consultant with over 40 years in security and law enforcement. He heads i3 Security Services, specializing in security assessments, facility design review, crime prevention planning, and guardforce management. Jonathan is a Certified Advanced CPTED Practitioner and expert witness in premises liability and other areas.

His extensive experience includes roles as a police detective, security firm senior executive managing multiple installations, corporate security director, Chief State Regulator and licensing authority, instructor in CPTED, community oriented policing, and security management.

Jonathan earned a B.A. in Communications and Criminal Justice from American University, and completed graduate courses in Criminal Justice, Law and Public Administration at American University and the University of Baltimore.

Steven consults on technology-based economic development initiatives designed to strengthen and promote the knowledge-based economy of client communities. He is Founder and Principal of Point A Consulting, and specializes in integrating assessment of market opportunities with physical development strategies, to achieve place-based solutions as catalysts for growing regional innovation ecosystems.

Steven’s 30 years of experience includes leadership roles with research parks and technology incubators, as well as community-wide strategic planning initiatives. Since 2007, he has undertaken engagements related to strategic plans for innovation and technology-based economic development across the country, in partnership with leading urban design, technology commercialization and strategy consultancies.

Previously, Steven served as President and CEO of the Louisville Medical Center Development Corporation; Executive Director of Regional Economic Development Strategy for the Lousiville Chamber of Commerce; Vice President of Louisville Central Area, Inc.; and Program Director for Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation.

He received his MCP from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Geography from Antioch College.

Griffin graduated from Kent state University with his Master of Architecture and Master of Business Administration in 2011. He began teaching for the University in the following Fall semester, providing instruction for design studios, multiple design software systems, and a large Understanding Architecture course. Griffin also currently works full time for David Sommers Architecture on a variety of projects. . He is pursuing his architect's license while continuing his research in digital design and fabrication techniques.

Lina Stapleton, a Colombian native, graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2010 with a Master’s Degree in Architecture. She has 5+ years of professional experience, with significant expertise in project management and a strong passion for connecting art, nature, architecture, and human interaction. Lina has created public realm art installations for the University of Detroit Mercy as well as for Cleveland Public Art. Her installation piece “Raíces” was featured in multiple online blogs, websites, and Cleveland’s Channel 3 News.