ABOUT US
Our Vision
We envision a Cleveland that supports, amplifies, and celebrates women — a community where gender justice is at the heart of our policies & practices.
Our Values
Interconnection
To build deep, lasting relationships grounded in humility, empathy, and mutual respect. To nurture and share in a space where all are welcome and belong.
COLLABORATION
To partner genuinely within our organization and with the nonprofits we serve and broader nonprofit community in a way that develops trust and honors all voices and experiences––recognizing trust takes time to build and requires sincerity, reliability, competence, and care.
INNOVATION
To go beyond how things have been done historically and imagine what is possible. To approach our work with a spirit of exploration, experimentation, and play.
JUSTICE + LIBERATION
To share and shift power to communities oppressed by existing systems and not stand in the way of these communities’ liberation and healing.
EVOLUTION
To wholeheartedly participate in personal, organizational, and community learning and growth. To listen to and honor others’ experiences, deeply valuing knowledge gained and expressed in a wide range of ways. To actively engage in healing ourselves from the harm and separation caused by participating in unjust systems.
About our partnersÂ
Our 60+ partners are doers, learners, and collaborators working together to create a region where gender justice is at the heart of our policies and practices. They believe building relationships, collaboration, and taking individual action are all needed to create meaningful change. Being a partner includes making a personally meaningful financial contribution to collabCLE and more actively engaging in our work. Reach out to us to learn more!
MEET OUR TEAM
Abby Westbrook (she/her)
Executive Director
Abby Westbrook is the Executive Director of Collaborate Cleveland. She joined the organization in Fall 2020 and led it through an evolution to focus on supporting women and advancing gender justice in Greater Cleveland, including a rename and rebrand. Abby’s leadership is grounded in her past experiences as a legal advocate at the Homeless Advocacy Project, as a Program Executive at the Atlantic Philanthropies, her realities as a working mother raising two young children and her belief in the power of collective giving and action. A Cleveland native, Abby has high hopes for what our great city can become for everyone when we center women and gender justice.
Eliza Semidei (she/her)
Director of Development
Eliza is passionate about building relationships and connecting people to meaningful work. She believes philanthropy is ultimately about people and is inspired by what can happen when individuals come together around a shared purpose. She is proud to support Collaborate Cleveland's work to connect, amplify, and invest in local women leaders as catalysts for positive change and advocate for policies that further gender justice in our region and beyond. Outside of work, she serves on two nonprofit boards and is an enthusiastic advocate for community leadership and lifelong learning.
EMILY TROIA (she/her)
Director of Strategic Engagement
Emily Troia loves that relationships are at the core of Collaborate Cleveland’s work and her role is helping to build them. She’s passionate about bringing people together to learn, grow, advocate, and share in the work of cultivating a more just society. Joining the organization in 2017 as a program assistant, she has enjoyed her own growth journey. In a past life, she was a graphic designer and marketer. She also has an MFA in Creative Writing in Poetry from the NEOMFA Program and plays a lot of board games.
MARGIE GLICK (she/her)
Director of Advocacy
Tiarra Lucas (she/her)
Communications and Events Coordinator
Tiarra Lucas is the Communications and Events Coordinator at Collaborate Cleveland. She joined the team in September 2025 and uses creativity and design to bring the organization’s mission to life through digital campaigns, visual storytelling, engaging content across platforms, and more. With a background in graphic design and visual storytelling, Tiarra is passionate about using creativity to foster connection, spark engagement, and support meaningful change. She is inspired by the dedication of the Collaborate Cleveland community and the impact of advancing gender justice in Cleveland and beyond.
Our Collaborators
We are a small organization with big ambitions. In addition to our staff, we are grateful to our collaborators who play an instrumental role in our work. We wouldn't be Collaborate Cleveland without them!
Policy + Advocacy
Erin Ryan, Elevate Advocacy
Accounting
Jessica Yox, JBY Tax & Consulting LLC
Administrative + Operations
Lori Jolliffe, Your Neighborhood Assistant
Meet Our Board Members
Chair
Melina Higbee
The Bee ExperienceÂ
Vice Chair
Megan DeFranco
The YMCA of Greater Cleveland
Treasurer
Jamie Buehl-Reichard
The Hollingpark Company
Secretary
Catalina Wagers
Environment and Community Activist
Mark Altstadt
Retired Business Executive
Indigo Bishop
St. Luke's Foundation
Bill Guentzler
Obscured Releasing
Jerry Pena
Community Organizer and Certified Diversity Coach
Veronica (Vee) Thornton
Vee's Consulting, LLC
Renee Timberlake
Greater Cleveland Works
Meet Our INAUGURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
In addition to individual partners, we are also supported by the following partner organizations.
