Represent Initiative Secures Funding to Hire Full-Time Program Director

Individual Will Oversee Efforts to Increase Number of Black-owned Businesses in OTR 

CINCINNATI (June 18, 2020) – The Represent initiative, whose goal is to connect more minority-owned businesses with brick-and-mortar spaces in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood to better reflect the population of the City of Cincinnati, is officially looking for a Program Director to lead the non-profit organization.

Represent was started in late 2018 when business, civic, and community leaders came together to develop a plan that would help make OTR one of the most diverse business districts in Cincinnati. As the neighborhood undergoes a historic transformation, stakeholders recognized an opportunity to create a framework that could deepen the success of Black-owned business in OTR to drive greater economic inclusion for residents and community members and in the process set a national example of equitable community development. Several of the organizations involved from the start – including MORTAR, 3CDC, and The African American Chamber of Commerce – have been working for nearly two years to increase the number of minority-owned, and specifically Black-owned, businesses in OTR.

As Represent has grown and evolved, it has come to be governed by an Advisory Board, which provides direction, guidance and oversight for strategic planning and program development, organizational policies, fundraising and budgeting. The Advisory Board is a carefully selected group of local professionals from MORTAR, 3CDC, The African American Chamber of Commerce, Jostin Construction, TriVersity Construction, Fifth Third Bank, Haile Foundation, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and StriveTogether.

While progress has been made since 2018, the group recognized that hiring a leader who could be committed to the initiative full-time was needed. Thanks to recent funding commitments from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation and Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Represent is now seeking a dedicated Program Director who will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Represent organization.

The Board is seeking a self-motivated candidate with a strong entrepreneurial mindset who will execute the group’s intention of building an inclusive, thriving business district. The position will be posted on both MORTAR’s website (https://wearemortar.com/) and 3CDC’s website (https://www.3cdc.org/careers/).

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