CCWA’s Global Ambassadors program invites emerging leaders in Northeast Ohio on a transformative journey to think more globally and to develop a broader vision for the future of our city. The program combines CCWA’s interactive global leadership course (LEADS) with an international study tour to Helsinki, Finland and Dublin, Ireland to explore business, social, and policy issues that resonate with Northeast Ohio’s emerging professional leaders.
We are pleased to introduce the 2026-2027 cohort: Jaden Baxter, Jasmine Dixon, Audrey Gerlach, Abby Henry, Sophie Mueller, Isaac Robb, Tessa Rosenberger, and Karis Tzeng.
Jaden Baxter is a Special Assistant to Mayor Justin Bibb in the City of Cleveland, where he works at the intersection of community engagement, civic leadership, and public service. In his role, Baxter has helped develop and lead several citywide initiatives focused on strengthening connections between Cleveland residents and their local government. Jaden helped create Junior Mayors Association at the City of Cleveland, a first-of-its-kind civic leadership program that introduces Cleveland students to local government while developing the next generation of civic leaders. He also helped launched the LAND the Vote initiative, the City’s first ever nonpartisan civic engagement initiative focused on voter education and participation. His work has extended to major citywide efforts, including the implementation of Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Building Brighter Futures plan, school reuse planning, community engagement, global engagement, and intergovernmental affairs. Through his work in the Mayor’s Office, Jaden regularly represents the City and the Mayor’s Office at governmental and civic engagements, building relationships with residents, elected officials, community leaders, and regional partners. He also manages and supervises the Cleveland Foundation Fellows Program, supporting and developing emerging leaders interested in public service and civic engagement. Jaden is passionate about creating opportunities for young people, strengthening civic participation, and using public service as a tool to make a meaningful impact in the community he calls home.
Jasmine Dixon serves as Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for The Presidents’ Council, where she supports the organization’s work to strengthen Black-owned businesses by advancing the systems, partnerships, funding strategies, and program infrastructure needed to better serve Black entrepreneurs and business owners. With over 15 years of experience supporting small businesses through roles in community development finance, and commercial banking, Jasmine is a leader in expanding access to capital for under-resourced entrepreneurs. She brings deep expertise in program development, including identifying business owners' needs in the market, developing innovative programs and resources to meet those needs, aligning partnerships, and raising funds to support program operations. Prior to joining The Presidents’ Council, she spearheaded major initiatives in the Cleveland market, including ECDI’s Set Up Shop retail incubator. Her work has been highlighted in local media outlets: Crain’s Cleveland Business, Ideastream, FreshWater Cleveland, and News 5 Cleveland. She has also been featured as an expert speaker at Cleveland’s FutureLAND conference. As an economic development leader, Jasmine focuses on expanding economic opportunity and driving sustainable growth for entrepreneurs. She is also a faculty member for Cleveland’s Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, facilitating the Being Bankable module and the You Are the Lender clinic. Jasmine takes pride in supporting under-resourced entrepreneurs and has built a strong reputation as a trusted, collaborative partner within the small-business ecosystem.
Audrey Gerlach serves as Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President at Downtown Cleveland, Inc., where she turns strategic direction into coordinated action across the organization's economic development, placemaking, and public affairs work. Her work is fueled by a passion for vibrant cities. A born-and-raised Clevelander, Audrey is driven by a belief that dense, walkable, inclusive cities are essential to building equitable, resilient communities. She currently serves on the Playhouse Square District Development Corporation board and has previously served on NOACA's Emerging Leaders Advisory Council and the Cleveland Guardians Community Review Group. She applies a global lens to her work, informed by academic and professional experiences in the Netherlands and Australia. Audrey's background includes strategy, advocacy, research, communications, and placemaking. She earned her BA in Public Management, Leadership, & Policy from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University and is a certified Leader in Place Management through the International Downtown Association.
Abby Henry is a Project Manager on the Development Finance team at the Port of Cleveland, where she helps advance economic development and job creation across Cuyahoga County through the Port's unique suite of financing tools and incentives. A Toledo native, Abby is a lifelong enthusiast of all things Great Lakes and a firm believer in the promise of Ohio's waterfront cities. She graduated from Denison University with a degree in Political Science before moving to London, England, where she taught American Politics to British high school students. Abby moved to Cleveland in 2022 to join the Office of Mayor Bibb as a Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellow and then as the Manager of Strategic Projects, helping advance key city initiatives during the Bibb administration's first term. Abby also serves on the board of directors at Stella Maris and Summer on the Cuyahoga.
Sophie Mueller is a Community Engagement Leader at KeyBank, where she works on community engagement strategy, financial empowerment, and corporate volunteer initiatives. Prior to joining KeyBank, Sophie was a Economic Development Manager at MidTown Cleveland Inc., where she built relationships with four minority-owned businesses, placing them into a high-growth commercial corridor within one year and connected businesses to business development opportunities resulting in $30,000 of supporting funds. With a background in economic development and nonprofit work, she is passionate about strengthening communities and creating opportunities for people and businesses to thrive.
Isaac Robb is the Chief Urban Program Officer at Western Reserve Land Conservancy. With a background in urban planning and a deep commitment to community revitalization, Isaac’s role encompasses a diverse array of responsibilities from managing urban real estate transactions to spearheading research initiatives aimed at enhancing urban spaces. His work is pivotal in addressing the challenges of urban decline and promoting sustainable development in Northeast Ohio. His goals revolve around transforming neglected urban areas into vibrant, livable spaces through strategic planning and community engagement. With expertise in urban, community, and regional planning, Isaac possesses a comprehensive skill set that includes geographic information systems (GIS), data analysis, real estate transactions, and project management. His proficiency in these areas has enabled him to lead significant projects such as the citywide property inventory in Cleveland, which involved the collection and analysis of data on over 167,000 parcels. This project provided crucial insights into housing conditions and vacant land, informing policy decisions and advocacy efforts. Isaac’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Politics from Willamette University and a Master’s Degree in Urban, Community & Regional Planning from Cornell University. Isaac is an active member of his community, serving on the board of St. Clair Superior Development Corporation, Ideastream's Community Advisory Board, and the Near West Community Land Trust. Professionally, Isaac is a member and contributor to the City Parks Alliance, YPO, the Cleveland Tree Coalition, and the Land Trust Alliance. Recognized for his contributions, Isaac has received several honors, including being named to Crain’s 40 Under 40 in 2019 and being part of the Cleveland Bridge Builders Class of 2022.
Tessa Rosenberger is a Research Assistant Professor in the Energy Policy Center at Cleveland State University, where she works at the intersection of energy technology, public policy, and economic development. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Dallas and returned home, to Cleveland, to complete her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Cleveland State University. Her academic path has been intentionally interdisciplinary, moving from physics into atmospheric dynamics and weather modeling during her doctoral research, and eventually into applied energy work. Today, Tessa's research focuses on microgrids, industrial decarbonization, hydrogen systems, and energy resilience, with an eye toward the techno-economic side of emerging technologies. She's especially interested in the policy and community dimensions of that work: understanding what it actually takes, beyond the engineering, to get a project designed, funded, and built. Tessa is passionate about Northeast Ohio's industrial revitalization and believes the region is well positioned to become a leader in sustainable energy, drawing on its manufacturing history, research institutions, and growing momentum in energy innovation.
Karis Tzeng has focused her career on fostering healthy, equitable communities that can meet the needs of all of their members. She currently serves as Deputy Director of Neighborhood Revitalization in the Department of Development at the City of Cleveland, supporting small businesses that contribute to Cleveland’s thriving neighborhoods. She brings over a decade of community development experience, including as Senior Fellow at ThirdSpace Action Lab, advancing a national community development field-building initiative, and as Vice President of Planning at MidTown Cleveland Inc., resulting in a new park, public artwork campaign, and a neighborhood digital presence for AsiaTown. Karis received a master’s in urban and regional planning from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s in urban studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
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