October 11, 2024
CINCINNATI – StriveTogether President and CEO Jennifer Blatz was recognized by the Cincinnati Business Courier as the top CEO in her category. Among 39 finalists, Blatz took home the honor for chief executive officer of a nonprofit with revenue less than $49.9 million.
This is the 10th year for the awards, which recognize executives whose leadership skills and business acumen have driven strong results for organizations across Greater Cincinnati. Winners were selected by a panel of independent judges.
Blatz leads StriveTogether’s work to put 4 million more young people on a path to economic mobility by 2030, in partnership with the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network of more than 70 communities nationwide.
“At StriveTogether, we believe that every child, regardless of race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance, should have every opportunity to thrive,” Blatz said. “I’m honored to lead this incredible organization, and I am deeply connected and committed to its mission.”
Blatz is a nationally recognized leader and expert in building place-based partnerships to improve outcomes for children. For more than two decades, she has designed, developed and implemented strategies that drive large-scale community improvement through partnership with local leaders and organizations. After beginning her career in education, she helped launch the Strive Partnership in Cincinnati in 2006, followed by the national StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network in 2011. She stepped into her current role in 2018.
This award builds on a year of success for Blatz and StriveTogether, which included the acceptance of a global social innovation award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. StriveTogether was the only U.S. organization to receive the award for Collective Social Innovation. For more than a decade, StriveTogether has led paradigm-shifting work to enable communities to get better, more equitable outcomes for young people.
“Across the country, communities are using data, creating a shared vision and collaborating across sectors in new ways that are making a measurable difference in the lives of children and families,” Blatz said.
##
About StriveTogether
StriveTogether is a national network of 70 communities working to build a future where a child’s potential is not dictated by race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance. The organization provides coaching, resources and rigorous approaches to create opportunities and eliminate inequities in education, housing and more. Together, the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network reaches 14 million youth — including 8 million children of color and one in five children experiencing poverty. For more information about StriveTogether, visit StriveTogether.org.
CONTACT
Elizabeth Male