$200,000 over two years to Enlightened Solutions to support its research-based solutions that center the lived experiences of a diverse group of Black women in Cleveland, such as the Project Noir survey.

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Read The George Gund Foundation press release here.

The 14-member Black Women and Girls Commission, championed by both City Council and Mayor Justin Bibb at the time of passage last June, will be tasked with improving the quality of life for Black women by advising the mayor and City Council on programs and legislation.

Enlightened Solutions’ other co-founder, Bethany Studenic, took to Council’s microphone last Monday to share similar concerns, challenging city leaders to “reflect on why this particular piece of legislation has taken over a year to take the first step.”

Since 2020, Cleveland’s ranking as both one of the poorest big cities in America and the worst city in America for Black Women has remained stagnant. “Living for We” will feature bi-monthly interviews of local Black Women conducted by Ideastream journalist, Marlene Harris-Taylor.

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Creative Direction by HeyFranHey - digital architect on campaigns for Facebook/Meta Elevate, and #BlackBeyondMeasure @ Target.

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Press Release

The initial data that inspired Living For We was released back in 2020 when cityLAB of Pittsburgh released a study that ranked Cleveland dead last in terms of livability for Black women.

With ChiChi and Bethany of Enlightened Solutions on their team, Ideastream has worked with Evergreen Podcasts to explore these findings through their new audio series, Living for We. 

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"Living For We" Press Release

News 5 has been telling you about the challenges Black mothers face as they work to carry their babies to full term. Here in Ohio, nearly seven babies out of every thousand born will die before their first birthday. For Black babies, that number is two times worse — nearly 14 out of every 1,000 Black babies born in the state will die.

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New 5 Anchor Courtney Gousman went in search of solutions and found Birthing Beautiful Communities making a real difference - using the research of Project Noir and supporting with the advocacy of Dr. Heather Rice, PhD, APRN-CNP, PMHS.

Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus is hosting a community-centered forum at Karamu House on July 7, 2022 about Project Noir, the Cleveland Commission on Black Women and Girls, and the future of Black Women in Cleveland. Register for the event here. 

Bethany and ChiChi testified during a Cleveland City Council Committee hearing Monday, June 6, 2022 in support of the new commission. Our research through Project Noir has shown that many Black women in Northeast Ohio face harassment, discrimination and abuse in health care, education and the workplace. 

Enlightened Solutions will be consulting the City of Cleveland by providing both data and expertise in developing and gathering the metrics required to measure the Commission’s progress over time.  Much of the data used in support of this Commission came from Project Noir. 

On June 6th, Enlightened Solutions co-founders, ChiChi and Bethany, joined several other Black Women and our allies, urgently expressed the need for the Cleveland Commission on Black Women and Girls to Cleveland City Council. That evening, their voices were heard. 

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Enlightened Solutions is grateful to have been part of this process and we will continue to work towards a more equitable Cleveland for all. 

Enlightened Solutions  is thrilled to announce that we are the recipients of a $50,000 grant from The Cleveland Foundation from Cleveland Black Futures Fund!

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Enlightened Solutions seeks support to create urgency to build a sustainable and beneficial economic system that includes and invests in Black Women. Many thanks to The Cleveland Foundation for financially investing, and thus strengthening, local Black-led and Black-serving organizations and initiatives.  

Enlightened Solutions was proud to ask Mayor Justin Bibb the following question during the State of the City:

"In 2020, Cleveland was ranked the worst city in America for Black Women with regards to healthcare, workplaces and education - two years later, metrics have not changed and progress seems stalled. How will the Bibb Administration lead the way with regards to accountability metrics for local anchor institutions, nonprofits and corporations to professionally and financially invest in the ideas, healthcare and careers of Black Women?"

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Click here for Mayor Bibb's response.

We're highlighting a program that creates a safe space for millennial women to grow personally and professionally. Joining the show are Alexandria Johnson Boone, founder and chairwoman of the Women of Color Foundation and creator of The "M" Suite; and Chinenye Nkemere, founder and director of strategy at Enlightened Solutions.

Simone Swanson of the "Soul 2 Soul" podcast and the Cleveland Public Library invites you to join us for a discussion. We will be joined by Minda Harts, Speaker & New York Times best-selling author of the MEMO, along with the creators of Project Noir & Enlightened Solutions Chinenye Nkemere and Bethany Studenic for this necessary and long-overdue conversation for Women of Color.

Tuesday, March 8th we are going to tell HERstory and celebrate the power of women’s voices in law, film and beyond.  We have an incredible speaker line-up, including two nationally-known female directors.

On Tuesday, March 15 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium, our co-founders, ChiChi and Bethany will join New York Times best-selling author Minda Harts to discuss the barriers set in place in the workplace for Women of Color in a candid conversation called: OVERDUE: The Candid Conversation Women of Color Need to Have More Often

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This event is hosted by the Cleveland Public Library. 

Yvonka Hall, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, and other health equity nonprofits spearheaded a statewide survey that asked people if they had experienced racial bias in the healthcare system.

Quotes from Chinenye Nkemere on these biases. 

Black Women Coping in Cleveland is an anthology of original poems and essays by 13 local writers that highlights the experiences and perspectives of Black women in Greater Cleveland.

The anthology was created by Dr. Tisha Carter, who states: "In the Fall 2020, during the pandemic, I stumbled upon the article by CityLab through a project Courtney Covers Cleveland was offering with Enlightened Solutions."

In early 2020, Cleveland was ranked last as a livable city for Black Women. In response, ChiChi Nkemere and Bethany Studenic, co-founders of Enlightened Solutions sought out listen to the voices of Black women in Cleveland. Join The City Club as we hear from the writers of Project Noir and other stakeholders on how we can better support Black women in our communities.

Bethany Studenic and Chinenye (ChiChi) Nkemere are co-founders of Enlightened Solutions, a Cleveland-based nonprofit that produced a report titled “Project Noir: “Cleveland is Failing Black Women.” The report collected stories from 450 Black women in Northeast Ohio about harassment, discrimination and abuse in health care, education and the workplace.

After a conversation with the two women behind Project Noir, ChiChi Nkemere and Bethany Studenic, Ideastream wanted to dig further into these inequities by talking to some of the actual survey respondents. Enlightened Solutions connected us with a few women that we'll begin this hour talking to. 

CourtneyCoversCleveland partnered with Enlightened Solutions to present a research project focused on gaining insight and tangible knowledge from the experiences of Black Women in Cleveland. The final report culminated into Project Noir. 

On the "Sound of Ideas," the audience began the hour by learning more about the results of the [Project Noir], released to the public on October 4, 2021. Joining the conversation are the two women behind Project Noir, Chi Chi Nkemere and Bethany Studenic, co-founders of Enlightened Solutions. 

Cleveland is home to three world-class healthcare hubs, but it's placing last in livability for Black women. According to a recent study from Enlightened Solutions called Project Noir, that's because of a lack of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, healthcare and education in Cleveland.

Cleveland was recently ranked the worst place in America for Black Women within the areas of healthcare, education, and economics/workplaces. Northeast Ohio has the opportunity to position itself as posed for seismic and innovative change. [Media]

Join researchers and co-founders Bethany Studenic and Chinenye Nkemere of Enlightened Solutions as they discuss their research into the lived experiences of Black Women in Cleveland. We will cover the stories and patterns that emerged from this study, and how organizations can begin applying the lessons learned from speaking with Black Women in our community.

Join Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Equity & Inclusion Division as we learn more about Project Noir: An applied research project focused on collecting and summarizing the experiences of Black Women in Cleveland. 

Two Northeast Ohio residents have created a project called Project Noir, a study with a series of questions that appraises the depths of struggles for Black women in Cleveland.

Bethany Studenic and Chinenye (ChiChi) Nkemere have turned the Girlboss archetype right side up, becoming female founders who’re concerned with the welfare of other women before their own, and have created a company that strives for systemic change.

As the nation continues its discussion of racism and policing, trans people are seven times more likely to experience physical violence when interacting with the police, and nearly half of all Black transgender people have been incarcerated. 

From health care to education to economics, a recent study has revealed the worst cities for African American women to live, work and thrive in the United States. Cleveland is at the top of the list.

“Project Noir” is a research project focused on gaining insight and tangible knowledge from the experiences of Black Women in Cleveland based on three livability metrics: healthcare, education, and workplaces. They will work together with The LGBT* Center of Greater Cleveland and The Center for Community Solutions for research assistance.