CLARE ZLATIC BLANKEMEYER

CLARE ZLATIC BLANKEMEYER | Executive Director, Hopeful Empowered Youth (HEY!)

Clare is a firm believer that impactful change comes from proximity to issues of injustice: we cannot impact that which we do not know. Driven by her perspective, sense of purpose, and judgement, she has a steadfast passion for ensuring the voices of those with lived experiences are part of social sector decision making. 

Prior to becoming the Executive Director of HEY!, Clare served as Director of Philanthropy at one of the nation’s largest family offices, consulting on philanthropic endeavors and administering several private foundations, building an impact investing portfolio, creating and implementing signature community investment strategies, developing mulit-gen programming and facilitation, and leading the start-up of a significant family foundation. As the former Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Cincinnati, Clare worked with a broad coalition of stakeholders to scale evidence-based initiatives that build economic mobility. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at The Manuel D. & Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, building out trust-based grantmaking strategies. Her previous career experiences focused on creating for-profit and nonprofit community engagement efforts as well as consulting with area educators & engaging youth with service-learning.

Clare has served on numerous boards and committees including the GreenLight Fund Selection Advisory Committee, Girl Scout Gold Award Committee, Jefferson Award Committee, Securing the Future Conference Committee, St. Francis Seraph Board of Directors, Cincinnati Association of Volunteer Administrators (CAVA) Board of Directors, Cincinnati Human Services Commission, Hamilton County JFS Planning Committee, and is the Past President and Governance Chair of Impact 100.

Clare is a native Cincinnatian and graduated from the University of Dayton, studying Psychology and Social Work. She is a proud member of Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA), the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 40 Under 40 class of 2014, and graduated from the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s C-Change Class #8 and the YWCA Cincinnati Rising Stars Program. Clare was named the 2017 Emerging Philanthropist at Legacy’s Next Generation Leader Awards, presented by the Northern Kentucky Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and holds other recognitions from Village Life Outreach Project, Learn & Serve Ohio, Lead Tribune Media Group, Roger Bacon High School, New Life Furniture Bank, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction.