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NOZOMI IKUTA

Nozomi Ikuta is a minister. Born in Cleveland, she attended Carleton College, Harvard Divinity School and New York Theological Seminary, and lived and ministered in urban, rural, congregational and office settings before returning to Cleveland to serve at the national office of the United Church of Christ. In 2005, Ikuta was called to Denison Avenue UCC. She and her husband moved near their church and opened Affordable Bikes. In 2016, after noting the number of customers interested in a variety of price points, they changed the name to Upcycles. They also initiated giveaway and sliding-scale pricing to accommodate lower-income cyclists. As a Fellow, Ikuta will incorporate her bike shop experience into a broader economic empowerment project involving the church, surrounding neighborhood and suburban congregations. She will help Avon Lake UCC solicit household goods from other congregations, offer them to local business owners and discuss ways to work together to improve the local business climate.

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