2 0 19 MID S TO RY A N N UAL REP O RT
"... any young person can come to Toledo to shape the narrative, to change perspectives and to grow these communities. [You can't] always say that about NYC, or LA or SF. But you can say that about Toledo ... and that means something." - Samuel Chang, TEDxToledo 2019
ABOUT MIDSTORY Midstory began in March 2018 as the culmination of our four co-founders’ desire to contribute back to the community that raised them. After dropping fulltime careers on the East Coast to move home and start Midstory full time, the Midstorians hope to forge pathways for more young people to find a home in and contribute to the growth of cities like Toledo.
THE FOUR CO-FOUNDERS The Midstory co-founders’ diverse backgrounds help them have perspective on the challenges facing many young people today, with firsthand experience of growing up low-income and as immigrants, as well as being the first in the family to get a college degree. While all four went away to the East Coast for schooling & careers and found “success” elsewhere, they decided the best place in which to invest their lives would be back in their hometown. In one year alone, they’ve drawn students from Princeton, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, Yale, local universities and more to come to Toledo to engage in the revitalization of our region through research, creative problem-solving
and media on issues the city is facing now, such as the water crisis and depopulation. Midstory also ran a major, first-of-its-kind event in August to rally the Toledo and regional community together to dream for a post-industrial future. Through programming, mentorship, cultivation and more, the Midstorians hope to be the first of many young thought leaders making a home in and contributing meaningfully to this region.
Our MISSION is to retain, cultivate and attract youth and the public through creative storytelling and solutions-oriented projects. Our VISION is to have a powerful midstory in the nation, curating a voice for post-industrial communities toward renewed sociocultural capital in the Midwest. Midstory is a non-profit organization pursuant to Section 510(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. P AG E 5