Patti Choby, Neighbor

Patti Choby has spent nearly three decades engaged in entrepreneurial endeavors and managing organizational change and growth with business owners and civic leaders. Early in her career, she began connecting owners and leaders to necessary resources to build sustainable business models and healthy cultures.

In 1997, after holding leadership positions in community and economic development, communications and marketing, research, and planning and organizational design, she founded the Cobalt Group. As an advisory and management practice, Cobalt Group is widely known for its leadership-driven, results-oriented approach to advising and implementing strategy in operations, technology solutions, entrepreneurial services and civic transformation initiatives.

In 2011, Patti led the launch of Inner Circle Cleveland, a peer advisory service for business owners in Greater Cleveland. Members meet monthly to give and get insight and perspective from other Circle members. The peer circle approach for business owners is a cost effective and helpful strategy that serves as a board of advisors to business owners who do not have a board or maybe have not taken outside funding as they grow. It is the perfect way for owners to understand and learn whay they need to grow and thrive.

Over the past 20 years, Patti has served as an adjunct faculty member at Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Urban Design, Case Western Reserve University, and Notre Dame College. She also served as a Visiting Instructor at Case Western Reserve University where she received the “Outstanding Adjunct Teacher Award” in May, 2006.

Patti currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board CCWIB) where she also chairs the CCWIB’s Youth Council.  She is a Community Advisor for Cleveland Public Art.

Patti received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Social Science from Notre Dame College of Ohio and a Master's Degree from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. She is currently co-authoring a book on the practice of actionable leadership.