Community advocates are mourning the loss of Kwame Botchway, the 33-year-old director of Community Impact and Innovation for Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, who was found dead in his apartment on Cleveland’s West Side Aug. 17. No cause of death was announced.

According to Stephen Langel of Ideastream.Org, Botchway, who led the organization’s small business development and entrepreneurship programming, will be missed for his engaging personality and drive to help others, said Dione Alexander, president of CNP’s Village Capital Corporation, where Botchway had worked.

“Kwame was just a bright light,” she said. “We are all deeply saddened because we wanted to see the bright light burn longer. There was just so much that we all knew that Kwame was going to contribute to the world, and we couldn’t wait to see it.”

Botchway, who migrated to the United States from Ghana in 2017, focused on building greater equity in the local economy at CNP by leading the organization’s small business development and entrepreneurship programs. This included his work with Contractors on the Rise and the Equitable Development Initiative, which provides access to capital and technical assistance to women and minority real estate contractors and developers.

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Alexander said she believes Botchway’s infectious personality and passion will continue to inspire others.