Scott Colosimo loves designing cool motorcycles. When he and his partner Jarrod Streng were laid off from their industrial design jobs in 2009, they decided to chase their dream and created Cleveland CycleWerks. (Fresh Water featured him in this article from 2010)
 
CycleWerks bikes feature 250cc engines, are lightweight, simply designed, inexpensive to maintain and get 100 miles to the gallon. They are quite the opposite of America’s typical love of larger, mor... Read more >

What’s on your summer to-do list? Hanging out at your favorite outdoor café? Taking a dip at Edgewater? Enjoying a Tribe game at Progressive Field? Well, here’s another: touring Cleveland by bicycle. This year it’s easier than ever to see the city via two wheels thanks to new bike-tour operators, public rides, and bike rental companies.

Brand Muscle CEO Philip Alexander freely admits that he was initially opposed to moving his firm to downtown Cleveland because he didn't want to give up his breezy, 17-minute commute to the office.

Research studies have shown that the most powerful predictor of a firm's location is where the top executives live. For Brand Muscle's leadership, it was convenient to commute from the east-side suburbs to their offices in Beachwood, where the software firm has grow... Read more >

When TOA Technologies began in 2003, founders Yuval Brisker and Irad Carmi had one goal in mind: To eliminate that seemingly endless waiting time for home service calls.
 
“The company founders' reason to start TOA was to use technology to solve the problem of waiting at home for a delivery,” says John Opdycke, vice presidents of worldwide marketing. “The whole company’s purpose is to make sure people arrive on time.”
 
T... Read more >

How does an incorrect soda price at a retailer lead to an emerging tech company? Just ask Case student Mark Lorkowski, who came up with the idea for an electronic shelf display system while shopping for a case of Mountain Dew. With Lorktech, he hopes to drink up a portion of the $250 billion flexible electronics market.

Next time that your favorite barista etches a flower in your foamy mug of latte, savor it for a moment before you take a sip. He or she may actually be practicing for For the Love of Latte Art, an educational event and latte art throwdown that is being hosted this weekend by Cleveland-area coffee companies.

The event, which is being hosted by a new coffee collective called CLE Brews, will include skill-building workshops for professional and amateur baristas who are inter... Read more >

Tremont has always been a popular neighborhood for animal lovers, with amenities like Lincoln Park, the Clark Field dog park and pet-friendly restaurants and bars adding to the appeal. The neighborhood also has two shelters, a doggie day care and an active community of animal rescue advocates.

Now a new business, Tremont Tails, will allow dog and cat lovers to buy basic goods for their pets without traveling outside of the neighborhood. It also will promote rescue and ado... Read more >

Life Core Technologies received a $250,000 investment from JumpStart for its Excel disposable cerebral cooling system, a device that reduces chances of death in a medical emergency.

“Excel has a cooling element that cools the brain 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius very quickly after cardiac arrest, stroke, or traumatic brain injury,” explains Life Core CEO Mike Burke. “The cooling allows the brain to use less oxygen and prevent oxygen depletion and swelling.&rdq... Read more >

This Friday night, Tremont is hosting the grand opening for a new business, Tremont Tails, as well as a Preview Night that will welcome eight new businesses that opened in the past year.

This diverse roster of new businesses is adding to the vibrancy of the neighborhood's growing retail mix, says Cory Riordon, Executive Director of Tremont West Development Corporation.

"We're creating new retail options so that residents don't have to travel outs... Read more >

Shelley Freed, co-founder of Ashton Business Solutions, a consulting group specializing in research-based business strategies, admits that she relies on technology just as much as the next person. But amidst all the emails and text messages, Freed’s goal is to put the human touch back into ABS’s strategic marketing and positioning.
 
“I do a lot of market research and strategic research for companies,” says Freed. “I get to interact with ... Read more >

Although Vitamix's commercial-grade blenders and mixers eat up a good chunk of change -- around $500 on average -- that hasn't stopped consumers in the U.S. and more than 80 countries abroad from snatching them up at record rates.

They don't call it a "super blender" for nothing -- Vitamix is the iconic company that brought us the smoothie, yet its machines are now used by chefs and health-conscious consumers to make everything from soups to soy milk... Read more >

DXY Solutions is working with historical societies around the country to put historical information, pictures and maps on iOS and Android systems for a complete and informative history while roaming the city.

“We started this about a year and a half ago with Cleveland State and Epstein Design Partners,” explains DXY’s Dan Young. “We use iOS and Android to connect people who are out and about with historical information."
 
Known a... Read more >

Fixing up an older home can be a daunting task. These days, many homeowners don't know a wrench from a pair of pliers, and even if they are handy, both their tools and their skills may be a little bit rusty.

That's where the Home Repair Resource Center (HRRC), a 40-year-old nonprofit organization based in Cleveland Heights, can help. HRRC offers how-to classes for residents throughout Cuyahoga County and a tool-loan program geared to residents of Cleveland Heights... Read more >

Crowdfunding, the process of raising money for startups, small businesses or charities, has become an increasingly popular way to get investments for products or ideas that wouldn’t otherwise get off the ground through traditional lending institutions.
 
But under the Jobs Act, the rules and restrictions on crowdfunding are changing. JumpStart and Ulmer & Berne will host a seminar, Crowdfunding: From Legislation to Reality, on Monday, May 15 to discuss why t... Read more >

When the Metroparks were planned in the early 20th century, they were envisioned as a chain of connected reservations encircling (but not in) the city of Cleveland -- hence the name “Emerald Necklace.” But as more residents move to the urban core, the Metroparks knew the time was right to follow them.