As local artists with a common love of vintage art tools, friends Jamye Jamison, Elizabeth Emery and Wendy Partridge decided there was a need for some uniquely Cleveland promotional goods. So they formed CLE Collectiv, which produces a line of handmade note cards that celebrate all things Cleveland.
 
The trio creates the cards at Zygote Press using handset, vintage metal and wood type printing materials on 1950s-era Vandercook proofing presses. The cards are two-colo... Read more >

A new business in South Euclid aims to take advantage of Cleveland's growing reputation as a healthcare leader while also capitalizing on rising consumer interest in alternative medicine. The Heights Wellness Center, which is located at Cedar and Warrensville roads, employs chiropractors, herbalists, acupuncturists, Reiki healers and yoga instructors to create customized wellness programs for its customers.

Founder Sandy Lawrence points to the fact that the Center is ... Read more >

Cleveland rocks, that much we know. But for many local musicians, "rocking" isn't always enough to pay the bills. To make both music and a living, many must find -- or create -- music-related day jobs that supplement the bottom line. But the good news is two-fold: Cleveland musicians are supportive of one another, and here, a person doesn't have to work 60 hours a week just to pay the rent.

When Kelly Kandah walked to her job each morning at ABC News in Manhattan, she found herself gaping at the long lines outside of trendy cupcake shops like Crumbs and Magnolia Bakery.

It wasn't because she was hungry -- Kandah simply has cupcakes in her blood. Baking is a family tradition, and her mom has been baking cakes featuring Grandma Kandah's "famous" frosting recipe for years for family friends.

So, when the 25-year-old Kandah moved back ... Read more >

When actor Bill Morgan travels into Cleveland schools to create artistic productions that star both hearing and deaf actors, he continues to be amazed by students' reactions and the type of creativity that is often unleashed through nonverbal communication.

Morgan can hear, yet the productions that he creates through SignStage Theatre help to educate hearing individuals on the issues faced by the deaf community. They also bring hearing and deaf students together throu... Read more >

The Foundation Center launched Grant Space to aggregate its most popular content in one easy-to-navigate location and be responsive to its audience. The website features video chats with grant makers and a calendar of trainings. It also allows visitors to quickly interact with Foundation Center staff.

Now the Center has launched Grant Space Mobile, a new version geared towards mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Foundation Center Cleveland Director Cynthia Ba... Read more >

MedWish International, a Cleveland company that recycles medical supplies and equipment discarded by local hospitals, medical device companies and individuals by redistributing them to developing nations in desperate need of such items, won the $100,000 technology upgrade grand prize in Toshiba’s Helping the Helpers Technology Makeover.

MedWish beat out 150 U.S. non-profit charities by submitting a two-minute video to Toshiba for Good Facebook page, explaining how t... Read more >

Garfield Heights historically has been known as the "City of Homes," yet Mayor Vic Collova wants to update that quaint image. The time is right to attract new businesses and development, he says, and the city's infrastructure, proximity to highways and business-friendly approach make it competitive.

"We haven't had a lot of new businesses moving here, and we're really trying to change our mindset," he says. "What we're doing is agg... Read more >

Throughout its 20 year history, Eden Inc., a nonprofit developer of affordable housing, has "flown under the radar," says David Fearn, Manager of Grants Development and Community Relations. If so, then one might say that Eden's recently launched sustainability efforts constitute a coming out party -- one to which all of its neighbors are invited.

Eden has always been a community-minded agency; its housing developments serve low-income and often mentally ill ... Read more >

The Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA), a civic education and engagement program, named 17 new city advocates for 2012. “It’s a chance to know the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and get the inside scoop on what’s going on downtown,” explains Laura Kushnick, DCA’s director of development and community relations.
 
The advocates serve a two-year term. They have access to DCA staff and community leaders to learn what it takes to facilitate civic... Read more >

Urban Community School's science lab made a move into the 21st century last week thanks to a $22,000 grant from Cargill Incorporated that provided 12 MacBook computers and a Promethean ActivBoard. The equipment provides interactive learning skills to help prepare the school’s fifth through eighth graders for when they move on to area high schools.
 
“It’s technology that many kids are exposed to,” says Sr. Maureen Doyle, director of Urban C... Read more >

In this age of speed-of-light communication, it is unheard of that a whodunit like "The Mousetrap" still can be a source of utter and total surprise. Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery play, you see, has been running non-stop in London's West End since 1952. At 60 years old, it is the longest continuously running play of all time.

Cleveland-based Tremco Inc. recently earned the sustainable-construction industry's equivalent of an Oscar: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) Gold certification. The coveted prize, awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizes Tremco's outstanding performance in the 2010 renovation of its 40-year-old, 46,000-square-foot headquarters on (appropriately enough) Green Road.
 
Cindy Cicigoi, Tremco’s vice president of sustainable ... Read more >

The Cleveland Colectivo, a grassroots giving circle whose members provide grants to innovative, community-minded ideas, attracted 27 entrepreneurs and a crowd of nearly 100 people to its recent "Pitch for Change" event at Shaker Launchhouse.

Following the spirited two-minute presentations -- which grew more creative as the night wore on -- attendees voted on their favorite projects. The winner, Have You Met Cleveland?, took home the coveted door prize -- over $4... Read more >

Ohio City Inc. was named the inaugural winner of the Enterprise Community Innovation Awards, held on Tuesday, March 6 at CSU’s Levin College of Urban Affairs. The event, hosted by Enterprise Community Partners, which helps find affordable housing options, was sponsored through KeyBank. It was designed to recognize organizations creating new and lasting community development solutions in Greater Cleveland.
 
Ohio City received a $25,000 grant to support its Marke... Read more >