There’s no shortage of food trucks on Cleveland streets these days, but Ron Nelson offers a way for aspiring mobile food entrepreneurs to hit the road for less thanks to his food buggies.
 
When Cleveland launched its pilot street-food program back in 2009, Nelson was working for a non-profit that helped down-on-their-luck folks re-enter society. He saw food trucks as one way to do this, yet the costs were too high for the average person just starting out. And b... Read more >

For those who have suffered a traumatic injury to the skull and face -- be it from an accident, cancer or deformity -- OsteoSymbionics leads the way in facial reconstruction. The Cleveland-based manufacturer of custom craniofacial implants serves surgeons at hospitals across the United States. OsteoSymbionics’ products provide both skull rebuilding and is cosmetically attractive.
 
Founded in 2006by Cynthia Brogan, OsteoSymbionics is kno... Read more >

Welcome to the latest edition of Who’s Hiring in Cleveland?
 
There are plenty of good jobs to be found here in Cleveland. This is the latest installment in regular series of posts in which we feature companies that are hiring, what those employers are looking for, and how to apply.
 
IBM UrbanCode, a DevOps software product line, needs a software developer to work on its market-leading DevOps product line. Work on coding new features, bug... Read more >

From Charles F. Brush to John D. Rockefeller, Cleveland has been home to entrepreneurs with innovations that helped shape the world. We take a look at some of Cleveland’s ground breaking companies -- some old, some new -- to see what makes the company unique, how it achieved its success, and where they stand today. 

After a career in marketing and public relations -- largely in the non-profit sector --Tom Sarago decided to hang out his own shingle and launch Spruce, a full-service marketing and PR company in Lakewood. But the non-profit mentality stuck with Sarago, so he’s offering up his services for free to the right Cleveland company -- a startup or an established company going through transition.
 
“It’s in my roots to always give back,” explains ... Read more >

V.L. Finley is a nature lover. After seeing the success of games like Temple Run and Candy Crush, the filmmaker decided to try his own hand at developing a game that would combine his love for wildlife with his movie background. The result is Bird Fishing, a downloadable app for Android phones where the player is a bird of prey attempting to catch fish.
 
“The objective of the game is to catch fish and survive for the next level,” expla... Read more >

On Wednesday, June 25, Cleveland will become the 43rd U.S. city to join the 1 Million Cups campaign, a national effort to engage, educate and connect entrepreneurs both locally and nationally -- and eventually internationally. The program, funded by the Kauffman Foundation, is based on the idea that entrepreneurs network and move their ideas forward over one million cups of coffee.

“It’s just about creating a community put together by entreprene... Read more >

Everybody has those days when they just don’t feel like going to work. But some employers offer perks that make coming to work a little less painful. From all-you-can-eat snack bars to pursuing outside interests on company time -- and free beer! -- these companies help make coming to the office a little easier to swallow.

Ethan M. Holmes learned how to make applesauce from his grandfather at a young age. By the time he was 15, he had mastered the recipe and decided to go into business with it. “I looked at the market and saw an opportunity,” says Holmes. “I looked at other applesauces and they were all made with corn syrup and artificial flavoring.”
 
Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce makes an all-natural product in plain and cinnamon varieties. “My goa... Read more >

Three organizations -- LaunchHouse, Civic Commons Ideastream and Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) -- have come together as the lead partners in supporting entrepreneurs with ideas to improve their communities.

SEA Change, a Social Enterprise Accelerator, provides up to $50,000 in funding, coaching and connections to eligible candidates trying to make a difference in Cleveland neighborhoods. “We’re funding people who ... Read more >

Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) and Ernst & Young named Thomas W. Harvey High School junior Brandon McClain "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" during its annual ceremony. McClain is CEO of B Kind Cards, which features his original photography of Cleveland landmarks. He received $1,000 and the chance to compete in the national Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) competition in November at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
&nbs... Read more >

An annual economic impact study conducted by Center for Economic Development at Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs shows that companies that received support from 16 of the area’s business accelerators, incubators and other organizations generated $424 million for Ohio.
 
Of the 245 companies surveyed, 236 companies are in Northeast Ohio, generating $306.2 million in the region. These numbers reflect good news for the startup commu... Read more >

Startup accelerator Bizdom is looking for its ninth group of tech companies to join its three-month summer/fall session. Bizdom’s accelerator program mentors and provides companies with up to $125,000 to launch and grow their tech-based businesses in Cleveland.

"We're looking for amazing founders -- founders with passion, uncommon ideas and the technical, design and leadership skills to build a business," says Bizdom Cleveland leader Paul Allen. "... Read more >

Area schools are offering entrepreneurship education to high school, middle school and even elementary school students. Aside from the extra cash, entrepreneurship teaches skills that will last a lifetime, including self confidence, time management, problem solving and creative thinking.

Navigating the streets of Cleveland on a bicycle is nothing new to Will Ansley; he's an experienced and dedicated bike messenger. “A lot of people do it for a little bit and either can’t handle it or don’t like it,” Ansley says of the high rate of turnover in his vocation.
 
The only problem Ansley has encountered is that he wasn't earning his fair share. “A lot of [messenger] companies these days don’t give you a fair perce... Read more >

Welcome to the latest edition of Who’s Hiring in Cleveland?
 
There are plenty of good jobs to be found here in Cleveland. This is the latest installment in a regular series of posts in which we feature companies that are hiring, what those employers are looking for, and how to apply.
 
Here’s the latest Cleveland hiring news:
 
Lazorpoint, a customer-service driven information systems consulting company, has positions available w... Read more >