Cleveland-area SPR Therapeutics is tackling the chronic pain market with its Smartpatch technology. The Smartpatch external stimulator delivers an electrical signal to an electrode placed in the muscle. The electrical signals stimulate the target nerve within the muscle, thereby exercising the muscle to treat the pain. The Smartpatch system will serve the $150 billion pain market, in particular those suffering shoulder pain from strokes, as well as chronic lower back pain.
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More then $140 billion in gift cards are purchased each year, generating more than $1.8 billion in associated transaction fees. SparkBase, a Cleveland company founded in 2004, is the industry leader in software processing of gift cards, reward and loyalty programs. SparkBase's software makes sure purchases are recognized when a gift card is swiped, measures demographics, and tracks buying habits on rewards cards. This time last year, SparkBase had a handful of customers and seve... Read more >

Kionte Watkins began riding the RTA HealthLine bus rapid transit to work about a month ago to save money on gas. On Friday, April 29, she received more than just a little savings at the pump from RTA when she became the HealthLine's 10 millionth rider.

As number 10,000,000 Watkins received a free one-year pass. "I was just about to buy a weekly pass after work," says Watkins. "It was very exciting. It just topped off my week."

Watkins also received tickets to the... Read more >

Pastry chef Courtney Bonning plans to open Bonbon Pastry and Café this summer in the former Athens Bakery shop at W. 26th and Lorain Avenue, further boosting available food offerings in Ohio City.

"We'll be opening a full bakery that will serve fresh, handmade croissants and desserts as well as a European-style café," says Bonning. "You'll be greeted by beautifully prepared items when you walk in the door, all priced below $15."

Bonning worked in Napa Valley, S... Read more >

For decades, Ohio City's Lorain Avenue has been a symbol of beautiful decay. But thanks to the development boom taking place along West 25th Street, more entrepreneurs are beginning to set up shop on Lorain. Among the additions are a gourmet chili restaurant, vintage clothing store, architecture office and yoga studio -- all part of the neighborhood's burgeoning artisan economy.

Sharie Renee finds the beauty in what most people would deem garbage. As founder and CEO of Cosmic Bobbins in the St. Clair-Superior District, she takes old paper materials -- such as magazines or brochures -- and transforms them into fashionable accessories.

Cosmic Bobbins puts an emphasis on social awareness. As the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of funeral directors, Renee would contemplate on the meaning of life and the importance of giving back.

"Whe... Read more >

At a ceremonial groundbreaking last week, Neighborhood Progress (NPI) and Pennrose Properties celebrated a $15.1 million project to renovate the former St. Luke's Hospital into 72 units of affordable senior housing. The event highlighted the project's sustainability features, the rich history of Saint Luke's and a grassroots effort to involve youth in beautifying the building.

Ohio Housing Finance Agency Director Doug Garver told the audience that the Saint Luke's projec... Read more >

Clevelanders are having a love affair with locally grown, seasonal food -- and that romance is playing out at numerous farmers markets around town. These days, it's possible to shop at a different neighborhood farmers market practically every day of the week, a far cry from when just a handful existed. What's more: Cleveland-area farmers markets will reap approximately $2.5 million this year, great news for small entrepreneurs and the local economy.

With nearly a dozen different farmers markets setting up around town, it has never been easier to stock our larders with fresh, local food. In this pictorial feature, Fresh Water managing photographer Bob Perkoski takes us on a colorful tour of Cleveland's increasingly popular farmers markets. Bring cash, a cloth bag, and a healthy appetite.

When the Moreland Theatre was built in 1927, the Buckeye neighborhood was home to the largest concentration of Hungarians outside Hungary. There were also six Hungarian newspapers in the area, and nearly every shop owner on Buckeye Road spoke Hungarian (and often English, too).

In the past 40 years, Buckeye has struggled as businesses and residents fled to the suburbs. The recent foreclosure crisis also hit the area hard, leaving boarded-up homes and vacant lots in its w... Read more >

Lights, camera, action!

Paramount Pictures announced plans to shoot an untitled film this summer in Cleveland and surrounding areas. The movie, starring Nickelodeon's Victoria Justice, will be directed by Josh Schwartz and produced by Michael Beugg. It is one of three major motion pictures slated for production in Greater Cleveland this summer. "I think it's going to be a very exciting summer," says Greater Cleveland Film Commission executive director Ivan Schwarz. "It's... Read more >

Cleveland is an entrepreneurial hotspot right now, and big business in Cleveland wants to make sure local women-owned outfits have equal footing. Springboard Enterprises has joined forces with Ohio-based powerhouses KeyBank, Thompson Hine, and Meaden & Moore to provide women with the keys to building big businesses. Build it Big is a business development program for women-owned businesses on the fast track to growth. "It's about educating business owners on how to find equity ... Read more >

MC2 STEM High School was named a regional runner-up in an energy conservation competition sponsored by Alcoa Foundation and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change in Arlington, VA. The competition, called Make an Impact: Change our 2morrow (CO2), awarded STEM High School a $1,000 grant for completing the most calculations on how to reduce the carbon footprint with a carbon calculator.

"It was an opportunity for students, teachers, parents and administrators to have hands... Read more >

The North Union Farmers Market now operates eight different markets around the Greater Cleveland area. Three years ago, the nonprofit launched a new market at the Cleveland Clinic, bringing healthy, farm-fresh produce to a neighborhood that could use it most. Here is a video of the popular Cleveland Clinic market in action.

The Tremont neighborhood recently celebrated the opening of a new parking lot at Jefferson and Professor avenues that will not only help alleviate the neighborhood's parking crunch, but also help solve the region's storm water management problem.

The parking lot incorporates bioswales that will prevent rainwater from entering the sewer system. When rain falls onto the property, it runs off into carefully designed plant systems that gradually release it back into the groun... Read more >