Downtown
nbc sports cheers on tribe's social media power
NBC Sports recently featured an article on the Cleveland Indians' innovative use of social media.
NBC's Craig Calcaterra writes, "Not that I'll name any names, but a lot of other clubs could take a hint. Some ballparks won't let you bring an iPad in. Others have media relations people who seek out bloggers and try to intimidate them when they write negative stuff. Get a clue fellas."
Last year, the team launched its ground-breaking Social Media Deck, setting aside a portion of the bleachers specifically for heavy social media users. This year, the Tribe upgraded the social-media experience with the Indians Social Suite. The new space moves from left field to an actual suite, giving bloggers and Tweeps a fine new home.
The Indians also released a comprehensive list of the team's active Twitter accounts. Additionally, followers of the team's social media accounts, including their Facebook page and their Twitter feed, can purchase discounted game tickets.
Read the entire feed here.
NBC's Craig Calcaterra writes, "Not that I'll name any names, but a lot of other clubs could take a hint. Some ballparks won't let you bring an iPad in. Others have media relations people who seek out bloggers and try to intimidate them when they write negative stuff. Get a clue fellas."
Last year, the team launched its ground-breaking Social Media Deck, setting aside a portion of the bleachers specifically for heavy social media users. This year, the Tribe upgraded the social-media experience with the Indians Social Suite. The new space moves from left field to an actual suite, giving bloggers and Tweeps a fine new home.
The Indians also released a comprehensive list of the team's active Twitter accounts. Additionally, followers of the team's social media accounts, including their Facebook page and their Twitter feed, can purchase discounted game tickets.
Read the entire feed here.
Cleveland-based ChanTest has tested more than 20,000 compounds for hundreds of pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world since its founding in 1998. Over the years, the company has also developed a cell optimization service. These advancements have helped pharmaceutical and biotech companies develop safer drugs for a variety of health-related issues.
ChanTest has now formed an agreement with Molecular Devices, a Sunnyvale, California, company, to further its impact on the industry. Molecular Devices will distribute ChanTest's ion channels and promote its cell optimization services to a number of global customers.
Dr. Arthur Brown, founder of ChanTest, says that this partnership will benefit ChanTest because of the screening instrumentation provided by Molecular Devices. These include automated electrophysiology devices, which study the effects of electric activity in the body. "The ability to screen ion channels with automated electrophysiology is revolutionizing drug discovery," according to Dr. Brown.
ChanTest has a staff of 70 people, including scientists specializing in molecular and cell biology, chemistry and electrophysiology.
SOURCE: ChanTest
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
ChanTest has now formed an agreement with Molecular Devices, a Sunnyvale, California, company, to further its impact on the industry. Molecular Devices will distribute ChanTest's ion channels and promote its cell optimization services to a number of global customers.
Dr. Arthur Brown, founder of ChanTest, says that this partnership will benefit ChanTest because of the screening instrumentation provided by Molecular Devices. These include automated electrophysiology devices, which study the effects of electric activity in the body. "The ability to screen ion channels with automated electrophysiology is revolutionizing drug discovery," according to Dr. Brown.
ChanTest has a staff of 70 people, including scientists specializing in molecular and cell biology, chemistry and electrophysiology.
SOURCE: ChanTest
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
MMPI, owner and operator of the forthcoming Medical Mart & Convention Center, stands to save $5 million over 14 years thanks to a newly signed contract with Cleveland Thermal. Rather than build its own on-site heating and cooling system, the mart and convention center will use heating and cooling energy provided by Cleveland Thermal.
Cleveland Thermal is a district energy supplier that serves about 125 commercial, institutional, municipal and federal buildings in Cleveland. The 117-year-old company delivers thermal heat and chilled water through underground pipes that connect to Cleveland Thermal's power plant.
Cleveland Thermal's infrastructure was technically already in place to serve the mart and convention center. According to the company, the existing piping has been disconnected to allow for safe demolition of the old buildings. The new facility will be reconnected to the heating and cooling system later this year.
Cleveland Thermal, which employs 47 people, would not disclose the amount of the contract with MMPI.
Karpinski Engineering, which is handling mechanical system and mapping for the new facility, recommended Cleveland Thermal. Dennis Wessel, senior vice president, points out that MMPI will not have to worry about installing and operating onsite heating and cooling equipment, which will save money. What's more, Wessel says. "this arrangement will enable MMPI to allocate valuable additional floor space to other uses."
MMPI also recently announced that it will seek LEED Silver Certification for the facility, a designation determined by the U.S. Green Building Council. Using an existing heating and cooling source will lessen the environmental impact of the new facility, according to MMPI.
SOURCES: Cleveland Thermal, Karpinski Engineering, MMPI
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Cleveland Thermal is a district energy supplier that serves about 125 commercial, institutional, municipal and federal buildings in Cleveland. The 117-year-old company delivers thermal heat and chilled water through underground pipes that connect to Cleveland Thermal's power plant.
Cleveland Thermal's infrastructure was technically already in place to serve the mart and convention center. According to the company, the existing piping has been disconnected to allow for safe demolition of the old buildings. The new facility will be reconnected to the heating and cooling system later this year.
Cleveland Thermal, which employs 47 people, would not disclose the amount of the contract with MMPI.
Karpinski Engineering, which is handling mechanical system and mapping for the new facility, recommended Cleveland Thermal. Dennis Wessel, senior vice president, points out that MMPI will not have to worry about installing and operating onsite heating and cooling equipment, which will save money. What's more, Wessel says. "this arrangement will enable MMPI to allocate valuable additional floor space to other uses."
MMPI also recently announced that it will seek LEED Silver Certification for the facility, a designation determined by the U.S. Green Building Council. Using an existing heating and cooling source will lessen the environmental impact of the new facility, according to MMPI.
SOURCES: Cleveland Thermal, Karpinski Engineering, MMPI
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Local food startups are growing by leaps and bounds in Cleveland. Whether it's urban farming or specialty food production, the ability of local entrepreneurs to affect change in the food industry seems limitless.
This Monday, April 4, 10 food entrepreneurs will gather at Great Lakes Brewing Co. to share the secrets of their success. A Local Food Cleveland event, the Local Food Startup Business Showcase looks at businesses that are helping the local food economy.
Among the startups at the showcase will be Tunnel Vision Hoops, which designs retractable domes for year-round farming; Green City Growers Cooperative, a 100-percent worker-owned commercial greenhouse in Cleveland; and MOHCO, a manufacturer of falafel dough with a philanthropic mission to help communities locally and abroad.
And just in case you think this local food business isn't getting noticed outside of Cleveland, consider this: Yahoo! recently named Cleveland the fourth most visionary city in the world, particularly because of urban farming initiatives. Cleveland was ranked behind Seoul, Abu Dhabi and Tallinn, Estonia. The online news source sited Gardens Under Glass in the Galleria, which grows vegetables and then sells them at a weekly indoor market, as a fine example of urban farming in Cleveland.
SOURCE: Local Food Cleveland
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
This Monday, April 4, 10 food entrepreneurs will gather at Great Lakes Brewing Co. to share the secrets of their success. A Local Food Cleveland event, the Local Food Startup Business Showcase looks at businesses that are helping the local food economy.
Among the startups at the showcase will be Tunnel Vision Hoops, which designs retractable domes for year-round farming; Green City Growers Cooperative, a 100-percent worker-owned commercial greenhouse in Cleveland; and MOHCO, a manufacturer of falafel dough with a philanthropic mission to help communities locally and abroad.
And just in case you think this local food business isn't getting noticed outside of Cleveland, consider this: Yahoo! recently named Cleveland the fourth most visionary city in the world, particularly because of urban farming initiatives. Cleveland was ranked behind Seoul, Abu Dhabi and Tallinn, Estonia. The online news source sited Gardens Under Glass in the Galleria, which grows vegetables and then sells them at a weekly indoor market, as a fine example of urban farming in Cleveland.
SOURCE: Local Food Cleveland
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
jumpstart's john dearborn praises interns in huffington post
In a recent Huffington Post article, John Dearborn, President of Cleveland's JumpStart Inc., writes about Lorain County Community College's Innovation Fund. It awards grants of $25,000 and $100,000 to fledgling startups.
Internships are another important part of the Innovation Fund. "It might seem obvious or even slightly trivial, but interns offer startups a hardworking, forward-thinking labor pool at a heck of a price."
"This unique and groundbreaking fund has three important tenets: 1) as funds are paid back, they are then re-invested in another startup; 2) the company needs to work with a business mentor at the Innovation Fund's related incubator; and 3) every company that receives an award from the Innovation Fund commits to providing at least one local college student with a work-based learning experience."
The startups receive talent they cannot otherwise afford, and the interns receive a better education than they would ever get in the classroom.
"So far, the Innovation Fund has invested $4.3 million in 60 companies that have sponsored 130 internships. When it comes to slowing the region's "brain drain," this program shows evidence of creating change. The companies have created 100 full-time jobs that, in some cases, have been filled by interns."
Read the rest here.
Internships are another important part of the Innovation Fund. "It might seem obvious or even slightly trivial, but interns offer startups a hardworking, forward-thinking labor pool at a heck of a price."
"This unique and groundbreaking fund has three important tenets: 1) as funds are paid back, they are then re-invested in another startup; 2) the company needs to work with a business mentor at the Innovation Fund's related incubator; and 3) every company that receives an award from the Innovation Fund commits to providing at least one local college student with a work-based learning experience."
The startups receive talent they cannot otherwise afford, and the interns receive a better education than they would ever get in the classroom.
"So far, the Innovation Fund has invested $4.3 million in 60 companies that have sponsored 130 internships. When it comes to slowing the region's "brain drain," this program shows evidence of creating change. The companies have created 100 full-time jobs that, in some cases, have been filled by interns."
Read the rest here.
Capabilities are said to soaring at the new 15,000-square-foot Constant Aviation
facility at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The facility is
designed for the overhaul and repair of all sheet metal and bonded
materials on commercial and corporate aircraft.
"During times when other businesses have been cutting back, our company has continued to grow our core capabilities [and] expand our services," says Stephen Maiden, Constant Aviation's president.
Constant Aviation already has a substantial presence at Hopkins, where the FAA-certified repair and maintenance company is headquartered. (Constant Aviation has another facility in Birmingham, Alabama.) The Hopkins facility employs about 75 people and is currently looking to expand its maintenance team.
The expanded facility support airframe flight controls, thrust reversers, wing panes, doors and interior covers.
SOURCE: Constant Aviation
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"During times when other businesses have been cutting back, our company has continued to grow our core capabilities [and] expand our services," says Stephen Maiden, Constant Aviation's president.
Constant Aviation already has a substantial presence at Hopkins, where the FAA-certified repair and maintenance company is headquartered. (Constant Aviation has another facility in Birmingham, Alabama.) The Hopkins facility employs about 75 people and is currently looking to expand its maintenance team.
The expanded facility support airframe flight controls, thrust reversers, wing panes, doors and interior covers.
SOURCE: Constant Aviation
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Local rowing advocates say their beloved sport is about to get even bigger thanks to the Cleveland Rowing Foundation's recent acquisition of Rivergate Park, a former marina on the East Bank of the Flats. Over the next two years, CRF will redevelop Rivergate into a seven-acre riverside recreation venue, with a boathouse, kayak rental and public park. Rivergate is part of an emerging recreation district in the Flats that includes a new skate park and bike path to Whiskey Island.
According to Gil Van Bokkelen, chairman and CEO of Athersys,
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to be a debilitating
condition for many people. Could Athersys' MultiStem cell therapy
product benefit the more than two million people worldwide who suffer
from some form of IBD, such as ulcerative colitis?
A new phase II clinical trial will search for the answer. Athersys, in collaboration with Pfizer Inc., is conducting a study involving about 126 people in clinical sites across North America and Europe. Participants will receive multiple doses of either MultiStem or a placebo over the course of several weeks. Baseline and eight-week evaluations will be conducted, and all patients will receive follow-up evaluations through 12 months.
MultiStem is produced from nonembryonic tissues such as adult bone marrow. The human stem cells in the product have the ability to reduce inflammation, protect damaged tissue or form new blood vessels in injured areas. In addition to ulcerative colitis and other forms of inflammatory bowel disease, MultiStem has shown promise in aiding with bone marrow transplants and in the treatment of damage from ischemic strokes, which is caused by a blockage in blood flow to the brain.
Athersys trades on the NASDAQ and has experienced steady growth during the last 12 months.
SOURCE: Athersys
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
A new phase II clinical trial will search for the answer. Athersys, in collaboration with Pfizer Inc., is conducting a study involving about 126 people in clinical sites across North America and Europe. Participants will receive multiple doses of either MultiStem or a placebo over the course of several weeks. Baseline and eight-week evaluations will be conducted, and all patients will receive follow-up evaluations through 12 months.
MultiStem is produced from nonembryonic tissues such as adult bone marrow. The human stem cells in the product have the ability to reduce inflammation, protect damaged tissue or form new blood vessels in injured areas. In addition to ulcerative colitis and other forms of inflammatory bowel disease, MultiStem has shown promise in aiding with bone marrow transplants and in the treatment of damage from ischemic strokes, which is caused by a blockage in blood flow to the brain.
Athersys trades on the NASDAQ and has experienced steady growth during the last 12 months.
SOURCE: Athersys
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
cleveland shows signs of renewal, says native son
Former New Yorker editor and Cleveland native Charles Michener pens a love letter to his hometown in Smithsonian magazine. After returning to Cleveland four years ago to cover the Orchestra for the New Yorker, Michener decided to stay. He is currently writing a book about Cleveland entitled "The Hidden City."
"Unlike the gaudy attractions of New York or Chicago, which advertise themselves at every opportunity, Cleveland's treasures require a taste for discovery," Michener writes in the piece. "You might be astonished, as I was one Tuesday evening, to wander into Nighttown, a venerable jazz saloon in Cleveland Heights, and encounter the entire Count Basie Orchestra, blasting away on the bandstand."
"I'm sure that every Clevelander was as outraged as I was by Forbes' superficial judgment about what it's like to actually live here," he continues. "Cities aren't statistics -- they're comÂplex, human mechanisms of not-so-buried pasts and not-so-certain futures."
"Returning to Cleveland after so many years away, I feel lucky to be back in the town I can once again call home."
Read Michener's entire piece in Smithsonian here.
"Unlike the gaudy attractions of New York or Chicago, which advertise themselves at every opportunity, Cleveland's treasures require a taste for discovery," Michener writes in the piece. "You might be astonished, as I was one Tuesday evening, to wander into Nighttown, a venerable jazz saloon in Cleveland Heights, and encounter the entire Count Basie Orchestra, blasting away on the bandstand."
"I'm sure that every Clevelander was as outraged as I was by Forbes' superficial judgment about what it's like to actually live here," he continues. "Cities aren't statistics -- they're comÂplex, human mechanisms of not-so-buried pasts and not-so-certain futures."
"Returning to Cleveland after so many years away, I feel lucky to be back in the town I can once again call home."
Read Michener's entire piece in Smithsonian here.
One of the newest members of the Cleveland organization Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S) is an organization known for helping people with special needs. Over the past several months, the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Board of DD) has realized ways to help others while helping the environment and the City of Cleveland.
The organization's CleveLand Crops program, in partnership with Stanard Farms and the Ohio State University Extension, is part of the Board of DD's Solutions at Work (S.A.W.) program, which is the state's largest employer of people with disabilities. S.A.W. also operates a discount store in Parma called Just-a-Buck, employing 15 developmentally disabled residents of Cuyahoga County, and Pulley's, a wi-fi coffeehouse in Cleveland's Tyler Village, which employs three adults in the Board of DD program.
CleveLand Crops gives adults with developmental disabilities the chance to nurture plants and vegetables from planting through harvest. The goal of the project is to provide agriculture and employment training for adults by developing 10 sustainable farms that will employ 100 adults from the Board of DD and establishing an Agriculture Education Center at the Stanard Farm to serve as a farming site for CleveLand Crops. Cleveland Crops intends to operate year-round using various facilities in the area.
All of this leads to another goal: repurposing neglected land using sustainable farming practices. Stanard Farm launched in 2010, and this year the Board of DD will open three new farm sites in Cleveland.
SOURCE: Cuyahoga County Board of DD
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The organization's CleveLand Crops program, in partnership with Stanard Farms and the Ohio State University Extension, is part of the Board of DD's Solutions at Work (S.A.W.) program, which is the state's largest employer of people with disabilities. S.A.W. also operates a discount store in Parma called Just-a-Buck, employing 15 developmentally disabled residents of Cuyahoga County, and Pulley's, a wi-fi coffeehouse in Cleveland's Tyler Village, which employs three adults in the Board of DD program.
CleveLand Crops gives adults with developmental disabilities the chance to nurture plants and vegetables from planting through harvest. The goal of the project is to provide agriculture and employment training for adults by developing 10 sustainable farms that will employ 100 adults from the Board of DD and establishing an Agriculture Education Center at the Stanard Farm to serve as a farming site for CleveLand Crops. Cleveland Crops intends to operate year-round using various facilities in the area.
All of this leads to another goal: repurposing neglected land using sustainable farming practices. Stanard Farm launched in 2010, and this year the Board of DD will open three new farm sites in Cleveland.
SOURCE: Cuyahoga County Board of DD
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Friday at 9:25 a.m., the screens at Tower City Cinemas will begin flickering with some 150 feature-length films and 130 shorts. So begins the 10-day movie marathon known as the Cleveland International Film Festival, which returns for its 35th year. Tasked with picking the flicks is Artistic Director Bill Guentzler, who views over 600 films per year in his quest to select the best.
Unseasonably warm weather brought out St. Patrick's Day revelers in record numbers, with estimates topping 300,000. For one glorious day, Clevelanders joined together to play hooky from work, watch the parade, gobble down corned beef, and maybe a beer or three. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski captured the spirit of the day in this photographic feature.
As founder, president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics (QED) and founder of solar energy company eQED, Hiroyuki Fujita seems to have his finger on the pulse of emerging innovations. He believes in Cleveland's ability to be a major player, especially in bioscience.
At the recent Summit on Leadership at the Union Club, which this reporter attended, Fujita talked about what's still needed to make Cleveland the undisputed leader in healthcare-related industries.
"Cleveland is very strong in biomedicine," said Fujito, who came here from Japan in 1992 to attend Case Western Reserve University. Where Cleveland needs to develop is in the technical areas that support production. "There should be an education program like medical device assembly to train people so they're ready to go," he said.
"The technology is here -- it goes back to the steel industry in Cleveland," Fujita continued. "It's a matter of transforming that talent to help the biotechnology industry."
Fujita also noted that communication between biotech companies and local suppliers would help form important connections. "Local suppliers may not realize that they can help us," he said.
Fujita started QED five years ago. The company, which manufactures MRI coils, has 75 employees and has partnerships with Toshiba and Siemens. QED has been recognized by Forbes and Inc. magazines as one of the country's fastest growing companies.
SOURCE: Hiroyuki Fujita
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
At the recent Summit on Leadership at the Union Club, which this reporter attended, Fujita talked about what's still needed to make Cleveland the undisputed leader in healthcare-related industries.
"Cleveland is very strong in biomedicine," said Fujito, who came here from Japan in 1992 to attend Case Western Reserve University. Where Cleveland needs to develop is in the technical areas that support production. "There should be an education program like medical device assembly to train people so they're ready to go," he said.
"The technology is here -- it goes back to the steel industry in Cleveland," Fujita continued. "It's a matter of transforming that talent to help the biotechnology industry."
Fujita also noted that communication between biotech companies and local suppliers would help form important connections. "Local suppliers may not realize that they can help us," he said.
Fujita started QED five years ago. The company, which manufactures MRI coils, has 75 employees and has partnerships with Toshiba and Siemens. QED has been recognized by Forbes and Inc. magazines as one of the country's fastest growing companies.
SOURCE: Hiroyuki Fujita
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
keybank goes green, earns leed gold status
KeyCorp has announced that KeyBank's renovated office space in the historic Higbee Building on Public Square has earned LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
"The Green Building Council's LEED certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment."
The new KeyBank workspace utilizes sustainable technologies and construction practices such as recycled building materials, enhanced natural lighting, personal lighting control systems, CO2 sensors, and outdoor air monitoring systems.
KeyCorp CEO Henry Meyer said, "This renovation represents KeyBank's commitment to strengthen our community's core in the most environmentally responsible ways possible. It enhances one of the most historic buildings in the heart of downtown, it leverages Tower City Center's existing transportation hub and it allows hundreds of our employees to enjoy the growing sense of excitement connected to the area's ongoing economic development."
The KeyBank renovation is one of 62 LEED certified projects in Northeast Ohio. KeyCorp has already received LEED certification for its technology and operations center on Tiedeman Road.
Read the rest of the green news here.
"The Green Building Council's LEED certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment."
The new KeyBank workspace utilizes sustainable technologies and construction practices such as recycled building materials, enhanced natural lighting, personal lighting control systems, CO2 sensors, and outdoor air monitoring systems.
KeyCorp CEO Henry Meyer said, "This renovation represents KeyBank's commitment to strengthen our community's core in the most environmentally responsible ways possible. It enhances one of the most historic buildings in the heart of downtown, it leverages Tower City Center's existing transportation hub and it allows hundreds of our employees to enjoy the growing sense of excitement connected to the area's ongoing economic development."
The KeyBank renovation is one of 62 LEED certified projects in Northeast Ohio. KeyCorp has already received LEED certification for its technology and operations center on Tiedeman Road.
Read the rest of the green news here.
cleveland tops for low-stress commutes
A new study by Kiplinger, an internationally recognized publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, names Cleveland as one of the top 10 cities for commuters. The Ohio Business Development Coalition issued a press release on the study.
"According to Kiplinger.com, cities must have a metro population of at least one million and a low congestion cost (a measurement of wasted time and fuel as calculated by the Texas Transportation Institute). Kiplinger also factored in the average length of commute, local gas prices, yearly delays per commuter and public transit use."
Ohio is the only state with multiple cities in the top 10. Cleveland is number six on the list, while Columbus is second and Cincinnati is seventh.
Ohio's low-stress, low-cost commutes make it a great choice for executives looking to achieve the best balance between work and life.
"Ohio promises a perfect balance that allows business owners, their employees and their families the opportunity to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other. Ohio offers businesses an environment that makes it easy to foster work-life balance. The convenience of travel, with short commutes from work to home, lower stress and give more time to priority family activities."
Digest the rest here.
"According to Kiplinger.com, cities must have a metro population of at least one million and a low congestion cost (a measurement of wasted time and fuel as calculated by the Texas Transportation Institute). Kiplinger also factored in the average length of commute, local gas prices, yearly delays per commuter and public transit use."
Ohio is the only state with multiple cities in the top 10. Cleveland is number six on the list, while Columbus is second and Cincinnati is seventh.
Ohio's low-stress, low-cost commutes make it a great choice for executives looking to achieve the best balance between work and life.
"Ohio promises a perfect balance that allows business owners, their employees and their families the opportunity to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other. Ohio offers businesses an environment that makes it easy to foster work-life balance. The convenience of travel, with short commutes from work to home, lower stress and give more time to priority family activities."
Digest the rest here.
While the verdict is still out on how powerful the Medical Mart and Convention Center will be to Cleveland's economic growth, the construction that's currently going on is definitely bringing jobs to the area. The Medical Mart reports that more than 200 construction workers are currently on site.
The numbers are impressive for small business enterprise (SBE) companies, with more than 25 SBE subcontractors hired for specific jobs thus far.
Job creation for the construction project is being coordinated by MMPI, the Medical Mart management company; Cuyahoga County; Minority Business Solutions; and Turner Construction Company. Together, these entities have hosted five SBE certification and outreach events, the last of which resulted in 175 interview opportunities for SBE contractors.
There is much work to be done for these employees. Demolition of various buildings is ongoing, with more than 100 trucks hauling away concrete to be recycled each day.
SOURCE: Medical Mart and Convention Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The numbers are impressive for small business enterprise (SBE) companies, with more than 25 SBE subcontractors hired for specific jobs thus far.
Job creation for the construction project is being coordinated by MMPI, the Medical Mart management company; Cuyahoga County; Minority Business Solutions; and Turner Construction Company. Together, these entities have hosted five SBE certification and outreach events, the last of which resulted in 175 interview opportunities for SBE contractors.
There is much work to be done for these employees. Demolition of various buildings is ongoing, with more than 100 trucks hauling away concrete to be recycled each day.
SOURCE: Medical Mart and Convention Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
These days, it seems that everyone is singing Pittsburgh's praises. Our Rust Belt neighbor to the east recently scored a Google corporate office. And last year, perennial Cleveland-basher Forbes Magazine named Pittsburgh the country's most livable city. Ouch. Clearly Pittsburgh is doing something right. Simply put: That city is light years ahead of Cleveland when it comes to bike-friendliness -- and bike-friendly cities are more attractive to young professionals, the creative-class folks who hold the keys to economic prosperity.
"Bioscience is one of the driving forces in Cleveland," said Baiju Shah, president and CEO of BioEnterprise. In case you need hard numbers to back up that claim, Shah noted that more than 600 healthcare related companies exist in the region.
Shah served as moderator for the 4th Annual Summit on Leadership, which was presented on March 10 by the Cleveland Business Leaders Committee of the Union Club.
What does Cleveland have that innovators in biomedicine and healthcare seek? According to Hiroyuki Fujita, founder, president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), it's the established presence of top-notch healthcare, research and educational institutions. "Cleveland is known throughout the world in the healthcare industry," he said. "With major players like Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, it's a one-stop shop."
Backed by this level of support, entrepreneurs, inventors and researchers feel confident developing technologies and creating start-ups in Cleveland. "The surgeons at the Clinic take time to work with medical companies," said Patrick McBrayer, president and CEO of AxioMed Spine Corporation. "I have never seen a more nurturing group."
Gil Van Bokkelen, chairman and CEO of Athersys, Inc., agreed. "Cleveland is a good place to establish a company and get things started. There's a lot more energy here than I anticipated."
And there's potential for much greater growth in the next 10 to 15 years, according to Geoffrey Thorpe, founder of NDI Medical. "People are leaving California for the first time, which means there's an opportunity for the Midwest to be competitive."
Sources: Baiju Shah, Hiroyuki Fujita, Patrick McBrayer, Gil Van Bokkelen
Writer: Diane DiPiero
Shah served as moderator for the 4th Annual Summit on Leadership, which was presented on March 10 by the Cleveland Business Leaders Committee of the Union Club.
What does Cleveland have that innovators in biomedicine and healthcare seek? According to Hiroyuki Fujita, founder, president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), it's the established presence of top-notch healthcare, research and educational institutions. "Cleveland is known throughout the world in the healthcare industry," he said. "With major players like Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, it's a one-stop shop."
Backed by this level of support, entrepreneurs, inventors and researchers feel confident developing technologies and creating start-ups in Cleveland. "The surgeons at the Clinic take time to work with medical companies," said Patrick McBrayer, president and CEO of AxioMed Spine Corporation. "I have never seen a more nurturing group."
Gil Van Bokkelen, chairman and CEO of Athersys, Inc., agreed. "Cleveland is a good place to establish a company and get things started. There's a lot more energy here than I anticipated."
And there's potential for much greater growth in the next 10 to 15 years, according to Geoffrey Thorpe, founder of NDI Medical. "People are leaving California for the first time, which means there's an opportunity for the Midwest to be competitive."
Sources: Baiju Shah, Hiroyuki Fujita, Patrick McBrayer, Gil Van Bokkelen
Writer: Diane DiPiero
Two Cleveland organizations aimed at drawing area teens toward an interest in employment and business have joined forces. E CITY Cleveland (which stands for Entrepreneurship: Connecting, Inspiring and Teaching Youth) and Y.O.U. (Youth Opportunities Unlimited) united earlier this year to pool their resources and heighten their outreach.
E CITY's entrepreneurial programs were completed by more than 300 teens last year. Y.O.U.'s offerings, which include mentoring and job placement, made a difference for more than 4,600 teens in Cuyahoga County, many of whom were considered at-risk or in danger of not completing their high school studies.
The offerings of each organization are unique so that, when combined, they provide a full package of opportunities for young adults ages 14 to 19 to pursue their interests and develop life skills.
Y.O.U. and E CITY will focus on integrating volunteers and sharpening their combined offerings. Another goal of the merger is to develop additional programs for children in the City of Cleveland and elsewhere in the region.
SOURCE: Y.O.U.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
E CITY's entrepreneurial programs were completed by more than 300 teens last year. Y.O.U.'s offerings, which include mentoring and job placement, made a difference for more than 4,600 teens in Cuyahoga County, many of whom were considered at-risk or in danger of not completing their high school studies.
The offerings of each organization are unique so that, when combined, they provide a full package of opportunities for young adults ages 14 to 19 to pursue their interests and develop life skills.
Y.O.U. and E CITY will focus on integrating volunteers and sharpening their combined offerings. Another goal of the merger is to develop additional programs for children in the City of Cleveland and elsewhere in the region.
SOURCE: Y.O.U.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Greater Clevelanders are fortunate to live near an abundant source of fresh water. Lake Erie and the Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply. Many places in the world are not so lucky -- in fact, more people die each year from contaminated water than from all forms of violence and war combined.
This month, a group of environmental artists are taking over a vacant space at Tower City Center to create an art display on the importance of water. The exhibit, which will be displayed during the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), from March 24 to April 3, is being organized as part of World Water Day events for Sustainable Cleveland 2019, an effort to create a green economy in Cleveland by 2019.
The sculpture, which will be crafted from decorated two-liter bottles, will educate Clevelanders about the importance of water conservation, and will also raise funds for a water well that will serve an elementary school in rural Uganda. The school, St. Charles Elementary School, is a sister school to Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy, a K-8 public school in Cleveland.
For the project, 150 students at Stokes Academy will carry their own two-liter bottle of water with them on a bus from their school to Tower City on World Water Day, which takes place Tuesday, March 22nd. It's a gesture of solidarity with their pen pals in Uganda, who each fill their own bottles and carry them to school on a daily basis. The artists will also travel to the school to educate students on the importance of water.
Lead artist Nicole McGee and other project leaders will also work with Stokes students to help them decorate the two-liter bottles to represent the meaning of water in their lives.
Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This month, a group of environmental artists are taking over a vacant space at Tower City Center to create an art display on the importance of water. The exhibit, which will be displayed during the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), from March 24 to April 3, is being organized as part of World Water Day events for Sustainable Cleveland 2019, an effort to create a green economy in Cleveland by 2019.
The sculpture, which will be crafted from decorated two-liter bottles, will educate Clevelanders about the importance of water conservation, and will also raise funds for a water well that will serve an elementary school in rural Uganda. The school, St. Charles Elementary School, is a sister school to Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy, a K-8 public school in Cleveland.
For the project, 150 students at Stokes Academy will carry their own two-liter bottle of water with them on a bus from their school to Tower City on World Water Day, which takes place Tuesday, March 22nd. It's a gesture of solidarity with their pen pals in Uganda, who each fill their own bottles and carry them to school on a daily basis. The artists will also travel to the school to educate students on the importance of water.
Lead artist Nicole McGee and other project leaders will also work with Stokes students to help them decorate the two-liter bottles to represent the meaning of water in their lives.
Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote