The JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network has added a new funding resource as part of its group of entrepreneurial support organizations. The Wooster Opportunities Fund, developed by the City of Wooster and Wooster Growth Corporation, in collaboration with the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network, will offer loans up to $35,000 for early-stage, high-growth technology companies.

The new loan source is part of an ongoing effort to expand the entrepreneurial community in Wooster, a... Read more >

It's possible that the success of a company can be measured by the amount of work it actually has to put on hold in order to make room for more pressing client projects. Such is the case with Sideways, a Cleveland-based producer of multimedia, multi-touch digital productions for the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices.

Sideways had recently launched an experimental magazine, called Sideways, which is authored specifically for the iPad. The idea was to create a monthly m... Read more >

A refocused business strategy seems to have helped Datatrak International get back on track. The technology and services company, which helps clients streamline the clinical trials process, enjoyed a cash increase in third quarter 2010 over the previous quarter. Laurence Birch, chairman and CEO of the company, says that the $1.8 million in revenue and $11.4 million backlog are due in part to Datatrak's recent investment in additional resources. These included hiring a vice preside... Read more >

MDG Medical has been a two-country company for the last nine years. But by March 31, 2011, the developer of automated pharmacy technology equipment and software will have completely moved its R&D group from Lod, Israel, to its Aurora location. The company will begin electromechanical assembly at the Aurora facility in 2011 or 2012.

Mark Saffran, president and CEO of MDG, says consolidating the company operations into one facility in Northeast Ohio is in direct respons... Read more >

Laurence Gartel, considered a pioneer in digital media, lectured a fall semester VMCAD class via "telepresence," working with students remotely to create and design 3D models of high-end automobiles. Gartel makes use of modern technology to provide instant instruction and instant feedback to students, even though he is hundreds of miles away.

"The interaction between students and artist in real time is the wave of the future," says Gartel. "Students can send files and get... Read more >

Hundreds of Northeast Ohioans bike to work downtown. Many more surelywould, but for the challenges that present themselves upon arrival --like parking and, well, sweating. But next year the city will have ananswer to those deterrents: The Bike Rack, set to open next spring inthe ground level of the parking garage at East 4th and High streets,between Harry Buffalo restaurant and Quicken Loans Arena. Ground wasbroken there in late October.

Modeled on bike stations in Europe... Read more >

What can we do with what we already have? That simple question drives two movements that are rapidly gaining momentum and reshaping Cleveland: urban farming and deconstruction -- because, for better or worse, land and condemned buildings are plentiful. In the same glass-half-full spirit, some local artists are turning to items that would otherwise have ended up in landfills to change perceptions about "trash," and perhaps spawn a new industry.

As the playful name hints, P... Read more >

It's taken several months, but Vicky Poole says she's finally getting ahandle on what will grow well in a mall. Herbs, for one thing.

Poole is co-owner of Gardens Under Glass, the innovative urban hydroponic farm, market and experiment under the magnificent glass ceilings of Galleria at Erieviewon East 9th Street. The growing began last winter. Poole recently addedthe Re-Source Center, selling related products from local vendors, someof whom, like A Piece of Cleveland,spe... Read more >

Want a crash course on recent and future Downtown development? Check out this brilliant and compelling video commissioned by Downtown Cleveland Alliance that highlights the hundreds of millions of dollars in recent development, including higher education, performing arts, residential and commercial.

Credit goes to Fusion Filmworks, TWIST Creative and Ante Up, which composed the gripping score.

It's not a sports championship, but in some ways it's just as big. Lastweek a consortium of some of the wealthiest banks and foundations inthe world announced that Cleveland would receive major support forinnovative developments that will create hundreds of new jobs wherethey're needed most.

The Integration Initiative, by the New York-based Living Citiesphilanthropic collaborative, will pump almost $15 million in grants,loans and targeted investments into Cleveland. One o... Read more >

The marriage of high-tech design and high-end dining is proving a win-win for diners, local restaurateurs and Epstein Design Partners, a Shaker Square-based design firm.

The next time you go shopping at the Galleria at Erieview, you may find an innovative product instead of a new sweater. The Manufacturing Mart at the Galleria has been established as a permanent showcase for marketing industrial companies and products and as an accessible venue for buying, selling and networking.

Created by Capital of Know-How, a recently launched, Cleveland-based industrial marketing services company, the Manufacturing Mart at the Galleria will offer per... Read more >

There seems to be no stopping Aclara RF Systems from growing and adding jobs in Northeast Ohio. Last year, the Beachwood-based company moved to a larger facility in Solon. So far in 2010, Aclara RF Systems has hired 25 new people to prepare for the release of its Acendant Network, a multipurpose wide-area network (WAN) that manages data between utilities, diverse networks and devices. Aclara's 2011 budget allows for even more hirings next year.

Aclara RF Systems is an arm... Read more >

The day after the Cavaliers' exciting upset of the reigning championBoston Celtics, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert celebrated by announcing a newcommitment to his adopted city: He's bringing his Detroit-based Bizdom U program to Cleveland.

Bizdom U is a non-profit "boot camp" for entrepreneurs established byGilbert in his native Detroit in 2007. Participants receive four to sixmonths of intensive training in marketing, sales, finance and otherfundamentals, all at no charge. Durin... Read more >

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority officials recently revealed that they are reconsidering long-stalled plans for a ferry between Ohio and Ontario. Last week, they announced another international transit plan, this time for container service.

The Port and Great Lakes Feeder Lines of Burlington, Ontario arediscussing a deal that would make Cleveland the first city on the lakeswith regular container service to and from Canada. TheCleveland-Montreal connection could be... Read more >

Since being founded in 2001, EverStaff has developed a national presence that touches 22 states. Still, the Cleveland-based firm has not forgotten its roots, as it continues to expand operations in Northeast Ohio. Within the past three months, the staffing and recruiting firm has added offices in Ashtabula and Cuyahoga Falls.

In addition to its Independence headquarters and the two new facilities, EverStaff has local offices in Brooklyn, Mentor and Solon. The goal is to c... Read more >