Bialosky and Partners Architects, a design firm in Shaker Square known for its design, historic rehab and new construction projects, recently promoted five of its younger employees to senior level positions.

“This particularly young set, all under 40, join the senior leadership at Bialosky and Partners with a high energy, high motivation approach to how we design and how we do business,” says Jack Bialosky, Jr. “We take pride in growing our own. By empow... Read more >

The 2014 Gay Games kick off August 9th with an expected 8,000 to 10,000 participants competing in some 40 sports. The comprehensive event will serve as the latest memo to the world that Cleveland is a sought-after host for large-scale events that add millions to the local economy.

Shaker Heights is seeking to become the next city in Northeast Ohio to earn a bicycle-friendly community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. A crowdfunding campaign launched this month to raise funds for 25 additional bike racks for the city illustrates one way the leafy east-side community has redoubled its efforts to develop cycling amenities.

"The city just finished its second application," explains Rick Smith of the advocacy group Bike Shaker... Read more >

Thanks to a bevy of new accelerators and incubators -- all grooming startups to be the Next Big Thing -- the art of the pitch is more important now than ever. Whether it’s a casual elevator pitch or an intense 20-minute address to potential investors, there are some definite dos and don’ts to giving an effective pitch.

Matt Strayer and his business partner, Aj Mihalic, had a vision: To be able to streamline all of their social network accounts into one place. The two were running a website and graphic design firm while in college, but they were burnt out and looking for something different.

During a bike ride through the Metroparks in 2012, that vision started to come into focus. “I said, ‘Why do I have to have to go to all these different sites to see my posts,’&rdquo... Read more >

We often don't give our old neighborhood restaurants a second thought, but they stand both as witnesses of and agents to change. As the world evolves all around them, they stand firm but flexible, preserving a delicious taste of the past while serving the ever-shifting needs of today's clientele.

When they’re not working their day jobs, Josh Womack and Cameron Amigo are stand-up comedians. While his talents can leave them rolling in the aisles during an open mic night, Amigo was finding that friends were coming to him for help writing those dreaded best man speeches. In demand was advice on how to give that perfect wedding speech that is at once humorous and light, but sentimental and genuine.

After attending eight weddings in three months in spring of 2012,... Read more >

Even as the economy recovers, Americans are driving less and taking public transit more. With all that demand comes congestion and backups at major rail hubs. But smart cities are anticipating and adapting so that the transit station of tomorrow is a true neighborhood amenity.

Running late for a business meeting at the local coffee shop? Not going to make it to happy hour with your friends? Prezto eases the guilt by allowing the user to instantly send a cup of coffee, cocktail or even a cupcake to the person on the other end awaiting your arrival.
 
“The app allows you to give a gift to a friend remotely and immediately,” explains Anne Jiao, founder of Prezto. “It’s a way to share spontaneous moments on a daily basis... Read more >

When Addisah Sherwood-Ajiboye and her husband, A. Bolu Ajiboye, wanted to introduce their three-year-old to science and math, they were surprised by the lack of age-appropriate activities.

While parents often concentrate on early reading skills, they often don’t focus on science, technology, engineering and math – or STEM -- skills, Sherwood-Ajiboye says. “Eighty-five percent of brain development happens before the age of five,” she explains. &ldqu... Read more >

Great neighborhoods require great cafes. These so-called "third places" provide residents with a neutral place to meet, talk and take part in the daily discourse of life. Thanks to a maturing coffee movement, most of Cleveland's neighborhoods are now blessed with just such a place. Here are some of our favorites.

An east-side developer has purchased the historic streetcar power station on Larchmere Boulevard. Once home to the American Crafts Gallery, which is thought to be the oldest gallery of its kind in Cleveland and is now housed within the Dancing Sheep boutique down the road, the property has been vacant for years. Ilene Greenblatt, who has developed properties in Chicago before moving back to Cleveland to be near family, bought the building and expects to wrap up renovations by Marc... Read more >

Dan Mansoor’s 30 years in nonprofit fundraising has taught him one thing. Well, it’s taught him a few things, actually. One is that people think they give to their favorite charities much more often than they actually do. Two: donor retention rates hover around only 40 percent. And three: 80 percent of charitable giving is still motivated by direct mail.
 
Mansoor thought there had to be a better way, one that makes it just as easy to make and track donati... Read more >

It's a fact that $68 of every $100 spent locally returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. We all know that shopping small is good for the local community, but what are the real and tangible benefits behind the movement? A closer look reveals how buying local feeds our region in ways both obvious and subtle.

Since the Great Recession, more and more folks have been living the "gigging life," working multiple jobs or hopping from one project to the next in hopes of cobbling together a living budget. While that might seem arduous, it also allows those living the lifestyle to follow their true passion.

More than 1,300 people attended the first annual Cleveland Entrepreneurship Week last week, participating in everything from pitch sessions to speaker sessions and after-hours networking events.

Big names in the entrepreneurial community from outside the region, such as MapQuest founder Chris Heivly and managing director of The Startup Factory, were among those in attendance who helped make the event a success.
 
“Overall, ClevelandEW was successfully a... Read more >