University Circle
![The Epilog laser cutter at Think[box]](/galleries/Features/2013/April_2013/Issue_117/makers/thinkbox_022.jpg?s=lf)
With fireworks and smoke machines, and science experiments galore, CWRU officials on Thursday officially broke ground on the new home to thinkbox, a collaboration and innovation center housed in the former Lincoln Storage Building, now known as the Richey-Mixon Building.
The CWRU board of trustees voted unanimously last Sunday, October 12 to approve the renovations with the $25 million out of a $30 million goal. Phase I is due to be completed in August 2015.
Phase I includes renovations to the first four floors. A glass skyway will connect the athletic center to the thinkbox entrance. The first floor will be a community floor with a bike station. “It will be a younger-feeling creative space that suits our students’ lifestyle,” explains thinkbox manager Ian Charnas. “The second floor will be the ideation floor with amenities such as whiteboards and meeting rooms modeled after Stanford d. School in California.”
Floors three and four are dedicated to some real hands-on innovation. Three will house a prototyping floor and a small metal shop, will offer tools for nearly every metal project conceivable. “We’re sending an email out, saying 'come enjoy several thousand square feel to do your projects and get messy.'”
Charnas expects thinkbox to both attract and retain innovative thinkers to Cleveland. “This is helping to build industry in the region,” he says. “Most of our students are recruited from outside of Cleveland, and even Ohio. This is a big golden carrot to keep these folks in the area.”
The announcement was made during Case’s homecoming celebration. Case president Barbara Snyder was accompanied by the major donors to make the announcement amid smoke machines and fireworks displays on monitors. Instead of a ribbon-cutting, the group flipped a giant old-fashioned power switch.
Students dressed in white lab coats embroidered with thinkbox and blue hard hats made commemorative chocolate coins using liquid nitrogen, with the help of Sweet Designs Chocolatier and Piccadilly Creamery. A laminar flow fountain – the kind where the liquid leaps about – dispensed punch that shot from a white display case into guests’ glasses.
Charnas says they hope to raise the remaining funds in the next year and shoot straight into phase II renovations, which will include the remaining top three floors.
The CWRU board of trustees voted unanimously last Sunday, October 12 to approve the renovations with the $25 million out of a $30 million goal. Phase I is due to be completed in August 2015.
Phase I includes renovations to the first four floors. A glass skyway will connect the athletic center to the thinkbox entrance. The first floor will be a community floor with a bike station. “It will be a younger-feeling creative space that suits our students’ lifestyle,” explains thinkbox manager Ian Charnas. “The second floor will be the ideation floor with amenities such as whiteboards and meeting rooms modeled after Stanford d. School in California.”
Floors three and four are dedicated to some real hands-on innovation. Three will house a prototyping floor and a small metal shop, will offer tools for nearly every metal project conceivable. “We’re sending an email out, saying 'come enjoy several thousand square feel to do your projects and get messy.'”
Charnas expects thinkbox to both attract and retain innovative thinkers to Cleveland. “This is helping to build industry in the region,” he says. “Most of our students are recruited from outside of Cleveland, and even Ohio. This is a big golden carrot to keep these folks in the area.”
The announcement was made during Case’s homecoming celebration. Case president Barbara Snyder was accompanied by the major donors to make the announcement amid smoke machines and fireworks displays on monitors. Instead of a ribbon-cutting, the group flipped a giant old-fashioned power switch.
Students dressed in white lab coats embroidered with thinkbox and blue hard hats made commemorative chocolate coins using liquid nitrogen, with the help of Sweet Designs Chocolatier and Piccadilly Creamery. A laminar flow fountain – the kind where the liquid leaps about – dispensed punch that shot from a white display case into guests’ glasses.
Charnas says they hope to raise the remaining funds in the next year and shoot straight into phase II renovations, which will include the remaining top three floors.
When it comes to the new Zagster bike share system, the excitement is only just beginning. Three more stations are being rolled out before the end of October, a crowdfunding campaign is underway, and organizers say the system could expand further in the spring.
In this candid, wide-ranging interview, the leader of the Cleveland Foundation discusses its centennial gifts, the Greater University Circle Initiative, the Transformation Plan and more.
Zev Siegl came to Cleveland last week to speak to early-stage and student entrepreneurs at Bizdom and Blackstone Launchpad. Fresh Water gave him a tour and asked him about a lifetime of working with startups.
UH forms partnership with foundation fighting blindness to speed treatments to market
The Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals announced today that it has joined with the Foundation Fighting Blindness in Columbia, MD, which was co-founded by former Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund in 1971, to form a new initiative for fighting blindness.
The Gund-Harrington National Initiative for Fighting Blindness will focus on finding treatments and cures for the millions of people affected by inherited retinal diseases that lead to blindness. The two organizations will provide up to $50 million in new funding and resources to support up to 30 physician-scientists in their research and quests for cures.
“We are hopeful to make progress together toward ending blindness,” says Jonathan Stamler, director of the Harrington Discovery Institute. “The Gund-Harrington Initiative will combine the focused philanthropic initiatives of two families to create a new model to fight eye diseases. Gund-Harrington support will provide the nation’s cadre of top physician-scientists unique opportunities to create new medicines that will improve sight.”
The partnership will also create the National Center of Excellence in Fighting Blindness, which will seek drug development projects based on scientific and creativity criteria and the potential to rapidly advance to commercialization. Gund-Harrington Scholars will carry out their research at their respective institutions and will receive direct oversight from the Innovation Support Center of the Harrington Discovery Institute, which houses a pharmaceutical team of experts who are charged with overseeing drug development.
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Stamler cites the partnership as a perfect pairing of non-profit and for-profit models that will speed treatments to market. “These foundations have access to the top minds and cutting edge work for mission-critical non-profit pharma work coupled with the for-profit business model to put in place the infrastructure to promote causes for blindness,” he says. “We are combining these family resources and insights to be on the cutting edge and speed pharmaceuticals to market.”
The Gund-Harrington National Initiative for Fighting Blindness will focus on finding treatments and cures for the millions of people affected by inherited retinal diseases that lead to blindness. The two organizations will provide up to $50 million in new funding and resources to support up to 30 physician-scientists in their research and quests for cures.
“We are hopeful to make progress together toward ending blindness,” says Jonathan Stamler, director of the Harrington Discovery Institute. “The Gund-Harrington Initiative will combine the focused philanthropic initiatives of two families to create a new model to fight eye diseases. Gund-Harrington support will provide the nation’s cadre of top physician-scientists unique opportunities to create new medicines that will improve sight.”
The partnership will also create the National Center of Excellence in Fighting Blindness, which will seek drug development projects based on scientific and creativity criteria and the potential to rapidly advance to commercialization. Gund-Harrington Scholars will carry out their research at their respective institutions and will receive direct oversight from the Innovation Support Center of the Harrington Discovery Institute, which houses a pharmaceutical team of experts who are charged with overseeing drug development.
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Stamler cites the partnership as a perfect pairing of non-profit and for-profit models that will speed treatments to market. “These foundations have access to the top minds and cutting edge work for mission-critical non-profit pharma work coupled with the for-profit business model to put in place the infrastructure to promote causes for blindness,” he says. “We are combining these family resources and insights to be on the cutting edge and speed pharmaceuticals to market.”
Talent attraction/retention nonprofit Engage! Cleveland has officially kicked off a series of Cleveland-friendly social activities and professional development opportunities through its first annual Cleveland Young Professionals Week.
The weeklong succession of cost-free events aimed at the youthful and talented began Monday and will continue through Oct. 11, says Engage! Cleveland executive director Ashley Basile Oeken. Each day will feature a variety of around-the-clock happenings on both the East and West Side, including fitness classes at local studios, speaker-centric "lunch-and-learn" programs, and nightly networking get-togethers. That's 25 events over six days, if you're counting.
"You hear about other cities and how they've engaged young professionals," says Basile Oeken. "We wanted a signature event to put our name on."
Programming is generally aimed at people age 21 to 40, although the nonprofit is inclusive of anyone who considers themselves a YP. Events are filling up, notes Basile Oeken, so if you're interested in a spinning class at Harness Cycle or listening to a talk by PlayhouseSquare president Art Falco, it's best to act fast.
Basile Oeken views Engage! Cleveland's first-ever CLE YP Week as a chance to show off everything the city has to offer, whether to a lifelong resident or someone who moved here a month ago. Attracting and retaining young talent means linking it to influential leaders and local organizations, she believes.
"It's acclimating people to how much is going on in Cleveland," says Basile Oeken. "There's an opportunity to get everyone living in this community to support it collectively."
While programming will end with a closing party at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the nonprofit director expects the energy generated by a week's worth of events to resonate throughout the year.
"If you're involved, Cleveland can sell itself," Basile Oeken says. "People are more likely to stay when they're engaged."
The weeklong succession of cost-free events aimed at the youthful and talented began Monday and will continue through Oct. 11, says Engage! Cleveland executive director Ashley Basile Oeken. Each day will feature a variety of around-the-clock happenings on both the East and West Side, including fitness classes at local studios, speaker-centric "lunch-and-learn" programs, and nightly networking get-togethers. That's 25 events over six days, if you're counting.
"You hear about other cities and how they've engaged young professionals," says Basile Oeken. "We wanted a signature event to put our name on."
Programming is generally aimed at people age 21 to 40, although the nonprofit is inclusive of anyone who considers themselves a YP. Events are filling up, notes Basile Oeken, so if you're interested in a spinning class at Harness Cycle or listening to a talk by PlayhouseSquare president Art Falco, it's best to act fast.
Basile Oeken views Engage! Cleveland's first-ever CLE YP Week as a chance to show off everything the city has to offer, whether to a lifelong resident or someone who moved here a month ago. Attracting and retaining young talent means linking it to influential leaders and local organizations, she believes.
"It's acclimating people to how much is going on in Cleveland," says Basile Oeken. "There's an opportunity to get everyone living in this community to support it collectively."
While programming will end with a closing party at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the nonprofit director expects the energy generated by a week's worth of events to resonate throughout the year.
"If you're involved, Cleveland can sell itself," Basile Oeken says. "People are more likely to stay when they're engaged."
The Make Them Pay/Old Angle Boxing Gym in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood offers young people and adults a sense of community and a place to blow off steam. Across the city, other boxing gyms serve a similar purpose.
The Incubator at MAGNET has announced six finalists for its first product-focused pitch contest.
The ProtoTech competition, co-sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center, concentrates on technology-driven wares and the companies aiming to bring those products to market. A MAGNET press release listed the finalists:
* Advanced BioSensors-Ohio, creator of a "Continuous Glucose Monitor" for diabetic patients.
* Axenic, maker of non-toxic liquid-based solutions that clean organic waste.
* EveryKey, a Case Western Reserve University-based company that makes a high-tech wristband that syncs with keys and passwords.
* FGC Plasma Solutions, creator of a fuel nozzle designed to save money and reduce emissions.
* Real Time Imaging Technologies, designer of a low-dose dental x-ray imaging system.
* RoboNail, maker of robotic tools that enable contractors to install roofing with more efficiency.
The final pitch teams will present their work before a panel of judges at an Oct. 21 event at the Ariel International Center in Cleveland. Would-be inventors are encouraged to create fundraising sites highlighting their efforts, with the money they raise going back into product creation.
The pitch contest was introduced in July with the intention of highlighting physical technology rather than IT or service-based ventures. Incubator executive director Dave Crain believes the competition did well to represent the diversity of product-centric innovation in Northeast Ohio.
?
“Interest from the community and event partners has been very strong," Crain says. "Everyone is excited for the event and the opportunity to support a showcase of our rich product startup landscape."
The ProtoTech competition, co-sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center, concentrates on technology-driven wares and the companies aiming to bring those products to market. A MAGNET press release listed the finalists:
* Advanced BioSensors-Ohio, creator of a "Continuous Glucose Monitor" for diabetic patients.
* Axenic, maker of non-toxic liquid-based solutions that clean organic waste.
* EveryKey, a Case Western Reserve University-based company that makes a high-tech wristband that syncs with keys and passwords.
* FGC Plasma Solutions, creator of a fuel nozzle designed to save money and reduce emissions.
* Real Time Imaging Technologies, designer of a low-dose dental x-ray imaging system.
* RoboNail, maker of robotic tools that enable contractors to install roofing with more efficiency.
The final pitch teams will present their work before a panel of judges at an Oct. 21 event at the Ariel International Center in Cleveland. Would-be inventors are encouraged to create fundraising sites highlighting their efforts, with the money they raise going back into product creation.
The pitch contest was introduced in July with the intention of highlighting physical technology rather than IT or service-based ventures. Incubator executive director Dave Crain believes the competition did well to represent the diversity of product-centric innovation in Northeast Ohio.
?
“Interest from the community and event partners has been very strong," Crain says. "Everyone is excited for the event and the opportunity to support a showcase of our rich product startup landscape."
"Think big" was the theme of an Amplify Speaker Series luncheon on making the most of Northeast Ohio's steadily developing information technology presence.
The region must continue to expand its fiber optic infrastructure alongside ongoing efforts to transform Cleveland into a bustling tech hub with worldwide reach, said a foursome of panelists during the October 1 event sponsored by Contempo Communications.
The physical network itself is burgeoning, notes Lev Gonnick of OneCommunity, a nonprofit foundation helping to grow high-speed internet in Northeast Ohio. Since its founding in 2003, the organization has laid 111 miles of fiber in Cuyahoga County alone.
An advanced fiber optic/digital base transporting data at high speeds can be a boon for the area's already robust healthcare sector, says Kevin Goodman, managing director/partner of downtown Cleveland cloud-computing provider BlueBridge Networks. Crystal clear doctor-to-patient conferencing is just one example of how robust telecommunications can aid the industry.
If a healthy digital platform can help build industry and bring jobs, it will give Northeast Ohio an advantage in the hunt for young professionals over similarly sized markets, says Ashley Basile Oeken, executive director of Engage! Cleveland, a talent attraction/retention nonprofit.
"We're falling behind cities like Pittsburgh and Indianapolis in bringing in talent," Basile Oeken says. "Cleveland has to find ways to stand out."
Dan Young, founder of technology and design agency DXY, is looking beyond county, state and even national borders when it comes to connecting with the next wave of innovators. Young helped establish a DXY satellite office in Germany, an experience that showcased the need for Cleveland to attract immigrant brainpower.
"The city has to be bigger and bolder about the conversation it's having," he says.
Creating a regional tech epicenter here would make drawing dynamic folks of disparate backgrounds all the easier easier, says Joy Roller, panel facilitator and executive director of Global Cleveland.
?
"We need to be open to the flow of ideas and new people," she says.
cle named by mag as one of nation's 'best up-and-coming nightlife cities'
Women's Health magazine teamed up with Yelp to find the “fittest, artsiest, foodiest, and just plain coolest cities on the rise in America.” The results of their research landed them this list: Social Climbers: 5 Best Up-and-Coming Nightlife Cities. Cleveland is among the best.
“For our first ever Social Cities package in the October 2014 issue of Women's Health, we teamed up with data scientists at Yelp to help us find the best (and most surprising) cities across America for different types of social scenes. For cities to rank high for nightlife, we looked at bars of all types --champagne bars, dive bars, gay bars, hookah bars, Irish pubs, sports bars, wine bars... you name it! We also looked for cities with a ton of dance clubs, night clubs, a solid karaoke scene, pool halls... and so much more. The five fantastic cities that we named our top up-and-coming nightlife hotspots had a LOT of all of the above on offer. If you're looking for a seriously fun road trip with your closest girlfriends, you should definitely add any of these bumping cities to your must-visit list.”
2. Cleveland, OH
“Sure, Cleveland has always rocked. Now, thanks to three reinvigorated neighborhoods, the city's nightlife pulses with a new sophistication. We're not talking cookie-cutter poshness: The after-dark ambience in these trendsetting locales are decidedly diverse.”
Mentioned in the item are the Horseshoe Casino, Ohio City's West 25th Street, Uptown, Cleveland Orchestra's Severance Hall, Cleveland Heights and The Grog Shop.
Read the rest right here.
“For our first ever Social Cities package in the October 2014 issue of Women's Health, we teamed up with data scientists at Yelp to help us find the best (and most surprising) cities across America for different types of social scenes. For cities to rank high for nightlife, we looked at bars of all types --champagne bars, dive bars, gay bars, hookah bars, Irish pubs, sports bars, wine bars... you name it! We also looked for cities with a ton of dance clubs, night clubs, a solid karaoke scene, pool halls... and so much more. The five fantastic cities that we named our top up-and-coming nightlife hotspots had a LOT of all of the above on offer. If you're looking for a seriously fun road trip with your closest girlfriends, you should definitely add any of these bumping cities to your must-visit list.”
2. Cleveland, OH
“Sure, Cleveland has always rocked. Now, thanks to three reinvigorated neighborhoods, the city's nightlife pulses with a new sophistication. We're not talking cookie-cutter poshness: The after-dark ambience in these trendsetting locales are decidedly diverse.”
Mentioned in the item are the Horseshoe Casino, Ohio City's West 25th Street, Uptown, Cleveland Orchestra's Severance Hall, Cleveland Heights and The Grog Shop.
Read the rest right here.
trentina among 'best new restaurants in midwest'
Conde Nast Traveler has included Trentina restaurant in University Circle among its list of “15 Best New Restaurants in the Midwest.”
Here’s the entry:
Trentina
Cleveland, Ohio
Chef Jonathon Sawyer’s new Cleveland restaurant, Trentina, is an homage to the cuisine of Italy’s Trentino region, his wife’s ancestral home. Sure, there’s house-made pasta, but there’s also “egg cooked in a spoon over embers” and edible beef suet candles. Sit on the patio to order from the a la carte menu, or head inside for the 12-course tasting menu—provided, of course, that you’ve purchased a ticket to the meal in advance.
Read about the rest of the restaurants here.
Here’s the entry:
Trentina
Cleveland, Ohio
Chef Jonathon Sawyer’s new Cleveland restaurant, Trentina, is an homage to the cuisine of Italy’s Trentino region, his wife’s ancestral home. Sure, there’s house-made pasta, but there’s also “egg cooked in a spoon over embers” and edible beef suet candles. Sit on the patio to order from the a la carte menu, or head inside for the 12-course tasting menu—provided, of course, that you’ve purchased a ticket to the meal in advance.
Read about the rest of the restaurants here.
A fresh energy is crackling all across the 216, from ambitious new developments taking shape downtown and in University Circle, to bike-friendly avenues and the transformation of blight into pedestrian-friendly green space. But the fun’s just getting started. We rounded up 10 of the most exciting projects on the horizon that have us shaking with anticipation.
For every well-regarded artifact on display in Cleveland’s world-class museums there are countless more that fly under the radar. Fresh Water tagged along with curators from area museums as they showed off their favorite hidden gems, sharing often untold stories and behind-the-scenes peeks at choice treasures.
Clevelanders will celebrate its diversity through artistic performance this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13 and 14 at the second annual Cleveland One World Festival. Taking place at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens at Rockefeller Park, the event will feature a variety of arts and activities for all ages, from a parade and performances on a dozen stages to international sporting competitions and art exhibits. Vendors and food trucks will offer authentic ethnic food and drinks.
But for Clara Jaramillo, the One World Festival holds particular significance. She will become a U.S. citizen during the festival’s naturalization ceremony. Jaramillo is one of 25 people participating in the ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
“We’re excited about it,” Jaramillo says of becoming a U.S. citizen. “It’s been a long adventure.”
Born in Cali, Colombia, and raised in Medellin since she was eight, Jaramillo moved to San Antonio in 2000 with her husband, Jorge Zapata, for his career as an engineer in the medical field. From San Antonio, Zapata joined Phillips Medical Systems and they moved to San Jose, California, for eight years. They had two sons, Daniel and Nicolas, before they relocated to Cleveland nearly five years ago.
Jaramillo and Zapata settled in Chagrin Falls. “The schools are great, the boys are very happy,” Jaramillo says. “It’s a great place to raise a family. It’s quiet and the quality of life and the schools are much better. We think we’re going to stay here for good.”
Jaramillo is excited about becoming a U.S. citizen. “We’d like to be a part of the system, to be able to vote, to travel the world. As Colombians, we have to apply for visas to go to other countries.”
However, Jaramillo admits she is a bit nervous about the ceremony. “I’m normally very, very shy so it will be interesting,” she says. “It’s nice; it’s going to be a good moment to share with a lot of people.”
Zapata will receive his citizenship in a separate ceremony.
But for Clara Jaramillo, the One World Festival holds particular significance. She will become a U.S. citizen during the festival’s naturalization ceremony. Jaramillo is one of 25 people participating in the ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
“We’re excited about it,” Jaramillo says of becoming a U.S. citizen. “It’s been a long adventure.”
Born in Cali, Colombia, and raised in Medellin since she was eight, Jaramillo moved to San Antonio in 2000 with her husband, Jorge Zapata, for his career as an engineer in the medical field. From San Antonio, Zapata joined Phillips Medical Systems and they moved to San Jose, California, for eight years. They had two sons, Daniel and Nicolas, before they relocated to Cleveland nearly five years ago.
Jaramillo and Zapata settled in Chagrin Falls. “The schools are great, the boys are very happy,” Jaramillo says. “It’s a great place to raise a family. It’s quiet and the quality of life and the schools are much better. We think we’re going to stay here for good.”
Jaramillo is excited about becoming a U.S. citizen. “We’d like to be a part of the system, to be able to vote, to travel the world. As Colombians, we have to apply for visas to go to other countries.”
However, Jaramillo admits she is a bit nervous about the ceremony. “I’m normally very, very shy so it will be interesting,” she says. “It’s nice; it’s going to be a good moment to share with a lot of people.”
Zapata will receive his citizenship in a separate ceremony.
travel writer discovers 'the quirky side of cleveland'
In feature titled “Discovering the quirky side of Cleveland,” travel writer Katherine Calos of the Richmond Times-Dispatch focuses on the less conventional side of some Cleveland hotspots.
“You really know a city when you know its quirks. So, let’s get to know Cleveland,” she leads off.
“Where else would you find the world’s largest chandelier hanging over a city street, Froot Loops on hot dogs, religious statues lovingly restored by a makeup artist, a leg lamp in the Christmas house that made it famous, a portrait featuring eye protection from whale-oil lamps and a museum that’s enshrined the remains of a disc jockey?”
Highlighted for inclusion are:
The Happy Dog: “Chili cheese dogs seem a little lame when compared with the Mobile Home-Wrecker, the Sunday Night Special, the 1:45 AM Special and East Meets West -- a few of the suggestions for combining the 50 available toppings for the $5 hot dogs.”
The Playhouse Square Chandelier: “The world’s largest outdoor chandelier, according to the Guinness World Records, became the centerpiece of Cleveland’s theater district in May. It’s already become an icon for Playhouse Square.”
A Christmas Story House: “If you’ve ever marveled at the supreme tackiness of the leg lamp in the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story,” you’ll love it in its natural setting.”
Cleveland Museum of Art: “Put on your coolest shades for a ‘selfie’ with Nathaniel Olds. That’s what he did when he sat for a portrait in 1837. His fashionable green-tinted eyeglasses offered protection from the bright light of Argand lamps, which produced about 10 times as much light as other whale-oil lamps.”
Read the rest right here.
“You really know a city when you know its quirks. So, let’s get to know Cleveland,” she leads off.
“Where else would you find the world’s largest chandelier hanging over a city street, Froot Loops on hot dogs, religious statues lovingly restored by a makeup artist, a leg lamp in the Christmas house that made it famous, a portrait featuring eye protection from whale-oil lamps and a museum that’s enshrined the remains of a disc jockey?”
Highlighted for inclusion are:
The Happy Dog: “Chili cheese dogs seem a little lame when compared with the Mobile Home-Wrecker, the Sunday Night Special, the 1:45 AM Special and East Meets West -- a few of the suggestions for combining the 50 available toppings for the $5 hot dogs.”
The Playhouse Square Chandelier: “The world’s largest outdoor chandelier, according to the Guinness World Records, became the centerpiece of Cleveland’s theater district in May. It’s already become an icon for Playhouse Square.”
A Christmas Story House: “If you’ve ever marveled at the supreme tackiness of the leg lamp in the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story,” you’ll love it in its natural setting.”
Cleveland Museum of Art: “Put on your coolest shades for a ‘selfie’ with Nathaniel Olds. That’s what he did when he sat for a portrait in 1837. His fashionable green-tinted eyeglasses offered protection from the bright light of Argand lamps, which produced about 10 times as much light as other whale-oil lamps.”
Read the rest right here.
Tampa Bay successfully hosted the Republicans in 2012, and Denver hosted the Democrats four years before that. Fresh Water decided to reach out to representatives from each city to see if our fair city could glean some best practices on how to pull off a successful -- and inclusive -- convention.