Recent CWRU mechanical engineering graduates Austin Schmidt and Solomon Alkhasov won the 2011 Idea Competition, sponsored by LaunchHouse and CSU's Accelerated MBA program at Nance College of Business. They created a company called Affinity Algorithms, which develops proprietary computer arbitrage software to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers in various online marketplaces. The software provides greater liquidity and price transparency in the marketplaces.

"We are developing a suite of online software that helps the seller in fragmented marketplaces better manage inventory," explains Schmidt. Although Schmidt and Alkhasov came up with the idea from their experiences buying and selling textbooks in college, they say it can be applied to many online marketplaces.

The idea for Affinity Algorithms came about in January, they set up shop in March, and landed at LaunchHouse this month. They plan to roll out a full build of the software in September.

Students from all Northeast Ohio colleges and universities were invited to pitch a business concept to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, CSU faculty and LaunchHouse staff. The contest primarily focused on students who had innovative ideas in the fields of software and internet technology, low-tech medical devices and clean energy.

The second winner is Ronny Shalev, also a student at Case. Shalev created a product known as an autonomous intravenous (IV) insertion tool that will be the most effective replacement for the current procedure of manual vein localization and needle insertion. Shalev's tool will completely replace the need for trained medical staff.

Contest winners were each awarded a $2,500 scholarship to the Global AMBA program along with a prize basket of support services from LaunchHouse, "Additionally, we received a $500 check from LaunchHouse, along with a bunch of services that include legal services, accounting, and free space for three months," says Schmidt. "All in all, a very comprehensive package with everything needed to get a business off the ground."

The winners will also have the opportunity to compete for up to $5000 in follow on funding.

Source: Austin Schmidt
Writer: Karin Connelly

The PNC SmartHome is complete at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and open to visitors who want to learn how to make environmentally-friendly improvements to their own properties. The 2,500-square-foot three-bedroom house uses 90 percent less energy than a traditional home, and it uses no furnace for heating and cooling. The walls are a foot thick and packed with insulation, while the windows are triple-pane glass -- both of which reduce heat loss. The home is heated and cooled with small heat pumps.

"The museum wanted to help people understand how they can dramatically reduce energy consumption," says David Beach, director of the GreenCityBlueLake Institute at CMNH. "We think the SmartHome will be the first home to receive passive home certification in Northeast Ohio."

Other features include hardwood floors made from 100-year-old reclaimed wood and artwork with environmental themes created by local artists. The landscaping features storm water management techniques to keep rain water on-site instead of in storm sewers.

So far, the home has been well-received. "People walk in it and go, 'wow,'" says Beach. "What they are reacting to immediately is what a beautiful home it is. Then they see they can learn things [to do] for their own homes."

The house will be moved to an empty lot on Wade Park Boulevard this fall and will go on the market soon. Beach says they've already received inquiries about purchasing the house.

Tours run Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 with museum admission, $3 for those who can't go upstairs. Children 2 and under are free.

Source: David Beach
Writer: Karin Connelly

The apartment buildings that line East Boulevard in Glenville boast stunning architectural details such as ornate columns, artisan brickwork and broad balconies that overlook Rockefeller Park. They attest to the wealth that once existed on this grand old street.

Yet for decades, East Boulevard has deteriorated as owners struggled with a soft market, much-needed repairs and soaring energy costs. Despite its proximity to University Circle and Rockefeller Park, the area was long considered "dicey."

Now two apartment buildings have been purchased and renovated by the Famicos Foundation, a nonprofit that serves the Glenville and Hough neighborhoods by developing affordable and market-rate housing. The group has renovated 1341 East Boulevard into six apartments, each with three bedrooms and two baths. All six suites have been pre-leased, with the first tenants taking possession in July.

Although the building's exterior has been carefully preserved -- the massive columns holding up the porches were rebuilt to match the crumbling originals -- much of the interior is new. The developer installed new heating, plumbing and electrical systems, replaced the old kitchens with fresh contemporary ones, added amenities like in-suite laundry, and upped storage space.

Also, many of the exquisite original details have been refurbished -- including oak hardwood floors, leaded-glass windows, fireplaces (many suites have two) and natural woodwork.

David Fagerhaug, Senior Project Manager with the Famicos Foundation and a resident of East Boulevard, says that the 2,000-square-foot apartments lease for $825 per month. Although he'd like to get higher rents, he says it's a good sign that the tenants are frequently professionals and University Circle employees.

The renovation of 1341 East Boulevard was made possible using federal historic tax credits, a $600,000 grant from the City of Cleveland's Housing Trust Fund and $188,000 in federal stimulus funding. Fagerhaug says that he'd like to see more buildings renovated along the street, and to see rents increase so that public subsidy is not needed to justify renovation costs.

The project was also aided by a low interest rate loan from Dollar Bank in partnership with Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), a nonprofit whose mission is to spur neighborhood revitalization through home repair lending.


Source: David Fagerhaug
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The 22nd Parade the Circle takes place this Saturday, June 11, on and around Wade Oval in University Circle. The always stimulating Parade kicks off at noon and features wildly colorful floats, puppets, costumes, dancers and musicians. Other events in the area will feature music, food and art. As a longtime fan of the event, Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski fashioned a slideshow of past parades.

Since Veronica Walton created an urban farm on Ansel Road several years ago, she's been asked countless times about her lush, bountiful plots: "I'm looking for a job," some would say. "Can I work here?"

When asked such questions, Walton, who is the Director of the nonprofit NEO Restoration Alliance, would extol the virtues of urban farming. She explained the difference between community gardens and urban farmers, who sell their crops to customers via local farmers markets. Yet until recently, she's been unable to point to a truly local example where small-scale farmers could sell their harvest.

That's about to change. This summer, Gateway105 Farmers Market will launch at the intersection of East 105th and Ashbury streets. The market will provide the Glenville, Hough and University Circle neighborhoods with fresh, locally grown food. It will also feature work by local artists, complementary family activities, musical performances and free health screenings from local institutions.

Organizers of the market, which kicks off on Friday, July 1st and runs every Friday through October, hope to reach local residents and University Circle employees who shop for groceries before heading home from work.

The farmers market was organized by NEO Restoration Alliance and the Famicos Foundation, a nonprofit community development organization that serves the Glenville and Hough neighborhoods and develops affordable and market-rate housing.

"This is about building a community of individuals that learn to develop entrepreneurial skills, while providing a service to the community at the same time," says Walton.


Source: Veronica Walton
Writer: Lee Chilcote

By enrolling their employees in corporate wellness programs, companies are finding they can keep healthcare costs down, increase employee productivity, and reduce absenteeism, all by managing -- and in some cases reversing -- chronic illnesses. It's what folks like to call a win-win situation.

Researchers at CWRU have invented a polymer coating that can repair itself. Stuart Rowan, CWRU professor of macromolecular science and engineering, along with his team and researchers from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, has spent the last three years developing a rubber-like protective coating that heals itself when an ultraviolet light is shined on it for just a few seconds.

"The idea was to develop a coating that, if it was damaged in any way, we could repair just by shining a light on it," says Rowan. "A lot of my research is creating stimulating response materials."

The science behind the technology involves taking a long chain of polymers and reducing it to small chains. When the UV light -- much like the light used in dentist offices -- shines on them, the polymers become temporarily unglued. They reassemble when the light is shut off, thus repairing the scratches.

"It works perfectly for coating penetrations," says Rowan.

The scientists envision that self-healing polymers like theirs could be used in automotive paints, varnishes for floors and furniture, and many other applications. "The material could be used in potentially any paint or coating use," says Rowan.

Their findings were published in the April 21 issue of the journal Nature.

The team is currently in talks with companies to see if there is an interest in commercializing the material.


Source: Stuart Rowan
Writer: Karen Connelly

It's a well known fact that institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals are growth engines in Cleveland's economy these days. A lesser-known fact is that these institutions and others have emerged as leaders in greening Northeast Ohio's economy.

In recent months, Case, University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, Tri-C, Kent State, Oberlin College, Cleveland State University and the Fowler Center for Sustainable Value at Case's Weatherhead School of Management have all hired Sustainability Managers.

It's a sign that sustainability efforts -- once the domain of graduate students, volunteer committees or a staff person whose responsibilities were already stretched -- have infiltrated the culture of these organizations. These full-time staffers are responsible for implementing sustainable business practices.

Take University Hospitals (UH) as one example. Aparna Bole, a staff doctor, recently replaced an all- volunteer team that has led efforts for several years. She is now working to develop a sustainability plan, add two additional full-time staff people, and ensure that all new UH buildings meet EnergyStar standards (a 15-percent energy use reduction when compared to typical construction).

Cleveland State University (CSU) has also ramped up its sustainability efforts. Recently, CSU President Ronald Berkman signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, requiring that CSU develop a carbon reduction goal and track carbon emissions from buildings. Nathan Engstrom, CSU's Campus Sustainability Coordinator, is responsible for leading these efforts.

The new hires indicate that Sustainable Cleveland 2019, an effort launched by the city of Cleveland and environmental groups to make Cleveland a model of sustainability, is taking root in some pretty big places.


Source: Green City Blue Lake
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Explorys has formed one of the largest healthcare databases in the world, helping medical professionals provide better patient care and diagnoses. Spun off from the Cleveland Clinic in 2009 by Charlie Lougheed and Stephen McHale, Explorys has become one of the world's largest data platforms with over three billion clinical events and partner agreements with major healthcare systems that span over 10 million patients nationwide.

In its short life, Explorys has gotten six major healthcare providers on board, with the likes of Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Summa Health System, MetroHealth and MedStar. These providers use Explorys solutions to discover actionable correlations and trends in treatments and outcomes to improve safety, increase quality, and to create cost efficiencies in delivering care.

"Explorys takes the data and puts it on a larger scale," says Lougheed. "We're changing the game in terms of how we treat populations and sub-populations of patients."

The company has grown to 25 employees. "We plan to double by the end of the year and double again next year," says Lougheed. "It's all in Cleveland and they're all high-tech jobs. We're pretty excited about what we can do in the community. We think we can grow this company into the hundreds in Northeast Ohio."

That growth will be possible thanks to $11.5 million in Series C financing led by Austin Ventures and Foundation Medical Partners, with follow-on investments from Santé Ventures and Cleveland Clinic.

"The validation that came from a group like Austin Ventures in a Cleveland-based company was really fulfilling," says Lougheed. "Others outside of Ohio really do see a good thing happening in this part of the country."


Source: Charlie Lougheed
Writer: Karin Connelly

After 35 years in the ad game -- and induction into the Advertising Hall of Fame -- Alan Glazen retired, looking forward long days spent swinging on his Lake Erie island hammock. But that's not what happened. Despite not knowing the first thing about running a restaurant, Glazen reluctantly found himself doing exactly that. As the owner of three successful concepts, Glazen wants others to join him.

Last year, Judson at University Circle tried something radically different. The nonprofit senior living campus gave two apartments to Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) students in exchange for their participation in Judson's intergenerational programs.

The students quickly found that any time they practiced their instruments in public, they attracted an appreciative audience. Over the course of a year, they developed friendships that spanned generations.

Now one of Judson's intergenerational programs, Community Partners, has been nominated as one of 20 semi-finalists for the prestigious Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence, a $100,000 grant from the California-based Eisner Foundation.

The Eisner Prize will recognize an individual or a non-profit organization that "excels in uniting multiple generations, especially seniors and youth, to bring about positive and lasting changes in their community," according to a press release. Members of the pulbic can cast their vote by visiting the website.

Judson created its first intergenerational collaboration with Ruffing Montessori School in Cleveland Heights 30 years ago. Today, Judson works with over 40 different educational and civic groups throughout Greater Cleveland. Judson's senior residents volunteer in local schools and communities, and in turn, students and adults volunteer at all three Judson facilities, Judson Manor, Judson Park and South Franklin Circle.

"Judson's intergenerational programs offer purposeful two-way learning opportunities that create meaningful relationships for all program participants," said Rob Lucarelli, Judson's Director of Communications, in a press release. "Using curriculum and arts-based programs that serve as a national model for connecting generations, we help to enrich lives and stimulate minds of all ages."

Individuals may vote for Judson once every 24 hours until May 15th.


Source: Rob Lucarelli
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Joyce Mariani created "Opera in the Garden," a free outdoor concert that takes place each summer in Rockefeller Park's Italian Cultural Garden, to celebrate Italian immigrants' contributions to the city of Cleveland and enliven the 80-year-old public space.

Although Mariani sets up 200 chairs in the idyllic garden, you might want to bring one from home; last year, over 800 people showed up.

"People find something universal in the Italian cultural experience," says Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation. "And this is an outdoor museum to Italian culture in Cleveland."

Mariani has launched an ambitious effort to expand the garden according to original, unfinished plans. Now that she has raised more than $465,000 towards the $750,000 fund-raising goal, work has begun on a large statue of Dante and a dedication is planned for the fall. Future plans call for filling an empty quadrant of the garden with a small pantheon, as well.

"It just goes to show that if you believe in something, people will tap into your dream," Mariani says.

The Italian Cultural Garden was founded in 1930 by Italian-American businessman Philip Garbo. Its prominent features include a column from the Roman Forum and a bust of Virgil that was sent by the Italian government. Garbo's company, the Italian Fresco and Decorating Company, designed and painted decorative art and frescoes in residences, churches and over 100 theaters, including the Ohio Theatre. The design of the upper garden is taken from the Villa Medici in Rome.

This year's Opera in the Garden will take place on Sunday, July 31st at 6 p.m. in the Italian Cultural Garden (990 East Boulevard).

Source: Joyce Mariani
Writer: Lee Chilcote

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 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a family pass to the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo, and gift cards to area restaurants. Other riders that morning received free one-week passes.

Watkins, 26, is an outreach specialist for the Empowerment Center on Euclid Avenue and E. 30th Street. She rides the #35 to Public Square and then transfers to the HealthLine. The HealthLine, which runs up and down Euclid Avenue between Public Square, University Circle and East Cleveland, has been increasingly popular since it was introduced in October 2008.

"Especially with gas prices rising, it's a good time to find an economic option for getting to work and play," says RTA spokesperson Mary McCahon. "The HealthLine has been growing fast and exceeding expectations. Ten million is a big number in two-and-a-half years."

The 10 millionth-rider event was held to thank RTA customers for their loyalty and support. RTA general manager Joe Calabrese presented Watkins with an oversized fare pass, as well as the other riders with their free weekly fare passes.


Source: Kionte Watkins
Writer: Karin Connelly