Welcome to Fresh Water, a weekly e-zine that promises to shed light on Cleveland's most compelling people, businesses, organizations and neighborhoods.

As our name not-so-subtly suggests, Fresh Water seeks to redirect the conversation from negative stereotypes about our city, economy, and people to those that tell a very different tale. Fresh Water's story – Cleveland's story – is one of constant change fueled by a compelling cast of big thinkers.

Fresh Water is the story of What's Next? What's next in biomed; what's next in sustainability; what's next in local foods, what's next in philanthropy; what's next in neighborhood development. Our focus will be on "new economy" disciplines and big thinkers in the fields of design, architecture, alternative energy, medical innovation, urban farming – each week, you'll read their stories here.

We speak to creative, highly mobile and curious people who are interested in quality of life issues, job-creating small businesses, innovative start-ups. They want to know where innovation is taking place, and where neighborhood transformations are taking root. Some of our readers, we hope, will be inspired to move here from elsewhere and set up shop.

With underwriting support from public, non-profit and philanthropic supporters in Cleveland, Fresh Water brings a fresh perspective to the C-Town story – a narrative of creative people, compelling events, innovative businesses, new developments and cool places to live, work and play.

Dying to shed a little light on an interesting somebody or something? Feel free to drop us a line here to share the good news.

Please take a second to sign up for free weekly email delivery, follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook. Why not pass this along to your friends, as well? We'd really appreciate it.

Thanks, and happy reading (and viewing).

Douglas Trattner
Managing Editor