Entrepreneurs + Innovators
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.
Low-income workers often lack the basic skills needed to find a good job. To bridge the gap, experts says it's essential to invest in training. Yet despite millions of people out of work, programs are hard to find.
After a decade of standing still, the Flats are on the move. Check out some of the newest developments changing this mixed-use neighborhood, from the Lake Link Trail to plans for a new boathouse on the Cuyahoga River.
Last week, a group of innovators behind small scale, place-based projects around the country convened in Detroit and talked about what works in their cities, sharing stories of success, failure, hard work and creativity.
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.
A sudsy week of beer-fueled excitement is set to cure what "ales" fun-seeking Clevelanders.
The sixth annual Cleveland Beer Week has hundreds of events scheduled at an equal number of venues from Oct. 10, through Oct. 19. The usual concerts, parties, special tappings and educational programs will be held, capped off by the massive Brewzilla celebration featuring 80 beer makers pouring your favorite barley sodas.
Brewers directly involved with the beery proceedings are arriving with their own efforts. Platform Beer Company has collaborated with the New Albion Brewing Company on a re-release of New Albion Ale. The flagship pale ale will be on tap Oct. 17 at the Platform Brewhouse on Lorain Avenue. Partnering with the first U.S. post-Prohibition microbrewery was an opportunity to get the original recipe back in the hands of its fans, notes Platform co-owner Justin Carson.
"It was very innovative in its day," Carson says.
On Oct. 14, Platform is hosting "Same Brew, Different Takes," where a batch of beer will be infused with unusual ingredients to create new tastes. The following evening is the brewery's "Choose Your Own Adventure" release, featuring a customer-voted beer created by in-house brewmaster Shaun Yasaki.
"We're planning on having a different beer each year," says Platform's Paul Benner.
Collaborations are a big part of CBW, and this year is no different. Joint efforts will match Great Lakes Brewing Co., Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. and other establishments with out-of-state brewers. Resulting mixtures will be made available at various watering holes throughout the city.
Meanwhile, a dozen local breweries have concocted six new beers for the Oct. 8 Gambrinus Brewery Crawl, set to raise money for restoration of the King Gambrinus statue that previously stood at Leisy Brewing. Pouring locations for the event are Platform, Butcher & The Brewer, Market Garden Brewery, and Nano Brew Cleveland.
The sixth annual Cleveland Beer Week has hundreds of events scheduled at an equal number of venues from Oct. 10, through Oct. 19. The usual concerts, parties, special tappings and educational programs will be held, capped off by the massive Brewzilla celebration featuring 80 beer makers pouring your favorite barley sodas.
Brewers directly involved with the beery proceedings are arriving with their own efforts. Platform Beer Company has collaborated with the New Albion Brewing Company on a re-release of New Albion Ale. The flagship pale ale will be on tap Oct. 17 at the Platform Brewhouse on Lorain Avenue. Partnering with the first U.S. post-Prohibition microbrewery was an opportunity to get the original recipe back in the hands of its fans, notes Platform co-owner Justin Carson.
"It was very innovative in its day," Carson says.
On Oct. 14, Platform is hosting "Same Brew, Different Takes," where a batch of beer will be infused with unusual ingredients to create new tastes. The following evening is the brewery's "Choose Your Own Adventure" release, featuring a customer-voted beer created by in-house brewmaster Shaun Yasaki.
"We're planning on having a different beer each year," says Platform's Paul Benner.
Collaborations are a big part of CBW, and this year is no different. Joint efforts will match Great Lakes Brewing Co., Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. and other establishments with out-of-state brewers. Resulting mixtures will be made available at various watering holes throughout the city.
Meanwhile, a dozen local breweries have concocted six new beers for the Oct. 8 Gambrinus Brewery Crawl, set to raise money for restoration of the King Gambrinus statue that previously stood at Leisy Brewing. Pouring locations for the event are Platform, Butcher & The Brewer, Market Garden Brewery, and Nano Brew Cleveland.
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.
On Friday, October 3rd, Bitcoin Boulevard U.S. businesses along Lee Road will host the release of the documentary The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin at the Cedar Lee Theater. Check out this interview with the filmmakers that originally appeared in our sister publication Pop City.
Cleveland is full of hole-in-the-wall second hand stores. From vintage two-wheelers to hulking industrial-age machines and bins of repurposed art supplies, we take you on a tour of the coolest trash-to-treasure finds in the city.
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."
