Both Bizdom and LaunchHouse received hundreds of entrepreneurs applying for their respective accelerator programs this year. LaunchHouse received a record 115 applications for 10 spots in its 2013 LHX accelerator program, while Bizdom already has seen more than 100 applications this year from all over the country.

Both organizations each received $200,000 from Ohio’s New Entrepreneurs (ONE) Fund earlier this year. So, Bizdom and LaunchHouse decided to collaborate in... Read more >

The developers behind a new 62-unit apartment building in Ohio City say they'll start demolition of existing buildings this week. Construction will begin later this summer, and moving trucks should start pulling up to the newly minted units by fall 2014.

"It's the right time to do something," says Brian Koch as to why he chose to pursue the long-stalled project on Detroit Avenue between W. 30th and 32nd streets, which originally was planned as condos bef... Read more >

As an entrepreneurship/business management senior at Ohio University, and the president of the school’s Entrepreneurship Club, Richard Rodman has started two successful companies during his studies. Most recently, he noticed the need for some guidance in the crowdfunding trend.

So Rodman first started 530Funds in November 2012, a search engine and news site for the crowdfunding industry. “It was really hard to sift through Google to find the right platform,&rd... Read more >

A determined group of Heights parents who have long sought a creative educational experience for their kids are opening Cleveland's first-ever Waldorf school. It is expected to open this fall in the former Coventry Elementary School in Cleveland Heights.

"This is a great thing for Cleveland Heights," says Amy Marquit-Renwald, a Shaker Heights resident who grew up in Cleveland Heights and helped to create the new Urban Oak School. "We're going to see... Read more >

Zuga Medical, a medical device company, recently received a $250,000 investment from JumpStart to launch its dental implant system. In April Zuga received FDA approval for its system, which allows a general dentist to perform implants using a screw, a procedure previously done only by oral surgeons.
 
“Our patent-pending technology makes it simpler, easier and more cost-effective for both the dentist and the patient,” says Zuga CEO Steve Cornelius, who met... Read more >

Meet Helen Qin and Jesse Mason, a couple whose love for each other is rivaled only by their love of ice cream. After swapping the West Coast for the North Coast, the two launched Mason's Creamery, an ice cream start-up. Since moving to town, they have found Cleveland to be a city that not only loves ice cream, but that supports small business.

Rafeeq Washington and Lyz Bly opened Guide to Kulchur in the Gordon Square Arts District with a distinctly anachronistic mission: The store is an homage to print, from stapled zines to books.

Somewhat improbably, the new store flourishes next to an independent record store and the three-screen independent Capitol Theater. But don't call it a throwback. The couple intends to not only sell hard-to-find books and older zines, but also to serve as a center for independent... Read more >

Young urbanist leaders who were in Cleveland this week for Next City's annual Vanguard conference were asked a provocative question about this city's future. With new development activity happening in neighborhoods across a city that still is devastatingly poor, how can we do a better job of ensuring that these projects will benefit our poorest residents?

"I'm a little concerned that as we build projects, we're creating a city for yuppies and a city f... Read more >

Bar 145, a popular gastropub with locations in Toledo, Kent and soon Columbus, will open its fourth location in the former Grind space on W. 25th Street south of Lorain in Ohio City. The tagline "burgers, bands and bourbon" sums up the pub's concept.

Owner Jeremy Fitzgerald has signed a letter of intent with owner MRN Ltd. and intends to execute a lease and start construction this summer. Bar 145, specializing in chef-driven, foodie fare accented by regular ... Read more >

Jillian Davis’ Toast wine bar opened in the Gordon Square Arts District April 15 and her unique take on food, wine and cocktails fits right into the neighborhood. The restaurant/wine bar specializes in doing things a little differently.

“We serve revitalized farm fare, and most of what we serve is locally sourced,” says Davis. “We have wines that are off the beaten path and craft cocktails.” In fact, Toast makes their own tonics for their coc... Read more >

Fifteen early stage business owners will have a chance to pitch their companies on the Cavs’ practice court tonight, Thursday, June 13, at Open Pitch Night. The free event, sponsored by Bizdom, The Incubator at MAGNET, Herman Miller and APG Office Furnishings, is designed to let owners of young companies perfect their pitches in front of a live audience.
 
“It’s an opportunity for them to get up in front of a group and practice their pitches, get som... Read more >

The Cuyahoga County Next Generation Council (NGC) will host Spark Plug, an event to celebrate small business growth and the region’s many opportunities for funding and growth, June 6 at Negative Space Gallery. The event kicks off Small Business Incubator Month.
 
“Spark Plug is focused on small business accelerators and incubators,” says Tammy Oliver, program organizer and a member of NGC. “It brings together all of the amazing resources we hav... Read more >

Mansfield Frazier, the entrepreneurial mastermind behind the improbable Chateau Hough vineyard at E. 66th and Hough, says he will break ground on the world's first biocellar this year. He's raised more than half of the $100,000 needed to complete the experimental, innovative project.

"This is about growing crops in the wintertime," says Frazier. The biocellar, which has been described as a passive solar greenhouse, will consist of a glass structure built... Read more >

As cities continue to become more bike-friendly, new bike-based businesses are springing up to support the movement. These bike-centric businesses are both banking on and promoting a growing interest in riding, and in the process they are boosting their cities' economies.

The latest wave of downtown apartments is hitting the market this summer as the K&D Group, currently the largest developer of downtown housing, gradually converts the former Embassy Suites at Reserve Square into new market-rate apartments.

K&D is releasing units floor by floor, with the first set having come online in May. The renovations include granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. There will eventually be 218 suites released; 120 of these will be ... Read more >

Elisabeth Sapell admits that she has a sweet tooth. But she also grew up in her family’s grocery store, Sapell’s Bi-Rite in Lakewood. So she paired her love for candy with her knowledge of the grocery store industry and will soon open the supermarket of candy stores, Candytropolis on Richmond Road across from Richmond Mall.

“It’s a large candy superstore,” Sapell explains. “It’s 6,000 square feet of pretty much every candy you can... Read more >

During the past school year, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) brought entrepreneurship education to five area high schools. Certified entrepreneur teachers helped more than 200 students come up with business ideas, create the businesses and execute the plans.
 
On May 23, 11 semi-finalists gathered at Ernst and Young’s education center in Cleveland to present their final business pitches in hopes of winning the E City (Entrepreneurship: Connecting, Inspiri... Read more >

The Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen and the Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) will be hosting a business incubator for food and beverage entrepreneurs this summer. The nine-week program will focus on the specifics of opening a food-related business -- from food safety and nutrition to marketing and product development.

“We’ll really touch on everything to get a business off the ground,” says Emily Sullivan, ECDI Cleveland operatio... Read more >