When it opens on September 1, The Nest will be yet another creative weapon in Tremont's arsenal to lure art-friendly shoppers to the neighborhood. Located in a storefront immediately adjacent to Edison's Pub, the boutique and gallery will feature an eclectic array of fine art, photography, jewelry and clothing.

Inventory will range from $6 jewelry items all the way up to $4,000 paintings. There will be products geared towards children, adults, and home décor fans.

"The clincher is that it is all handmade treasures from local artists," explains owner Robin Schulze. "We only support local people. You won't find anything bought wholesale from department stores."

Artists and craftspeople submit work on a modified consignment arrangement, Schulze says. The Nest gets a monthly fee to house and promote the work, but takes only 20 percent on the back end.

Schulze says that she was surprised to discover how easy it was to find participating artists.

"Before we secured the space, I put an ad on Craig's List to test the marketplace," she explains. "I was overwhelmingly inspired by how many people wanted to be a part of this." Now, she adds, there is a waiting list for artists to exhibit their products.

Described as fresh, modern and not stuffy, the space features slate grey and melon-colored walls. A small coffee lounge will offer espresso, tea, and Wi-Fi starting at 10 a.m. Down the road, the owners intend to add retail wine and craft beer to the mix. Eventually, they hope to turn an old garage out back into a wine bar.

The Nest
2379 Professor Avenue, Tremont

What started out as a small printing company run out of a little office in Euclid by two guys with a background in graphic design and printing T-shirts, has blossomed into a booming print business, Jakprints, which has sprouted three sister merchandising companies: IndieMerch, IndieMerchandising and IndieMerchstore.

Founded in 1999 by Dameon Guess and Jacob Edwards, Jakprints has leveraged the partners' artistic talents, knowledge of the music industry, and instinct for what customers need into a thriving enterprise. The four companies are now spread across 146,000 square feet in two Midtown buildings, employing 130 full-time staffers.

"I never would have had a clue we would grow to this size," says Dameon Guess, co-owner and vice president of operations. "It's the kind of thing where you put your best intentions into it and just get rewarded each day and you get to come back and do it again."

Jakprints specializes in custom full-color offset printing, apparel printing, embroidery and sticker production. IndieMerch, IndieMerchandising and IndieMerchstore serve as outlets to develop merchandise and distribute unique creations on the likes of T-shirts, coffee cups and other goods. "We never got the feeling of 'abandon ship,'" Guess says. "We just kept going."

Jakprints continues to grow. Guess says they plan on hiring five to 10 more people over the next year for everything from production and sales to administrative positions.

Additionally, the team plans to launch an on-site creative incubator, where individual offices will offer artists of all types reasonable rent, shared receptionist, internet access and space to exhibit work. Guess would also like to add a coffee shop to the mix.

"It will be a culture that will support future endeavors," says Guess. "It will be a space to network, meet other artists and be downtown."


Source: Dameon Guess
Writer: Karin Connelly

When Nora Egger returned to Shaker Heights after a decade in Europe, she was looking for her next career move. "I was completely lost," she recalls. Then she started to think about the flavor profiles of cocktails in Europe, compared to what she saw in the states.

"Everything's pomegranate or mango or berries," Egger says of American drinks. "So I said, 'Why don't I do something with flowers?'"

Egger started fooling around in her mother's kitchen and developed her Lounging Gourmet Elixir Collection. The elixirs feature floral essences that can be blended with alcohol to create a unique cocktail, or added to sparkling water for a light, low-calorie soda.

The line features four flavors: Damascan rose, English lavender, Andean fire orchid, and Antillean hibiscus. "They are a strong concentrate made with pure cane sugar," says Egger.

Egger began selling her elixirs out of her car last year, while still making them in her mom's kitchen. Then, in July, she began working with distributors, relocated to a bottling facility, and began to market her product on a wider level. She still mixes every batch by hand -- standing on a ladder to reach -- and individually labels and packages each bottle.

The elixirs are carried in local stores such as Heinen's, Zagara's and Minotti's, as well as through distributorships in California, Oregon, Washington, Las Vegas and New York City. They are also available through Egger's website. She regularly holds tastings around town to familiarize people with her products.

Egger uses all local distributors and operates out of her home office in Little Italy. Although it's still a small operation, she hopes to grow and hire some people.

The five companies represent the diversity of enterprises in Northeast Ohio -- from retail and publications to business products and services to social media. The companies are: All Points Connect, Mindset Digital, iGuiders, Bonitas International and Your Teen magazine.

"Build it Big identifies companies that already have successes and want to achieve that next milestone," explains Katie Gage, manager of programming for Springboard. "It's a chance to plug them in to the entrepreneurial community."

Twelve companies applied to participate in the Build it Big: Cleveland program. After a 10-minute presentation and 15 minutes of Q & A, the five companies were chosen. "They are now meeting with Springboard partners in advisory sessions to address strategies for growth," says Gage.

The Springboard partners include KeyCorp, Meaden & Moore, and Thompson Hine. Since January, 2000, Springboard has helped over 400 women-led companies raise more than $5 billion in equity financing, including 8 IPOs, and legions of high value M&As. Eighty percent of Springboard companies are still in business, generating $4 billion in revenues and creating tens of thousands of newjobs.


Source: Katie Gage
Writer: Karin Connelly

Mike Belsito and Bryan Chaikin sprouted a business idea after a death in Belsito's family. Both were working at Findaway World, a digital products company, when Belsito's cousin died and he went through the arduous process of planning a funeral.

The two started talking about how difficult it is to find the right funeral home in a time of crisis... and an idea was formed. They started FunerAlly, an online resource for selecting the right funeral home.

"It's nearly impossible to understand each funeral home in the area and what they had to offer and the prices," says Belsito of the wide selection. "When you talk about the importance of finding the right funeral home, you just pick a home and hope for the best. There really aren't a whole lot of options in choosing one."

It was all talk until the two heard about Ohio State University Fisher College of Business' 10-Xelerator, an 11-week boot camp for 10 start-up companies to launch and succeed in their business ventures. "Bryan and I submitted the idea to the 10X program and we were accepted as finalists," says Belsito. "That was the impetus for us to really step out fulltime and launch a business. We're really motivated to make this work."

Through 10X, FunerAlly is getting the guidance it needs to successfully launch. Belsito and Chaikin are spending their summer in Columbus, getting advice and lessons from advisors and mentors.

"10X opened the door to so many individuals we wouldn't have access to otherwise," Belsito says. "Entrepreneurship has always been a passion of mine and definitely our intent is to created jobs in Northeast Ohio."

Source: Mike Belsito
Writer: Karin Connelly

BlueBridge Networks in Cleveland and Bluemile in Albany, Ohio, have joined forces to offer a virtual powerhouse in data storage and recovery services. The joint venture offers the most robust, scalable and secure cloud computing platform with state of-the-art architecture and service delivery for companies and organizations.

The $11 million investment lets the two data centers easily provide cloud computing to large companies nationwide. Data can be passed quickly between Cleveland and Columbus thanks to Bluemile's acquisition of fiber optic internet cable that stretches between the two cities. BlueBridge's local clients include Hyland Software, Olympic Steel and Rosetta.

"Part of the value is you have a regional company that thinks regional, coupled with human interaction," says Kevin Goodman, managing director of business development and partner with BlueBridge. "We're going to bring cloud business here. Instead of sending your stuff to Seattle or Herndon, Virginia, you're sending it to Cleveland or Columbus."

No other regional data service center in the country provides this type of secure cloud computing. The collaboration enables a certain level of protection in times of emergency or data recovery needs. "We can deliver state-of-the-art, robust, efficient platforms and create jobs," says Goodman. "We've planted the right seeds and built the right infrastructure."

In fact, the partnership has created more than 60 jobs this year, 10 of them in Cleveland in sales, engineering and back-office positions, and BlueBridge is planning to hire even more in the near future. "We've had solid, constant double-digit growth," says Goodman. "This has us poised for exponential growth and jobs."


Source: Kevin Goodman
Writer: Karin Connelly