Regional Economy
As the owner of a small consulting firm, James Gasparatos knows all too well the struggles of running a small business, including promoting the company and finding the right talent among other things. The challenges gave Gasparatos the idea to start Gigfinity, an interactive website designed to help small and mid-size Cleveland businesses connect with customers, promote their companies and find local talent. The site also allows job seekers to peruse and apply for jobs with Gigfinity businesses.
“Gigfinity is a social commerce site focused on marketing and hiring for small businesses,” explains Gasparatos. "My business partner, Eric McGarvey, and I were running our own small consulting companies when we had this idea a few years ago. We saw a gap where there were a lot of opportunities here for both small businesses and for job seekers. We connect them.”
Small businesses can post their profiles on Gigfinity -- free of charge -- detailing their services, job openings and even work samples. The businesses only pay a fee if they fill a job or get customers from their listings on Gigfinity.
“We only want them to pay if there’s something of value for them,” says Gasparatos. “Here, people who are looking at your profile most likely need your service.” Additionally, Gigfinity is offering small businesses a free credit for signing up on the site. Simply put in offer code “G1000” to get the free credit when signing up.
Service seekers can search the database for companies that fulfill their needs. And job seekers, or “gig seekers” can search for open positions or post their resumes and profiles.
It’s all about keeping it local and supporting the little guy, says Gasparatos. The site, which officially launched in the beginning of 2013, already has more than 60 small business listings and around 10 open jobs.
Gasparatos plans to team up with local high school and colleges in the area to attract and retain new talent to the growing small businesses. “Nothing brings everyone together as a region like small businesses and jobs,” he says.
Source: James Gasparatos
Writer: Karin Connelly
“Gigfinity is a social commerce site focused on marketing and hiring for small businesses,” explains Gasparatos. "My business partner, Eric McGarvey, and I were running our own small consulting companies when we had this idea a few years ago. We saw a gap where there were a lot of opportunities here for both small businesses and for job seekers. We connect them.”
Small businesses can post their profiles on Gigfinity -- free of charge -- detailing their services, job openings and even work samples. The businesses only pay a fee if they fill a job or get customers from their listings on Gigfinity.
“We only want them to pay if there’s something of value for them,” says Gasparatos. “Here, people who are looking at your profile most likely need your service.” Additionally, Gigfinity is offering small businesses a free credit for signing up on the site. Simply put in offer code “G1000” to get the free credit when signing up.
Service seekers can search the database for companies that fulfill their needs. And job seekers, or “gig seekers” can search for open positions or post their resumes and profiles.
It’s all about keeping it local and supporting the little guy, says Gasparatos. The site, which officially launched in the beginning of 2013, already has more than 60 small business listings and around 10 open jobs.
Gasparatos plans to team up with local high school and colleges in the area to attract and retain new talent to the growing small businesses. “Nothing brings everyone together as a region like small businesses and jobs,” he says.
Source: James Gasparatos
Writer: Karin Connelly
mr. conway goes to washington
In a New York Times feature titled “Riding Wave of Popularity, Craft Brewers ask Congress for a Tax Cut,” Andrew Siddons writes of brewers from across the nation gathering in Washington D.C. for their industry’s first conference. In addition to meeting to discuss their trade, plenty of lobbying took place as well.
“For every 31 gallons that we brew, $7 goes to Uncle Sam,” said Jeff Hancock, a co-founder of DC Brau. These small brewers feel they need a break.
Cleveland’s own Patrick Conway of Great Lakes Brewing Company was there as well.
“We are the victims of our own success,” said Patrick Conway, owner of the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland. Mr. Conway brought a delegation of 12 employees to Washington to network and publicize his brews with tap takeovers at local bars. “We’re always being courted by distributors,” he said. “It’s not our intention to sell in every state, but we are flattered.”
Enjoy the entire feature here.
“For every 31 gallons that we brew, $7 goes to Uncle Sam,” said Jeff Hancock, a co-founder of DC Brau. These small brewers feel they need a break.
Cleveland’s own Patrick Conway of Great Lakes Brewing Company was there as well.
“We are the victims of our own success,” said Patrick Conway, owner of the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland. Mr. Conway brought a delegation of 12 employees to Washington to network and publicize his brews with tap takeovers at local bars. “We’re always being courted by distributors,” he said. “It’s not our intention to sell in every state, but we are flattered.”
Enjoy the entire feature here.
local writer shares city's riches with canadians
In a Canadian Globe and Mail feature titled “Why you should be hot for Cleveland,” local writer and Fresh Water editor Douglas Trattner details the splendor that is Cleveland while tossing around fancy spellings like kilometre and neighbourhood.
“While it’s no secret that Cleveland has experienced a large population decline since its peak in 1950, when it was the seventh-largest city in the United States, things have begun to turn around in a big way,” Trattner writes. “Oft-repeated jabs about burning rivers, blundering sports teams and infinite winters are giving way to reports of bike-friendly infrastructure and a world-class dining scene. Heck, city folk here are even allowed to raise chickens and bees.”
Trattner goes on to share his picks for what to see, where to eat, where to drink, where to sleep, and where to shop for members of both sides of the border.
Check out the full “international” story here.
“While it’s no secret that Cleveland has experienced a large population decline since its peak in 1950, when it was the seventh-largest city in the United States, things have begun to turn around in a big way,” Trattner writes. “Oft-repeated jabs about burning rivers, blundering sports teams and infinite winters are giving way to reports of bike-friendly infrastructure and a world-class dining scene. Heck, city folk here are even allowed to raise chickens and bees.”
Trattner goes on to share his picks for what to see, where to eat, where to drink, where to sleep, and where to shop for members of both sides of the border.
Check out the full “international” story here.
Sam McNulty has the best kind of problem an owner can have; he's selling so much beer at Market Garden Brewery and NanoBrew in Ohio City that he can hardly keep up with demand. Selling kegs to patrons or restaurants that want to carry popular varieties like Pearl Street Wheat or CitroMax IPA is out of the question.
McNulty and his partners expect to solve their space crunch by early next year with the redevelopment of the Market Culinary Building, a 43,000-square-foot warehouse at W. 24th Street and Bridge Avenue. McNulty has taken to calling the place the "palace of fermentation."
After purchasing the building last year for $800,000, McNulty, brewmaster Andy Tveekram and partners Mike Foran and Mark Priemer will spend an undisclosed sum rehabbing it into a hub for beermaking, cheesemaking, charcuterie, distilling, kombucha and other types of fermentation. They'll offer classes and tours from beermaking to sausage making to butchering whole, pasture-raised animals.
"Bar Cento was the first restaurant in the state to serve farm-raised venison," explains McNulty. "We had a big coming-out party for venison. We had a whole deer sitting on the bartop, and Chef Lambert did a demonstration of how to break down a whole animal. That event sold out within two hours of listing tickets for sale."
"People are very interested in artisanal food, who’s making it," he adds. "They want to know it’s local, fresh, and the animals are raised, harvested humanely."
The building, which sits on an acre of land, will solve the beermaking problem and then some -- the large space offers room to grow. McNulty says the foursome also plans to open a retail shop sometime next year to sell homemade products.
"We'll sell charcuterie, cheese, fresh eggs," he says. "Everything we put out will be on a very boutique level. We'll pick out four to six recipes we've perfected at Market Garden and then make them to distribute to restaurants in the area."
The point is to complement the West Side Market, which McNulty wholeheartedly supports but feels needs to boost local products and update its hours. "At one point we considered buying a stand, but we didn't want to limit ourselves to the impractical hours the market keeps. We'll be open on days the market isn't."
Source: Sam McNulty
Writer: Lee Chilcote
McNulty and his partners expect to solve their space crunch by early next year with the redevelopment of the Market Culinary Building, a 43,000-square-foot warehouse at W. 24th Street and Bridge Avenue. McNulty has taken to calling the place the "palace of fermentation."
After purchasing the building last year for $800,000, McNulty, brewmaster Andy Tveekram and partners Mike Foran and Mark Priemer will spend an undisclosed sum rehabbing it into a hub for beermaking, cheesemaking, charcuterie, distilling, kombucha and other types of fermentation. They'll offer classes and tours from beermaking to sausage making to butchering whole, pasture-raised animals.
"Bar Cento was the first restaurant in the state to serve farm-raised venison," explains McNulty. "We had a big coming-out party for venison. We had a whole deer sitting on the bartop, and Chef Lambert did a demonstration of how to break down a whole animal. That event sold out within two hours of listing tickets for sale."
"People are very interested in artisanal food, who’s making it," he adds. "They want to know it’s local, fresh, and the animals are raised, harvested humanely."
The building, which sits on an acre of land, will solve the beermaking problem and then some -- the large space offers room to grow. McNulty says the foursome also plans to open a retail shop sometime next year to sell homemade products.
"We'll sell charcuterie, cheese, fresh eggs," he says. "Everything we put out will be on a very boutique level. We'll pick out four to six recipes we've perfected at Market Garden and then make them to distribute to restaurants in the area."
The point is to complement the West Side Market, which McNulty wholeheartedly supports but feels needs to boost local products and update its hours. "At one point we considered buying a stand, but we didn't want to limit ourselves to the impractical hours the market keeps. We'll be open on days the market isn't."
Source: Sam McNulty
Writer: Lee Chilcote
forbes recognizes the emergence of cleveland's downtown
In a Forbes list titled “15 U.S. Cities’ Emerging Downtowns,” the fine staffers rank our fair city at No. 15.
“Cleveland began revitalizing its downtown in the mid-1990s. Today, more than $3.5 billion is currently invested in furthering the area's redevelopment.”
The Global Center for Health Innovation slated to open this summer is mentioned as a huge boon for downtown, as well as a multitude of other recreational projects such as the finished aquarium and the up-and-coming recreation center.
Forbes also notes that downtown has seen its population nearly double over the last two decades ending in 2010.
“From fourth quarter 2011 through the fourth quarter of 2012, the number of housing units grew about 13%, according to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Another 715 units are expected to come online in 2013.”
Check out the full list here.
“Cleveland began revitalizing its downtown in the mid-1990s. Today, more than $3.5 billion is currently invested in furthering the area's redevelopment.”
The Global Center for Health Innovation slated to open this summer is mentioned as a huge boon for downtown, as well as a multitude of other recreational projects such as the finished aquarium and the up-and-coming recreation center.
Forbes also notes that downtown has seen its population nearly double over the last two decades ending in 2010.
“From fourth quarter 2011 through the fourth quarter of 2012, the number of housing units grew about 13%, according to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Another 715 units are expected to come online in 2013.”
Check out the full list here.
University Circle already holds claim as Cleveland's premier medical, cultural and educational district. But what does the future hold for the rich, square-mile enclave and the neighborhoods around it?
"Building the Circle 2035: Height, Density and Social Equity" will attempt to answer that question during a free panel discussion on April 10 in the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium. The program is part of the Circle Neighbors lecture series sponsored by the art museum's Womens Council in collaboration with the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Women's Committee of The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Western Reserve Historical Society.
University Circle is an ever-active neighborhood of "arts, ed and med," says Circle Neighbors co-chair Sabrina Inkley. With development on the rise, the district just four miles east of downtown Cleveland has become an anchor for a city that certainly needs one.
"As Clevelanders we have this inferiority complex," says Inkley. "University Circle is the one of the most unique one-square-mile areas in the nation."
The panel talk, moderated by Plain Dealer architecture critic Steven Litt, will peer two decades into the future to imagine what University Circle might look like, and how the district's rising wealth could benefit struggling surrounding neighborhoods. Panelists will include Chris Ronayne of UCI Inc, developer Ari Maron of MRN Ltd. and India Pierce Lee of the Cleveland Foundation.
Inkley doesn't have all the answers, but she knows University Circle is an enormous linchpin for Cleveland's economic future. New rental apartments and various institutions constructing new facilities are just two examples of the growth taking place.
"It's just very exciting," Inkley says. "There is something for everyone here."
SOURCE: Sabrina Inkley
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
"Building the Circle 2035: Height, Density and Social Equity" will attempt to answer that question during a free panel discussion on April 10 in the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium. The program is part of the Circle Neighbors lecture series sponsored by the art museum's Womens Council in collaboration with the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Women's Committee of The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Western Reserve Historical Society.
University Circle is an ever-active neighborhood of "arts, ed and med," says Circle Neighbors co-chair Sabrina Inkley. With development on the rise, the district just four miles east of downtown Cleveland has become an anchor for a city that certainly needs one.
"As Clevelanders we have this inferiority complex," says Inkley. "University Circle is the one of the most unique one-square-mile areas in the nation."
The panel talk, moderated by Plain Dealer architecture critic Steven Litt, will peer two decades into the future to imagine what University Circle might look like, and how the district's rising wealth could benefit struggling surrounding neighborhoods. Panelists will include Chris Ronayne of UCI Inc, developer Ari Maron of MRN Ltd. and India Pierce Lee of the Cleveland Foundation.
Inkley doesn't have all the answers, but she knows University Circle is an enormous linchpin for Cleveland's economic future. New rental apartments and various institutions constructing new facilities are just two examples of the growth taking place.
"It's just very exciting," Inkley says. "There is something for everyone here."
SOURCE: Sabrina Inkley
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Cleveland Leadership Center (CLC) director of engagement Earl Pike can't turn around in downtown Cleveland without seeing a crane or some other piece of construction equipment erecting a new building.
There's certainly good work happening locally, but there's also one critical question that Pike wants answered: With all the development in our region, who is being left behind, and what can we do to ensure that "all boats rise"?
This complex query will be explored through "Making Ends Meet," a series of intensive one-day "civic engagement boot camps" hosted by CLC and Ideastream. The programs, which run from April 22 to May 29, are not "easy" experiences, where participants sit in a classroom and listen to speakers, says Pike.
Instead, the boot camps live up to their name, putting attendees in small groups where they will intimately address key aspects of poverty and economic vulnerability in the region. For example, a planned housing-related boot camp includes a visit to eviction court and a trip to a housing project that supports disabled, homeless individuals.
"There is a hunger out there for an experience that is deeper and tougher than people are used to," Pike says. "We can't just be sitting in a room."
A more profound level of engagement with Cleveland's problems is more likely to create a problem-solving "action group" for further activity, the CLC director maintains. In addition, Ideastream will gather video content from each of the program days to create a documentary on Cleveland's economic vulnerability.
"Cleveland's poverty conversation has taken a back seat," says Pike. "We want to rekindle that conversation."
SOURCE: Earl Pike
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
There's certainly good work happening locally, but there's also one critical question that Pike wants answered: With all the development in our region, who is being left behind, and what can we do to ensure that "all boats rise"?
This complex query will be explored through "Making Ends Meet," a series of intensive one-day "civic engagement boot camps" hosted by CLC and Ideastream. The programs, which run from April 22 to May 29, are not "easy" experiences, where participants sit in a classroom and listen to speakers, says Pike.
Instead, the boot camps live up to their name, putting attendees in small groups where they will intimately address key aspects of poverty and economic vulnerability in the region. For example, a planned housing-related boot camp includes a visit to eviction court and a trip to a housing project that supports disabled, homeless individuals.
"There is a hunger out there for an experience that is deeper and tougher than people are used to," Pike says. "We can't just be sitting in a room."
A more profound level of engagement with Cleveland's problems is more likely to create a problem-solving "action group" for further activity, the CLC director maintains. In addition, Ideastream will gather video content from each of the program days to create a documentary on Cleveland's economic vulnerability.
"Cleveland's poverty conversation has taken a back seat," says Pike. "We want to rekindle that conversation."
SOURCE: Earl Pike
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Intern in Ohio launched last week, connecting thousands of employers and students in internship opportunities across the state. The matching program, which was created by Detroit-based Digerati and sponsored by the University of Toledo, is free to both students and employers.
Intern in Ohio uses Digerati's matching algorithm -- called Classroom to Career -- to match participants based on their skills, interests and requirements. The program saves employers time and money by narrowing down the candidate pool to students who meet the specific requirements for the internships offered. Students are presented with internships that match their interests and skills.
“This is truly a talent attraction and retention effort,” says Wendy Pittman, director of Classroom to Career. “Nationally, 80 percent of interns stay in the region where they interned. Intern in Ohio is another tool to make Cleveland and Ohio an internship destination.”
Digerati launched a similar program in Michigan in 2011, in which 127,000 matches and introductions have been made. Digerati found that 70 percent of interns in Michigan were subsequently offered full-time jobs.
Potential interns and employers are asked a short series of questions about the position and about their personal preferences. The system then identifies the top seven matches for each individual student as well as the business for each position. When a match is made, the employer and the student are notified, and both must select that they are interested before any contact information is shared.
Pittman points out that the program is especially attractive to smaller companies that may not have the resources to find interns with the exact qualifications they need. “If you live outside of Cleveland, you probably don’t know about places like University Circle,” she says. “But what an awesome opportunity if you got matched there.”
So far, 1,200 students have signed up on the site, along with 59 Ohio companies posting 77 positions. Those numbers are growing every day, says Pittman.
Source: Wendy Pittman
Writer: Karin Connelly
Intern in Ohio uses Digerati's matching algorithm -- called Classroom to Career -- to match participants based on their skills, interests and requirements. The program saves employers time and money by narrowing down the candidate pool to students who meet the specific requirements for the internships offered. Students are presented with internships that match their interests and skills.
“This is truly a talent attraction and retention effort,” says Wendy Pittman, director of Classroom to Career. “Nationally, 80 percent of interns stay in the region where they interned. Intern in Ohio is another tool to make Cleveland and Ohio an internship destination.”
Digerati launched a similar program in Michigan in 2011, in which 127,000 matches and introductions have been made. Digerati found that 70 percent of interns in Michigan were subsequently offered full-time jobs.
Potential interns and employers are asked a short series of questions about the position and about their personal preferences. The system then identifies the top seven matches for each individual student as well as the business for each position. When a match is made, the employer and the student are notified, and both must select that they are interested before any contact information is shared.
Pittman points out that the program is especially attractive to smaller companies that may not have the resources to find interns with the exact qualifications they need. “If you live outside of Cleveland, you probably don’t know about places like University Circle,” she says. “But what an awesome opportunity if you got matched there.”
So far, 1,200 students have signed up on the site, along with 59 Ohio companies posting 77 positions. Those numbers are growing every day, says Pittman.
Source: Wendy Pittman
Writer: Karin Connelly
aol travel detects new life in old cleveland buildings
In an AOL Travel piece titled “Cleveland Classics: Five Stylishly Repurposed Buildings,” Sophia Dembling writes of five of our city’s historical buildings that have been transformed and given new life.
Among them are the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, which once housed the former power-generating plant for streetcars and railways located on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River.
The former Higbee’s department store has been transformed into the Horseshoe Casino. The building can best be remembered by some as the scene of the classic holiday film A Christmas Story.
“If you've seen A Christmas Story (and who hasn't), you've seen Higbee's department store, where Ralphie has his horrible Santa experience.”
Check out the rest of the buildings on the list here.
Among them are the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, which once housed the former power-generating plant for streetcars and railways located on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River.
The former Higbee’s department store has been transformed into the Horseshoe Casino. The building can best be remembered by some as the scene of the classic holiday film A Christmas Story.
“If you've seen A Christmas Story (and who hasn't), you've seen Higbee's department store, where Ralphie has his horrible Santa experience.”
Check out the rest of the buildings on the list here.
For those who don't already know, Cleveland is a place where culture, education, creativity and innovation flourishes affordably. At least, that's the message city boosters are trying to sell to mobile young professionals. According to who you ask, that strategy is either working, working slowly, or not working well at all.
El Futuro de Cleveland, a collaboration between Global Cleveland, Esperanza, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE), and Cleveland Leadership Center’s (i)Cleveland hopes to retain local Latino talent in Northeast Ohio by offering paid internships to college students.
“The mission is to support the rich diversity of the Greater Cleveland Latino community and ensure it grows and thrives,” says Global Cleveland’s Elizabeth Hijar. There are 62,000 Latinos in Cuyahoga County, and that population grew by 30 percent since 2000. “The Latino community is a bright spot in Cleveland and is growing."
Part of the Global Cleveland Latino initiative, El Futuro de Cleveland is working with Cleveland State, CWRU, Baldwin Wallace and Kent State, in addition to reaching out to schools in Boston and Chicago. “The focus is on young people to help ensure there are opportunities to make them stay in Cleveland, attract them and make sure there’s a pipeline,” says Hijar. “We want to focus on these students and really try to help them get a first start in their careers, whether they are from Cleveland or outside of Cleveland, and think about living here on a long-term basis.”
Nineteen employers already have signed up to provide paid internships through the program. The employers are required to enroll their interns in the (i)Cleveland summer leadership and mentoring program.
Source: Elizabeth Hijar
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The mission is to support the rich diversity of the Greater Cleveland Latino community and ensure it grows and thrives,” says Global Cleveland’s Elizabeth Hijar. There are 62,000 Latinos in Cuyahoga County, and that population grew by 30 percent since 2000. “The Latino community is a bright spot in Cleveland and is growing."
Part of the Global Cleveland Latino initiative, El Futuro de Cleveland is working with Cleveland State, CWRU, Baldwin Wallace and Kent State, in addition to reaching out to schools in Boston and Chicago. “The focus is on young people to help ensure there are opportunities to make them stay in Cleveland, attract them and make sure there’s a pipeline,” says Hijar. “We want to focus on these students and really try to help them get a first start in their careers, whether they are from Cleveland or outside of Cleveland, and think about living here on a long-term basis.”
Nineteen employers already have signed up to provide paid internships through the program. The employers are required to enroll their interns in the (i)Cleveland summer leadership and mentoring program.
Source: Elizabeth Hijar
Writer: Karin Connelly
Since its modest beginnings 36 years ago at the Cedar Lee Theatre, the Cleveland International Film Festival has blossomed into a premiere local, regional and national event. Over the years the festival’s attendance has grown by over 600 percent to last year's record of 85,018. Here are four films with a Cleveland connection.
nytimes says all eyes on cma in the museum world
In a New York Times feature titled “Technology That Serves to Enhance, Not Distract,” Fred A. Bernstein explores the attention the Cleveland Museum of Art has been garnering for its groundbreaking Gallery One exhibit.
“In the museum world, everyone’s watching Cleveland right now,” said Erin Coburn, a museum consultant who has worked at both the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Though other museums have experimented with interactive technology, the extent of Cleveland’s program is unprecedented, she said. “They’ve put a lot out there for other museums to learn from.”
The museum also treats iPads users to more and different information by giving an interactive feel to the displays, while still keeping focus on the artwork itself. If you do not have an iPad, one can be rented from the museum for just $5 per day.
Read the entire feature here.
“In the museum world, everyone’s watching Cleveland right now,” said Erin Coburn, a museum consultant who has worked at both the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Though other museums have experimented with interactive technology, the extent of Cleveland’s program is unprecedented, she said. “They’ve put a lot out there for other museums to learn from.”
The museum also treats iPads users to more and different information by giving an interactive feel to the displays, while still keeping focus on the artwork itself. If you do not have an iPad, one can be rented from the museum for just $5 per day.
Read the entire feature here.
As brewmaster for Market Garden Brewery and Nano Brew, Andy Tveekrem has the enviable job of devising, testing and brewing the luscious suds that bubble up from those popular Ohio City watering holes. We decided to see what a day in the life a big-time brewer is all about.
national design praise continues for moca
In a SmartPlanet post titled “Perfectly detailed, perfectly gorgeous (and perfectly dull),” C.C. Sullivan explains the behind-the-scenes processes that take place when it comes to museum design and/or renovations.
“Museums usually turn out to be just as conventional as the corporations and socialites who run them," Sullivan writes. "These one-percenters are also corporate directors, university trustees, hospital board members and generally busy-busy folk.”
While these talented people can organize a well-run competition, their results tend to disappoint as they focus more or “marketability” rather than design.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland earned praise for “doing it right.”
“It is a truly progressive cultural achievement. The design was radical enough to scare the pants off the museum’s own leadership. We applaud the choices and challenges behind this new, magnetic public place.”
Check out the full story here.
“Museums usually turn out to be just as conventional as the corporations and socialites who run them," Sullivan writes. "These one-percenters are also corporate directors, university trustees, hospital board members and generally busy-busy folk.”
While these talented people can organize a well-run competition, their results tend to disappoint as they focus more or “marketability” rather than design.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland earned praise for “doing it right.”
“It is a truly progressive cultural achievement. The design was radical enough to scare the pants off the museum’s own leadership. We applaud the choices and challenges behind this new, magnetic public place.”
Check out the full story here.
When Tom Nolan was at South by Southwest (SXSW) last year, he was moved by the startup companies on the stage during the business accelerator. “It was inspiring to see the companies go and pitch their hearts out with something they’ve been working on for months and years,” Nolan says. “I remember sitting in the audience and I had the idea for Plotter and I thought, ‘I’m going to go home and work on it.'"
Plotter is Nolan’s social mapping app -- just launched for iPhone on March 1. Plotter allows users to not only perform typical mapping functions, but also lets users interact and view friends’ maps or plot multiple destinations.
Nolan quit his job last September to develop Plotter and hasn’t stopped since. “We kind of hit the ground running in October and November,” he says. “We logged thousands of hours in a short amount of time.”
Nolan and his three partners, Chad Milburn, Tim Zeller and Chris Jungjohann, applied in November to compete in the SXSW accelerator in the social division. In December they got word that Plotter had beat out more than 500 companies for the chance to pitch their app at the conference last week.
The Plotter team made it through the first round, giving a two-minute pitch to judges and investors and made it into the final three in their category. They went on to give a five-minute pitch and a 10-minute Q & A before they were declared the winner.
The next step is to roll out Plotter for Android. Nolan also wants to target the auto industry. “We’re talking to car manufacturers to bring Plotter in dashboards of cars,” he says. “We want to become the first mapping app in cars. The in-dash systems are so outdated.”
Nolan says he plans to keep Plotter in Cleveland and expand the team as soon as possible. “It’s been kind of a whirlwind,” he says. “We need to figure out the next steps and what direction to go in.”
Source: Tom Nolan
Writer: Karin Connelly
Plotter is Nolan’s social mapping app -- just launched for iPhone on March 1. Plotter allows users to not only perform typical mapping functions, but also lets users interact and view friends’ maps or plot multiple destinations.
Nolan quit his job last September to develop Plotter and hasn’t stopped since. “We kind of hit the ground running in October and November,” he says. “We logged thousands of hours in a short amount of time.”
Nolan and his three partners, Chad Milburn, Tim Zeller and Chris Jungjohann, applied in November to compete in the SXSW accelerator in the social division. In December they got word that Plotter had beat out more than 500 companies for the chance to pitch their app at the conference last week.
The Plotter team made it through the first round, giving a two-minute pitch to judges and investors and made it into the final three in their category. They went on to give a five-minute pitch and a 10-minute Q & A before they were declared the winner.
The next step is to roll out Plotter for Android. Nolan also wants to target the auto industry. “We’re talking to car manufacturers to bring Plotter in dashboards of cars,” he says. “We want to become the first mapping app in cars. The in-dash systems are so outdated.”
Nolan says he plans to keep Plotter in Cleveland and expand the team as soon as possible. “It’s been kind of a whirlwind,” he says. “We need to figure out the next steps and what direction to go in.”
Source: Tom Nolan
Writer: Karin Connelly
rta healthline among nation's best in rapid transit
In an Architect’s Newspaper blog post titled “Cleveland Leads U.S. Cities in Bus Rapid Transit,” Chris Bentley shares that Cleveland was the only American city to earn a “Silver Standard” ranking from the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP). None made the “Gold Standard.”
Cleveland was praised for its HealthLine, which in turn has helped spawn billions of dollars in investment to the city’s economic centers.
“Cleveland’s HealthLine, formerly The Euclid Corridor, is a 9.2-mile transit corridor connecting Downtown, University Circle, and East Cleveland with 40 stops along the way. [The] hybrid articulated buses ferry passengers 24-7.”
Four American cities made the ITDP “Bronze Standard.”
Read the full post here.
Cleveland was praised for its HealthLine, which in turn has helped spawn billions of dollars in investment to the city’s economic centers.
“Cleveland’s HealthLine, formerly The Euclid Corridor, is a 9.2-mile transit corridor connecting Downtown, University Circle, and East Cleveland with 40 stops along the way. [The] hybrid articulated buses ferry passengers 24-7.”
Four American cities made the ITDP “Bronze Standard.”
Read the full post here.
local company making most of exporting opportunities
In a Huffington Post story titled “ It’s a Small (Business) World: The Benefits of Exporting,” Karen Mills, an administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, shares a story about Cleveland’s TLC Products and its success in exporting through the assistance of the program.
“I recently visited TLC Products -- a Cleveland business which manufactures live bacterial products used for environmentally-friendly water treatment in ponds, septic systems and aquariums,” Mills writes.
“The company credits SBA Express loans and other products with transforming their business. Today, they have export opportunities to eight countries and expect to increase sales significantly next year with additional sales to China, India and Mexico.”
Check out the detailed piece here.
“I recently visited TLC Products -- a Cleveland business which manufactures live bacterial products used for environmentally-friendly water treatment in ponds, septic systems and aquariums,” Mills writes.
“The company credits SBA Express loans and other products with transforming their business. Today, they have export opportunities to eight countries and expect to increase sales significantly next year with additional sales to China, India and Mexico.”
Check out the detailed piece here.
"Ever dream of running your own restaurant as an executive chef, pastry chef or sommelier?"
That is the question asked by leaders of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. Fulfilling that dream would be a challenge for most anyone, but what about a person reentering society after incarceration?
Hoping to provide the answer is Brandon Chrostowski, general manager, sommelier and fromanger at L'Albatros restaurant. He is also founder of EDWINS, a Cleveland nonprofit providing free restaurant training to underprivileged adults. The 26-week program teaches cooking methods, pastry techniques, food pairings, nutrition and other facets that come with the culinary arts.
Ohio's recidivism rate stands at about 30 percent, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Chrostowski, 33, believes these numbers reflect the lack of opportunities available for ex-inmates.
"There's no guidance and no jobs out there," he says. "Our goal is to provide these people with a skill and a solid path."
Students are rotated through every station of a restaurant, providing them with a variety of skills and real-world experience. Over the last two years, the program has assisted about 30 graduates in finding employment as line cooks, dishwashers and servers. Some students have already been promoted from these entry-level positions.
Chrostowski hit his own "rough patch" a decade ago, and was able to go back to school and hone his culinary craft. The restaurateur wants others to have the same opportunity he did. EDWINS' ultimate goal is to open a restaurant staffed entirely by program graduates.
"Everyone deserves a second shot," Chrostowski says. "This is a chance for people to change their lives."
SOURCE: Brandon Chrostowski
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
That is the question asked by leaders of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. Fulfilling that dream would be a challenge for most anyone, but what about a person reentering society after incarceration?
Hoping to provide the answer is Brandon Chrostowski, general manager, sommelier and fromanger at L'Albatros restaurant. He is also founder of EDWINS, a Cleveland nonprofit providing free restaurant training to underprivileged adults. The 26-week program teaches cooking methods, pastry techniques, food pairings, nutrition and other facets that come with the culinary arts.
Ohio's recidivism rate stands at about 30 percent, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Chrostowski, 33, believes these numbers reflect the lack of opportunities available for ex-inmates.
"There's no guidance and no jobs out there," he says. "Our goal is to provide these people with a skill and a solid path."
Students are rotated through every station of a restaurant, providing them with a variety of skills and real-world experience. Over the last two years, the program has assisted about 30 graduates in finding employment as line cooks, dishwashers and servers. Some students have already been promoted from these entry-level positions.
Chrostowski hit his own "rough patch" a decade ago, and was able to go back to school and hone his culinary craft. The restaurateur wants others to have the same opportunity he did. EDWINS' ultimate goal is to open a restaurant staffed entirely by program graduates.
"Everyone deserves a second shot," Chrostowski says. "This is a chance for people to change their lives."
SOURCE: Brandon Chrostowski
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
