Regional Economy
When Case's think[box] is completed, it will be one of largest university-based invention centers in the world, bigger even than Stanford's d. school, MIT's Fab Lab, or Rice's Design Kitchen. It’s a venture that has the potential to play a major role in spurring innovation in the region, say local educators and entrepreneurs.
Several times each week, giant freighters the length of two football fields travel up the crooked Cuyahoga River to deliver raw materials. In this slide show, Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski goes along for the ride.
msn travel writer calls cleveland 'america's big comeback story'
Writing for MSN Travel, Ken Hegan, a screenwriter and journalist, calls Cleveland "America's big comeback story."
"Never thought I'd ever say this but I just fell in love with Cleveland, Ohio. Now I kinda want to move there," he writes.
Following a brief and painful history lesson, Hegan gets to the good stuff:
"The city's entering a period of 'unprecedented growth. The river's cleaned up, there's a thriving medical industry, houses are cheap, artists can rent old brick warehouse spaces for the price of a Manhattan coffee, the city's enjoying a culinary boom, plus there's a museum devoted to polka music and a festival celebrating duct tape."
"The city's rebuilding and expanding with billions of dollars in new tourism infrastructure that includes a $26-million Museum of Art, new boutique hotels, a new medical convention center... The city is also looking forward to hosting the Summer National Senior Games (July 2013), and The International Gay Games (2014)."
Hegan closes with a bold assertion:
"If I was an artist in America right now (or anyone who wants to live cheaply in The Next Great American City), I wouldn't pay a fortune to starve in Brooklyn. Instead, I'd live like a king, rent an inexpensive brick Cleveland studio, and turn that into a factory of art."
Read the rest here.
"Never thought I'd ever say this but I just fell in love with Cleveland, Ohio. Now I kinda want to move there," he writes.
Following a brief and painful history lesson, Hegan gets to the good stuff:
"The city's entering a period of 'unprecedented growth. The river's cleaned up, there's a thriving medical industry, houses are cheap, artists can rent old brick warehouse spaces for the price of a Manhattan coffee, the city's enjoying a culinary boom, plus there's a museum devoted to polka music and a festival celebrating duct tape."
"The city's rebuilding and expanding with billions of dollars in new tourism infrastructure that includes a $26-million Museum of Art, new boutique hotels, a new medical convention center... The city is also looking forward to hosting the Summer National Senior Games (July 2013), and The International Gay Games (2014)."
Hegan closes with a bold assertion:
"If I was an artist in America right now (or anyone who wants to live cheaply in The Next Great American City), I wouldn't pay a fortune to starve in Brooklyn. Instead, I'd live like a king, rent an inexpensive brick Cleveland studio, and turn that into a factory of art."
Read the rest here.
On the heels of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds annual conference, the Great Lakes Venture Fair will host its first event at the Cleveland Marriott on October 17 and 18. The event is a joint effort between the Ohio Capital Fund, Ohio Venture Association, JumpStart, TechColumbus and CincyTech.
“The event builds on the past seven successful years of the Ohio Early Stage Summit,” says Chris Sklarin, event chair and investor manager with Edison Ventures. “Great Lakes Venture Fair will showcase the region’s high potential companies to investors with a focus on successful strategic partnerships -- how it’s done.”
The Great Lakes Venture is designed to highlight the activity in the region, as well as identify the next big things. “It’s important in general for the region because this is the new economy,” says Sklarin. “This is where we find new growth, new ventures. It would be really great for us to have a successful large company to grow out of this.
Keynote speaker for the event will be Jeff Weedman, who took a two-year leave as vice president of global business development of Proctor & Gamble to become CEO of Cintrifuse in Cincinnati. He will talk about the corporate partnerships behind Cintrifuse as well as join a panel discussion about working with strategic investors.
Sklarin’s advice to entrepreneurs planning on attending is straightforward. “Bring your business cards -- there’s a lot of networking,” he says. “Have your elevator pitch down. You want to get out there and meet everyone you can.”
Organizers are expecting as many as 300 attendees.
Source: Chris Sklarin
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The event builds on the past seven successful years of the Ohio Early Stage Summit,” says Chris Sklarin, event chair and investor manager with Edison Ventures. “Great Lakes Venture Fair will showcase the region’s high potential companies to investors with a focus on successful strategic partnerships -- how it’s done.”
The Great Lakes Venture is designed to highlight the activity in the region, as well as identify the next big things. “It’s important in general for the region because this is the new economy,” says Sklarin. “This is where we find new growth, new ventures. It would be really great for us to have a successful large company to grow out of this.
Keynote speaker for the event will be Jeff Weedman, who took a two-year leave as vice president of global business development of Proctor & Gamble to become CEO of Cintrifuse in Cincinnati. He will talk about the corporate partnerships behind Cintrifuse as well as join a panel discussion about working with strategic investors.
Sklarin’s advice to entrepreneurs planning on attending is straightforward. “Bring your business cards -- there’s a lot of networking,” he says. “Have your elevator pitch down. You want to get out there and meet everyone you can.”
Organizers are expecting as many as 300 attendees.
Source: Chris Sklarin
Writer: Karin Connelly
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority is asking voters to vote "Yes" on Issue 108, a levy that would cost property owners roughly $20 a year per $100,000. Fresh Water discusses the importance of the levy and more with Port President and CEO William Friedman.
On a recent September morning, the American Courage freighter began a trip upriver at the Port Authority’s Cleveland Bulk Terminal, where it picked up roughly 15,000 tons of iron ore. This was the 635-foot freighter’s second trip that day up the 5.5-mile ship channel to ArcelorMittal, where workers would later turn the iron ore into steel used to produce cars, construct buildings, and make household appliances.
art in america mag attends, writes about moca opening
Art in America, an illustrated fine arts journal designed for collectors, artists, dealers, art professionals, was in Cleveland to attend the opening festivities at MOCA over the weekend. They filed a report titled, "MOCA Cleveland Opens in Sleek New Digs."
"Designed by Iranian-born, London-based Farshid Moussavi, the striking new facility resembles a gigantic chunk of a shiny mineral, resting on an airy plaza," writes Brian Boucher. "Six sides, some triangular, some trapezoidal, rise 65 feet from a hexagonal base to form a square roof. The building's exterior is clad with 1,354 black steel panels that create shimmering reflections."
"The 34,000-square-foot new building gives the non-collecting institution about 8,000 square feet for temporary exhibitions, with three quarters of that area on the top floor and one quarter in a second-floor project space."
Discussions of the opening art exhibit, "Inside Out and from the Ground Up," follows.
Read it all right here.
"Designed by Iranian-born, London-based Farshid Moussavi, the striking new facility resembles a gigantic chunk of a shiny mineral, resting on an airy plaza," writes Brian Boucher. "Six sides, some triangular, some trapezoidal, rise 65 feet from a hexagonal base to form a square roof. The building's exterior is clad with 1,354 black steel panels that create shimmering reflections."
"The 34,000-square-foot new building gives the non-collecting institution about 8,000 square feet for temporary exhibitions, with three quarters of that area on the top floor and one quarter in a second-floor project space."
Discussions of the opening art exhibit, "Inside Out and from the Ground Up," follows.
Read it all right here.
wired mag reviews tremont electric's n-power peg
Wired magazine gets its hands on Tremont Electric’s nPower PEG, and gives it the onec over.
Titled "Need to Gas Up Your Phone? Take a Lap," the feature tests the device and gives it good marks.
"Here’s a familiar scenario: You’re walking somewhere, and you realize you’re going to be late. You reach for your phone to call, but your battery is as dead as Osama. You need some juice, stat. But with no outlet or charger nearby, you’re up the ol’ creek again."
"I’ve just tested a device made for moments like these: Tremont Electric’s nPower PEG backup charger. It purports to capture the energy your body gives off just by just walking or cycling, funneling volts into your dead cellphone battery, and bringing the device back to life or extending talk-time into the great beyond."
And the final verdict:
"Recharges cellphones with low or dead batteries using the kinetic energy of your bodily movements. 14 ounces and not too bulky, so you can carry it anywhere. Great for emergencies."
Read the rest of the review here.
Titled "Need to Gas Up Your Phone? Take a Lap," the feature tests the device and gives it good marks.
"Here’s a familiar scenario: You’re walking somewhere, and you realize you’re going to be late. You reach for your phone to call, but your battery is as dead as Osama. You need some juice, stat. But with no outlet or charger nearby, you’re up the ol’ creek again."
"I’ve just tested a device made for moments like these: Tremont Electric’s nPower PEG backup charger. It purports to capture the energy your body gives off just by just walking or cycling, funneling volts into your dead cellphone battery, and bringing the device back to life or extending talk-time into the great beyond."
And the final verdict:
"Recharges cellphones with low or dead batteries using the kinetic energy of your bodily movements. 14 ounces and not too bulky, so you can carry it anywhere. Great for emergencies."
Read the rest of the review here.
cleveland, among best beer cities in the states
As part of a comprehensive feature on beer in America GQ magazine included a listing of "The 5 Best Beer Cities in America." Cleveland landed on that coveted list.
"The U.S. of A. is going through a beer revolution -- pledge allegiance (and raise a glass) to our country's capitals of brew," begins the thirst-quenching feature.
In regards to Cleveland, which the mag classifies as "The Old-School Beertown," William Bostwick writes, "A hard-working frontier town built on booze (one of its earliest businesses was a distillery on downtown's Whiskey Island), Cleveland has no truck with pretension. Just want a damn beer? You got it: a nice cold lager, clean, bright, balanced. But this is Cleveland, so the beer is Dortmunder Gold from Great Lakes Brewing Co., the best of its kind this side of the Rhine. In a city where you can watch the symphony orchestra while eating a burger at the Happy Dog bar, the beer is top-notch but down to earth, a welcome respite from snootier beer meccas on the coasts. Market Garden's brown ale is the country's best; the pedal-in bar Nano Brew Cleveland will pour you a bready amber ale while they tune your bike; even Heinen's, the (proudly) family-run grocery chain fills growlers."
Read the rest here.
"The U.S. of A. is going through a beer revolution -- pledge allegiance (and raise a glass) to our country's capitals of brew," begins the thirst-quenching feature.
In regards to Cleveland, which the mag classifies as "The Old-School Beertown," William Bostwick writes, "A hard-working frontier town built on booze (one of its earliest businesses was a distillery on downtown's Whiskey Island), Cleveland has no truck with pretension. Just want a damn beer? You got it: a nice cold lager, clean, bright, balanced. But this is Cleveland, so the beer is Dortmunder Gold from Great Lakes Brewing Co., the best of its kind this side of the Rhine. In a city where you can watch the symphony orchestra while eating a burger at the Happy Dog bar, the beer is top-notch but down to earth, a welcome respite from snootier beer meccas on the coasts. Market Garden's brown ale is the country's best; the pedal-in bar Nano Brew Cleveland will pour you a bready amber ale while they tune your bike; even Heinen's, the (proudly) family-run grocery chain fills growlers."
Read the rest here.
renter's boom startup featured in the atlantic
Alexis Madrigal, senior editor at The Atlantic, has been writing about "Rust Belt" startups as part of an ongoing series called "Startup Nation."
In a feature titled, "Helping Apartment Complexes Help You," he writes about Renter's Boom, a Cleveland startup that works with rental-management companies "to turn their social media pages into leasing hubs."
"They set up Facebook pages for these companies and help them build apps so that people can check out apartments, make appointments, and send referrals within the social network. They also work to help the companies integrate Google's various products that renters may use," Madrigal writes.
Read the rest here.
In a feature titled, "Helping Apartment Complexes Help You," he writes about Renter's Boom, a Cleveland startup that works with rental-management companies "to turn their social media pages into leasing hubs."
"They set up Facebook pages for these companies and help them build apps so that people can check out apartments, make appointments, and send referrals within the social network. They also work to help the companies integrate Google's various products that renters may use," Madrigal writes.
Read the rest here.
Mobile workforce management software company TOA Technologies has spent most of its existence dealing with the "nuts and bolts of American industry," says Jeff Wartgow, vice president of channels and alliances. It's the company's tech, for example, that ensures the cable technician is getting a proper signal so he can complete his work.
Thanks to its recent partnership with Racktime Sales & Marketing Services, a Netherlands-headquartered field marketing services provider, TOA now gets a taste of the "sexy" side of the tech industry, Wartgow says. Racktime will be using TOA's new ETAworkforce and ETAdirect Professional software to optimize its mobile business operations, which include cool stuff like DVD displays and Playstation demo booths.
"Racktime is a fun, young company," says Wartgow. "It's great to see that side of the culture coming into the market."
"Field marketing" represents the distribution or sampling of promotions in the public space. TOA software will assist Racktime in automating assignments, optimizing schedules and providing its customers with real-time visibility and collaboration capabilities.
Field marketing "is a completely new frontier for us," Wartgow says. "We had to find a progressive prospect like Racktime willing to take a risk on us."
Creating a product far afield from its core is exciting, says the TOA vice president. "Our mission is to keep expanding and taking on these challenges," adds Wartgow. "It's energizing to [work in] this part of the market."
SOURCE: Jeff Wartgow
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Thanks to its recent partnership with Racktime Sales & Marketing Services, a Netherlands-headquartered field marketing services provider, TOA now gets a taste of the "sexy" side of the tech industry, Wartgow says. Racktime will be using TOA's new ETAworkforce and ETAdirect Professional software to optimize its mobile business operations, which include cool stuff like DVD displays and Playstation demo booths.
"Racktime is a fun, young company," says Wartgow. "It's great to see that side of the culture coming into the market."
"Field marketing" represents the distribution or sampling of promotions in the public space. TOA software will assist Racktime in automating assignments, optimizing schedules and providing its customers with real-time visibility and collaboration capabilities.
Field marketing "is a completely new frontier for us," Wartgow says. "We had to find a progressive prospect like Racktime willing to take a risk on us."
Creating a product far afield from its core is exciting, says the TOA vice president. "Our mission is to keep expanding and taking on these challenges," adds Wartgow. "It's energizing to [work in] this part of the market."
SOURCE: Jeff Wartgow
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
cle zoo welcomes one millionth visitor of the year
On Monday, October 1, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo welcomed its one millionth visitor of 2012, making it 20 straight years the attraction drew one million or more in attendance.
This year’s one millionth visitor was Tara L. of Parma Heights, and her three children, Patrick, Piper and Phineas. The family won a Zoo prize pack including a ZooParent animal adoption package from the Cleveland Zoological Society, limited edition Zoo posters and more.
"The Zoo is very fortunate to have such a supportive community surrounding it in Northeast Ohio,” explains Zoo Director Steve Taylor. “The public votes with its feet, and to have sustained such an attendance record for so long is evidence that people enjoy coming here and spending time with their families.”
Read the rest here.
This year’s one millionth visitor was Tara L. of Parma Heights, and her three children, Patrick, Piper and Phineas. The family won a Zoo prize pack including a ZooParent animal adoption package from the Cleveland Zoological Society, limited edition Zoo posters and more.
"The Zoo is very fortunate to have such a supportive community surrounding it in Northeast Ohio,” explains Zoo Director Steve Taylor. “The public votes with its feet, and to have sustained such an attendance record for so long is evidence that people enjoy coming here and spending time with their families.”
Read the rest here.
The way Beachland Ballroom owner Cindy Barber sees it, Cleveland's music glory days are far from over. Yet our music scene could use some better amplification. That's why Barber has created a new nonprofit, Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present and Future, to preserve the legacy of the city's rock-and-roll history while also promoting and shaping its future.
"The past is the legacy project of capturing Cleveland music history, the present is documenting what's happening now, and the future is figuring out what we need to do to grow it," says Barber. "There's already a huge amount of music business here. We need to take stock of what we have and what we're missing."
Barber cites music business startups like Gotta Groove Records, Fortune Drums, Audio Technica and Dr. Z Amplification as success stories. She also wants to highlight the local bands that are touring and getting signed nationally.
"The plan is to create a website to highlight the bands that are getting attention," she says. "If they're out touring the world, they can bring that energy back to share with other people in Cleveland and grow the music business here."
To kick off the project, Barber and others are organizing a series of live interviews with local legends that played a role in Cleveland music history. The first event is scheduled to place on Saturday, November 3rd at 1 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom. Tickets cost $15 and include lunch and the opportunity to participate as Larry Bruner, former booking manager for the 1960s folk music venue La Cav, is interviewed by Steve Traina, DJ for the WCSB radio show "Steve's Folk."
Future plans include working with the Rock Hall to preserve oral histories and promote live music, helping musicians identify investment sources for growing their bands or recording albums, and marketing the music industry here.
"All the clubs that came together as part of the Cleveland Music Coalition [to challenge the city's admissions tax] are part of this," says Barber. "We want to use the nonprofit to support what they're doing to create live music in Cleveland."
Source: Cindy Barber
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The past is the legacy project of capturing Cleveland music history, the present is documenting what's happening now, and the future is figuring out what we need to do to grow it," says Barber. "There's already a huge amount of music business here. We need to take stock of what we have and what we're missing."
Barber cites music business startups like Gotta Groove Records, Fortune Drums, Audio Technica and Dr. Z Amplification as success stories. She also wants to highlight the local bands that are touring and getting signed nationally.
"The plan is to create a website to highlight the bands that are getting attention," she says. "If they're out touring the world, they can bring that energy back to share with other people in Cleveland and grow the music business here."
To kick off the project, Barber and others are organizing a series of live interviews with local legends that played a role in Cleveland music history. The first event is scheduled to place on Saturday, November 3rd at 1 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom. Tickets cost $15 and include lunch and the opportunity to participate as Larry Bruner, former booking manager for the 1960s folk music venue La Cav, is interviewed by Steve Traina, DJ for the WCSB radio show "Steve's Folk."
Future plans include working with the Rock Hall to preserve oral histories and promote live music, helping musicians identify investment sources for growing their bands or recording albums, and marketing the music industry here.
"All the clubs that came together as part of the Cleveland Music Coalition [to challenge the city's admissions tax] are part of this," says Barber. "We want to use the nonprofit to support what they're doing to create live music in Cleveland."
Source: Cindy Barber
Writer: Lee Chilcote
TWIST Creative had been adverse the word "agency" for many years, as the term represented something the Cleveland-based branding firm was not. That all changed eight months ago when TWIST shifted its strategy to target bigger clients, spurring a period of growth that has led to a flurry of new hires as well as new customers.
That's four new hires and about 20 new clients to be exact, says Michael Ozan, TWIST's president and chief creative officer, who in 2000 founded the firm with wife Connie. Add promotions and an overall company realignment to that list and TWIST has had a very busy 2012.
"We looked at our market position and decided to turn in the direction of being an agency," says Ozan. "We needed more people [on hand] to make that change."
In September, TWIST hired a new director of media relations, an art director and two designers. The agency also named marketing director Josh Taylor as its new director of strategy and development, while lead senior designer Chris Oldham is now director of design operations.
To its burgeoning client portfolio TWIST added 20 new brands, including big-name consumer product companies Hoover Vacuum and Hinkley Lighting; aerospace industry manufacturer Voss Industries; and multi-market restaurateur Paladar.
This was an exciting year, but one also full of difficult changes, says design director Connie Ozan. Although the former boutique is now a full-service brand agency, the challenge for TWIST looking ahead is to continue to grow its position within the market.
"There's been lots of energy over the last eight months," she says. "It will take awhile for the new team to gel, but 2013 is going to be a great year."
SOURCE: Michael Ozan, Connie Ozan
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
That's four new hires and about 20 new clients to be exact, says Michael Ozan, TWIST's president and chief creative officer, who in 2000 founded the firm with wife Connie. Add promotions and an overall company realignment to that list and TWIST has had a very busy 2012.
"We looked at our market position and decided to turn in the direction of being an agency," says Ozan. "We needed more people [on hand] to make that change."
In September, TWIST hired a new director of media relations, an art director and two designers. The agency also named marketing director Josh Taylor as its new director of strategy and development, while lead senior designer Chris Oldham is now director of design operations.
To its burgeoning client portfolio TWIST added 20 new brands, including big-name consumer product companies Hoover Vacuum and Hinkley Lighting; aerospace industry manufacturer Voss Industries; and multi-market restaurateur Paladar.
This was an exciting year, but one also full of difficult changes, says design director Connie Ozan. Although the former boutique is now a full-service brand agency, the challenge for TWIST looking ahead is to continue to grow its position within the market.
"There's been lots of energy over the last eight months," she says. "It will take awhile for the new team to gel, but 2013 is going to be a great year."
SOURCE: Michael Ozan, Connie Ozan
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The West Side Market is celebrating its Centennial year, prompting much discussion of the institution's past, present and future. Among other things, city leaders are discussing how best to ensure that the market remains successful for another 100 years.
Last week, however, the best ideas seemed to come not from local leaders but from others in Detroit, Santa Monica and Hong Kong as 250 market leaders from around the world attended the three-day International Public Markets Conference in Cleveland.
"The roots of our market are in local farmers selling their produce during the growing season," said Dan Carmody, Manager of Detroit's Eastern Market, during a panel discussion on the role of markets in the future of cities. "When I started there, it was a place where wholesale grocers dumped their product at the end of the week. Now we're trying to envision it as a revitalized local food system."
Eastern Market now sells locally-grown produce raised by urban farmers in Detroit, unlike the West Side Market, which only has a handful of vendors selling local produce.
Santa Monica's public market also was held up as an example. It offers valet parking for bicycles, works with a nearby cooking school to do demonstrations, and hosts "Meatless Mondays" to educate people about how to cook vegetarian.
And if you're looking for fresh, you can't get much more so than Hong Kong's Tai Yuen Market, which has fish swimming in tanks and live chickens. (The market recently installed a state-of-the-art ventilation system to deal with the offending odors.)
Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman, who touted his experience working in his uncle's butcher shop as a young man, said that change is coming to the market.
"People at the West Side Market are looking too much at last year's calendar," said Cimperman to the audience. "It won't survive unless they look at tomorrow."
Among the changes that have been recommended at the market are adding more local foods, creating more convenient hours and charging for parking. There is a proposal for a parking fee, but city leaders are still negotiating with vendors.
Cimperman vowed to continue the fight for change. "The city's lease with vendors runs out in 2014,"he said. "It's time to look at the market for the next 100 years."
Source: Joe Cimperman, International Public Markets conference
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Last week, however, the best ideas seemed to come not from local leaders but from others in Detroit, Santa Monica and Hong Kong as 250 market leaders from around the world attended the three-day International Public Markets Conference in Cleveland.
"The roots of our market are in local farmers selling their produce during the growing season," said Dan Carmody, Manager of Detroit's Eastern Market, during a panel discussion on the role of markets in the future of cities. "When I started there, it was a place where wholesale grocers dumped their product at the end of the week. Now we're trying to envision it as a revitalized local food system."
Eastern Market now sells locally-grown produce raised by urban farmers in Detroit, unlike the West Side Market, which only has a handful of vendors selling local produce.
Santa Monica's public market also was held up as an example. It offers valet parking for bicycles, works with a nearby cooking school to do demonstrations, and hosts "Meatless Mondays" to educate people about how to cook vegetarian.
And if you're looking for fresh, you can't get much more so than Hong Kong's Tai Yuen Market, which has fish swimming in tanks and live chickens. (The market recently installed a state-of-the-art ventilation system to deal with the offending odors.)
Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman, who touted his experience working in his uncle's butcher shop as a young man, said that change is coming to the market.
"People at the West Side Market are looking too much at last year's calendar," said Cimperman to the audience. "It won't survive unless they look at tomorrow."
Among the changes that have been recommended at the market are adding more local foods, creating more convenient hours and charging for parking. There is a proposal for a parking fee, but city leaders are still negotiating with vendors.
Cimperman vowed to continue the fight for change. "The city's lease with vendors runs out in 2014,"he said. "It's time to look at the market for the next 100 years."
Source: Joe Cimperman, International Public Markets conference
Writer: Lee Chilcote
efuneral's digital approach to funeral home shopping gets praise
Alexis Madrigal, senior editor at The Atlantic, has been writing about "Rust Belt" startups as part of an ongoing series called "Startup Nation."
In a feature titled, "Bringing Innovation to the Funeral-Home Business (No, Really)," he writes about Cleveland-based eFuneral, which brings funeral home shopping into the digital age.
"The idea for the company did not originate in dreams of Instagram glory or joviality," he writes. "His cousin died, and when his family went to plan the funeral, they encountered some difficulty in selecting a funeral home. There were 12 places within two miles of where his cousin lived. How do you pick one?"
"For us, the big question wasn't, 'Where is there a funeral home?'" founder Mike Belsito was quoted. "It was, How are we supposed to know which of these is going to provide us good service? And what is it going to cost?'"
"We had more information on where to go to dinner, where we're spending 40 bucks, than we did for my cousin's funeral," he said.
Considering that funeral services are some of the highest ticket items someone pays for in their life after a house and a car, a modern tool for shopping seemed a great idea.
Read the rest of the news here.
In a feature titled, "Bringing Innovation to the Funeral-Home Business (No, Really)," he writes about Cleveland-based eFuneral, which brings funeral home shopping into the digital age.
"The idea for the company did not originate in dreams of Instagram glory or joviality," he writes. "His cousin died, and when his family went to plan the funeral, they encountered some difficulty in selecting a funeral home. There were 12 places within two miles of where his cousin lived. How do you pick one?"
"For us, the big question wasn't, 'Where is there a funeral home?'" founder Mike Belsito was quoted. "It was, How are we supposed to know which of these is going to provide us good service? And what is it going to cost?'"
"We had more information on where to go to dinner, where we're spending 40 bucks, than we did for my cousin's funeral," he said.
Considering that funeral services are some of the highest ticket items someone pays for in their life after a house and a car, a modern tool for shopping seemed a great idea.
Read the rest of the news here.
If the future belongs to those cities that can frame their opportunities and challenges, act in ways that demonstrate measurable progress, and connect and engage with the smartest people and the smartest ideas, than City Vitals 2.0 can act as a road map for urban leaders.
When it comes to attracting talent from outside the city, Cleveland "has room for improvement," according to recruiters and other pros tasked with the job. But numerous developments currently taking place in the city are major steps in the right direction, say those same pros.
'nerd-friendly' shaker launchhouse featured in the altantic
Alexis Madrigal, senior editor at The Atlantic, has been writing about "Rust Belt" startups as part of an ongoing series called "Startup Nation."
In a feature titled, "A Space to Be an Entrepreneur and Not Feel Like You Have Leprosy Here in Cleveland," he writes about Shaker LaunchHouse, where an abandoned car dealership has been transformed into a "lively space for Cleveland's nerds and entrepreneurs alike."
"Run by native Clevelander Dar Caldwell, LaunchHouse takes a bunch of the weird and geeky things going on in the Bay and compresses them into one glorious space filled with entrepreneurs, developers, designers, and (I use this word lovingly) nerds," Madrigal writes.
Writing about some of the more eccentric "tenants," he notes, "I'm not sure I could explain to an economic development officer or even some venture capitalists why these guys are so important in the formation of new companies, why you need them drinking beer with the entrepreneurs, or why their love for the sheer thingness of things is so exhilarating. But I'll put it like this: these guys are the wizards, even if they aren't the kings or the knights. They're the soul of a tech scene, even if they may never sign a term sheet, trademark a name, or raise seed capital. And where they are, there is magic."
Read the rest of the news here.
In a feature titled, "A Space to Be an Entrepreneur and Not Feel Like You Have Leprosy Here in Cleveland," he writes about Shaker LaunchHouse, where an abandoned car dealership has been transformed into a "lively space for Cleveland's nerds and entrepreneurs alike."
"Run by native Clevelander Dar Caldwell, LaunchHouse takes a bunch of the weird and geeky things going on in the Bay and compresses them into one glorious space filled with entrepreneurs, developers, designers, and (I use this word lovingly) nerds," Madrigal writes.
Writing about some of the more eccentric "tenants," he notes, "I'm not sure I could explain to an economic development officer or even some venture capitalists why these guys are so important in the formation of new companies, why you need them drinking beer with the entrepreneurs, or why their love for the sheer thingness of things is so exhilarating. But I'll put it like this: these guys are the wizards, even if they aren't the kings or the knights. They're the soul of a tech scene, even if they may never sign a term sheet, trademark a name, or raise seed capital. And where they are, there is magic."
Read the rest of the news here.
Chamberlain College of Nursing has announced plans to open a new campus in the MidTown Tech Center amidst Cleveland's Health-Tech Corridor this January. The new school will offer an accelerated, three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree program.
"Chamberlain is sensitive to the nursing shortage and the need to create nurses at the bachelors level to provide care where there's high levels of need," says Adele Webb, President of the new Cleveland campus. "We're a three year program, so within three years, we can contribute nurses to market."
According to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, there is likely to be a deficit of 32,000 nurses statewide by 2020. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Ohio turned away more than 2,300 nurses last year.
Chamberlain's new Cleveland campus -- its 12th in the nation and second in Ohio -- offers several innovative features. The school's SIMCARE Lab gives students a chance to work on mannequins that simulate real-world situations such as labor, birth and when a patient stops breathing. The school also will include a Center for Academic Success to help students get the resources they need to stay in school.
The rising demand for nurses due to health care reform, an underserved market in Cleveland and the opportunity to be a part of Cleveland's medical community were all factors driving Chamberlain's decision to locate in the city, Webb says.
"As the City of Cleveland is trying to develop the Health-Tech Corridor around major institutions, this was an opportunity for us to be a part of it," Webb says.
The new Chamberlain School of Nursing facility will be located at 6700 Euclid Avenue.
Source: Adele Webb
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Chamberlain is sensitive to the nursing shortage and the need to create nurses at the bachelors level to provide care where there's high levels of need," says Adele Webb, President of the new Cleveland campus. "We're a three year program, so within three years, we can contribute nurses to market."
According to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, there is likely to be a deficit of 32,000 nurses statewide by 2020. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Ohio turned away more than 2,300 nurses last year.
Chamberlain's new Cleveland campus -- its 12th in the nation and second in Ohio -- offers several innovative features. The school's SIMCARE Lab gives students a chance to work on mannequins that simulate real-world situations such as labor, birth and when a patient stops breathing. The school also will include a Center for Academic Success to help students get the resources they need to stay in school.
The rising demand for nurses due to health care reform, an underserved market in Cleveland and the opportunity to be a part of Cleveland's medical community were all factors driving Chamberlain's decision to locate in the city, Webb says.
"As the City of Cleveland is trying to develop the Health-Tech Corridor around major institutions, this was an opportunity for us to be a part of it," Webb says.
The new Chamberlain School of Nursing facility will be located at 6700 Euclid Avenue.
Source: Adele Webb
Writer: Lee Chilcote