Stories
Modern medicine is constantly innovating ways to improve the length and quality of human life. Cleveland researchers are leading the way with cutting-edge treatments and technologies that can blast a brain tumor with a laser, detect a concussion using an iPad, and test for prostate cancer by way of genetics.
read more about ohio innovation news here
Read more about Ohio innovation and job news at our sister publication hiVelocity.
Creative reuse centers are popping up all across the nation, including Cleveland. These craft-astic places are filled with useful materials that otherwise would end up in a landfill. Adored by artists, teachers and other crafty folks, they also create green jobs, reduce waste and offer affordable supplies for projects.
ohio city selected as 'best old house neighborhood' in this old house
Ohio City continues to attract attention both locally, regionally, and nationally for a wealth of positive reasons. The latest praise comes from the editors of This Old House magazine.
In the latest issue, Ohio City was included in the magazine's annual "Best Old House Neighborhoods" issue. What's more, the west side hamlet was deemed an Editor's Choice thanks to its Victorian-era homes that range from simple vernacular worker cottages to Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Stick-style, and Italianate homes.
"This former shipbuilding center just west of downtown Cleveland had a growth spurt in the latter half of the 1800s, when workers and managers for the area's docks, distilleries, and mills settled there," the editors write.
Garnering specific attention was Ohio City's walkability.
Read the rest right here.
In the latest issue, Ohio City was included in the magazine's annual "Best Old House Neighborhoods" issue. What's more, the west side hamlet was deemed an Editor's Choice thanks to its Victorian-era homes that range from simple vernacular worker cottages to Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Stick-style, and Italianate homes.
"This former shipbuilding center just west of downtown Cleveland had a growth spurt in the latter half of the 1800s, when workers and managers for the area's docks, distilleries, and mills settled there," the editors write.
Garnering specific attention was Ohio City's walkability.
Read the rest right here.
Welcome to Waterloo, which is fast becoming the weirdest, most creative strip in Cleveland. Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Kresge Foundation, this neighborhood will increase to 25 the number of new arts-based businesses that recently opened along the main drag.
Micro-lending organization Bad Girl Ventures (BGV) wants Cleveland to connect with the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners. That hopefully beautiful friendship will begin on Thursday, October 3, when BGV Cleveland hosts its kickoff event introducing the 10 finalists of its fall business plan competition.
The 10 women will present themselves at Battery Park Wine Bar, pitching their ideas to an audience before embarking on BGV's nine-week course to help tweak their fledgling enterprises. The final class will be in mid-November, with the winner of BGV's $25,000 low-interest loan announced during a "graduation ceremony" the following month.
Financing and mentorship are just two of the benefits for program participants, says Reka Barabas, director of BGV Cleveland.
"Networking is a huge motivating factor for them," she says. "These women are not just sitting in a stuffy classroom, but extending their professional network."
This autumn's class represents a wide range of industries and specialty areas. There's a children's party bus, granola bar company, match-making business, and more.
BGV Cleveland offers business education courses and financing twice per year to help women-owned startups launch, manage and market their businesses. In May, custom cake baker Sugar Plum Cake Company earned the business group's $25,000 loan. Two other ventures -- Journey Art Gallery and The Agrarian Collective -- each received $5,000 loans from a private giving circle.
"We're exposing these businesses to as many resources as possible," says Barabas. "There's a huge value in that."
SOURCE: Reka Barabas
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The 10 women will present themselves at Battery Park Wine Bar, pitching their ideas to an audience before embarking on BGV's nine-week course to help tweak their fledgling enterprises. The final class will be in mid-November, with the winner of BGV's $25,000 low-interest loan announced during a "graduation ceremony" the following month.
Financing and mentorship are just two of the benefits for program participants, says Reka Barabas, director of BGV Cleveland.
"Networking is a huge motivating factor for them," she says. "These women are not just sitting in a stuffy classroom, but extending their professional network."
This autumn's class represents a wide range of industries and specialty areas. There's a children's party bus, granola bar company, match-making business, and more.
BGV Cleveland offers business education courses and financing twice per year to help women-owned startups launch, manage and market their businesses. In May, custom cake baker Sugar Plum Cake Company earned the business group's $25,000 loan. Two other ventures -- Journey Art Gallery and The Agrarian Collective -- each received $5,000 loans from a private giving circle.
"We're exposing these businesses to as many resources as possible," says Barabas. "There's a huge value in that."
SOURCE: Reka Barabas
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Speaking last week at the annual meeting of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), the regional transportation planning agency for Northeast Ohio, Executive Director Grace Gallucci promised a more strategic distribution of money for projects and greater emphasis on multi-modal transportation options.
"We want more choices; that's what freedom -- being an American -- is about," she said. "NOACA is not trying to vilify the automobile; we're trying to attract the best and the brightest. Bicycling is increasingly popular, and more communities are integrating bike plans. Americans are driving less for the first time in a generation, and that trend is clearly led by the Millenial generation."
NOACA also has launched a far-reaching plan to assemble information on the condition of every highway, road and street in five counties, and use this information to make objective decisions about transportation spending. "Making decisions in an objective, data-driven way is more important now than ever. If there ever was a time to make decisions make economic sense, the time is now."
Gallucci touted NOACA's new Regional Bicycle Transportation Plan, a $15 million investment in the City of Cleveland's W. 73rd Street Extension Project and the Clifton Boulevard streetscape project among NOACA's recent, big ticket investments.
Peter Rogoff, Federal Transit Administrator, gave the keynote address. He argued that transit-oriented development projects can spark urban revitalization if done right, citing Cleveland's bus-rapid transit along the Euclid Corridor as one example of success.
Cleveland is a "national model for doing" with the Euclid Corridor project, Rogoff stated, because the project cost a lot less than light rail but resulted in big ridership gains and major economic development along the corridor. Other cities are studying how Cleveland did it and replicating our success, he added.
Source: Grace Gallucci, Peter Rogoff
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We want more choices; that's what freedom -- being an American -- is about," she said. "NOACA is not trying to vilify the automobile; we're trying to attract the best and the brightest. Bicycling is increasingly popular, and more communities are integrating bike plans. Americans are driving less for the first time in a generation, and that trend is clearly led by the Millenial generation."
NOACA also has launched a far-reaching plan to assemble information on the condition of every highway, road and street in five counties, and use this information to make objective decisions about transportation spending. "Making decisions in an objective, data-driven way is more important now than ever. If there ever was a time to make decisions make economic sense, the time is now."
Gallucci touted NOACA's new Regional Bicycle Transportation Plan, a $15 million investment in the City of Cleveland's W. 73rd Street Extension Project and the Clifton Boulevard streetscape project among NOACA's recent, big ticket investments.
Peter Rogoff, Federal Transit Administrator, gave the keynote address. He argued that transit-oriented development projects can spark urban revitalization if done right, citing Cleveland's bus-rapid transit along the Euclid Corridor as one example of success.
Cleveland is a "national model for doing" with the Euclid Corridor project, Rogoff stated, because the project cost a lot less than light rail but resulted in big ridership gains and major economic development along the corridor. Other cities are studying how Cleveland did it and replicating our success, he added.
Source: Grace Gallucci, Peter Rogoff
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Hildebrandt Artist Collective is set to open studio and gallery space in the historic Hildebrandt building, a gigantic warehouse located on Walton Avenue on Cleveland's near west side, sometime next month.
The group joins existing tenants Rust Belt Welding, Soulcraft Woodshop and Wake Robin Fermented Foods in the sprawling complex, which was built a century ago as a meat packing company but has evolved into a hub for local food and art.
Fiber artist Katie Simmons says that she launched the space with about 10 other artists to provide affordable, collaborative workspace for young, emerging artists.
"A lot of these artists have just graduated from college, and they don't have a lot of extra funds, yet being an artist is difficult if you don't have space," she says. "By having a shared space, everybody brings something to the table and we can collaborate with one another, and yet we each have our own space, too."
The group also plans to open a gallery called The Lunchroom, and the entire building will be open for a First Friday art walk beginning in December.
"The building is always evolving," says Simmons, who also works at Great Lakes Brewing Company. "There are more artists moving in here."
Source: Katie Simmons
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The group joins existing tenants Rust Belt Welding, Soulcraft Woodshop and Wake Robin Fermented Foods in the sprawling complex, which was built a century ago as a meat packing company but has evolved into a hub for local food and art.
Fiber artist Katie Simmons says that she launched the space with about 10 other artists to provide affordable, collaborative workspace for young, emerging artists.
"A lot of these artists have just graduated from college, and they don't have a lot of extra funds, yet being an artist is difficult if you don't have space," she says. "By having a shared space, everybody brings something to the table and we can collaborate with one another, and yet we each have our own space, too."
The group also plans to open a gallery called The Lunchroom, and the entire building will be open for a First Friday art walk beginning in December.
"The building is always evolving," says Simmons, who also works at Great Lakes Brewing Company. "There are more artists moving in here."
Source: Katie Simmons
Writer: Lee Chilcote
local designer has shot to take it all in martha stewart maker awards
If you've shopped at Banyan Tree, CLE Clothing Co., Bizaare Bazaar or Native Cleveland -- and you have an eye for design -- than you doubtless have spotted the work of Brian Andrew Jasinski. His design-minded line of prints and social stationery, which are sold under the brand Grey Cardigan, feature an instantly recognizable aesthetic that is clean, modern and timeless.
For the past couple weeks, Jasinski has been on a social media blitz to drum up support for his participation in the American Made Audience Choice Awards, where Martha Stewart and the editors of Martha Stewart Living are spotlighting the next generation of great American makers.
Well, it's worked, as the designer has made it to the finalist round, where he is one of just six, whittled down from a beginning pool of more than 2,000 nominees. His category, Design, joins Food, Style, Craft, Garden and Technology.
"To make it as one of six finalists in a competition with 2,000-plus nominees is an honor and an accomplishment," says Jasinski , a graduate of Cleveland Institute of Art. "Friends and fans truly stepped up to the plate daily in their voting and promoting."
The final round of voting, which runs now through September 29, pits Jasinski up against the other five finalists. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 for their business, a feature spread in Martha Stewart Living, a feature on her popular radio show, and an audience with the Domestic Goddess herself.
"To win this competition would bring my work to an incredible spotlight that its connection with Martha Stewart would offer," says Jasinski.
To support Jasinski and his quest, vote up to six times a day right here.
For the past couple weeks, Jasinski has been on a social media blitz to drum up support for his participation in the American Made Audience Choice Awards, where Martha Stewart and the editors of Martha Stewart Living are spotlighting the next generation of great American makers.
Well, it's worked, as the designer has made it to the finalist round, where he is one of just six, whittled down from a beginning pool of more than 2,000 nominees. His category, Design, joins Food, Style, Craft, Garden and Technology.
"To make it as one of six finalists in a competition with 2,000-plus nominees is an honor and an accomplishment," says Jasinski , a graduate of Cleveland Institute of Art. "Friends and fans truly stepped up to the plate daily in their voting and promoting."
The final round of voting, which runs now through September 29, pits Jasinski up against the other five finalists. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 for their business, a feature spread in Martha Stewart Living, a feature on her popular radio show, and an audience with the Domestic Goddess herself.
"To win this competition would bring my work to an incredible spotlight that its connection with Martha Stewart would offer," says Jasinski.
To support Jasinski and his quest, vote up to six times a day right here.
Cleveland's economic leaders have worked hard to parade the city as a hub for innovation. A chance to further show off Northeast Ohio's entrepreneurial acumen is a driving force behind Shaker Heights accelerator LaunchHouse's sponsorship of Cleveland Entrepreneurship Week (Cleveland EW), an upcoming four-day celebration of business success.
The event, scheduled for November 4-8, was created to give entrepreneurs and investors the knowledge and resources to grow the Northeast Ohio business community, says LaunchHouse co-founder Todd Goldstein.
LaunchHouse will kick off Cleveland EW at its Shaker Heights headquarters by presenting the 11 technology startups participating in its Accelerator Program. The rest of the week will feature speakers and other events that give entrepreneurs from all over the country an opportunity to connect with potential financial backers as well as fellow businesspeople.
"We're giving them exposure to people they normally wouldn't meet," says Goldstein. "Meeting the right person can help turn a small business into a large business."
LaunchHouse pushing for the entrepreneurship event aligns with its mission of local job creation through seed capital, education and innovation, notes Goldstein. With Cleveland striving to be on the forefront of the new economy, an event like Cleveland EW can put the area in a positive national spotlight.
"We've worked to change how Northeast Ohio is viewed in terms of entrepreneurship," Goldstein says. "This [event] is about showcasing the region as a place of innovation and capital formation."
SOURCE: Todd Goldstein
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The event, scheduled for November 4-8, was created to give entrepreneurs and investors the knowledge and resources to grow the Northeast Ohio business community, says LaunchHouse co-founder Todd Goldstein.
LaunchHouse will kick off Cleveland EW at its Shaker Heights headquarters by presenting the 11 technology startups participating in its Accelerator Program. The rest of the week will feature speakers and other events that give entrepreneurs from all over the country an opportunity to connect with potential financial backers as well as fellow businesspeople.
"We're giving them exposure to people they normally wouldn't meet," says Goldstein. "Meeting the right person can help turn a small business into a large business."
LaunchHouse pushing for the entrepreneurship event aligns with its mission of local job creation through seed capital, education and innovation, notes Goldstein. With Cleveland striving to be on the forefront of the new economy, an event like Cleveland EW can put the area in a positive national spotlight.
"We've worked to change how Northeast Ohio is viewed in terms of entrepreneurship," Goldstein says. "This [event] is about showcasing the region as a place of innovation and capital formation."
SOURCE: Todd Goldstein
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Ninety two percent of residents in the Central neighborhood live below 200 percent of the poverty line, qualifying them to receive food from food pantries. Yet until recently, the future of the city's largest food pantry -- and the second-largest food pantry in Cuyahoga County -- was seriously in doubt.
Recently, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Cleveland (SVDP) stepped in to assume management of Brother Hubbard's Cupboard in the Carl Stokes Building at 6001 Woodland Avenue, which serves 1,700 people per month and over 20,000 annually.
"The need is still going up based on the number of people we're serving at food pantries, and the working poor tend to be the last ones affected by an economic upswing in a positive way," says John Litten, Executive Director of SVDP. "Northeast Ohio has been slower to recover than we've been led to believe."
The pantry previously was managed by the Capuchin Franciscan Brothers under the direction of Brother Walt Robb, but was in danger of closing when it was announced that Robb was leaving for another assignment.
Litten says SVDP has risen to the task of managing a massive food pantry that requires almost daily deliveries from the Cleveland Food Bank. Yet he stresses that it's about a lot more than just giving out food. "It's the human side that really gets to our mission, the person-to-person service," he says. "For many people, this may be the only person who's helping you today, smiling at you, asking how you're doing."
Although word is still getting out about the newly renamed SVDP Woodland Pantry, Litten says it's already making a difference. "The impact on the neighborhood is huge."
Source: John Litten
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Recently, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Cleveland (SVDP) stepped in to assume management of Brother Hubbard's Cupboard in the Carl Stokes Building at 6001 Woodland Avenue, which serves 1,700 people per month and over 20,000 annually.
"The need is still going up based on the number of people we're serving at food pantries, and the working poor tend to be the last ones affected by an economic upswing in a positive way," says John Litten, Executive Director of SVDP. "Northeast Ohio has been slower to recover than we've been led to believe."
The pantry previously was managed by the Capuchin Franciscan Brothers under the direction of Brother Walt Robb, but was in danger of closing when it was announced that Robb was leaving for another assignment.
Litten says SVDP has risen to the task of managing a massive food pantry that requires almost daily deliveries from the Cleveland Food Bank. Yet he stresses that it's about a lot more than just giving out food. "It's the human side that really gets to our mission, the person-to-person service," he says. "For many people, this may be the only person who's helping you today, smiling at you, asking how you're doing."
Although word is still getting out about the newly renamed SVDP Woodland Pantry, Litten says it's already making a difference. "The impact on the neighborhood is huge."
Source: John Litten
Writer: Lee Chilcote
ny post promotes pair of cleveland art museums
In a New York Post feature titled “Hit up Ohio’s many art museums,” writer Jennifer Caesar highlights the wealth of masterpieces one can enjoy in the great state of Ohio, including those exhibited by The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) and MOCA Cleveland.
"Ohio and the arts are not such strange bedfellows: Flush with cash in the early 20th century -- from industries like steel, rubber and soap -- Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Cincinnati built grand museums, and acquired masterpieces to fill them."
Highlighted at CMA is the "stellar Islamic art, fine European paintings (JMW Turner, Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso among them) and excellent contemporary pieces by the likes of Christo, Gerhard Richter and Chuck Close."
Over at MOCA is, "a rotating series of cutting-edge contemporary art exhibitions (the museum does not have a permanent collection), which lean heavily toward video and performance art."
Check out the full story here.
"Ohio and the arts are not such strange bedfellows: Flush with cash in the early 20th century -- from industries like steel, rubber and soap -- Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Cincinnati built grand museums, and acquired masterpieces to fill them."
Highlighted at CMA is the "stellar Islamic art, fine European paintings (JMW Turner, Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso among them) and excellent contemporary pieces by the likes of Christo, Gerhard Richter and Chuck Close."
Over at MOCA is, "a rotating series of cutting-edge contemporary art exhibitions (the museum does not have a permanent collection), which lean heavily toward video and performance art."
Check out the full story here.
"Failure" is a tough word, particularly for entrepreneurial types throwing so much of their lives into a venture that might go belly up within a few months. However, Paul McAvinchey, creator of TechPint, believes valuable lessons can be learned from disappointment.
Such is the theme of this fall's TechPint conference, a casual gathering for entrepreneurs and investors in Internet technology. Coordinator McAvinchey expects more than 250 of the region's most innovative tech pacesetters to attend the quarterly-held event taking place tonight (September 26) at Sterle’s Slovenian Country House. Speakers John Gadd of Hotcards.com, Kendall Wouters of Reach Ventures and Phil Brennan of Echogen Power Systems will touch on how businesses can bounce back from seemingly crushing setbacks.
"It's a fact that you must fail many times before you see success," says McAvinchey, who moved to Cleveland from County Tipperary, Ireland, in April 2012 to lead product innovation for MedCity Media. "If you're failing, that means you're trying. That's a good thing."
Even stories of tremendous achievement, like the billion-dollar acquisition of Instagram, began on a rocky road of risk and false starts, McAvinchey points out.
"Failure will work for you if you learn from it," he says.
The informal get-together is designed to connect the region's tech thinkers over a couple pints of beers, says McAvinchey. TechPint's moniker this month is "Techtoberfest," in appreciation of this suds-filled season of the year.
Autumn also is a time for scary stories, and attendees will hear a few frightening business-related tales at TechPint. "It's important to celebrate failure," McAvinchey says. "This is a way to bring positive attention to it."
SOURCE: Paul McAvinchey
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Such is the theme of this fall's TechPint conference, a casual gathering for entrepreneurs and investors in Internet technology. Coordinator McAvinchey expects more than 250 of the region's most innovative tech pacesetters to attend the quarterly-held event taking place tonight (September 26) at Sterle’s Slovenian Country House. Speakers John Gadd of Hotcards.com, Kendall Wouters of Reach Ventures and Phil Brennan of Echogen Power Systems will touch on how businesses can bounce back from seemingly crushing setbacks.
"It's a fact that you must fail many times before you see success," says McAvinchey, who moved to Cleveland from County Tipperary, Ireland, in April 2012 to lead product innovation for MedCity Media. "If you're failing, that means you're trying. That's a good thing."
Even stories of tremendous achievement, like the billion-dollar acquisition of Instagram, began on a rocky road of risk and false starts, McAvinchey points out.
"Failure will work for you if you learn from it," he says.
The informal get-together is designed to connect the region's tech thinkers over a couple pints of beers, says McAvinchey. TechPint's moniker this month is "Techtoberfest," in appreciation of this suds-filled season of the year.
Autumn also is a time for scary stories, and attendees will hear a few frightening business-related tales at TechPint. "It's important to celebrate failure," McAvinchey says. "This is a way to bring positive attention to it."
SOURCE: Paul McAvinchey
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The large number of open jobs in the startup community indicates these companies are doing well and growing. But working for a young startup has unique challenges. Recruiters and employers discuss some of the critical qualities required for those looking for a good fit with a startup.
men's journal drops into cleveland for a visit
In a Men's Journal travel feature titled "Visiting Cleveland, on Purpose," writer Robert Reid manages to enjoy himself during an action-packed visit to town -- and also manages to trot out a few hackneyed affronts as well.
"Spread out on the south shore of Lake Erie, 'The Forest City' -- called the 'mistake by the lake' by the sort of people who talk like that -- is a pleasant surprise for visitors who actually make the trip," Reid writes. "Just the names of the neighborhoods, including Slavic Village, Little Italy, and Asiatown, are a tribute to the city’s melting-pot roots, which manifest in great fusion cuisine."
In the piece, Reid mentions Happy Dog, Beachland Ballroom, the Orchestra, Big Fun, MOCA, Melt and others.
Read the rest of the (back-handed) compliment here.
"Spread out on the south shore of Lake Erie, 'The Forest City' -- called the 'mistake by the lake' by the sort of people who talk like that -- is a pleasant surprise for visitors who actually make the trip," Reid writes. "Just the names of the neighborhoods, including Slavic Village, Little Italy, and Asiatown, are a tribute to the city’s melting-pot roots, which manifest in great fusion cuisine."
In the piece, Reid mentions Happy Dog, Beachland Ballroom, the Orchestra, Big Fun, MOCA, Melt and others.
Read the rest of the (back-handed) compliment here.
Cleveland Cyclewerks (CCW), a startup that manufactures and sells its own motorcycles, is set to open the first Cyclewerks-exclusive dealership at its warehouse in the Gordon Square Arts District. The owners will host a party on Saturday, October 5th with food trucks, kegs of free beer and tours of the shop, which sells accessories and also repairs bikes.
"A year ago, this place was a mess," says general manager Jon Dale. "We cleaned it out, pressure washed everything and built a new plywood floor. We wanted to keep the old building feel, though, with the brick walls and the concrete floors."
The shop at Herman and W. 65th Street will be open Monday through Friday from 9 to 5, and will soon be open on Saturdays, as well. The repair shop specializes in vintage British and Japanese bikes, and the staff can custom-build CCW bikes based on a customer's preferences. All of the company's models, including the soon-to-be-released ACE, will be on display in the store.
Owners Scott Colosimo and Jered Streng created CCW after getting laid off from their industrial design jobs in 2009. The lightweight bikes have 250cc engines, are inexpensive to maintain, and get 100 miles to the gallon. They've been described as having a "retro-futuristic" look and are priced at only $3,295.
Dale says that Colosimo and local architect Robert Maschke purchased the vacant, 70,000-square-foot warehouse, which was last home to a rubber stamping plant but built as a meat packing plant, for a small sum. They are slowly refurbishing portions of it and leasing it out to small companies or using it for CCW's operations.
CCW has grown tremendously over the past few years, and now sells bikes at 40 dealerships in the U.S. and 15 countries throughout the world. Dale, a Cleveland native, says that the company has allowed him to stay in the city and do what he loves.
"Not only is my passion my job, but I get to help revive the city," he says.
Source: Jon Dale
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"A year ago, this place was a mess," says general manager Jon Dale. "We cleaned it out, pressure washed everything and built a new plywood floor. We wanted to keep the old building feel, though, with the brick walls and the concrete floors."
The shop at Herman and W. 65th Street will be open Monday through Friday from 9 to 5, and will soon be open on Saturdays, as well. The repair shop specializes in vintage British and Japanese bikes, and the staff can custom-build CCW bikes based on a customer's preferences. All of the company's models, including the soon-to-be-released ACE, will be on display in the store.
Owners Scott Colosimo and Jered Streng created CCW after getting laid off from their industrial design jobs in 2009. The lightweight bikes have 250cc engines, are inexpensive to maintain, and get 100 miles to the gallon. They've been described as having a "retro-futuristic" look and are priced at only $3,295.
Dale says that Colosimo and local architect Robert Maschke purchased the vacant, 70,000-square-foot warehouse, which was last home to a rubber stamping plant but built as a meat packing plant, for a small sum. They are slowly refurbishing portions of it and leasing it out to small companies or using it for CCW's operations.
CCW has grown tremendously over the past few years, and now sells bikes at 40 dealerships in the U.S. and 15 countries throughout the world. Dale, a Cleveland native, says that the company has allowed him to stay in the city and do what he loves.
"Not only is my passion my job, but I get to help revive the city," he says.
Source: Jon Dale
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Cleveland Clinic’s annual Medical Innovation Summit will be the first event held at Cleveland’s brand new Global Center for Health Innovation. The event will be held October 14-16, and organizers expect it to draw more than 1,200 people.
"We’ll have CEOs from major companies, investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs,” says Gary Fingerhut, acting executive director and general manager of information technology commercialization at the Clinic. “Deals come out of this summit. Past innovation deals have been made on the buy-side and in research.”
More than 1,000 jobs and $700 million in investments have been created from the regional spinoff companies.
On the first day, 12 startup healthcare companies will have a chance to pitch their companies to a panel of executives. “The winner gets a year engagement with StartUp Health Academy."
The theme this year is Finding Balance through Innovation: Obesity, Diabetes and the Metabolic Crisis. Fingerhut says the topic was chosen because of the growing international concern about diabetes. "Clearly, it's an economic problem in the world," he says. Demonstration and panel discussions will focus on the impacts of type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Mike Roizen and a panel of experts will discuss the Clinic's top 10 medical innovations for 2014. Fresh Water readers can receive a discount to the summit. Go to the registration page and use promo code FRE2013 for a special $500 rate on registration.
Source: Gary Fingerhut
Writer: Karin Connelly
"We’ll have CEOs from major companies, investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs,” says Gary Fingerhut, acting executive director and general manager of information technology commercialization at the Clinic. “Deals come out of this summit. Past innovation deals have been made on the buy-side and in research.”
More than 1,000 jobs and $700 million in investments have been created from the regional spinoff companies.
On the first day, 12 startup healthcare companies will have a chance to pitch their companies to a panel of executives. “The winner gets a year engagement with StartUp Health Academy."
The theme this year is Finding Balance through Innovation: Obesity, Diabetes and the Metabolic Crisis. Fingerhut says the topic was chosen because of the growing international concern about diabetes. "Clearly, it's an economic problem in the world," he says. Demonstration and panel discussions will focus on the impacts of type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Mike Roizen and a panel of experts will discuss the Clinic's top 10 medical innovations for 2014. Fresh Water readers can receive a discount to the summit. Go to the registration page and use promo code FRE2013 for a special $500 rate on registration.
Source: Gary Fingerhut
Writer: Karin Connelly
The entrepreneurs behind Piccadilly Artisan Yogurt, who opened their first location in the old Grog Shop space on Coventry Road less than a year ago, will open their second location in Ohio City this fall.
Adrian and Cosmin Bota, Romanian-born brothers who grew up in Parma, have also signed a letter of intent on a retail space at West 117th and Clifton.
The Ohio City location is a slender, 1,100-square-foot storefront that's sandwiched between Crop and Bonbon Cafe in the 2500 block of Lorain Avenue. Adrian Bota says the location, which will offer the same organic, locally-sourced frozen yogurt that's available in the Coventry store, is perfect for the urban-oriented company.
"Our whole focus was not to be in the suburbs, and to focus on urban areas we’re both interested in and want to promote," says Bota. "We were looking for areas in Cleveland that had same vibe [as Coventry Village] and that we could be a part of. Ohio City was our top choice for expansion. It's a great place because people are moving back and they're really interested in reviving that neighborhood."
Bota says the new store will feature unique, creative design with an urban flair. Ariel and Otelia Vergez of design firm Vergez Inc. helped design the interior, which will feature refinished plywood design accents, tables made from reclaimed wood, and a lounge area that might feature a porch swing (the Botas haven't made up their minds yet). Local architect John Williams developed the interior plans.
Bota says the Coventry location has been successful enough that they were able to use some of their profits to launch additional stores. Construction is underway on a third location next to Melt in the Short North district of Columbus. He is talking with representatives of Downtown Cleveland Alliance about a downtown shop.
The Bota brothers, who worked at the West Side Market as teenagers, intend to source as many ingredients as possible from the market and other local vendors.
Source: Adrian Bota
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Adrian and Cosmin Bota, Romanian-born brothers who grew up in Parma, have also signed a letter of intent on a retail space at West 117th and Clifton.
The Ohio City location is a slender, 1,100-square-foot storefront that's sandwiched between Crop and Bonbon Cafe in the 2500 block of Lorain Avenue. Adrian Bota says the location, which will offer the same organic, locally-sourced frozen yogurt that's available in the Coventry store, is perfect for the urban-oriented company.
"Our whole focus was not to be in the suburbs, and to focus on urban areas we’re both interested in and want to promote," says Bota. "We were looking for areas in Cleveland that had same vibe [as Coventry Village] and that we could be a part of. Ohio City was our top choice for expansion. It's a great place because people are moving back and they're really interested in reviving that neighborhood."
Bota says the new store will feature unique, creative design with an urban flair. Ariel and Otelia Vergez of design firm Vergez Inc. helped design the interior, which will feature refinished plywood design accents, tables made from reclaimed wood, and a lounge area that might feature a porch swing (the Botas haven't made up their minds yet). Local architect John Williams developed the interior plans.
Bota says the Coventry location has been successful enough that they were able to use some of their profits to launch additional stores. Construction is underway on a third location next to Melt in the Short North district of Columbus. He is talking with representatives of Downtown Cleveland Alliance about a downtown shop.
The Bota brothers, who worked at the West Side Market as teenagers, intend to source as many ingredients as possible from the market and other local vendors.
Source: Adrian Bota
Writer: Lee Chilcote
ny times gives ink to new rust belt mag 'belt'
In a New York Times Arts Beat post titled “New Magazine Celebrates ‘Rust Belt Chic,’ With a Wink,” writer Jennifer Schuessler details her conversation with Belt magazine editor Anne Trubek about a new publication dedicated to fostering a new journalistic beat in Cleveland.
"The decaying cities of the post-industrial Midwest can sometimes seem like a museum of things America used to make: cars, refrigerators, steel, televisions. But if a start-up in Cleveland gets its way, the region may help rebuild the market for another endangered product -- long-form magazine journalism," Schuessler writes.
The magazine offers up a collection of essays and reporting that seeks to explore the regional identity that is known as the Rust Belt.
“I cringe at words like ‘authentic,’” Trubek says in the article. “But the rust belt aesthetic isn’t about the ephemeral global economy, it’s about boots on the ground and things hidden in grandma’s attic. We want to explore that.”
Check out the full interview here.
"The decaying cities of the post-industrial Midwest can sometimes seem like a museum of things America used to make: cars, refrigerators, steel, televisions. But if a start-up in Cleveland gets its way, the region may help rebuild the market for another endangered product -- long-form magazine journalism," Schuessler writes.
The magazine offers up a collection of essays and reporting that seeks to explore the regional identity that is known as the Rust Belt.
“I cringe at words like ‘authentic,’” Trubek says in the article. “But the rust belt aesthetic isn’t about the ephemeral global economy, it’s about boots on the ground and things hidden in grandma’s attic. We want to explore that.”
Check out the full interview here.
Core and shell renovations of the 150,000-square-foot Victory Center, a $26 million project located along the Health-Tech Corridor, are almost complete. Tenant build-outs will follow, and although none have signed leases yet, developer Scott Garson says that will change as his team finishes the common spaces and shows the property to more prospective tenants.
"Everybody thinks it's wonderful, great… The trick is getting the first one in," he says. "I have enough letters of intent out there that I'm confident it's only a matter of time."
Garson says the demand is there for flexible, ready-to-grow office space geared towards biomedical, research and technology companies, which is why he decided to undertake the project. He points out that nearby buildings owned by Geis Companies and Cumberland Development are almost completely full.
So far, Garson has completed the project without a bank loan, using partner equity and a $720,000 loan from the city, $2.5 million in tax increment financing, federal and state historic tax credits, and a $1 million State of Ohio job ready sites grant. Garson expects to secure bank financing in the near future for tenant build-outs.
The building's unique features include a new interior with a historic waffle slab ceiling, window wells that allow plenty of natural light, copious backup power, fiber-optic connectivity, and the right mechanicals in place for laboratory space. The building will be certified LEED Silver, saving tenants 20 percent on utility costs. Finally, it has views of downtown, free parking and HealthLine access.
"We went through a recycling program with the materials and our landscaping uses stormwater management strategies," says Michael Augoustidis of Domukur Architects, the firm that designed the project. "It's very energy-efficient."
Although he's not ready to declare victory yet, Gardon says the historic building, which was built in 1917 as the Arts Center, is nearing the goal line and ready to score.
Source: Scott Garson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Everybody thinks it's wonderful, great… The trick is getting the first one in," he says. "I have enough letters of intent out there that I'm confident it's only a matter of time."
Garson says the demand is there for flexible, ready-to-grow office space geared towards biomedical, research and technology companies, which is why he decided to undertake the project. He points out that nearby buildings owned by Geis Companies and Cumberland Development are almost completely full.
So far, Garson has completed the project without a bank loan, using partner equity and a $720,000 loan from the city, $2.5 million in tax increment financing, federal and state historic tax credits, and a $1 million State of Ohio job ready sites grant. Garson expects to secure bank financing in the near future for tenant build-outs.
The building's unique features include a new interior with a historic waffle slab ceiling, window wells that allow plenty of natural light, copious backup power, fiber-optic connectivity, and the right mechanicals in place for laboratory space. The building will be certified LEED Silver, saving tenants 20 percent on utility costs. Finally, it has views of downtown, free parking and HealthLine access.
"We went through a recycling program with the materials and our landscaping uses stormwater management strategies," says Michael Augoustidis of Domukur Architects, the firm that designed the project. "It's very energy-efficient."
Although he's not ready to declare victory yet, Gardon says the historic building, which was built in 1917 as the Arts Center, is nearing the goal line and ready to score.
Source: Scott Garson
Writer: Lee Chilcote