Stories
cleveland clinic cmo credited for making brand most recognizable
In a Forbes Magazine post titled “Behind the Brand: CMO Paul Matsen On Cleveland Clinic’s Strides As A Global Marketer,” Jennifer Rooney explains how Paul Matsen has taken his experience from prior endeavors such as Delta Air Lines and worked to establish Cleveland Clinic as one of the most recognizable healthcare brands in the world.
From the use of digital, social and traditional media, Matsen's primary goal is to increase brand awareness and ultimately get “those who don’t even need its services yet -- but may someday -- to “get consumers to find out who we are and then in the future for them to consider us as one of their first choices.”
Read the full piece and watch the interview here.
From the use of digital, social and traditional media, Matsen's primary goal is to increase brand awareness and ultimately get “those who don’t even need its services yet -- but may someday -- to “get consumers to find out who we are and then in the future for them to consider us as one of their first choices.”
Read the full piece and watch the interview here.
With downtown Cleveland's office vacancy rate three percent lower than it was two years ago and vacancy rates hovering around four percent for apartments, new retailers are leasing empty storefronts in the area. Eleven new retailers will open this year, bringing fresh concepts to the local scene.
New offerings include Cleveland Chop in the former Cleveland Chophouse location on St. Clair, Mirch Masada, Red the Steakhouse, four new shops in the Fifth Street Arcades, Walk in the Park Cafe, Table 9 Martini Lounge and Market Creations Cafe.
Michael Deemer, Vice President of Business Development and Legal Services for Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA), cites Walk in the Park and Table 9 as two examples of downtown's resurgence. "We're seeing the area around Perk Park in the NineTwelve District attract new investment in long-dormant retail spaces formerly occupied by One Walnut and the Atlanta Bread Company," he says.
Although Red the Steakhouse isn't slated to open until late summer or early fall, Walk in the Park and Table 9 could open within the next month, Deemer says.
It's a sign of the market's health that empty spaces are being filled. "Cleveland Chop is being reopened by the original owner of Rock Bottom Brewery," he says. "It really does speak volumes that as places like Cleveland Chophouse and Bricco close and are in need of freshening the concept, they're reopening right away."
"There was a lot of concern initially when Cleveland Chophouse closed, but we knew... that there were literally dozens of inquiries as soon as the news hit."
Although office vacancy increased slightly in Q1 2013, Deemer says this is because of Eaton's departure. "We've had 25 new businesses move into downtown committing over 4,000 new jobs in the last two years," he says. "Retailers are responding exactly how we would expect them to, following where the people are."
Source: Michael Deemer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
New offerings include Cleveland Chop in the former Cleveland Chophouse location on St. Clair, Mirch Masada, Red the Steakhouse, four new shops in the Fifth Street Arcades, Walk in the Park Cafe, Table 9 Martini Lounge and Market Creations Cafe.
Michael Deemer, Vice President of Business Development and Legal Services for Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA), cites Walk in the Park and Table 9 as two examples of downtown's resurgence. "We're seeing the area around Perk Park in the NineTwelve District attract new investment in long-dormant retail spaces formerly occupied by One Walnut and the Atlanta Bread Company," he says.
Although Red the Steakhouse isn't slated to open until late summer or early fall, Walk in the Park and Table 9 could open within the next month, Deemer says.
It's a sign of the market's health that empty spaces are being filled. "Cleveland Chop is being reopened by the original owner of Rock Bottom Brewery," he says. "It really does speak volumes that as places like Cleveland Chophouse and Bricco close and are in need of freshening the concept, they're reopening right away."
"There was a lot of concern initially when Cleveland Chophouse closed, but we knew... that there were literally dozens of inquiries as soon as the news hit."
Although office vacancy increased slightly in Q1 2013, Deemer says this is because of Eaton's departure. "We've had 25 new businesses move into downtown committing over 4,000 new jobs in the last two years," he says. "Retailers are responding exactly how we would expect them to, following where the people are."
Source: Michael Deemer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Thanks to a brighter economy and heightened optimism about our city’s future, the Cleveland housing market is waking from its five-year slumber. Home sales are rising, prices are inching back to pre-recession levels, and stories of buyers getting outbid on homes are not at all uncommon.
cle museum of art included in item on upscale museum dining trend
In an Indystar piece titled “Fine art, fresh fare: Museum restaurants revamp menus to meet diners’ expectations,” Jolene Ketzenberger explores how museums are transforming dank snack bars into upscale dining experiences.
Museums across the country are revamping their food offerings, including Cleveland’s Museum of Art, where chef-partner Douglas Katz designs special menus around featured exhibits at the newly unveiled Provenance restaurant.
“It takes a lot of energy to put these menus together,” says Katz in the piece, who is also chef-owner of Cleveland’s Fire Food and Drink. “But it’s bringing people to the restaurant and giving people a reason to come back again and again.”
Check out the full piece here.
Museums across the country are revamping their food offerings, including Cleveland’s Museum of Art, where chef-partner Douglas Katz designs special menus around featured exhibits at the newly unveiled Provenance restaurant.
“It takes a lot of energy to put these menus together,” says Katz in the piece, who is also chef-owner of Cleveland’s Fire Food and Drink. “But it’s bringing people to the restaurant and giving people a reason to come back again and again.”
Check out the full piece here.
PlayhouseSquare already is a gem in the crown of downtown Cleveland, yet its sparking renaissance will become even more breathtaking with the addition of a 20-foot-tall LED "chandelier spectacular" at E. 14th and Euclid in the theatre district.
That chandelier, boasting over 4,600 crystals and hoisted 40 feet in the air, is the centerpiece of a $16 million transformation that will bring the beauty found inside PlayhouseSquare's historic theatres out onto the streets of the district.
The project will also feature new electronic signage and lighting, gateway entry points to define the neighborhood, and the addition of a full-service cafe and state-of-the-art outdoor stage to the Star Plaza outdoor space. The district will gain some of the drama found in Times Square in New York City and Millenium Park in Chicago while retaining the elegant, historic character that's uniquely Cleveland.
"We believe this will be transformational," says Art Falco, President and CEO of PlayhouseSquare. "It's not just a district anymore, it's a neighborhood. We see it as an economic development project as well as a physical enhancement project. It will draw more office tenants and spur more residential and retail development."
The project was designed by the experiential design firm The Barycz Group, which has completed similar projects in Chicago, Las Vegas and Dubai.
PlayhouseSquare has not yet raised all of the funds necessary to complete the project, but Falco expressed confidence in the project's success. Star Plaza is already under construction and work will be completed in time for a slew of summer events. The remainder of the project will be completed in 2014. Public-private partnership, naming rights and philanthropic contributions will fund it.
"We feel we're going to set a very high level of design standard," he says. "I think that others who follow us will be compared to us."
Source: Art Falco
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That chandelier, boasting over 4,600 crystals and hoisted 40 feet in the air, is the centerpiece of a $16 million transformation that will bring the beauty found inside PlayhouseSquare's historic theatres out onto the streets of the district.
The project will also feature new electronic signage and lighting, gateway entry points to define the neighborhood, and the addition of a full-service cafe and state-of-the-art outdoor stage to the Star Plaza outdoor space. The district will gain some of the drama found in Times Square in New York City and Millenium Park in Chicago while retaining the elegant, historic character that's uniquely Cleveland.
"We believe this will be transformational," says Art Falco, President and CEO of PlayhouseSquare. "It's not just a district anymore, it's a neighborhood. We see it as an economic development project as well as a physical enhancement project. It will draw more office tenants and spur more residential and retail development."
The project was designed by the experiential design firm The Barycz Group, which has completed similar projects in Chicago, Las Vegas and Dubai.
PlayhouseSquare has not yet raised all of the funds necessary to complete the project, but Falco expressed confidence in the project's success. Star Plaza is already under construction and work will be completed in time for a slew of summer events. The remainder of the project will be completed in 2014. Public-private partnership, naming rights and philanthropic contributions will fund it.
"We feel we're going to set a very high level of design standard," he says. "I think that others who follow us will be compared to us."
Source: Art Falco
Writer: Lee Chilcote
wine mag highlights trio of local gems
In a Wine Enthusiast Magazine story titled “Hot in Cleveland: Three Wine Bars to Visit in Cleveland,” the editors point out that Cleveland is attracting the likes of young artists, artisans, and web entrepreneurs due to modestly priced real estate and an above-average food and beverage scene.
“And while the food and beer scenes have always been strong (C-town is home to Michael Symon's empire and the Great Lakes Brewing Co.), this recent trend is raising the culture quotient and energizing the wine scene. There is life beyond the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland.”
Market Avenue Wine Bar, La Cave du Vin and Lola Bistro each provide a unique draw to the young and old alike, from high ceilings, parquet floors, and easy access to the West Side Market for Market Avenue Wine Bar to the genius of Michael Symon’s culinary team at Lola, Cleveland has plenty to keep folks returning for more.
Enjoy the full story here.
“And while the food and beer scenes have always been strong (C-town is home to Michael Symon's empire and the Great Lakes Brewing Co.), this recent trend is raising the culture quotient and energizing the wine scene. There is life beyond the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland.”
Market Avenue Wine Bar, La Cave du Vin and Lola Bistro each provide a unique draw to the young and old alike, from high ceilings, parquet floors, and easy access to the West Side Market for Market Avenue Wine Bar to the genius of Michael Symon’s culinary team at Lola, Cleveland has plenty to keep folks returning for more.
Enjoy the full story here.
In the age of digital everything, self-published periodicals are enjoying a bit of a revival. Geared towards those who prefer the tactile sensation of thumbing through an honest-to-goodness magazine, these indie pubs are filling voids left by declining mainstream print.
Danny Sheridan comes from a family of entrepreneurs -- his father invests in small tech businesses and deals in commercial real estate for medical officers, and his mother is a marketing consultant. So it was only natural that the junior at Beachwood High School would start his own business. After finding he had a knack for selling things on eBay, Sheridan started Woodside Distributors, distributing energy efficient LED lights for Solon-based Mr. Beams.
“Mr. Beams didn’t have a lot of eBay, but I was really good at eBay,” says Sheridan. “When I ran into them I immediately was able to distribute their products online. I was able to add my area of expertise, and now we’re on Amazon and other places.”
Sheridan’s business has quadrupled in the past few months and he expects to reach $100,000 in sales by the end of the year.
Sheridan, who is president of the Beachwood High School Business Club, set up a booth at Entrovation on April 19 to showcase his company and the products he distributes. “There were a ton of people -- 1,000 or so -- who just came by to say hi,” he recalls. “The biggest reaction was, ‘Hey, you’re just a kid.’ Then it was, ‘Wow, he’s actually selling.’ I was fortunate; I made a few hundred bucks that day.”
In fact, Sheridan won the Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year award, sponsored by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. He received the top prize of $3,000. “I’m excited to buy more inventory and expand even faster,” he says.
Sheridan’s business is growing so fast, he’s looking for new fulfillment options. “I’ve been using Amazon to do more fulfillment,” he explains. “But it’s getting to the point I can’t ship from my house any more. The mailman can’t keep up.”
Source: Danny Sheridan
Writer: Karin Connelly
“Mr. Beams didn’t have a lot of eBay, but I was really good at eBay,” says Sheridan. “When I ran into them I immediately was able to distribute their products online. I was able to add my area of expertise, and now we’re on Amazon and other places.”
Sheridan’s business has quadrupled in the past few months and he expects to reach $100,000 in sales by the end of the year.
Sheridan, who is president of the Beachwood High School Business Club, set up a booth at Entrovation on April 19 to showcase his company and the products he distributes. “There were a ton of people -- 1,000 or so -- who just came by to say hi,” he recalls. “The biggest reaction was, ‘Hey, you’re just a kid.’ Then it was, ‘Wow, he’s actually selling.’ I was fortunate; I made a few hundred bucks that day.”
In fact, Sheridan won the Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year award, sponsored by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. He received the top prize of $3,000. “I’m excited to buy more inventory and expand even faster,” he says.
Sheridan’s business is growing so fast, he’s looking for new fulfillment options. “I’ve been using Amazon to do more fulfillment,” he explains. “But it’s getting to the point I can’t ship from my house any more. The mailman can’t keep up.”
Source: Danny Sheridan
Writer: Karin Connelly
art daily touts cma's beckmann acquisition
In an Art Daily feature titled “Cleveland Museum of Art acquires dramatic painting by seminal 20th century German artist Max Beckmann,” the editors continue to praise the Cleveland Museum of Art for their ongoing work in building some of the most comprehensive collections in the country, including the recently added painting by German artist Max Beckmann.
“The acquisition of the Beckmann marks the successful conclusion of a decade-long hunt for a major work by the artist and adds a fascinating and challenging picture to the museum’s holdings of modern European art,” explains C. Griffith Mann, Ph.D, the museum’s deputy director and chief curator. “The African textiles are notable not only for their quality but also for their provenance, and the gifts speak eloquently to the impact our collectors and donors are capable of making across our collections.”
The feature goes on to highlight the life and career of Beckmann, including the nature of his work for which he is most known.
Explore the full feature here.
“The acquisition of the Beckmann marks the successful conclusion of a decade-long hunt for a major work by the artist and adds a fascinating and challenging picture to the museum’s holdings of modern European art,” explains C. Griffith Mann, Ph.D, the museum’s deputy director and chief curator. “The African textiles are notable not only for their quality but also for their provenance, and the gifts speak eloquently to the impact our collectors and donors are capable of making across our collections.”
The feature goes on to highlight the life and career of Beckmann, including the nature of his work for which he is most known.
Explore the full feature here.
The fourth Blackstone LaunchPad opened on the CWRU campus on April 23, providing a place for aspiring entrepreneurs to gather, learn and get advice.
“LaunchPad is aimed at students seeing it and saying, ‘I have an idea,’” says Deborah D. Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. “It’s aimed at students walking in and talking to people and an idea takes off.”
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced in November 2011 that they had committed $3.2 million over three years to open LaunchPad locations in Northeast Ohio to train area student entrepreneurs.
The LaunchPad is a venture coach program developed at the University of Miami, Florida in 2008. The program provides participants with advice and mentorship to take business ideas to fruition. Students are matched up with venture coaches to guide them through the development process.
The other Northeast Ohio LaunchPads are on the campuses of Baldwin Wallace University, Lorain County Community College and Kent State University. The goal is to create 150 new sustainable companies in the next five years, which could generate as many as 3,000 jobs. Hoover says they expect to exceed that goal.
More than 40 students already are registered with the CWRU LaunchPad and 16 are exploring their business ideas. “More than 400 student ventures are underway among the four campuses,” says Hoover. “We think that’s pretty great.” Registration is ongoing.
Nearly 200 people turned out for the opening in CWRU’s Thwing Center. “It was great, we were really pleased with the way it went,” Hoover says of the opening. Attendees included Case president Barbara Snyder and Bob Sopko, director of the CWRU LaunchPad, as well as Joan Solotar, chair of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Vinny Gupta, chair of the Ohio Board of Regents.
Source: Deborah D. Hoover
Writer: Karin Connelly
“LaunchPad is aimed at students seeing it and saying, ‘I have an idea,’” says Deborah D. Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. “It’s aimed at students walking in and talking to people and an idea takes off.”
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced in November 2011 that they had committed $3.2 million over three years to open LaunchPad locations in Northeast Ohio to train area student entrepreneurs.
The LaunchPad is a venture coach program developed at the University of Miami, Florida in 2008. The program provides participants with advice and mentorship to take business ideas to fruition. Students are matched up with venture coaches to guide them through the development process.
The other Northeast Ohio LaunchPads are on the campuses of Baldwin Wallace University, Lorain County Community College and Kent State University. The goal is to create 150 new sustainable companies in the next five years, which could generate as many as 3,000 jobs. Hoover says they expect to exceed that goal.
More than 40 students already are registered with the CWRU LaunchPad and 16 are exploring their business ideas. “More than 400 student ventures are underway among the four campuses,” says Hoover. “We think that’s pretty great.” Registration is ongoing.
Nearly 200 people turned out for the opening in CWRU’s Thwing Center. “It was great, we were really pleased with the way it went,” Hoover says of the opening. Attendees included Case president Barbara Snyder and Bob Sopko, director of the CWRU LaunchPad, as well as Joan Solotar, chair of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Vinny Gupta, chair of the Ohio Board of Regents.
Source: Deborah D. Hoover
Writer: Karin Connelly
TOA Technologies announced that Madrid, Spain-based Telefonica has chosen TOA's mobile workforce management software to manage its worldwide field technicians. Telefonica, which is one of the largest telecom companies in the world, chose TOA for its cloud-based ETADirect technology and its ability to ramp up operations quickly in multiple locations.
“It was a fairly long selection process,” says TOA vice president of worldwide marketing John Opdycke. “Telefonica originally thought it would be an on-premise solution, but then they realized the cloud-based solution would allow them to go one country at a time.”
TOA will implement its products first in Brazil, followed by Spain, Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Peru. Eventually, TOA will be in 24 countries with Telefonica. “There’s nothing anyone needs except access to a browser,” explains Opdycke of why TOA was attractive to Telefonica. “They can be non-standard, browser agnostic and platform agnostic. Telefonica needed that flexibility.”
Telefonica is TOA’s largest customer to date in terms of size. More important, Opdycke says, is Cleveland’s increasingly strong presence in the global technology marketplace. “We’re proud to represent the Cleveland technology market and the international market,” he says. “TOA is one of the leading companies in the Cleveland market that is really doing international business.”
TOA employs 56 people in its Cleveland headquarters, and another 454 worldwide. The Telefonica deal will add employees to TOA in Spain and Brazil, and perhaps Cleveland. Telefonica’s CTO and other team members are planning a visit to Cleveland.
In the meantime, TOA is in the midst of expanding its headquarters from 8,200 square feet to 17,000 square feet. The company was also recently named as a finalist as Tech Company of the Year in the 2013 NEOSA Tech Week Best of Tech Awards.
Source: John Opdycke
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It was a fairly long selection process,” says TOA vice president of worldwide marketing John Opdycke. “Telefonica originally thought it would be an on-premise solution, but then they realized the cloud-based solution would allow them to go one country at a time.”
TOA will implement its products first in Brazil, followed by Spain, Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Peru. Eventually, TOA will be in 24 countries with Telefonica. “There’s nothing anyone needs except access to a browser,” explains Opdycke of why TOA was attractive to Telefonica. “They can be non-standard, browser agnostic and platform agnostic. Telefonica needed that flexibility.”
Telefonica is TOA’s largest customer to date in terms of size. More important, Opdycke says, is Cleveland’s increasingly strong presence in the global technology marketplace. “We’re proud to represent the Cleveland technology market and the international market,” he says. “TOA is one of the leading companies in the Cleveland market that is really doing international business.”
TOA employs 56 people in its Cleveland headquarters, and another 454 worldwide. The Telefonica deal will add employees to TOA in Spain and Brazil, and perhaps Cleveland. Telefonica’s CTO and other team members are planning a visit to Cleveland.
In the meantime, TOA is in the midst of expanding its headquarters from 8,200 square feet to 17,000 square feet. The company was also recently named as a finalist as Tech Company of the Year in the 2013 NEOSA Tech Week Best of Tech Awards.
Source: John Opdycke
Writer: Karin Connelly
Barroco, a Colombian and Latin American restaurant with another location is in Lakewood, recently opened a small cafe on W. 6th Street to bring its signature Latin American street food to the Warehouse District.
The new eatery, which can seat about 40 inside and outside on its patio, offers the popular arepa -- thick corn tortillas that are split like English muffins and filled with a variety of meat and veggies -- as well as other favorites such as a Cuban sandwich, Colombian chicken and Barroco burger.
The joint truly will be jumping when the W. 6th Streetscape project wraps up later this summer, allowing Barroco's patio to flourish. Co-owner Juan David Vergara says the clientele includes downtown office workers, residents and late-night revelers.
"This is a faster version of our restaurant," he says. "We still specialize in arepas, but we're also throwing in a couple of new items such as a loaded baked potato."
Vergara is working on some new concepts, including collaborating with Bank Street Wine and Spirits next door to allow BYOB, adding a larger chef's menu for dinner, and displaying what he calls "Barroco TV" (viewers can watch their food being prepared). Barroco is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Latin American street food is pretty much drinking food, bar food," he says. "People go out and stop by the street carts early or late. That's our concept."
Barroco makes its own arepas by hand, a three-day process that Vergara says is "like the ancients" -- they use hominy corn, not corn flour. The restaurant has been getting attention for its food and just won Best Latin Restaurant in Scene.
"So far it's been phenomenal," he says. "We're getting office people for lunch, people who live around here for dinner, and drunk people after the clubs let out."
Source: Juan David Vergara
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The new eatery, which can seat about 40 inside and outside on its patio, offers the popular arepa -- thick corn tortillas that are split like English muffins and filled with a variety of meat and veggies -- as well as other favorites such as a Cuban sandwich, Colombian chicken and Barroco burger.
The joint truly will be jumping when the W. 6th Streetscape project wraps up later this summer, allowing Barroco's patio to flourish. Co-owner Juan David Vergara says the clientele includes downtown office workers, residents and late-night revelers.
"This is a faster version of our restaurant," he says. "We still specialize in arepas, but we're also throwing in a couple of new items such as a loaded baked potato."
Vergara is working on some new concepts, including collaborating with Bank Street Wine and Spirits next door to allow BYOB, adding a larger chef's menu for dinner, and displaying what he calls "Barroco TV" (viewers can watch their food being prepared). Barroco is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Latin American street food is pretty much drinking food, bar food," he says. "People go out and stop by the street carts early or late. That's our concept."
Barroco makes its own arepas by hand, a three-day process that Vergara says is "like the ancients" -- they use hominy corn, not corn flour. The restaurant has been getting attention for its food and just won Best Latin Restaurant in Scene.
"So far it's been phenomenal," he says. "We're getting office people for lunch, people who live around here for dinner, and drunk people after the clubs let out."
Source: Juan David Vergara
Writer: Lee Chilcote
NEOSA Tech Week brought 1,600 attendees to events around Cleveland last week, tripling its numbers since it first started three years ago. “It’s really inspiring to see the region recognizing the value and importance of the IT industry in Cleveland,” says NEOSA director Brad Nellis.
From the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, which had 34 local participants in a worldwide event of 9,000, to the much-anticipated Best of Tech Awards, to educational events and job fairs, Tech Week highlighted both the emerging technology companies and the more established and growing businesses in the region.
“We saw a lot of new companies we hadn’t seen before and that was kind of cool,” says Nellis. In particular he cites iOTOS as a standout winner in the new Best of Tech category Most Promising Startup. “These guys showed a high degree of promise. iOTOS holds the opportunity to be something big coming out of Northeast Ohio.”
UrbanCode, which announced Monday that it has been acquired by IBM, won Best Software Product. “UrbanCode really stands out in the market,” says Nellis. “It was cool that we give them an award on Thursday, and on Monday they announce they’ve been acquired. We’ve been following them for a couple of years and they’re a company that’s growing like wildfire. They’ll probably double in size again this year.”
Hyland Software won Tech Company of the Year, Vox Mobile won Best IT Services Company, and DecisionDesk won Best Emerging Company. Nellis points out that all of the finalists are impressive companies as well, having emerged out of 60 nominations in five categories. Six CIO of the Year were named in various categories by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Source: Brad Nellis
Writer: Karin Connelly
From the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, which had 34 local participants in a worldwide event of 9,000, to the much-anticipated Best of Tech Awards, to educational events and job fairs, Tech Week highlighted both the emerging technology companies and the more established and growing businesses in the region.
“We saw a lot of new companies we hadn’t seen before and that was kind of cool,” says Nellis. In particular he cites iOTOS as a standout winner in the new Best of Tech category Most Promising Startup. “These guys showed a high degree of promise. iOTOS holds the opportunity to be something big coming out of Northeast Ohio.”
UrbanCode, which announced Monday that it has been acquired by IBM, won Best Software Product. “UrbanCode really stands out in the market,” says Nellis. “It was cool that we give them an award on Thursday, and on Monday they announce they’ve been acquired. We’ve been following them for a couple of years and they’re a company that’s growing like wildfire. They’ll probably double in size again this year.”
Hyland Software won Tech Company of the Year, Vox Mobile won Best IT Services Company, and DecisionDesk won Best Emerging Company. Nellis points out that all of the finalists are impressive companies as well, having emerged out of 60 nominations in five categories. Six CIO of the Year were named in various categories by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Source: Brad Nellis
Writer: Karin Connelly
Has Silicon Valley jumped the shark? Ask many keen observers of technology hubs from coast to coast and they'll tell you that 2013 is prime time for startups to bloom in unexpected cities like Detroit and Cleveland. Dubbed the "Rise of the Rest," the burgeoning trend documents the blossoming of entrepreneurialism in unexpected places.
At times it seems like everybody living in this town was born in this town. After all, who would choose to settle here unless they had deep family roots? We introduce four transplants who moved to Cleveland and never looked back. Not only have they made the most of it; they've made a life of it.
Chris Armenio and Art Geigel like having everything they need right at their fingertips. Pairing smart phones with tinkering on a hobbyist level, the two came up with iOTOS, a way to control everything from the garage door opener to the coffee maker through smart phones and tablets.
Armenio and Geigel developed iOTOS through the LaunchHouse Accelerator Program last year. Based on a technology known as “the Internet of things,” the tech wirelessly connects consumers and businesses to the things they use every day. The Internet of things market is expected to hit $14.4 trillion in the next 10 years.
“It started as an easy way to control hobby projects through a website or email for the hardware hackers,” explains Armenio of their NiOS wireless hub. “As we started looking out there, we found more and more diversified companies were looking to fit this stuff with their commercial products.”
The technology and iOTOS’ offerings are growing in popularity as the concept and demand takes off. The company was named “Most Promising Startup” at 2013 NEOSA Tech Week’s Best in Tech awards last week.
So far, the company has sold its technology to garage door opener retrofit packagers. iOTOS recently announced pre-sales of its NioGarage, a retrofit WiFi garage door system. “We’re in pretty advanced talks with a few Northeast Ohio companies,” says Geigel.
iOTOS has four full-time employees, including Armenio and Geigel, two salespeople and three part-time employees. The company recently brought on Jim McGreevy as vice president of business development.
Sources: Chris Armenio and Art Geigel
Writer: Karin Connelly
Armenio and Geigel developed iOTOS through the LaunchHouse Accelerator Program last year. Based on a technology known as “the Internet of things,” the tech wirelessly connects consumers and businesses to the things they use every day. The Internet of things market is expected to hit $14.4 trillion in the next 10 years.
“It started as an easy way to control hobby projects through a website or email for the hardware hackers,” explains Armenio of their NiOS wireless hub. “As we started looking out there, we found more and more diversified companies were looking to fit this stuff with their commercial products.”
The technology and iOTOS’ offerings are growing in popularity as the concept and demand takes off. The company was named “Most Promising Startup” at 2013 NEOSA Tech Week’s Best in Tech awards last week.
So far, the company has sold its technology to garage door opener retrofit packagers. iOTOS recently announced pre-sales of its NioGarage, a retrofit WiFi garage door system. “We’re in pretty advanced talks with a few Northeast Ohio companies,” says Geigel.
iOTOS has four full-time employees, including Armenio and Geigel, two salespeople and three part-time employees. The company recently brought on Jim McGreevy as vice president of business development.
Sources: Chris Armenio and Art Geigel
Writer: Karin Connelly
Talent management firm Alexander Mann Solutions unexpectedly chose Cleveland as the hub for its U.S. operations last year. The company was all but set on Raleigh, North Carolina, when a full-throttle pitch by business leaders changed their minds. Afterwards, CEO Rosaleen Blair said the firm was "love-bombed" into choosing Cleveland. A package of incentives from the State of Ohio reportedly helped to seal the deal.
Now the firm is quickly expanding into its temporary offices in the Erieview Tower in downtown Cleveland. It has doubled in size since opening in August -- the firm now employs 40, and plans are in the works to ramp up to 60-75 employees by the end of the year.
"It's getting smaller by the day," says Mark Jones, Head of Global Client Services for Alexander Mann, of the current, 8,000-square-foot office. Jones moved here from the U.K. with his family. "We are looking at all options downtown."
Based in London, AMS employs more than 1,800 people, and assists clients in more than 60 countries. Cleveland is the firm's fifth operations center, with additional hubs in the U.K., China, the Phillipines and Poland. The firm has said that the hub in Cleveland could grow to become as large as 300 employees.
Finding the right talent for AMS in Cleveland has been harder than he anticipated. "Part of the challenge is that what we do is not straightforward. We're not a staffing firm. We are a specialist organization that deals with large corporate clients, handling all aspects of talent management for those clients. Not only does that mean finding candidates, but the complete onboarding of candidates."
Alexander Mann is currently hiring qualified individuals with experience in recruiting. Jones says he's been happy with the level of talent they've identified so far. "The caliber of people we've been able to hire is very, very strong."
Source: Mark Jones
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now the firm is quickly expanding into its temporary offices in the Erieview Tower in downtown Cleveland. It has doubled in size since opening in August -- the firm now employs 40, and plans are in the works to ramp up to 60-75 employees by the end of the year.
"It's getting smaller by the day," says Mark Jones, Head of Global Client Services for Alexander Mann, of the current, 8,000-square-foot office. Jones moved here from the U.K. with his family. "We are looking at all options downtown."
Based in London, AMS employs more than 1,800 people, and assists clients in more than 60 countries. Cleveland is the firm's fifth operations center, with additional hubs in the U.K., China, the Phillipines and Poland. The firm has said that the hub in Cleveland could grow to become as large as 300 employees.
Finding the right talent for AMS in Cleveland has been harder than he anticipated. "Part of the challenge is that what we do is not straightforward. We're not a staffing firm. We are a specialist organization that deals with large corporate clients, handling all aspects of talent management for those clients. Not only does that mean finding candidates, but the complete onboarding of candidates."
Alexander Mann is currently hiring qualified individuals with experience in recruiting. Jones says he's been happy with the level of talent they've identified so far. "The caliber of people we've been able to hire is very, very strong."
Source: Mark Jones
Writer: Lee Chilcote
survey says: cle is a small-biz friendly city
In a Thumbtack.com survey titled “United States Small Business Friendliness,” the editors grade Cleveland an “A-“ in overall friendliness to small business. They also gave Cleveland an “A” in ease of hiring and an “A+” in training and networking programs.
“Starting a business is one of the greatest risks I have undertaken. I have the good fortune of starting that business in Ohio. The State gave me an entire website guiding me so that the odds of success are greater. I am not sure I can qualify starting a business as easy, but the support in my state made certain that it wasn't too painful,” shared a Cleveland-based marketing consultant.
Cleveland did have some areas for improvement despite its high overall grade. Regulations and tax code issues can sometimes be challenging for small business owners according to the findings.
Check out the complete survey here.
“Starting a business is one of the greatest risks I have undertaken. I have the good fortune of starting that business in Ohio. The State gave me an entire website guiding me so that the odds of success are greater. I am not sure I can qualify starting a business as easy, but the support in my state made certain that it wasn't too painful,” shared a Cleveland-based marketing consultant.
Cleveland did have some areas for improvement despite its high overall grade. Regulations and tax code issues can sometimes be challenging for small business owners according to the findings.
Check out the complete survey here.
Ryan O’Donnell has created a way to add a personal touch to online gifting. The founder and CEO of Sociagram has created an online cloud-based platform to create customized personal video messages. O’Donnell recognized that people enjoy sending e-cards and adding other personal touches when they send online gifts.
O’Donnell started Let’s Gift It in 2011, an online group gifting site, but quickly recognized the market wasn’t there. “What we learned is we were in a startup graveyard,” he says. “There was low perceived value and a high level of complexity to integrate it.”
But the idea behind Let’s Gift It led to Sociagram in 2012. “Since 1996, the only option was printing out a gift message on a packing slip that gets sent out with the product,” explains O’Donnell. “We realized we need more than that. With Sociagram, grandma and grandpa live in another state, they can click a button and sing happy birthday to their grandson. Dad can then record the grandson opening their gift.”
Retailers can also incorporate Sociagram into their gift options. Sociagram clients include 1-800-Bakery, Ashland Addison Florist Company and Mak·a·boo Personalized Gifts.
Sociagram recently received a $250,000 investment from JumpStart to further develop its platform. “They’ve been great partners,” says O’Donnell. “They’ve helped us think it through.” O’Donnell just moved Sociagram’s offices to Cleveland from New York. “Cleveland has been a very receptive place for us,” he says. He’s currently working out of the FlashStarts offices.
The company currently employs two software developers and two marketing and sales people, as well as an intern. O’Donnell plans to hire an additional four people as the company grows.
Source: Ryan O’Donnell
Writer: Karin Connelly
O’Donnell started Let’s Gift It in 2011, an online group gifting site, but quickly recognized the market wasn’t there. “What we learned is we were in a startup graveyard,” he says. “There was low perceived value and a high level of complexity to integrate it.”
But the idea behind Let’s Gift It led to Sociagram in 2012. “Since 1996, the only option was printing out a gift message on a packing slip that gets sent out with the product,” explains O’Donnell. “We realized we need more than that. With Sociagram, grandma and grandpa live in another state, they can click a button and sing happy birthday to their grandson. Dad can then record the grandson opening their gift.”
Retailers can also incorporate Sociagram into their gift options. Sociagram clients include 1-800-Bakery, Ashland Addison Florist Company and Mak·a·boo Personalized Gifts.
Sociagram recently received a $250,000 investment from JumpStart to further develop its platform. “They’ve been great partners,” says O’Donnell. “They’ve helped us think it through.” O’Donnell just moved Sociagram’s offices to Cleveland from New York. “Cleveland has been a very receptive place for us,” he says. He’s currently working out of the FlashStarts offices.
The company currently employs two software developers and two marketing and sales people, as well as an intern. O’Donnell plans to hire an additional four people as the company grows.
Source: Ryan O’Donnell
Writer: Karin Connelly
man of steel celebrates 75th birthday
In a NPR story titled “Cleveland Celebrates Superman, Its Hometown Hero,” Brian Bull explains Cleveland’s historical past in relation to the comic book hero Superman, who turned 75 years old on April 18.
“Less well-known is that the superhero is not native to the lost world of Krypton, nor the rural Kansas burg of Smallville. Superman is Cleveland's native son -- at least as far as the city's residents are concerned.”
Bull goes on to explain the history of Superman’s creation and some of the inspiration behind the story, including some of the main characters such as Lois Lane.
"The Man of Steel in a steel town, the strength that he had, that's all part of what Cleveland is," Mayor Frank Jackson was quoted. "We're a tough community that has overcome many challenges and obstacles, and Superman is a good representative model of Cleveland."
Check out the entire piece here.
“Less well-known is that the superhero is not native to the lost world of Krypton, nor the rural Kansas burg of Smallville. Superman is Cleveland's native son -- at least as far as the city's residents are concerned.”
Bull goes on to explain the history of Superman’s creation and some of the inspiration behind the story, including some of the main characters such as Lois Lane.
"The Man of Steel in a steel town, the strength that he had, that's all part of what Cleveland is," Mayor Frank Jackson was quoted. "We're a tough community that has overcome many challenges and obstacles, and Superman is a good representative model of Cleveland."
Check out the entire piece here.