Three college friends could never have imagined that their mutual love of pizza was going to turn into a lucrative career. In 2003, Stan Garber and his Case Western buddies Oleg Fridman and Alex Yakubovich had a small website design company. When Rascal House Pizza approached them to build on online ordering system, ONOSYS Online Ordering Systems was born.

"We had a huge opportunity," says Garber. "I knew I didn't want to order food over the phone any more -- especially at 1 a.m."

In no time at all the three sold off their design company, raised some capital and started ONOSYS. After "a lot of hustle and bustle," ONOSYS, which is headquartered on E. 40th Street, is the second largest restaurant online ordering company in the country, with clients like Panera Bread, Applebee's and Papa John's International. More than 75 restaurant chains in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Ireland use their system.

"These restaurant chains are seeing a 20 to 25-percent increase in ticket sales with our system," says Garber. The company is on track to process $100 million in to-go orders in 2011.

While adoption of the idea was slow at first -- only 15-20 percent in the first two years -- the concept took off in 2008. "There are huge benefits to the customer, but also amazing benefits for the restaurant," says Garber. "The bigger chains are now adopting this [technology] quite fast and the smaller chains are starting to."

The company has steadily grown in its four years -- from five people in 2008 to 13 today. "We've seen the most amount of growth this year," says Garber. "We're probably hiring five to seven more people this year."


Source: Stan Garber
Writer: Karin Connelly

When the Cleveland Play House kicks off its adventurous 2011 season this coming fall, it will do so in a completely reworked Allen Theatre, about 70 blocks west of its current home. Built in 1921 as a 3,000-seat movie house, the Allen is currently wrapping up a $32-million renovation that will give not only the Play House a brand new home, but also Cleveland State University's thriving theatre department.

Since last fall alone, four new yoga spaces have opened within the Cleveland city limits, launching a bona fide urban-yoga boomlet. Along with the handful of studios that already existed, these new enterprises are well timed to meet a growing demand fueled by progressive new residents who continue to expand into rediscovered neighborhoods. Paired with a wealth of affordable spaces and an increased interest in wellness, yoga studios have never been in higher demand.

Interim Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) CEO Peter Raskind, who is being replaced by Chief Academic Officer Eric Gordon, offered some parting thoughts on improving urban education at a forum last week on underperforming schools.

Introducing himself as "the lamest of lame ducks," Raskind told the audience at Cleveland State University's Levin College of Urban Affairs that quality urban schools are critical to reducing inequality. Then he evaluated two concepts that are often mentioned by the left and right as single solutions to the woes of public education: more money and more competition.

"Will more money help? No, not alone," he asserted. While the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) laid off hundreds of teachers and staff this year, Raskind does not believe more resources alone would improve performance.

On the subject of fostering competition, he stated that "some competition is helpful, and charter schools and other competitors have induced what I like to call a 'positive discomfort' among schools. At the end of the day, we do have to compete -- yet alone, competition won't solve our problems."

The answer, Raskind said, is effective leadership. He cited Apple and General Motors as examples of two large companies that came back from the brink of destruction to flourish after being led by strong leaders.

Yet urban schools face a critical challenge in attracting good leaders because "leaders are drawn to environments where they can apply their talents to full effect, and repulsed by environments where they feel they'll be stymied," he said.

"How can we attract the best principals to our schools, when they don't have control of who they'll be able to hire?" Raskind asked the audience.

Raskind closed by drawing a comparison between urban schools and another industry that's been in the news a lot lately. "Like the auto industry, urban schools are also in a long slow decline," he said. "And labor and management are locked into complex, rigid agreements that don't function well in today's world."

"Our customers are defecting to more nimble and attractive competitors, particularly charter schools," he continued. "And like the auto industry, labor and management will go down together unless changes are made."


Source: Peter Raskind
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The phrase "party of the year" gets bandied about quite a bit, but rare is the bash that truly deserves the designation. One that does -- year after year -- is the Summer Solstice Party at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Held in the galleries and on the grounds of the world-renowned museum, the blowout attracts upwards of 4,000 revelers per year. This year's event is slated for June 25th.

Lady Gaga's now-infamous meat dress sizzled when the pop diva stepped beneath the hot lights of L.A.'s Nokia Theatre for the MTV Music Awards on Sept. 12, 2010. That stunning premiere only marked the beginning of the dress's long trip to Cleveland, which ended on June 16 when it ultimately arrived for display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

For nearly a decade, Cleveland Independents, a local marketing group, has worked tirelessly to level the playing field between independent restaurants and large national chains. By all accounts their efforts are paying off -- with a membership roster of 90 indie eateries, CI is the largest organization of its kind in the country.

For decades, the lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge supported the streetcars that shuttled Cleveland commuters across town. More recently, the rarely seen space has become a unique and beloved public gathering space.

In 2009, the two-day Bridge Project reopened the space to the public for one of the first times, attracting some 20,000 people. The offbeat festival of music and art featured a design charrette that solicited input for making the bridge more accessible and friendly to the public. More recently, the space has played host to Ingenuity Fest.

Those who do tour the half-mile walkway are treated to breathtaking views of downtown, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. There were also tantalizing remnants of Cleveland history: segments of old streetcar track, an historic subway station, and a watery pool fed from a natural spring in the hillside.

Now a new effort is underway to open the bridge to the public year-round. Organizers envision a bicycle and pedestrian link that bridges downtown and Ohio City, a performance venue and an authentic connection to Cleveland's past.

Led by the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC), James Levin and the Cuyahoga County Engineer, the Bridge Project has been nominated for a coveted "This Place Matters" award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Voting takes place between June 1st and June 30th. Currently, the Bridge Project is number six out of 100 projects that made the first cut.

"Since the voting started, we've moved from 40th place to 6th place, so we're hopeful that we'll be one of the three finalists to receive funding," says David Jurca, Urban Designer at the CUDC. "We plan to use the funding to match a grant we've received from the Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLCI) program that will allow us to plan and design the future of the space."

A community-driven effort is now underway to move the project into one of the top spots. First prize is $35,000; second prize is $10,000; and third prize is $5,000.


Source: David Jurca
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The Fund for Our Economic Future has awarded $5.3 million in grants to six regional economic development organizations collaborating to improve Northeast Ohio's economic competiveness. The Fund has been awarding these year-long grants since 2004.

"Part of what we do through grant making is develop a system in Northeast Ohio that we know hits on things that work," says Brad Whitehead, president of the Fund. "The purpose is to advance the economic agenda in Northeast Ohio."

The Fund for Our Economic Future is a collaboration of more than 100 foundations, organizations and philanthropists from across Northeast Ohio that strengthens the region's economic competitiveness through grant making, public engagement and research.

The grant recipients are: BioEnterprise, JumpStart, MAGNET, Minority Business Accelerator 2.5+, NorTech, and Team NEO. "Collectively, these six organizations have strengthened Northeast Ohio's economy contributing more than 2,000 new jobs, $47 million in payroll and attracting $371 million in capital," explains David Abbott, chairman of the Fund and executive director of the George Gund Foundation.

These six organizations best represent and support industries that have great growth potential -- namely manufacturing in emerging markets.

"Early on we identified the areas in which we need to work on, and we've tried to have constancy in these organizations," says Whitehead. "For a long time people thought that because we're a manufacturing economy that that was a bad thing. What we're learning is Northeast Ohio manufacturing is still an important part of our economy. We're turning old growth manufacturing into new growth products. Manufacturing is cool again."

Source: Brad Whitehead
Writer: Karin Connelly

While working from home has its benefits -- and is an increasing trend -- people often miss the social interaction that comes with working in an office. The Open Office is a co-working environment designed to provide temporary and permanent work environments for people who don't want their homes or local coffee shops to also serve as their main workspaces.

"Since 2005 there has been growth in just about every city," says founder Andrew Auten of the co-working concept. "People started working from home more, either through their companies or starting out on their own. People who work from home are not tethered to a building or a desk, but at the end of the day people get isolated."

The Open Office, scheduled to open this fall in the Coventry School building in Cleveland Heights, will offer workspace in a professional environment on a membership basis.

"Our target market is the solo entrepreneurs -- people who have struck out on their own," Auten explains. "My experience is a typical person has a boost of productivity working at home, because there are fewer distractions and they get a lot done, then it starts to dissipate."

Patrons can buy packages ranging from a day pass for a desk to resident offices. Members will have access to conference rooms, team rooms and a receptionist. "You can reserve these rooms for one-on-one meetings and client meetings," says Auten. "You'll have a clean, corporate space instead of a coffee shop or someplace else not always good to have meetings."

Auten is looking at additional space in Tyler Village on Superior and E. 36th.


Source: Andrew Auten
Writer: Karin Connelly

For three local entrepreneurs, playing with toys is big business. Arthur Gugick sells elaborate building replicas constructed from Legos. George Vlosich uses an Etch a Sketch to create pricy masterworks. And Tom Donelan turned his love of board games into a thriving national brand. These Cleveland-area professionals have proven that child's play is no joke.

When construction finally wrapped up in 2008 on the Euclid Corridor, civic leaders felt triumphant. The $200 million project to redevelop crumbling Euclid Avenue -- once dubbed "Millionaire's Row" for its opulent, turn-of-the-century mansions -- would spur economic development and connect downtown with University Circle, they believed.

Then the global recession hit. Banks stopped lending, businesses halted expansion plans and the nation slid into a great recession. The once-tangible vision of attracting health care and tech companies to the sparkling boulevard seemed like the stuff of dreams.

Yet at MidTown Cleveland's recent annual meeting, civic leaders touted recent developments showing the vaunted Health Tech Corridor is gradually becoming a reality. The Euclid Corridor has created "a globally competitive environment to attract and grow biomedical, health care and medical supply chain businesses in Midtown and beyond," MidTown's annual report stated.

Recent accomplishments include breaking ground on the Midtown Tech Park at Euclid and East 69th, with the help of a $3.5 million Jobs Ready Sites grant; earning a designation as an Ohio "Hub of Innovation and Opportunity" along with $250,000 in funding to implement an action plan for the Health Tech Corridor; seeing the expansion of longstanding businesses such as Pierre's Ice Cream; and spurring the addition of new businesses like Ziska Architects, which relocated from Solon to the historic Gifford House at 3047 Prospect Avenue.

MidTown Cleveland says it's no surprise that businesses are investing here, given the neighborhood's proximity to downtown Cleveland, University Circle and the Cleveland Clinic. Other reasons behind the growth of the area include access to talent and research at nearby institutions and opportunities to collaborate with world-class health care and academic institutions in technology development.


Source: MidTown Cleveland, Inc.
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Recent CWRU mechanical engineering graduates Austin Schmidt and Solomon Alkhasov won the 2011 Idea Competition, sponsored by LaunchHouse and CSU's Accelerated MBA program at Nance College of Business. They created a company called Affinity Algorithms, which develops proprietary computer arbitrage software to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers in various online marketplaces. The software provides greater liquidity and price transparency in the marketplaces.

"We are developing a suite of online software that helps the seller in fragmented marketplaces better manage inventory," explains Schmidt. Although Schmidt and Alkhasov came up with the idea from their experiences buying and selling textbooks in college, they say it can be applied to many online marketplaces.

The idea for Affinity Algorithms came about in January, they set up shop in March, and landed at LaunchHouse this month. They plan to roll out a full build of the software in September.

Students from all Northeast Ohio colleges and universities were invited to pitch a business concept to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, CSU faculty and LaunchHouse staff. The contest primarily focused on students who had innovative ideas in the fields of software and internet technology, low-tech medical devices and clean energy.

The second winner is Ronny Shalev, also a student at Case. Shalev created a product known as an autonomous intravenous (IV) insertion tool that will be the most effective replacement for the current procedure of manual vein localization and needle insertion. Shalev's tool will completely replace the need for trained medical staff.

Contest winners were each awarded a $2,500 scholarship to the Global AMBA program along with a prize basket of support services from LaunchHouse, "Additionally, we received a $500 check from LaunchHouse, along with a bunch of services that include legal services, accounting, and free space for three months," says Schmidt. "All in all, a very comprehensive package with everything needed to get a business off the ground."

The winners will also have the opportunity to compete for up to $5000 in follow on funding.

Source: Austin Schmidt
Writer: Karin Connelly

The PNC SmartHome is complete at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and open to visitors who want to learn how to make environmentally-friendly improvements to their own properties. The 2,500-square-foot three-bedroom house uses 90 percent less energy than a traditional home, and it uses no furnace for heating and cooling. The walls are a foot thick and packed with insulation, while the windows are triple-pane glass -- both of which reduce heat loss. The home is heated and cooled with small heat pumps.

"The museum wanted to help people understand how they can dramatically reduce energy consumption," says David Beach, director of the GreenCityBlueLake Institute at CMNH. "We think the SmartHome will be the first home to receive passive home certification in Northeast Ohio."

Other features include hardwood floors made from 100-year-old reclaimed wood and artwork with environmental themes created by local artists. The landscaping features storm water management techniques to keep rain water on-site instead of in storm sewers.

So far, the home has been well-received. "People walk in it and go, 'wow,'" says Beach. "What they are reacting to immediately is what a beautiful home it is. Then they see they can learn things [to do] for their own homes."

The house will be moved to an empty lot on Wade Park Boulevard this fall and will go on the market soon. Beach says they've already received inquiries about purchasing the house.

Tours run Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 with museum admission, $3 for those who can't go upstairs. Children 2 and under are free.

Source: David Beach
Writer: Karin Connelly