Maria Blatnick owns more than 200 chairs. None of them match. Not to mention various patterns of antique china, vintage picture frames, galvanized washtubs and windows. “It really runs that gamut,” says Blatnick.

Such an eclectic collection led Blatnick to start HodgePodge Vintage Rentals, a source to rent props and accessories for weddings, events and photo shoots.
 
HodgePodge merges Blatnick’s love for unique design with her love for beau... Read more >

When TOA Technologies began in 2003, founders Yuval Brisker and Irad Carmi had one goal in mind: To eliminate that seemingly endless waiting time for home service calls.
 
“The company founders' reason to start TOA was to use technology to solve the problem of waiting at home for a delivery,” says John Opdycke, vice presidents of worldwide marketing. “The whole company’s purpose is to make sure people arrive on time.”
 
T... Read more >

Scott Colosimo loves designing cool motorcycles. When he and his partner Jarrod Streng were laid off from their industrial design jobs in 2009, they decided to chase their dream and created Cleveland CycleWerks. (Fresh Water featured him in this article from 2010)
 
CycleWerks bikes feature 250cc engines, are lightweight, simply designed, inexpensive to maintain and get 100 miles to the gallon. They are quite the opposite of America’s typical love of larger, mor... Read more >

The Cleveland Entrepreneurs’ Organization is one of the oldest and strongest chapters of the worldwide organization. Comprised of 115 members who are founders of business with at least $1 million in annual gross revenues, the members network, socialize and share their success stories.
 
Now the EO wants to share its collective knowledge with other entrepreneurs through its Accelerator program. Started three years ago, the purpose of the program is to educate and... Read more >

Goldman Sachs announced last week that it will bring its 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) initiative to Cleveland. The initiative commits $500 million to entrepreneurial education, access to capital and technical assistance services. Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation have pledged $15 million to Cleveland.
 
Cleveland is the seventh city to host a 10KSB. Unlike many organizations in Cleveland that focus on startups, this program is designed for existing sma... Read more >

Crowdfunding, the process of raising money for startups, small businesses or charities, has become an increasingly popular way to get investments for products or ideas that wouldn’t otherwise get off the ground through traditional lending institutions.
 
But under the Jobs Act, the rules and restrictions on crowdfunding are changing. JumpStart and Ulmer & Berne will host a seminar, Crowdfunding: From Legislation to Reality, on Monday, May 15 to discuss why t... Read more >

DXY Solutions is working with historical societies around the country to put historical information, pictures and maps on iOS and Android systems for a complete and informative history while roaming the city.

“We started this about a year and a half ago with Cleveland State and Epstein Design Partners,” explains DXY’s Dan Young. “We use iOS and Android to connect people who are out and about with historical information."
 
Known a... Read more >

Shelley Freed, co-founder of Ashton Business Solutions, a consulting group specializing in research-based business strategies, admits that she relies on technology just as much as the next person. But amidst all the emails and text messages, Freed’s goal is to put the human touch back into ABS’s strategic marketing and positioning.
 
“I do a lot of market research and strategic research for companies,” says Freed. “I get to interact with ... Read more >

Life Core Technologies received a $250,000 investment from JumpStart for its Excel disposable cerebral cooling system, a device that reduces chances of death in a medical emergency.

“Excel has a cooling element that cools the brain 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius very quickly after cardiac arrest, stroke, or traumatic brain injury,” explains Life Core CEO Mike Burke. “The cooling allows the brain to use less oxygen and prevent oxygen depletion and swelling.&rdq... Read more >

New entrepreneurs need all the help they can get when launching a business. The Incubator at MAGNET is launching the Beta Space to help students and entrepreneurs get off to a good start. The 2,000 square-foot space on E. 25th Street offers co-working space, mentorship and free advice from service providers.
 
“There are two main components to the program,” says David Crain, director of entrepreneurial services for the Incubator at Magnet. “One is a ... Read more >

Bad Girl Ventures has teamed up with Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream and Accion to host a Speed Coaching event on Monday, May 7 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the COSE offices. The event targets startups in the food and beverage industry.
 
“People in food and beverage have a really hard time getting funding,” explains Rachel Czernin, director of marketing and development for Bad Girl Ventures.

Small business owners spend 20 minutes at each statio... Read more >

LeanDog Labs, LaunchHouse and Bizdom have gotten together to host a Startup Mixer today from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at LeanDog Labs. The event intends to bring together developers, designers and other IT types with entrepreneurs launching a new product or service but in need of a CTO.
 
“A lot of people have wonderful ideas and a business background, but they’re usually missing that technical background,” explains Andradia Scovil, recruiting leader for Bizdo... Read more >

What began in 2005 as a desire to order a Rascal House pizza online rather than over the phone -- as ONOSYS did when launched by college friends Stan Garber, Oleg Fridman and Alex Yakubovich -- has grown into the second largest leader in mobile and online ordering software for the restaurant industry.
 
Last week, Living Social acquired ONOSYS, a move that fits squarely into Garber’s plans and expectations for the company.

“We we’re talking ... Read more >

NEOSA Tech Week 2012 was held last week at various northeast Ohio locations, promoting the region’s technology companies and the work they are doing in the field. This is the second year for the event, which increased participation by 80 percent with more than 900 people attending nine separate events.
 
“It was awesome,” says Brad Nellis, NEOSA director. “The main goal is to raise the profile of the technology industry in Cleveland.”
... Read more >

The Cleveland Council on World Affairs held an international career conference at John Carroll last week for students and young professionals considering a job in the international field. About 60 students from area high schools and colleges attended the event on Friday, April 20. The conference provided an opportunity to hear international professionals talk about their experiences and give career advice in getting into the field.
 
“The purpose of the internat... Read more >

In a January opinion piece in TechCrunch, entrepreneur Jon Bischke suggested the most successful urban leaders are those who view cities like startups. CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders dedicated to creating next generation cities, will examine that premise at its 2012 Spring National Meeting: The City As a Startup -- Creating Demand, Attracting Talent, Taking Risks and Going to Scale.

The meeting is set for May 17-18 at Great American Ball Park in Cinc... Read more >

As a technology-focused school, the University of Phoenix, Cleveland campus, knows the importance of computer education at an early age. So the university recently donated 30 desktop computers with accessories to the Kenneth W. Clement - Boys Leadership Academy in Cleveland.
 
“The University of Phoenix is very committed to technology and education,” says Gina Cuffari, Phoenix vice president of Ohio and Kentucky territories. “We have a 12-year histor... Read more >

Matt Mastrangelo knows first-hand the hassles of putting together a group outing to an Indians or Browns game. After nearly 10 years in group sales for both sports teams, he witnessed the amount of work staffers put into organizing a group outing.
 
“It was in the Stone Age,” he says. “Figuring out the paper flyers, who wants how many tickets, how much they cost, collecting cash and checks. I thought there was something I could do to alleviate that w... Read more >

Tech Corps, the Columbus-based organization that brings technology education to school age children around Ohio, is bringing Techie Camp to Cleveland this summer at the University Settlement. The goal is to teach elementary and middle school kids computer programming, robotics and web development to better prepare them for a future in technology.
 
“Kids today are technology savvy, but there’s a real disconnect between the technology they use and programmi... Read more >

Great customer service keeps Embrace Pet Insurance growing strong. Embrace has already exceeded its projected 25-percent growth in new policy sales this year. In fact, Monday was the company’s biggest sales day in its history. Now in its ninth year, Embrace's co-founder Laura Bennett credits her customers’ experiences with much of the company’s success.
 
“You can’t always assume it’s all the things you are doing, and you can&rs... Read more >