Connelly Rice
Karin Connelly Rice

Stories by: Karin Connelly Rice

Karin Connelly Rice enjoys telling people's stories, whether it's a promising startup or a life's passion. Over the past 20 years she has reported on the local business community for publications such as Inside Business and Cleveland Magazine. She was editor of the Rocky River/Lakewood edition of In the Neighborhood and was a reporter and photographer for the Amherst News-Times. At Fresh Water she enjoys telling the stories of Clevelanders who are shaping and embracing the business and research climate in Cleveland.
Cheers! Sipt café serves up healthy food and drink with an extra boost for what ails you
Carina Grenier opened Sipt in February to give customers a healthy, fresh option for fueling up in Beachwood's fitness plaza.
The fixe is in: Two March restaurant weeks showcase Northeast Ohio eateries
March is the season to sample new menus in Northeast Ohio as two Restaurant Weeks kick off.
How two Cleveland boomerangs are making waves on the med tech scene with MedPilot
Who says Cleveland isn’t a tech hub, let alone a medical tech hub? Not Matt Buder Shapiro, Nate Spoden, and Jake Myers, co-founders of MedPilot. In fact, the team believes so much in the city’s potential for business growth that they relocated MedPilot from New York City to Cleveland last year, where they set up shop at 5500 S. Marginal Road.
Get out and enjoy the remaining days of February with CAC-fueled events
With February drawing to a close and Cleveland weather set to warm up for a few days, there’s no excuse not to get out and enjoy the many Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) activities that focus on the outdoors—from a Slovenian-inspired Mardi Gras to a one-of-a-kind music and art festival to close encounters with birds and owls. Check out these family-friendly events that are sure to seal the deal for an unforgettable winter weekend, Cleveland-style.
LAND studio is putting the 'public' in public art with a community-designed gathering place
It takes a village to build a community gathering place, and LAND studio is looking for that village to help build its latest public art project—Forum, a large, permanent outdoor pavilion designed to be a setting for public engagement and community gatherings.
Some like it hot: The secret sauce behind Cleveland's most caliente condiments
Cleveland and Pittsburgh may have a legendary rivalry when it comes to football, but Matt McMonagle and his wife, Lisa, are taking that rivalry to the condiment arena. As supporters of locally-owned businesses, Matt and Lisa noticed that everyone in Cleveland was serving Pittsburgh-based Heinz ketchup. “We saw a lot of [local] mustard, hot sauces, and barbeque sauces," says Matt. "But why are we buying ketchup from a Pittsburgh company?” 
The state of Cleveland print media: Local journalists ponder journalism in the next era
Anyone who set foot in the Beachland Ballroom last Saturday might have thought the rumors of print media's demise have been greatly exaggerated. At the sold-out Concert for Truth, more than 450 people gathered to show their support for local journalism and those who bring us the news every day. The event featured 11 local musicians who volunteered their time and talents to raise about $5,000 for the 24 Plain Dealer employees who are being laid off after March.
Red Space set to unveil $650,000 expansion to its warehouse and event space
When Hotcards CEO John Gadd moved his company to the former Futon Factory at 2400 Superior Ave.—and subsequently bought the building in 2015—he didn’t know what he wanted to do with the 22,000-square-foot warehouse. But soon after moving in, the idea of converting the warehouse into an upscale urban event center came to Gadd, and Red Space was born.
Green thumb guidance: Cleveland's houseplant doctor is in at Ohio Tropics
Raffaele Di Lallo may work as a chemical engineer for a top specialty chemicals and coatings company, but his true passion is caring for tropical houseplants and sharing his knowledge. So, two years ago, the Clevelander starred Ohio Tropics—a daily blog focused on teaching readers how to grow and nurture their houseplants.
MetroHealth opens Bikur Cholim room for Jewish families at its Cleveland Heights hospital
It’s never easy when a loved one is hospitalized—often, the family caregivers forget to care for themselves. With more than 2,000 Orthodox Jewish families living in the Cleveland area—the majority of whom live in Cleveland Heights, University Heights, and the Green Road area of Beachwood—the tenets of their faith can make a hospital stay particularly hard. The new Bikur Cholim room at MetroHealth's Cleveland Heights campus is helping to make the experience easier for all. 
Body-positive boutique Fetch & Co. combats bullying with the Peace Project
When Julia Gramenz and Abbey Markiewitz started Fetch & Co. boutique in October 2017 in Markiewitz’ basement with just a couple of clothing racks and a fitting room, they had one mission in mind: To offer unique clothing in a range of sizes that would fit every woman.
Stranger things are afoot in Lakewood with opening of paranormal shop
Cleveland is a spooky place, and not just around Halloween. No one knows that better than Jessica Oktober and Marleigh McVeigh, co-founders of the Cleveland Area Paranormal Society (CAPS).Together the two lead a team of experts in serving up everything paranormal—from Haunted History Tours around Cleveland to cryptid crafts to tarot card and tea readings.
Why Say Yes to Education is a game-changer for not just CMSD students, but all of Cleveland
With 20 cities in the running, Cleveland’s chances of becoming the next Say Yes to Education chapter—and only the fourth in the country to receive the distinction—were just a paltry five percent. Yet according to Say Yes founder George Weiss, it was no contest.
Cleveland's sailing and rowing hub continues to grow with dedicated boatbuilding space
The Cleveland Amateur Boating and Boatbuilders Society now has a permanent workspace instead of PHASTAR, near the Foundry and the Cleveland Rowing Foundation. It's part of a larger community boating center that PHASTAR is putting together that will house other groups—each with a unique tie to boating, the river, or Lake Erie, according to CABBS President Ed Neal.
 
Cleveland’s newest coffee company introduces farm-to-cup coffee beans
Pablo Lopez and Farris Khouri just completed their college degrees last year, but they're already making waves in the business world with Ohio’s first farm-to-cup coffee company, Mocina Coffee.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture grantees to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s impact in CLE and beyond
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is known by all for his work in the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Many people in Cleveland, however, may not be aware of how often King came through Cleveland in the 1960s—and the lasting influence he had on the city. From civil rights and Christianity to politics and school sit-ins, King was a well-known presence in Cleveland.
Lee Road’s Kensington Pub finally on the brink of opening
Jeff King believes in doing things right the first time. That philosophy may have put him and his business partner, Brad Poe, more than a year behind schedule in opening the new Kensington Pub (2260 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights), but King says they are finally ready to open.
Church and State unite for a new community-oriented residential project in Ohio City
Ground has already been broken on the $60 million mixed-use development Church + State by the collaborative development team of Hemingway Development, GRAMMAR Properties, and Brent Zimmerman, but the group will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking on Thursday, January 24, to kick off the newest addition to the Hingetown neighborhood.
The Cleveland Athletic Club building has found second life as the Athlon
After nearly 12 years of vacancy, the former Cleveland Athletic Club (CAC) at 1118 Euclid Ave. will soon come alive again as the Athlon at the Cleveland Athletic Club Building. The building will feature 163 luxury apartments, offices, and commercial retail space—all paying homage to a facility loved by Clevelanders since the CAC first opened its doors in 1911, then abruptly closed in 2007.
Cleveland's newest "it" florist has set up shop in Cleveland Heights
For Scott Robertson, every flower he uses in his creations is a work of art reflecting his own personal spin on design. “I think what we do here is really floral art, because we don’t just throw things in a vase,” he says of his new Stems Fleur floral and gift boutique in Cleveland Heights. “We mix traditional and really clean, modern looks, and people are starting to recognize our work.”