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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.
LaunchHouse opens third location with new licensing plan in place
LaunchHouse has come a long way since 2008 when founders Todd Goldstein and Dar Caldwell first started working with entrepreneurs in a small office above Geraci’s Pizza in University Heights and eventually opened in an old Shaker Heights car dealership with about a dozen portfolio companies and a handful of members. Today, LaunchHouse is one of Cleveland's premier coworking communities—with two locations and a brand-new licensing model that will see it expand to as many as six more locations by end of 2019. The first licensee? CoWork Oberlin.
Out with the old, in with the new: Salvation Army rings in new traditions with the digital era
The 1950 holiday classic “Silver Bells,” written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, was inspired by the sounds of the Salvation Army Santas ringing bells on New York City street corners during the annual Red Kettle Campaign. Those bells have also been ringing on the streets of Northeast Ohio for most of the Salvation Army Greater Cleveland’s 150-year history. But these days—due to store closures and high use of credit cards—Major Thomas Applin says the Salvation Army is finding new ways to boost its largest and most known fundraiser.
After revisiting Cleveland’s past, DeMarco’s new book highlights the Cleveland that's still standing
Plain Dealer arts and entertainment reporter Laura DeMarco was so pleased with the reactions to her book Lost Cleveland­—a chronological look at beloved city landmarks and institutions that no longer exist—that she decided to write a second book on Cleveland’s living landmarks.
TRG Multimedia’s new, larger space will create one of the largest multimedia studios in the Midwest
It takes a lot of room to pull off projects like a 14-story mural and an entire marketing campaign, ­not to mention countless video, digital, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) projects—so the growing TRG Multimedia recently leased 75,000 square feet on the former American Greetings campus in Brooklyn.
 
Chef Michael Schwartz switches restaurant concepts at Van Aken District
As shops and restaurants continue to open their doors at the new Van Aken District, James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz has announced that he will open his Miami-based Michael's Genuine Food & Drink in the space originally planned for his Genuine Pizza chain at 3427 Tuttle Road in Shaker Heights.
Lakefront living options continue to grow with the expansion of The Shoreline
Most Clevelanders have driven past the former Quay 55 building thousands of times while zooming up and down the Shoreway. But what many locals may not know is that the building is now known as The Shoreline Apartments—designed to offer resort-style living right on the shores of Lake Erie, according to new owner John Carney.
Miracle on Sowinski Avenue: St. Casimir Church becomes the first local church to go green
One may not normally think of a 127-year-old church as a leader in green infrastructure practices, but St. Casimir Church—based in Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood—has set an example as the first Cleveland Catholic Diocese church to begin installing a green infrastructure on its campus.
 
Amazon takes steps to be a good neighbor with its new North Randall facility
Just over a month after opening its new 855,000-square-foot North Randall fulfillment facility, Amazon is already making its presence known around the Greater Cleveland area—with officials demonstrating how happy they are to be here and their desire to be a good neighbor.
Vocon recognized for its design work on Forest City’s new collaborative work space
When real estate giant Forest City first approached architecture and design firm Vocon back in 2016 about moving its 400-plus employees from its 240,000-square-foot headquarters inside the Terminal Tower to 111,000 square feet in Key Tower, Vocon design director Bob Porter’s creative juices started oozing.
Sister act: Two Cleveland Heights students team up to create an A+ app for homeschoolers
Cleveland Heights sisters Maya and Nina Serna haven’t even completed high school, and keep a busy academic and social schedule, but in their spare time they've spent the last two years developing an app specifically to help students who are homeschoolers like themselves.
New home, new possibilities for Urban Squash Cleveland
Over the last seven years, Urban Squash Cleveland has relied on the resources of its educational partners to share its unique enrichment formula with inner-city students, but last Saturday, October 13, USC proudly opened the doors to its very own 10,000-square-foot Youth Development Center. Not only is the new facility just the sixth of its kind in the country, but it will also allow Urban Squash Cleveland to double the number of students taking part.
New Glenville creative arts learning center aims to inspire youth
FRONT International may have concluded its colorful run, but the former FRONT Porch space in Glenville will continue its arts and culture legacy with the opening of the new Center for Arts-Inspired Learning—a creative arts center for children and teens set to open this Sunday, October 21.
Today is World Homeless Day. How can you help? The YWCA Greater Cleveland has a few ideas.
With today designated as World Homeless Day, the YWCA is turning its lens on Cleveland—where there are more than 22,000 people homeless annually, and about 4,000 people homeless each night (according to the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless).
Patient-centered design will set apart the new Centers for Dialysis Care in University Circle
It’s been a year since Panzica Construction started building a new two-story, 48,000-square-foot flagship treatment facility for the Centers for Dialysis Care (CDC) at Stokes Boulevard and Carnegie Avenue in University Circle—and the project will soon be rounding the bend toward completion.
Hidden trails around Doan Brook Gorge revealed with a new series of October hikes
Tucked away amid the urban hustle and bustle of commuters driving through Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights is one of Cleveland’s little-known natural wonders: Doan Brook. Now bordered by Coventry Road, Fairhill Road, and North Park Boulevard, the 15,000-year-old bluestone tributary to Lake Erie originated as the glaciers retreated from the region. Today, there are hiking trails that meander around the 8.4-mile brook, showing off a bit of Northeast Ohio’s natural state—yet most people don’t even know these trails exist.
All clear: Two Cleveland-based skin care lines every beauty buff should know
The skin care struggle can be real, but Clevelanders Bethany Hilt and Sandra Bontempo have channeled their frustrations into inspiration—tossing aside traditional regimens to create their own products. Hilt turned to the knowledge she learned from making homemade facial and body care products with her grandmother, while Bontempo looked to her beloved chickens for a solution to her son’s eczema. The result? Two thriving local companies.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture's new Learning Lab primes civic-minded artists for impactful projects
Few things give a neighborhood a boost of pride and sense of place like a work of public art. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) wants to help make the connection between civic-minded artists and Cuyahoga County-based nonprofit organizations seeking a collaborative way to solve problems and benefit the community. Enter the Learning Lab—a professional development program designed to train artists in civic, social, public, and placemaking practices.
Two paws up: New Cleveland Heights grooming shop puts dogs first
It’s only been one week since Linda McFadden opened Lee Road Dog Grooming, but she has already built a customer base and potential customers are stopping in. After all, it’s hard to miss the hand-painted pictures of a ladylike pup donning a flowered hat and the pink and purple hues that adorn the small storefront on one of the newest additions to the Cedar-Lee District.
The future is freelance, but Lakewood-based Impel Creative already knew that.
Ten years from now, employment industry experts estimate that 50 percent of Millennials will be earning their livings as freelancers. That's no surprise to Impel Creative founders Stacie Ross and Doug Crouch—who've been helping to set the trend by hiring freelancers for the past 10 years.
After five years of planning, Van Aken District is coming alive in Shaker Heights
It’s not easy to take an historic neighborhood known for its charm, tree-lined residential streets, and opulent architecture and create a brand-new urban downtown. But, after more than five years of planning, that is exactly what the city of Shaker Heights and developer RMS Investment Corporation have done in building phase one of the Van Aken District—Shaker Heights’ new downtown.