Downtown
What can we do with what we already have? That simple question drives two movements that are rapidly gaining momentum and reshaping Cleveland: urban farming and deconstruction -- because, for better or worse, land and condemned buildings are plentiful. In the same glass-half-full spirit, some local artists are turning to items that would otherwise have ended up in landfills to change perceptions about "trash," and perhaps spawn a new industry.
As the playful name hints, Pop-Up Gift Shop will open only briefly, from November 18 through December 19, at 2242 Euclid Ave., in Trinity Commons. The store will feature "handmade, reasonably priced, whimsical, interesting gifts crafted with an emphasis on reuse from local artists" -- like jewelry made from copper wire and liquor bottles, oil paintings on old Styrofoam, nightlights with shades made from artificial sweetener packets, and windchimes and ornaments from old bicycle parts, to name just a few.
The idea came when reuse artists Nicole McGee and Trish Supples met Dean Tracy Lind of Trinity Cathedral at the Sustainability Summit. McGee and Supples were looking for ways to promote "upcycling" -- McGee, for example, crafts colorful, decorative flowers out of old floor tiles -- and Lind had a storefront in need of an entrepreneur. Pop-Up was born.
"We were able to find a ton of artists" to participate, says Supples. And not all have tried this before. "Some established artists are taking this as a challenge to try reuse or upcycling."
On her web site, PlentyUnderfoot.com, McGee explains: "My creations are an extension of my view of the world -- that beauty and potential lie dormant all around us. Finding beauty underfoot is only one part of the process. Looking comes first. The waste stream of consumer culture is full of creative potential. Throw away less and create more!"
Source: Trish Supples
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
As the playful name hints, Pop-Up Gift Shop will open only briefly, from November 18 through December 19, at 2242 Euclid Ave., in Trinity Commons. The store will feature "handmade, reasonably priced, whimsical, interesting gifts crafted with an emphasis on reuse from local artists" -- like jewelry made from copper wire and liquor bottles, oil paintings on old Styrofoam, nightlights with shades made from artificial sweetener packets, and windchimes and ornaments from old bicycle parts, to name just a few.
The idea came when reuse artists Nicole McGee and Trish Supples met Dean Tracy Lind of Trinity Cathedral at the Sustainability Summit. McGee and Supples were looking for ways to promote "upcycling" -- McGee, for example, crafts colorful, decorative flowers out of old floor tiles -- and Lind had a storefront in need of an entrepreneur. Pop-Up was born.
"We were able to find a ton of artists" to participate, says Supples. And not all have tried this before. "Some established artists are taking this as a challenge to try reuse or upcycling."
On her web site, PlentyUnderfoot.com, McGee explains: "My creations are an extension of my view of the world -- that beauty and potential lie dormant all around us. Finding beauty underfoot is only one part of the process. Looking comes first. The waste stream of consumer culture is full of creative potential. Throw away less and create more!"
Source: Trish Supples
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
It's taken several months, but Vicky Poole says she's finally getting a
handle on what will grow well in a mall. Herbs, for one thing.
Poole is co-owner of Gardens Under Glass, the innovative urban hydroponic farm, market and experiment under the magnificent glass ceilings of Galleria at Erieview on East 9th Street. The growing began last winter. Poole recently added the Re-Source Center, selling related products from local vendors, some of whom, like A Piece of Cleveland, specialize in the reuse of old materials. The Re-Source Center itself "reuses" a space once occupied by a greeting card and candy store that vacated the Galleria long ago.
But farming remains Poole's focus. "I work on this around the clock," she says, with no hint of complaint. "It's quite a chore to keep track of the bugs and the growing conditions and all the things that go along with growing food."
The effort is worth it, she says, if it helps to promote local farming, nutrition and sustainable practices.
She's exploring the possibility of shifting to a non-profit model, which would suit her long-term vision of building comprehensive farming and sustainability education center around the crops. "The space is very conducive to demonstrations and instructions," she says.
But for now she needs to rely on good old-fashioned sales, and that's where the herbs come in. She's hoping to develop a steady customer base for the basil, tarragon and many others already available, as well as the oils and vinegars featuring her dried pepper seeds that are planned. Lots of people admire, Poole says; not many buy. She's hoping that changes as awareness of the benefits of locally grown produce, and her unique business, spreads.
"There's not one person who comes into this building who doesn't look around and say, 'My God, what a beautiful space,'" Poole says. But too often they focus more on what it once was, a vibrant retail mall, than on what it's becoming and could be. "Let's see what we can turn it into," she adds, "before the demise of another downtown building."
Source: Gardens Under Glass
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Poole is co-owner of Gardens Under Glass, the innovative urban hydroponic farm, market and experiment under the magnificent glass ceilings of Galleria at Erieview on East 9th Street. The growing began last winter. Poole recently added the Re-Source Center, selling related products from local vendors, some of whom, like A Piece of Cleveland, specialize in the reuse of old materials. The Re-Source Center itself "reuses" a space once occupied by a greeting card and candy store that vacated the Galleria long ago.
But farming remains Poole's focus. "I work on this around the clock," she says, with no hint of complaint. "It's quite a chore to keep track of the bugs and the growing conditions and all the things that go along with growing food."
The effort is worth it, she says, if it helps to promote local farming, nutrition and sustainable practices.
She's exploring the possibility of shifting to a non-profit model, which would suit her long-term vision of building comprehensive farming and sustainability education center around the crops. "The space is very conducive to demonstrations and instructions," she says.
But for now she needs to rely on good old-fashioned sales, and that's where the herbs come in. She's hoping to develop a steady customer base for the basil, tarragon and many others already available, as well as the oils and vinegars featuring her dried pepper seeds that are planned. Lots of people admire, Poole says; not many buy. She's hoping that changes as awareness of the benefits of locally grown produce, and her unique business, spreads.
"There's not one person who comes into this building who doesn't look around and say, 'My God, what a beautiful space,'" Poole says. But too often they focus more on what it once was, a vibrant retail mall, than on what it's becoming and could be. "Let's see what we can turn it into," she adds, "before the demise of another downtown building."
Source: Gardens Under Glass
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Want a crash course on recent and future Downtown development? Check out this brilliant and compelling video commissioned by Downtown Cleveland Alliance that highlights the hundreds of millions of dollars in recent development, including higher education, performing arts, residential and commercial.
Credit goes to Fusion Filmworks, TWIST Creative and Ante Up, which composed the gripping score.
Credit goes to Fusion Filmworks, TWIST Creative and Ante Up, which composed the gripping score.
It's not a sports championship, but in some ways it's just as big. Last
week a consortium of some of the wealthiest banks and foundations in
the world announced that Cleveland would receive major support for
innovative developments that will create hundreds of new jobs where
they're needed most.
The Integration Initiative, by the New York-based Living Cities philanthropic collaborative, will pump almost $15 million in grants, loans and targeted investments into Cleveland. One of five cities chosen, Cleveland impressed the evaluators with plans to leverage the buying power of institutions in and around University Circle -- which spend some $3 billion annually on goods and services -- into new businesses and jobs. And not just any businesses, but innovative, green operations that provide their workers with more than just paychecks.
Some of the funding will be used to start or relocate businesses in the growing Heath-Tech Corridor between University Circle and Cleveland State. Other funds will expand the Evergreen Cooperatives network of employee-owned businesses, all of which meet the institutions' procurement needs in new ways, and satisfy Living Cities' demand for "game-changing" new strategies.
Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, for example, uses far less water than competitors, allowing the institutions to reduce their carbon footprints. The laundry currently employs 28, and will expand to 50. Ohio Solar Cooperative employs 25 -- already exceeding expectations -- and will hire another 50 over the next three years. The Green City Growers hydroponic greenhouse will employ 45 when it opens on East 55th Street later this year.
All Evergreen businesses allow workers to build equity in the company and share in profits. "An 8-, 9- 10-dollar-an-hour job is not really enough to change someone's life," says Lillian Kuri of the Cleveland Foundation, which coordinated the applications to Living Cities. "The ability for wealth creation is absolutely essential to changing neighborhoods."
Five more co-ops are in the pipeline, Kuri says. Two will launch "soon," the other three over the next one to two years.
Many of the foundations that make up Living Cities will be familiar to NPR listeners: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, to name a few. Member banks include Bank of America, Deutche Bank and J.P. Morgan Chase. Cleveland Foundation is an affiliate member.
Source: Cleveland Foundation
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The Integration Initiative, by the New York-based Living Cities philanthropic collaborative, will pump almost $15 million in grants, loans and targeted investments into Cleveland. One of five cities chosen, Cleveland impressed the evaluators with plans to leverage the buying power of institutions in and around University Circle -- which spend some $3 billion annually on goods and services -- into new businesses and jobs. And not just any businesses, but innovative, green operations that provide their workers with more than just paychecks.
Some of the funding will be used to start or relocate businesses in the growing Heath-Tech Corridor between University Circle and Cleveland State. Other funds will expand the Evergreen Cooperatives network of employee-owned businesses, all of which meet the institutions' procurement needs in new ways, and satisfy Living Cities' demand for "game-changing" new strategies.
Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, for example, uses far less water than competitors, allowing the institutions to reduce their carbon footprints. The laundry currently employs 28, and will expand to 50. Ohio Solar Cooperative employs 25 -- already exceeding expectations -- and will hire another 50 over the next three years. The Green City Growers hydroponic greenhouse will employ 45 when it opens on East 55th Street later this year.
All Evergreen businesses allow workers to build equity in the company and share in profits. "An 8-, 9- 10-dollar-an-hour job is not really enough to change someone's life," says Lillian Kuri of the Cleveland Foundation, which coordinated the applications to Living Cities. "The ability for wealth creation is absolutely essential to changing neighborhoods."
Five more co-ops are in the pipeline, Kuri says. Two will launch "soon," the other three over the next one to two years.
Many of the foundations that make up Living Cities will be familiar to NPR listeners: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, to name a few. Member banks include Bank of America, Deutche Bank and J.P. Morgan Chase. Cleveland Foundation is an affiliate member.
Source: Cleveland Foundation
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The marriage of high-tech design and high-end dining is proving a win-win for diners, local restaurateurs and Epstein Design Partners, a Shaker Square-based design firm.
The next time you go shopping at the Galleria at Erieview, you may find
an innovative product instead of a new sweater. The Manufacturing Mart
at the Galleria has been established as a permanent showcase for
marketing industrial companies and products and as an accessible venue
for buying, selling and networking.
Created by Capital of Know-How, a recently launched, Cleveland-based industrial marketing services company, the Manufacturing Mart at the Galleria will offer permanent and rotating product display options and on-site sales and marketing support starting at $1,500 per month. Reservations for display space are currently being accepted. The mart will be located on the first floor of the Galleria.
Mary Kaye Denning, president of Capital of Know-How, says the time is right to create a new type of economic development venue in Cleveland. "We are providing a platform to reignite a spirit of enterprise and innovation," she says.
The official grand opening of the Manufacturing Mart takes place on December 1, with a blessing by Feng Shui master Pun Yin.
SOURCE: Capital of Know-How
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Created by Capital of Know-How, a recently launched, Cleveland-based industrial marketing services company, the Manufacturing Mart at the Galleria will offer permanent and rotating product display options and on-site sales and marketing support starting at $1,500 per month. Reservations for display space are currently being accepted. The mart will be located on the first floor of the Galleria.
Mary Kaye Denning, president of Capital of Know-How, says the time is right to create a new type of economic development venue in Cleveland. "We are providing a platform to reignite a spirit of enterprise and innovation," she says.
The official grand opening of the Manufacturing Mart takes place on December 1, with a blessing by Feng Shui master Pun Yin.
SOURCE: Capital of Know-How
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
There seems to be no stopping Aclara RF Systems from growing and adding jobs in Northeast Ohio. Last year, the Beachwood-based company moved to a larger facility in Solon. So far in 2010, Aclara RF Systems has hired 25 new people to prepare for the release of its Acendant Network, a multipurpose wide-area network (WAN) that manages data between utilities, diverse networks and devices. Aclara's 2011 budget allows for even more hirings next year.
Aclara RF Systems is an arm of a Missouri-based manufacturer of automated meter reading systems and utilities software. Aclara has enjoyed success with its traditional meter-reading equipment, designed and made in Solon, with annual sales of more than $100 million. The company is poised for equal success with the release of the Acendant Network in 2011.
As a result of its successes and its positioning for growth through the Acendant Network, Aclara's number of employees has grown to about 300, nearly double of what it was just two years ago.
SOURCE: Aclara RF Systems
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Aclara RF Systems is an arm of a Missouri-based manufacturer of automated meter reading systems and utilities software. Aclara has enjoyed success with its traditional meter-reading equipment, designed and made in Solon, with annual sales of more than $100 million. The company is poised for equal success with the release of the Acendant Network in 2011.
As a result of its successes and its positioning for growth through the Acendant Network, Aclara's number of employees has grown to about 300, nearly double of what it was just two years ago.
SOURCE: Aclara RF Systems
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The day after the Cavaliers' exciting upset of the reigning champion
Boston Celtics, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert celebrated by announcing a new
commitment to his adopted city: He's bringing his Detroit-based Bizdom U program to Cleveland.
Bizdom U is a non-profit "boot camp" for entrepreneurs established by Gilbert in his native Detroit in 2007. Participants receive four to six months of intensive training in marketing, sales, finance and other fundamentals, all at no charge. During the training, the aspiring entrepreneurs develop a plan for a business; the only requirement is that the business must be located downtown.
Participants whose business plans are approved receive up to $100,000 in funding, an ownership stake that grows over time, and continued mentoring.
"Entrepreneurs are the key to invigorating a city because they are the engines that create jobs and significantly contribute to the prosperity of a city and region," Gilbert said in a statement. "Our program searches out people with a burning passion to be entrepreneurs and helps them turn their business dreams into commercial realities in urban areas that need the investment."
The Detroit Bizdom U has helped launch a pre-licensing training center, an electronic medical records company, a limited-edition footwear manufacturer and a marketing firm specializing in college campuses.
The Cleveland Bizdom U will launch in 2011.
Source: Bizdom U
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Bizdom U is a non-profit "boot camp" for entrepreneurs established by Gilbert in his native Detroit in 2007. Participants receive four to six months of intensive training in marketing, sales, finance and other fundamentals, all at no charge. During the training, the aspiring entrepreneurs develop a plan for a business; the only requirement is that the business must be located downtown.
Participants whose business plans are approved receive up to $100,000 in funding, an ownership stake that grows over time, and continued mentoring.
"Entrepreneurs are the key to invigorating a city because they are the engines that create jobs and significantly contribute to the prosperity of a city and region," Gilbert said in a statement. "Our program searches out people with a burning passion to be entrepreneurs and helps them turn their business dreams into commercial realities in urban areas that need the investment."
The Detroit Bizdom U has helped launch a pre-licensing training center, an electronic medical records company, a limited-edition footwear manufacturer and a marketing firm specializing in college campuses.
The Cleveland Bizdom U will launch in 2011.
Source: Bizdom U
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
cleveland: the anatomy of a dealmaking community
In the latest issue of The Deal, Cleveland earns major real estate and attention for its remarkably robust deal-making environment. In a multi-feature special report titled: The Anatomy of a Dealmaking Community, numerous Cleveland companies get major props.
The magazine poses the rhetorical question: "How do deals get done in America?" And answers it with: "This once-powerful industrial center boasts a vibrant network of advisers and investors. This is how it works."
Key points mentioned:
* Cleveland's dealmaking community is surprisingly large and self-sufficient, with an array of both national and regional players.
* There are 21 private equity shops here, which means Cleveland ranks perhaps fifth nationally.
* Several big corporations maintain corporate headquarters here, including Eaton, Sherwin-Williams and Parker Hannifin.
Miller writes: Cleveland is a stellar example of how most deals get done in America. For all its troubles, the city remains the vibrant center of a regional network, with national and international outgrowths, consisting of banks, nonbank lenders, accounting and law firms, private equity shops, some venture capital.
Cleveland's private equity scene has 21 entries, which means the city ranks perhaps fifth nationally, behind New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. Cleveland's private equity heft far outweighs the local business scene. Riverside heads the list, but the lineup also includes nationally known shops such as Blue Point Capital Partners, Linsalata Capital Partners Inc., Kirtland Capital Partners, Primus Capital Funds and Key Principal Partners Corp.
Other articles in the package deal with Cleveland venture capital firms generally and specifically, as with its coverage of Candlewood Partners LLC.
Read the special report here.
The magazine poses the rhetorical question: "How do deals get done in America?" And answers it with: "This once-powerful industrial center boasts a vibrant network of advisers and investors. This is how it works."
Key points mentioned:
* Cleveland's dealmaking community is surprisingly large and self-sufficient, with an array of both national and regional players.
* There are 21 private equity shops here, which means Cleveland ranks perhaps fifth nationally.
* Several big corporations maintain corporate headquarters here, including Eaton, Sherwin-Williams and Parker Hannifin.
Miller writes: Cleveland is a stellar example of how most deals get done in America. For all its troubles, the city remains the vibrant center of a regional network, with national and international outgrowths, consisting of banks, nonbank lenders, accounting and law firms, private equity shops, some venture capital.
Cleveland's private equity scene has 21 entries, which means the city ranks perhaps fifth nationally, behind New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. Cleveland's private equity heft far outweighs the local business scene. Riverside heads the list, but the lineup also includes nationally known shops such as Blue Point Capital Partners, Linsalata Capital Partners Inc., Kirtland Capital Partners, Primus Capital Funds and Key Principal Partners Corp.
Other articles in the package deal with Cleveland venture capital firms generally and specifically, as with its coverage of Candlewood Partners LLC.
Read the special report here.
Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority officials recently revealed that they are reconsidering long-stalled plans for a ferry between Ohio and Ontario. Last week, they announced another international transit plan, this time for container service.
The Port and Great Lakes Feeder Lines of Burlington, Ontario are discussing a deal that would make Cleveland the first city on the lakes with regular container service to and from Canada. The Cleveland-Montreal connection could begin as early as spring 2011. The new business would not require upgrades to existing Port facilities.
"This is an exciting economic opportunity for the port, the region and the state," says Port CEO William Friedman in a statement. "Simply put, Cleveland would be the first city on the Great Lakes that will have a pin on the global map when it comes to container service."
Great Lakes Feeder Lines launched in 2008 with one ship providing service between Halifax, Montreal and Toronto. The company now has two ships, which can take containers from trans-Atlantic ships and carry them across the lakes.
Source: Port of Cleveland
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The Port and Great Lakes Feeder Lines of Burlington, Ontario are discussing a deal that would make Cleveland the first city on the lakes with regular container service to and from Canada. The Cleveland-Montreal connection could begin as early as spring 2011. The new business would not require upgrades to existing Port facilities.
"This is an exciting economic opportunity for the port, the region and the state," says Port CEO William Friedman in a statement. "Simply put, Cleveland would be the first city on the Great Lakes that will have a pin on the global map when it comes to container service."
Great Lakes Feeder Lines launched in 2008 with one ship providing service between Halifax, Montreal and Toronto. The company now has two ships, which can take containers from trans-Atlantic ships and carry them across the lakes.
Source: Port of Cleveland
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Since being founded in 2001, EverStaff
has developed a national presence that touches 22 states. Still, the
Cleveland-based firm has not forgotten its roots, as it continues to
expand operations in Northeast Ohio. Within the past three months, the
staffing and recruiting firm has added offices in Ashtabula and Cuyahoga
Falls.
In addition to its Independence headquarters and the two new facilities, EverStaff has local offices in Brooklyn, Mentor and Solon. The goal is to continue to expand nationally while maintaining the local partnership of a smaller boutique agency.
EverStaff has grown its number of employees by 27 percent since this time last year, with the biggest surge occurring in its sales and marketing force.
EverStaff's local offices handle temporary staffing, temporary-to-hire, direct hire, payroll services and vendor management. The company focuses on staffing for office and administration, light industrial/general labor, accounting/finance, sales, legal, IT and engineering.
"EverStaff's strategic plan has enabled us... to maximize the resources we provide to our clients," says Danny Spitz, president of the company.
Inc. Magazine this year placed EverStaff on its fourth annual Inc. 5000, ranking the nation's fastest-growing private companies.
SOURCE: EverStaff
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
In addition to its Independence headquarters and the two new facilities, EverStaff has local offices in Brooklyn, Mentor and Solon. The goal is to continue to expand nationally while maintaining the local partnership of a smaller boutique agency.
EverStaff has grown its number of employees by 27 percent since this time last year, with the biggest surge occurring in its sales and marketing force.
EverStaff's local offices handle temporary staffing, temporary-to-hire, direct hire, payroll services and vendor management. The company focuses on staffing for office and administration, light industrial/general labor, accounting/finance, sales, legal, IT and engineering.
"EverStaff's strategic plan has enabled us... to maximize the resources we provide to our clients," says Danny Spitz, president of the company.
Inc. Magazine this year placed EverStaff on its fourth annual Inc. 5000, ranking the nation's fastest-growing private companies.
SOURCE: EverStaff
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Imagine being an entrepreneur and having at your fingertips resources
for everything from pre-seed funding to regional incubators. Questions
about how to turn an idea into a business, how to request funding and
how to place your innovative idea in the proper hands could be answered
by simply clicking a button or linking to a respected adviser.
That's the idea behind the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network's newly launched website, which aims to make access to the appropriate connections simpler and more effective for entrepreneurs within a 21-county radius.
"By having this website serve as a single entry point to a continuum of resources, we're making access to those resources quicker and easier," says John Dearborn, president of JumpStart Inc. Interested parties fill out a form detailing their idea or startup business, and are then put in touch with the appropriate local resources.
Several area entrepreneurial support organizations, all of which have received funding from Ohio's Third Frontier, comprise the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network: GLIDE, MAGNET, Braintree Business Development Center, Youngstown Business Incubator, Akron Global Business Accelerator, BioEnterprise, Glengary, LLC, North Coast Angel Fund, North Coast Opportunities Technology Fund of Cuyahoga County, Innovation Fund founded by Lorain County Community College Foundation, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NorTech, IdeaCrossing and JumpStart. The region's higher-education institutions are also members.
According to Ray Leach, CEO of JumpStart, this influential group has together received $69 million in federal and state grants, reached annualized revenues of $100 million and created and supported 850 direct jobs at an average salary of $67,200.
SOURCE: Jumpstart, Inc.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
That's the idea behind the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network's newly launched website, which aims to make access to the appropriate connections simpler and more effective for entrepreneurs within a 21-county radius.
"By having this website serve as a single entry point to a continuum of resources, we're making access to those resources quicker and easier," says John Dearborn, president of JumpStart Inc. Interested parties fill out a form detailing their idea or startup business, and are then put in touch with the appropriate local resources.
Several area entrepreneurial support organizations, all of which have received funding from Ohio's Third Frontier, comprise the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network: GLIDE, MAGNET, Braintree Business Development Center, Youngstown Business Incubator, Akron Global Business Accelerator, BioEnterprise, Glengary, LLC, North Coast Angel Fund, North Coast Opportunities Technology Fund of Cuyahoga County, Innovation Fund founded by Lorain County Community College Foundation, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NorTech, IdeaCrossing and JumpStart. The region's higher-education institutions are also members.
According to Ray Leach, CEO of JumpStart, this influential group has together received $69 million in federal and state grants, reached annualized revenues of $100 million and created and supported 850 direct jobs at an average salary of $67,200.
SOURCE: Jumpstart, Inc.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Partners Investing in Nursing's Future
(PIN) is a nationwide initiative to ensure nurses receive the training
and skills necessary to meet current and future trends in healthcare.
The program provides support to local and regional philanthropies to
develop strategies for creating and sustaining a viable nursing
workforce.
The Cleveland Foundation has been chosen as one of nine foundations across the country to receive funding from PIN. The two-year, $200,000 grant to the Cleveland Foundation will be used specifically to address Ohio's nursing needs by expanding the number of nurse educators in the state. Local funding totaling $210,000 will match the grant.
The Cleveland Foundation will be working in collaboration with the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and the nursing schools at Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron and Ursuline College to address specific nursing-related concerns in Northeast Ohio.
In addition to the Cleveland Foundation, PIN grants were awarded to foundations in California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota and Texas. These PIN partners will focus on key areas of concern in building a nursing workforce: capacity, diversity, education, recruitment and retention.
SOURCE: Cleveland Foundation
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The Cleveland Foundation has been chosen as one of nine foundations across the country to receive funding from PIN. The two-year, $200,000 grant to the Cleveland Foundation will be used specifically to address Ohio's nursing needs by expanding the number of nurse educators in the state. Local funding totaling $210,000 will match the grant.
The Cleveland Foundation will be working in collaboration with the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and the nursing schools at Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron and Ursuline College to address specific nursing-related concerns in Northeast Ohio.
In addition to the Cleveland Foundation, PIN grants were awarded to foundations in California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota and Texas. These PIN partners will focus on key areas of concern in building a nursing workforce: capacity, diversity, education, recruitment and retention.
SOURCE: Cleveland Foundation
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
cleveland be smart, according to daily beast
In its second annual ranking of "America's Smartest (and Dumbest) Cities," the Daily Beast website credits Cleveland as the 17th smartest big city with one million people or more. That puts us ahead of Chicago (#24), Atlanta (#28), Dallas (#41), and Las Vegas (#55).
Crunching figures that take into account per-capita numbers of libraries, residents with bachelor's and graduate degrees, nonfiction book sales, and institutions of higher education, the survey determined the comparative IQs of America's metropolitans.
The CLE+ numbers:
Metropolitan area population: 2,091,286
Bachelor's degrees: 17%
Graduate degrees: 10%
Year-to-date adult nonfiction book sales: 2,024,000
Thanks to a reworked formula, Cleveland jumped from its last-year position of #31.
See the other smart (and not-so-smart) cities here.
Crunching figures that take into account per-capita numbers of libraries, residents with bachelor's and graduate degrees, nonfiction book sales, and institutions of higher education, the survey determined the comparative IQs of America's metropolitans.
The CLE+ numbers:
Metropolitan area population: 2,091,286
Bachelor's degrees: 17%
Graduate degrees: 10%
Year-to-date adult nonfiction book sales: 2,024,000
Thanks to a reworked formula, Cleveland jumped from its last-year position of #31.
See the other smart (and not-so-smart) cities here.
Thomas Paine would be proud. At a time when it seems like every new idea is first floated online, Plain Dealer architecture critic Steven Litt has chosen good old-fashioned paper as the primary vehicle for his impassioned paean to beautiful surroundings, Designing a Better Cleveland.
"To the extent that Cleveland fails to make the most of public and private investments in buildings, highways, bridges, streets, parks and waterfronts, it will waste opportunities, fail to compete effectively with its peers and damage its economy," Litt writes in the introduction. "Everyone, in other words, has a stake in good design."
Litt calls the slim, gorgeously designed booklet "a mini-primer on the ways in which citizens, developers, planners and designers can raise standards of civic design in Cleveland." But it's clearly also meant to inspire.
"Economists may disagree over whether excellent architecture and urban amenities such as streetscapes, bike trails and waterfront parks are a cause or consequence of economic vitality," he writes. "Regardless, it never makes sense to spend a dollar on mediocrity when the same dollar can buy excellence. The reality is that great design demands greater effort -- on the part of clients, designers, government agencies and citizens. Cleveland continues to be plagued by a chronic sense of low self-esteem and by the notion that trying to improve the city through better design isn't worth the effort.
"THIS VOLUME REJECTS THAT VIEW."
The book grew out of Spectrum: the Lockwood Thompson Dialogues at the Cleveland Public Library, and was facilitated by Cleveland Public Art.
Since the book's inroduction in the PD, Cleveland Public Art has received nearly 200 calls requesting copies, according to executive director Gregory Peckham. "That seems like a good benchmark when it comes to the interest of the public about the subject of civic design," Peckham notes.
Designing a Better Cleveland is also available online as a PDF.
Source: Plain Dealer
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
"To the extent that Cleveland fails to make the most of public and private investments in buildings, highways, bridges, streets, parks and waterfronts, it will waste opportunities, fail to compete effectively with its peers and damage its economy," Litt writes in the introduction. "Everyone, in other words, has a stake in good design."
Litt calls the slim, gorgeously designed booklet "a mini-primer on the ways in which citizens, developers, planners and designers can raise standards of civic design in Cleveland." But it's clearly also meant to inspire.
"Economists may disagree over whether excellent architecture and urban amenities such as streetscapes, bike trails and waterfront parks are a cause or consequence of economic vitality," he writes. "Regardless, it never makes sense to spend a dollar on mediocrity when the same dollar can buy excellence. The reality is that great design demands greater effort -- on the part of clients, designers, government agencies and citizens. Cleveland continues to be plagued by a chronic sense of low self-esteem and by the notion that trying to improve the city through better design isn't worth the effort.
"THIS VOLUME REJECTS THAT VIEW."
The book grew out of Spectrum: the Lockwood Thompson Dialogues at the Cleveland Public Library, and was facilitated by Cleveland Public Art.
Since the book's inroduction in the PD, Cleveland Public Art has received nearly 200 calls requesting copies, according to executive director Gregory Peckham. "That seems like a good benchmark when it comes to the interest of the public about the subject of civic design," Peckham notes.
Designing a Better Cleveland is also available online as a PDF.
Source: Plain Dealer
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Studying "the ways businesses incorporate sustainable practices into
product design and manufacturing, supply-chain relationships, marketing,
customer relationships and operational efficiencies" is how
Baldwin-Wallace professor David Krueger defines the new MBA in
Sustainability program at Baldwin-Wallace (B-W).
The two-year sustainability program is the first of its kind in Ohio. B-W was also the first higher-education institution in the state to offer an undergraduate major in sustainability, which began in 2008.
Krueger, professor of business and director of the Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, says that the MBA in Sustainability program is designed so that students learn by doing and by observing how sustainable practices are applied in the workplace.
For its part, B-W has been putting sustainable practices to work on campus for the past few years. These have included installing geothermal heating and cooling systems in buildings, instituting an industrial-scale waste composting program and campus-wide recycling and constructing a wind turbine.
B-W's Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, which serves as a resource to businesses, recently received $100,000 from the Cleveland Foundation for its Sustainability Plan Clinic.
SOURCE: Baldwin-Wallace
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The two-year sustainability program is the first of its kind in Ohio. B-W was also the first higher-education institution in the state to offer an undergraduate major in sustainability, which began in 2008.
Krueger, professor of business and director of the Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, says that the MBA in Sustainability program is designed so that students learn by doing and by observing how sustainable practices are applied in the workplace.
For its part, B-W has been putting sustainable practices to work on campus for the past few years. These have included installing geothermal heating and cooling systems in buildings, instituting an industrial-scale waste composting program and campus-wide recycling and constructing a wind turbine.
B-W's Institute for Sustainable Business Practice, which serves as a resource to businesses, recently received $100,000 from the Cleveland Foundation for its Sustainability Plan Clinic.
SOURCE: Baldwin-Wallace
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
trio of cleveland eateries win sante awards
Santé, the Magazine for Restaurant Professionals recently announced its winners of the 2010 Santé Restaurant Awards. Currently in their 13th year, the Santé Awards were created to recognize excellence in restaurant food, wine, spirits, and service hospitality.
Claiming three of the 88 awards were Cleveland restaurants Parallax and Table 45, which won in the "Innovative" category, and Moxie, which took honors in the "Sustainable" category.
"At Table 45, we take the newest and most unique flavors from around the globe and combine them in entirely different ways to produce dishes that are unlike anything else our guests have ever tasted," said owner Zack Bruell. "Every time we create a new menu, it is an experience in culinary innovation. We are delighted to have Santé recognize our efforts."
Cleveland diners looking try these award-winning restaurants, as well as 87 other members of the Cleveland Independents restaurant group, are in luck. This year's Cleveland Restaurant Week runs from November 1 through 14, with participating eateries offering special three-course prix fixe meals for just $30.
See the complete list Sante' award winners here, and participating Restaurant Week eateries here.
Claiming three of the 88 awards were Cleveland restaurants Parallax and Table 45, which won in the "Innovative" category, and Moxie, which took honors in the "Sustainable" category.
"At Table 45, we take the newest and most unique flavors from around the globe and combine them in entirely different ways to produce dishes that are unlike anything else our guests have ever tasted," said owner Zack Bruell. "Every time we create a new menu, it is an experience in culinary innovation. We are delighted to have Santé recognize our efforts."
Cleveland diners looking try these award-winning restaurants, as well as 87 other members of the Cleveland Independents restaurant group, are in luck. This year's Cleveland Restaurant Week runs from November 1 through 14, with participating eateries offering special three-course prix fixe meals for just $30.
See the complete list Sante' award winners here, and participating Restaurant Week eateries here.
cleveland public library earns top spot in library journal index
Boasting the highest score and largest circulation in its expenditure category, the Cleveland Public Library snagged top honors in the annual Library Journal Index of Public Library Service (LJ Index). Crunching numbers in the categories of library visits, circulation, program attendance, and public Internet usage, the index ranks more than 7,400 library systems around the nation.
"This is great news for our Cleveland community," said Felton Thomas, director of Cleveland Public Library. "Our goal is to provide our patrons easy access to our collections, programs, and computers, and we're honored to receive this recognition."
In the liner notes, however, the Journal warns that recent cuts in state library funding will doubtless impact the standing of Ohio libraries in future rounds of the LJ Index.
Check out all the winners here.
"This is great news for our Cleveland community," said Felton Thomas, director of Cleveland Public Library. "Our goal is to provide our patrons easy access to our collections, programs, and computers, and we're honored to receive this recognition."
In the liner notes, however, the Journal warns that recent cuts in state library funding will doubtless impact the standing of Ohio libraries in future rounds of the LJ Index.
Check out all the winners here.
The Civic Commons is a modern-day marriage of online technology, citizen journalism, and civic collaboration. The mission? To inform, engage and lead local residents to action on any number of weighty topics. Our guides: Dan Moulthrop and Noelle Celeste.
'flee to the cleve' deemed an award-winning campaign
Turns out that Positively Cleveland's popular "Flee to the Cleve" Twitter posts are more than good-natured bits of information -- they are award-winning nuggets.
Positively Cleveland, the Convention and Visitors Bureau office for our fair city, recently snagged three RUBY Awards from the Ohio Travel Association. Shorthand for Recognizing Uncommon Brilliance in the Travel and Tourism Industry, the RUBYs recognize outstanding advertising, marketing and public relations efforts.
This year's competition took place during the Ohio Conference on Tourism, with nearly 130 entries submitted by 40 businesses and organizations.
Positively Cleveland won three RUBY Awards for its work in the categories of Website Design, Electronic Media, and Social Networking Campaign.
Check out the complete list of winners here.
Positively Cleveland, the Convention and Visitors Bureau office for our fair city, recently snagged three RUBY Awards from the Ohio Travel Association. Shorthand for Recognizing Uncommon Brilliance in the Travel and Tourism Industry, the RUBYs recognize outstanding advertising, marketing and public relations efforts.
This year's competition took place during the Ohio Conference on Tourism, with nearly 130 entries submitted by 40 businesses and organizations.
Positively Cleveland won three RUBY Awards for its work in the categories of Website Design, Electronic Media, and Social Networking Campaign.
Check out the complete list of winners here.