Downtown

JumpStart invests $250K in its 50th company
Cleveland's JumpStart Ventures just reached an important milestone: The early-stage venture company recently invested in its 50th company.

That move consisted of a $250,000 investment commitment in Endotronix, Inc., which is developing a wireless monitoring technology for patients with congestive heart failure. Endotronix's "Anytime, Anywhere" wireless sensing platform technology will allow physicians to remotely monitor a patient's health status and deliver the appropriate medications, thus reducing the likelihood of hospitalizations related to congestive heart failure.

According to Dr. Harry Rowland, co-founder of Endotronix, this innovation "has the potential to not only improve patient care, but also reduce the cost of treating heart failure."

Six years into its existence, JumpStart works to add companies, jobs and residents to Northeast Ohio by offering cash and guidance to promising ventures. While just a number, the big 5-0 is a testament to the number of quality ideas and passion in this region. Many of those ideas will develop into high-growth companies that will prove to be a significant part of this region's economic environment.

But, promise staffers, 50 is just the beginning.
growing 20-person marketing firm insivia to relocate to 5K-sq-ft facility in the flats
The Cleveland marketing solutions firm Insivia has solved its most recent challenge: how to accommodate record growth and provide optimum space for creativity and interaction. The result: Insivia's new 5,000-square-foot office on Center Street in The Flats. The rambling, open interiors and plethora of natural light sold the firm on the move from its previous location downtown.

"The ability to be in an exciting and creative space like this provides more value to our clients," says Andy Halko, CEO of Insivia. "We have more room to collaborate, create and envision."

Founded in 2002, Insivia's clients include Cleveland Clinic, Positively Cleveland and Rohrer Corporation. Insivia has experienced steady financial growth and has added several new positions in recent months to bring its total employees to around 20.

Insivia's new location in The Flats will accommodate planned future growth.


Source: Andy Halko
Writer: Diane DiPiero
intergenerational school again named 'ohio school of promise', grows employee and student base
The Intergenerational School (TIS) is doing its best to keep its promise of offering academic excellence in Cleveland. For the fourth year in a row, the private, free K-8 school has been named an Ohio School of Promise by the Ohio Department of Education for excellence in reading and math.

"Identifying schools in this way reinforces the fact that all children can learn when given the opportunity in a quality educational setting," says Brooke King, executive director of TIS.

TIS began in 1998 with a three-person staff in a two-room facility. These days, the school occupies a 20,000-square-foot building on the campus of Fairhill Partners, a nonprofit organization focused on successful aging, located in the Buckeye-Larchmere neighborhood of Cleveland. As of this fall, TIS had 29 employees and more than 200 students.

Each classroom at TIS is composed of 16 students of multiple ages. Mentors and community partners work with the students to provide a multigenerational environment.

In addition to the Ohio School of Promise designation, TIS has received a number of awards from organizations dedicated to the elderly. For example, TIS was the recipient of the National MindAlert Award from the American Society on Aging for its mental fitness programs for older adults.


Source: Brooke King
Writer: Diane DiPiero
cleveland’s overdrive has 20th consecutive quarter of profitability; announces major investment
OverDrive distributes one of the world's largest catalogs of e-books, audiobooks and multimedia, with more than 500,000 premium copyrighted titles. Founded in 1986, OverDrive has built a reputation for hosted solutions of digital media, and has gained partnerships with major publishers like Random House, HarperCollins, Penguin, Hachette and McGraw-Hill.

The Cleveland-based company is poised for even more dramatic growth thanks to a major investment from Insight Venture Partners of New York City. Subject to regulatory approval, the investment will provide additional resources and capital to expand OverDrive's presence in the United States and abroad.

Larry Handen, managing director of Insight Venture Partners, noted that its investment announcement coincided with OverDrive's 20th consecutive quarter of profitability.

"Insight values OverDrive's partnerships with leading libraries, educators, publishers and authors," says OverDrive founder and CEO, Steve Potash. OverDrive currently reaches out to 11,000 retailers, libraries, schools and other digital channels around the globe.
cleveland-based rsb spine boasts whopping 229% year-over-year growth
Earlier this month, Cleveland-based RSB Spine announced a 229-percent increase for the third quarter of 2010 versus the third quarter of a year earlier. The medical device company also recently completed a $1.5 million private offering to grow its operations in the United States.

RSB Spine's InterPlate C-Ti has become the first inter-body fusion device to be cleared as an anterior cervical plate. The device is implanted during spinal fusion surgery, holding the vertebrae together while increasing stability. The clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) means that the C-Ti can function either as an inter-body device or as a cervical plate.

"[The InterPlate C-Ti] has the advantages of both without the drawbacks of either, so this indication is appropriate," says RSB Spine CEO John A. Redmond.

The InterPlate C-Ti is made of titanium and is used in conjunction with grafting material to fuse two vertebral bodies. When the FDA reclassified inter-body fusion devices in 2007, the C-Ti from RSB Spine was the first device to receive clearance under the new guidelines. With this new clearance, the C-Ti shows its versatility in the treatment of degenerative disc disease.

RSB Spine has more than 150 independent distributors in the United States.



Source: John A. Redmond
Writer: Diane DiPiero

cavaliers move forward, with help from cleveland architecture firm and graphic design company
We can all be witnesses to the Cleveland Cavaliers' newest acquisition: a state-of-the-art team shop inside Quicken Loans Arena. Unveiled during the team's first preseason basketball game, the two-story shop is one of the largest in the NBA.

Cleveland's Herschman Architects designed the shop to be bright, modern and approachable. From the two-story glass facade to rows of neatly arranged merchandise inside, the shop is helping propel the team toward a new beginning.

Studio Graphique, a branding and way-finding firm located in Shaker Square, designed the signage and graphics package, which includes a miniature replica of the scoreboard above center court.

"We are proud of the results of this beautiful retail environment," says Rachel Downey, founder and principal of Studio Graphique.

Len Komoroski, president of the Cavaliers described the new team shop as a "world class shopping experience."

The new team shop is the latest in a line of amenities that have been added under the direction of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

"Whether it's the Team Shop, The Q, Cleveland Clinic Courts, or any arena on or off the court or ice, it is our commitment to deliver the ultimate experience for our fans that is second to none," Gilbert said in a prepared statement.


SOURCE: Studio Graphique
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

architecture critic steven litt debuts guide to urban design at CPA release party
Designed by local graphic design studio Rini Uva Lee, and published in partnership with the Cleveland Public Library and Cleveland Public Art, Plain Dealer writer Steven Litt's "Designing a Better Cleveland" is a pocket-sized guide to urban design and how public spaces are created in the city.

"Designing a Better Cleveland" is an outgrowth of a program called Civic Design & Inspired Infrastructure, which was held last year at the Cleveland Public Library through the annual series Spectrum: The Lockwood Thompson Dialogues.

"With so many major civic investments that have the potential to reshape the city's landscape taking place over the next several years, we believe that a book like this provides an easy to read, but still thought-provoking tool for Clevelanders who want to be engaged in these public processes," explains says Greg Peckham, executive director of Cleveland Public Art. "Designing a Better Cleveland is for everyone -- from neighborhood residents and elected officials to corporate leaders, design professionals and civic institutions."

A book release party will take place on Thursday, October 14, at 5:30 pm at Cleveland Public Art, located at 1951 West 26th Street.


cleveland hosts national conference on vacant properties
Someday the Medical Mart may make Cleveland an essential destination for healthcare professions. But the city has already achieved such status among those who study blight, which is why Cleveland is hosting the third national Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, which continues through Friday at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel on Public Square.

"This is by far the biggest," says Jennifer Leonard of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Progress, which organized the conference with Cleveland's own Neighborhood Progress, Inc. "Today, there are more places that are being challenged by vacant properties."

Cleveland, of course, would be at or near the top of any such list. But that's not the only reason CCP selected the city for this gathering, which occurs every 18 months. Cleveland also boasts an impressive array of dedicated advocates and innovative approaches to the problem, such as the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Judge Raymond Pianka's Housing Court.

Various parts of the city will serve as backdrops for discussions. "Mobile Workshops" will take participants to Euclid Avenue, as an example of using transit to spur development; a vineyard in Hough and other sites that have been reclaimed for farming or greenspace; Slavic Village, where the foreclosure crisis is combated with a "resident-driven approach to finding a new identity," and the hip and booming Detroit Shoreway community.

"It's actually kind of hard," notes Leonard, "to make sure the conference isn't too focused on Cleveland."

The conference is sold out, but more information is available at the web site.



Source: Center for Community Progress
Writer: Frank W. Lewis

pittsburgh's pop city spreads the word about fresh water
In last week's issue of Pop City (yes, it's a sister IMG publication), writer Deb Smit reported on our dear publication.

"Fresh Water launches this month with the goods on Cleveland, news as it pertains to innovation, jobs, healthcare, lifestyle, design and arts and culture," she writes." The bubbly, blue homepage comes to life each Thursday with a fresh issue featuring vibrant photography and stories on the people shaking things up and the great places to visit."

Smit even encourages smitten Pittsburghers to subscribe. Thanks, Pop City!

Read all the news that's fit to pop here.
MAGNET and NorTech create positive attraction with $285k federal contract
The Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network (MAGNET) has partnered with the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition (NorTech) to receive a $285,000 federal contract for a pilot project focusing on the advanced energy value chain. The contract comes from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP).

MAGNET and NorTech will work together to coach and train a group of regional manufacturing companies to stimulate and support manufacturing innovation, technology acceleration, supply chain development and continuous improvement and efficiency. Specifically, the one-year pilot project will target small-to-mid-sized manufacturers in the areas of biomass/waste-to-energy and electric vehicles.

Ohio currently ranks third in the country in terms of manufacturing production output and manufacturing employment. The MEP project is a chance for this region of Ohio to further assist manufacturers in meeting the demands of an ever-evolving marketplace, according to Rebecca O. Bagley, president and CEO of NorTech.

"Our goal is to establish Northeast Ohio as a regional model for helping manufacturers transition from slow-growth markets to new, high-demand markets with stronger growth potential in emerging technology sectors, such as advanced energy," she says. "Working with MAGNET, we can help our region's manufacturers leverage their existing strengths and diversify their business to capture more global market opportunities."

Should the initial year of the MEP project be successful, there is an opportunity of funding for a second year.


SOURCE: NorTech
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
towpath nears completion, uniting residents and neighborhoods while attracting the talent class
With just six miles remaining, and following a route that was created some 177 years ago, the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail finally is nearing completion. Terminating at the Flats' new Canal Basin Park, the Towpath Trail will connect cyclists and pedestrians to Cleveland's historic neighborhoods. And when it comes to attracting the highly mobile talent class, access to bike paths is no longer an amenity -- it's a necessity
cleveland-based architecture firms honored in AIA ceremony
At a recent gala held at the Toledo Museum of Art, the American Institute of Architects Ohio Convention announced its 2010 AIA Ohio Honor Awards to honor outstanding work in the field. Nearly four dozen Ohio firms submitted twice that amount of design work in hopes of snagging top honors.

Cleveland-based firm Westlake Reed Leskosky was a big winner, securing two out of three available Honor Awards for work both in and out of state. Claiming a Merit award for its design of Gordon Square bus shelters in Detroit Shoreway was Cleveland firm Robert Maschke Architects. Other Cleveland winners include Vocon, Kordalski Architects, and Richard Fleischman + Partners.

See the entire list of winners here.

greenhouse tavern lamb burger makes new york impression

While Jonathon Sawyer and Greenhouse Tavern failed to come away with the top Burger Bash prize at this year's Wine & Food Festival in New York, he did manage to make a meaty impression on Wall Street Journal reporter Charles Passy.

In his post following the well-attended burger bonanza, Passy wrote,

"To us, a great burger can be a creative affair, but it still has to retain its essential burger identity -- namely, 'a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat,' to quote Jimmy Buffett's "Cheeseburger in Paradise." And that's exactly what the aforementioned lamb burger from chef Jonathon Sawyer of Cleveland's The Greenhouse Tavern accomplished. Lamb is a mighty flavorful meat, so it's hard to top -- literally -- in burger form. But that's why Sawyer's selection of the super-stinky French cheese proved such a smart idea. "If it smells like your foot, you know it works," Sawyer told us.

Read the whole stinky post here.


downtown flora escapes the wrecking ball and finds new life in slavic village
So how deeply has the sustainability movement taken hold in Northeast Ohio? Three organizations that already have a lot on their plates recently collaborated to save some grass.

Mind you, this wasn't just any grass. This was native prairie grass that until recently was part of an art installation on Mall B. But the installation must make way for the Medical Mart, for which ground will be broken later this month. So last spring, Cleveland Public Art contacted Slavic Village Development to see if it could find a new home for the Big-Blue Stem, Side-Oats Grama, Awlsledge and other oddly named varieties of grass that might otherwise now be decaying in a mulch heap.

"I said sure, we'd find a place to replant them," says Marlane Weslian, development officer at Slavic Village. She rented a Toro Dingo and rounded up volunteers to dig 500 holes along the Morgana Run Trail, between Aetna Road and Marble Avenue.

Meanwhile, contractors removed and transported the grass, thanks to a grant from ParkWorks. "It's a lot of work," Weslian says, but the transplant was a success. The grass has already gone dormant, she notes, but should grow strong and green again come spring.

Next week, another contractor -- again paid with grant money obtained through ParkWorks -- will relocate oak trees, already six inches around, from Mall C to a planned "savannah" behind a new Slavic Village housing development adjacent to the trail. Some of these trees are already 25 feet tall, Weslian says, and she's excited to see them make the kind of impact that usually takes decades to achieve.

"And talk about sustainable reuse!" says adds.



Source: Slavic Village Development
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
cleveland is within striking distance of nation-leading public space status
The Euclid Corridor project is completed. The Towpath Trail is knocking on downtown's back door. The long-planned Medical Mart and convention center are nearing shovel-ready status. Dan Gilbert's downtown casino is a deal away. And a revived Flats blueprint is being unfurled. This is the moment that green-space advocates have been dreaming about for years.
say 'cheers' to newest gateway sports bar
Neither the departure of LeBron James nor the specter of another losing Browns season has dampened enthusiasm among restaurateurs to join the downtown sports-bar scene. The newest member is City Tap, which opens Friday at 748 Prospect, on the grave of the former Boneyard and Forti's.

Owner Eric Pelham grew up near Norwalk but frequently visited Cleveland for games, and continued to after graduating from Bowling Green State University. His like-named bar in Bowling Green celebrated its first birthday in September, and he plans to replicate that formula here: a sports-bar feel (17 televisions) with restaurant-quality food  (fresh-cut fries, handmade burgers, plus the usual wraps, salads and appetizers) and 40 beers.

Located away from "the hubbub of West Sixth," City Tap is the kind of pre-game stop "where you could bring your wife or girlfriend," Pelham explains. The two-and-a-half-month renovation included restoring the original floor and recreating the back-lit bottle display found behind the bar at his first location, but with three times as many bottles.

City Tap will also be open for lunch seven days week.


Source: Eric Pelham
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
county social-service agency is growing solutions to its job-placement dilemmas
Among the many services provided by the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD) is job training and placement for adults. As local manufacturing jobs have dwindled, the board has had to look elsewhere. One solution that seems promising is local farming.

"We're trying to be more entrepreneurial," says spokeswoman Lula Holt Robertson.

The effort began last year with a single farm at East 55th and Stanard. The site, formerly a school, was donated by the city in 2009. Work began in June, with assistance from The Ohio State University Extension. Today 10 CCBDD clients are employed there, plus a manager and employment specialist.

The program has been so successful that the board hopes to establish nine more gardens over the next five years, and develop relationships with local restaurants, as well as farmers' markets.

The next site will be downtown. Cleveland City Council recently approved gardening on City Hall property, near the Free Stamp, thanks to legislation introduced by Councilman Joe Cimperman. Holt Robertson says that to her knowledge the CCBDD is the first entity of its type in the nation to launch an urban farming program.



Source: Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Writer: Frank W. Lewis

brookings institute says great lakes metros like cleveland are ideally suited for next economy
In this paper by Brookings Think Tank fellows Vey, Austin and Bradley, the Great Lakes region is described as being uniquely suited for growth in the New Economy.

"As the American economy works its way slowly out of the Great Recession, a consensus is developing among public and private-sector stakeholders that simply re-constructing our old economy, one based on highly-leveraged domestic consumption, would be a serious mistake," the report argues. "The nation must instead focus on building the next economy, one that is oriented towards greater exporting, powered by a low-carbon energy strategy, driven by innovation, and that creates opportunities for all. The Great Lakes region... could show the rest of the country the way forward to the next economy."

Citing the following factors, the report finds that the Great Lakes region, particularly its metropolitan areas, has significant resources essential to creating the next economy.

- Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois are among the top states in terms of green tech patenting, focused on new technologies in battery power, hybrid systems, and fuel cells.

- The 21 largest Great Lakes metros are home to 32 major public and private research universities, which attract substantial federal research investment. The region produces approximately 36 percent of America's science and engineering degrees each year.

- The region is rich with community colleges, which help the region's workers develop skills and credentials necessary to secure jobs in the region's industries, and in so doing maintain a pool of skilled employees to attract and support them.

Read the report here.
greater cleveland's mesocoat teams up with nasa on breakthrough nanotechnology
Greater Cleveland-based MesoCoat, an advanced materials company, has teamed up with NASA Glenn to produce a breakthrough nanotechnology that protects metal parts from wear and corrosion in extreme environments. Potential uses for the high-tech coating includes protecting the nation's water, transportation and energy infrastructures.

MesoCoat is working to incorporate a new reflector design on NASA's 200 kW arc lamp system to produce an extremely hot light that melts stainless steel and other metallic coatings and bonds them to the surface of steel in a fraction of a second. CEO Andrew Sherman says the system is capable of cladding nickel-based alloys to steel substrates, which are often used for highly corrosive applications. MesoCoat recently fired up the plasma arc lamp, marking a significant milestone in the project.

Founded in 2007, MesoCoat develops advanced nanocomposite coating products for hydraulic cylinders, storage tanks, pipelines and other sliding or exposed parts.

The U.S. Army recently recognized MesoCoat as one of the most successful companies in its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The company was lauded for its progress in attracting funding and customers from the private sector and non-SBIR government sources to transition its nanocomposite cermet coating technology into viable commercial products and savings for the U.S. Department of Defense.


SOURCE: MesoCoat, Inc.

WRITER: Diane DiPiero

washington post reporter steps outside the beltway, discovers cleveland
In a recent "Impulsive Traveler" article in the Washington Post, reporter Maryann Haggerty makes the short seven-hour drive to Cleveland, where she discovers that the city is no longer strangled by its "rust belt."

Using the Ohio City B&B J. Palen House as her home base, she beholds the glory that is Great Lakes Brewing Co., Flying Fig and the West Side Market. "It's huge," she notes, "vastly outsizing Capitol Hill's beloved Eastern Market. It's sparkling clean, putting Baltimore's Lexington Market to shame. And the variety! Pasta, sausage, cheese, pastry, pierogies, tamales, meat, meat, meat."

Other stops on the C-Land Express included the Bruce Springsteen exhibit at the Rock Hall and sloppy Polish Boy sandwiches at Freddie's Southern Style Rib House.

Breaking News: Haggerty enjoyed her visit so much that she rerouted her return trip to include another stop on the North Coast.

Read all the juicy details here.