Downtown has lacked a soul food restaurant for years. That's changed now that Soul Republic, the successful restauranteurs behind Angie's Soul Cafe, Jezebel's Bayou and Zanzibar, have opened Stonetown Southern Bistro at 627 Prospect Avenue.

The casual venue, whose menu features "soul food with a twist" and is similar to Zanzibar at Shaker Square, aims to fill a gap in the marketplace. "This is one of those everyday locations, as opposed to a place you'd go as a treat on date night," says Adrian Lindsay, Stonetown's general manager. "That niche has been missing down here. It's something overdue for this area."

Lunch entree prices are in the $6 to $9 range, while dinner menu items are priced from $10 to $14. Stonetown is located in the former Nexus Coffeehouse space on the ground floor of the 668 Euclid Avenue apartment building (Prospect Ave. side).

Soul Republic has reconfigured the space so that it features a lounge and bar with hightop tables and a dining room. A homemade wine cabinet separates the two.

The menu is a "soul fusion" concept similar to Zanzibar, says Akin Alafin, general manager of Soul Republic, but it  includes many new items as well. These include buttermilk fried yardbird with red velvet waffle, lobster shrimp and grits, fried crawfish, lobster quesadilla with arugula sauce, and the Stone Rolls.

Stonetown has been getting a great reception so far, says Lindsay. The key to success for the company, which employs eight family members and has become something of a soul food dynasty, has been consistency, the incorporation of fresh ingredients from local farmers and the West Side Market, and not taking shortcuts. "They want soul food; it's gotta be cooked for the soul."

The restaurant, while still in the soft-open phase, does feature the full menu, says Alafin. Weekend brunch will start on Saturday, January 26th and run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. So far, Soul Republic has invested more than $200,00 into the space and has hired 11 people.

Stonetown Southern Bistro is Soul Republic's fifth restaurant in the Cleveland area.


Sources: Adrian Lindsay, Akin Alafin
Writer: Lee Chilcote

JumpStart recently invested $250,000 in Guided Interventions, a startup company that has developed technology to assess coronary artery blockages. The company was formed two years ago and has been mainly focused on developing its intellectual property and proof of concepts, says Guided Interventions CEO Matthew Pollman.

“The concept is revolutionary,” Pollman says. “It uses a pressurized guideline to measure fractional flow reserve (FFR). It facilitates assessing blockages in the coronary artery and determines whether to perform an intervention.”
 
Pollman cites a clinical study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, that showed using technologies like Guided Interventions’ FFR product instead of traditional angiogram indicate that 37 percent of the time the blockage should be left alone. “Sometimes leaving it alone is actually the best thing for patients,” he says.
 
Pollman plans to use the JumpStart investment to build out operations at GLIDE and the SMART Commercialization Center for Microsystems at Lorain County Community College.
 
The money will also allow the company to hire as many as six employees in the next two years, in particular engineers, and then triple or even quadruple the number of employees in the next three to five years. Currently, Pollman and his partner, Reinhard Warnking, are the only two employees.
 
Pollman, who is in the process of moving to Northeast Ohio from California, says he is looking forward to moving to a region that is so supportive of startup biotechnology companies and research.

 
Source: Matthew Pollman
Writer: Karin Connelly

Catanese Classic Seafood, a 30-year-old fish company that recently moved into the Flats, has reached agreements to purchase the entire catches of two local fishing crews that scour Lake Erie. That arrangement is likely to net more than 600,000 pounds of yellow perch alone next year -- as well as an additional 8 jobs.

The health of Lake Erie has come a long way in the past 40 years, and it is now considered by many to be a case study of a recovering ecosystem. Yet not very many people know that, in part as a result of cleaning up our water pollution as well as our close proximity to a Great Lake, Northeast Ohio companies have developed rich expertise in water technology.

To leverage this cluster, influence policy, and conduct research and education, a group of organizations have launched The Alliance for our Water Future, a new nonprofit organization that seeks to spur innovative solutions to freshwater issues locally and globally.

"Silicon Valley is an example of what one industry cluster can do for a region," says Byron Clayton, Vice President at NorTech. "Companies all worked together in that region to leverage their strengths. In Northeast Ohio, we have a great legacy in cleaning up industrial waste water. We identified areas where we have the best chance of competing, and that's been the focus of our water technology cluster."

The areas that NorTech identified are automation and controls (identifying the best, most efficient way to control water), absorbents (extracting contaminants from water) and corrosion resistance (preventing water systems from corroding).

NorTech's role is to identify, organize and accelerate clusters. The Alliance will help promote this success story and spur cross-sector collaboration. By working together, the groups involved in the Alliance hope to make a global impact.

"This is about the economic future of our region," says Fran DiDonato, Program Manager of the Alliance. "If we can show that we had success with cleaning water, then that gives us credibility when we export our solutions to other places."

Two Northeast Ohio companies, MAR Systems and ABSMaterials, were recently selected by the Artemis Project as 2012 Top 50 Water Companies. Rockwell Automation is also considered a major player in the water technology field.

The founding members of the Alliance are NorTech, Case Western Reserve University, Port of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland State University, Hiram College, Great Lakes Science Center, Kent State University, MAR Systems and Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.


Source: Byron Clayton, Fran DiDonato
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Each year in Cuyahoga County, 20 fortunate artists are awarded $20,000 Creative Workforce Fellowship grants to pursue their art, which often takes a back seat to more pressing needs. The fellowships also help to brand the region to outsiders as an artist-friendly place to live.

About 15 years ago Nick Stevovich was experiencing the familiar burn in his legs from bike racing. He thought to himself, there has to be a better way to pedal a bicycle.

“I thought how do I overcome leg fatigue and still get the same performance,” he says. “About the same time I was rollerblading.” With that the idea for Motion Resolution was born.

Stevovich is developing an improved bike pedal that uses some of the concepts of rollerblading. “It changes the stroke cycle, has greater efficiencies and uses different muscles for greater speed,” he says. “It distributes the work of your legs a little more evenly, and the pedals stride in and out in a skating motion.”
 
Stevovich plans to market the pedal to tri-athletes and racing cyclists. “The pedals fit on any bike -- if you saw them you probably couldn’t tell the difference,” he says. “I’m hoping it changes the way people look at bike pedals.”
 
Working out of the Incubator at MAGNET, Stevovich recently received $25,000 from the Lorain County Community College Foundation Innovation Fund. He plans to use the money to develop additional prototypes and show proof of concept.
 
For now, Stevovich’s wife is working on marketing and a Kent State graduate student is writing her thesis on the bike pedal concept. He plans to show his product at a bike show in Las Vegas in September, and hopes to bring the pedals to market by 2014.

 
Source: Nick Stevovich
Writer: Karin Connelly

Genna Petrolla is working in Cleveland’s economic development department, improving the city’s website and blog, as well as helping to increase exposure to the city’s loan and grant program. She is one of three people at city hall in a two-year fellowship through the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) fellowship program.

Launched in September by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Cleveland State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, SC2 is a pilot initiative that is designed to strengthen cities by developing their economic visions. It is funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and overseen by the department of Housing and Urban Development.
 
“This federal program placing individuals in city governments is innovative,” says Kathryn Hexter, director of CSU’s Center for Community Planning. “It’s a new way for the federal government to help cities. Three mid-career fellows for two years work on priority items for the city.”
 
While the cities get skilled help with priority projects, the fellows get valuable insight into city programs. “The fellows get experience and leadership and public management training,” says Hexter. “The idea is they would stay on with the cities if it works out, but it’s not a requirement.”
 
All three of the fellows worked in Cleveland before getting involved in the SC2 program, and each has an average of 10 years of work experience. Petrolla, who has a background in marketing and community development, applied for the fellowship on a whim and says she is enjoying the experience. “I’m learning so much from it, I love it,” she says. “It’s been really cool watching this initiative play out here.”
 
The other two fellows are working in the building and housing department and the Cuyahoga County Land Bank.

 
Sources: Genna Petrolla, Kathryn Hexter
Writer: Karin Connelly

When Dave Lazor founded Lazorpoint nearly 16 years ago, he had a vision of building a full-service IT firm that would allow clients to focus on what they do best and not worry about whether their information services capabilities were the right match.

“We think, build and run informational systems that instill confidence,” explains Lazor. “Entrepreneurs or mid-market CEOs are focused on running their businesses and servicing their customers. They know they need information services, but they don’t know anything about it. They need a point man.”
 
And a point man is exactly what Lazorpoint provides. Each client is assigned a point man, who makes sure every need is met. “They have a vision: the point man can provide the leadership,” says Lazor. “When there are problems, or opportunities, we provide the leadership to make things happen.”
 
Lazor makes sure all of his 22 employees are dedicated to their clients’ needs. “The people we hire are very passionate about serving our clients,” he says. “We are relentless in whatever mission we’re on. We go beyond just the technology. We look at the people process.”
 
An example of the point man philosophy at work is demonstrated in an instance where a client had a warehouse fire.

“The client called his point man at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night and asked if we could help,” recalls Lazor. “At 8 a.m. Sunday we were on site. They were back in business Monday morning, with emails getting through. No one knew they had this problem.”
 
The point man approach has proved successful for Lazorpoint. The company has been named to the Weatherhead 100 as one of the fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio eight times. Lazorpoint hired two additional people last year, and recently brought in a co-op student for a second year. The company currently has one open position, plans on hiring two interns this summer and creating another full-time position later this year.
 
Source: Dave Lazor
Writer: Karin Connelly

Milo Biotechnology, a BioEnterprise startup created to find therapies for neuromuscular diseases, received FDA orphan drug designation for its AAV1-FS344, a drug that increases muscle strength.
 
The drug is a myostatin inhibitor that produces the protein follistatin, which increases muscle strength. Milo is focused on using the drug for treatment of Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In both types of the disease, patients have progressive muscle weakness and cardiac and respiratory degeneration. The drug also has potential uses in muscle degeneration in AIDS and cancer patients, but Milo's initial focus is on muscular dystrophy.
 
Orphan drug classification is given to therapies that treat diseases that affect less than 200,000 people nationwide. “Orphan says two things: One, it says this compound looks like it’s effective in some model of whatever disease it’s treating,” explains Al Hawkins, Milo CEO. “Second,  it means that the  target population is under 200,000 patients." The designation gives expedited regulatory review, seven years of post-market exclusivity and it qualifies for an FDA grant program in clinical trials.
 
Milo was founded about a year ago, after receiving a $250,000 investment  from JumpStart. The company also received funding from the North Coast Opportunities Technology fund.
 
Milo's drug is being used in clinical trials at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus with patients who have Becker muscular dystrophy and inclusion body myositis. Hawkins says the designation will expedite development of the therapy.
 
“There are no approved  drugs for muscular dystrophy, but there are a lot of promising therapies in development,” says Hawkins. “The community has banded together in supporting this, but we are still years away from getting to market.”
 

Source: Al Hawkins
Writer: Karin Connelly

The legal and arts world don't seem like a natural pair, barring the occasional tabloid story about a drug-addled starlet backing her BMW into a police car.

The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Committee (VLA) is bringing those realms together in a more positive fashion by providing the local arts community information about the law as well as free access to legal services.

VLA, a committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, refers low-income artists and arts organizations to lawyers for pro bono legal representation, gives informational talks to artists and arts groups, and presents legal seminars to lawyers regarding the arts.

In other words, if an artist needs legal advice about starting a nonprofit arts organization, protecting a copyright, or even forming a band, he or she can turn to VLA, says chairman Todd Masuda, an attorney with Schneider, Smeltz, Ranney & LaFond.

"It's by-need legal work," Masuda says. "Our attorneys will review applications and determine if they meet our criteria" of financial need and relation to the arts.

VLA recently gave a talk to lawyers at the new MOCA. The organization is planning a spring seminar for artists on nonprofit formation issues and health insurance options for the underemployed. 

Steve Day, a VLA volunteer and attorney with Calfee, Halter & Griswold, believes the arts-law connection is an important one for Cleveland.

"If you want an attractive city, you need a lively, vibrant arts community," says Day. "We're helping artists navigate legal roadblocks that would be too expensive for them to handle otherwise."

 
SOURCE: Todd Masuda, Steve Day
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

Do you love Cleveland?

That's the question asked and vociferously answered by the Brain Gain Cleveland Project (BGCP), a nonprofit advocacy group created to grow the city through the creativity and energy of its citizens.

BGCP was founded this spring by a group of lawyers working with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. The group, led by Jon Leiken of Jones Day, soon realized that the message BGCP was trying to spread wasn't just for legal types, but for Clevelanders everywhere.

Debra Mayers Hollander is no lawyer. She's a freelance marketer also serving as the organization's deputy director of scouting. "We're an online booster club," says Hollander of BGCP's mission. "It's an opportunity for people who love Cleveland to talk about Cleveland."

BGCP's website launched in March and has attracted about 350 “scouts," a term referring to its members, Hollander says. Scouts join for free, and are encouraged to create a profile on the site. Their involvement can include anything from simply adding themselves to the group's email list to creating Cleveland-centric events supporting local brain gain.

The organization has gained backing from local institutions including Greater Cleveland Partnership and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Another supporter is Dan Gilbert, who owns large stakes in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Horseshoe Casino and Quicken Loans.

BGCP is cranking up for a big 2013. The group hopes to surpass 1,000 members soon, and hosts its first event of the new year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on Thursday, January 10.

"We have such a diverse group of people committed to this already," says Hollander. "There are many ways to shape a city."  

 
SOURCE: Debra Mayers Hollander
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

The current generation of soon-to-graduate college students is not just looking for a job, but also a fun and dynamic city that suits its lifestyle needs, says Christy Walkuski, director of (i)Cleveland.

This reality is the impetus behind an upcoming city-centric event hosted by Cleveland Leadership Center. On January 4, (i)Cleveland, a program of the leadership center, will welcome 150 college students and recent graduates to connect with career, civic and social opportunities in Cleveland.

The Winter Edition event will include a networking lunch with downtown executives, a meet with Cleveland's entrenched young professional community, behind-the-scenes tours of East 4th Street's amenities, and an "employer showcase" of current internship and job opportunities.

Combining job and leadership possibilities with highlights of Cleveland lifestyle trumpets a single, distinct message: "The city wants you here," says Walkuski. "Young people have the ability to make their mark on Cleveland."

Walkuski has read the worrisome headlines about young people leaving Northeast Ohio for the bright lights of bigger cities. The (i)Cleveland director herself lived in Chicago and Florida before returning to her home city.

"When I came back, I saw Cleveland with new eyes," says Walkuski.

Opening the eyes of college students requires a community-wide effort. The "Winter Edition" program aligns with (i)Cleveland's mission of using local assets to build relationships and foster lifelong civic engagement. Registration is limited, so Walkuski suggests prospective participants sign up as soon as possible.

"We have a huge education base here," she says. "We must continue to engage this (college-aged) population, because if we don't recruit them, someone else will."

 
SOURCE: Christy Walkuski
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

Nearly 100 years after it was first constructed, the Hope Memorial bridge, which is home to the famous Guardians of Transportation statues and connects downtown to Ohio City, is now considered to be "complete."

That's because a 14.5 foot protected bikeway just opened, making the street safer and more accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists who would prefer not to ride in the street. The $4.5 million investment is consistent with the city's new Complete and Green Streets law, which requires sustainable transportation options to be incorporated into new road projects.

"We really want to encourage more people to bike more often. Anytime you can create an environment where you can take kids out, you know it’s a safe place," says Jacob Van Sickle, Executive Director of the nonprofit group Bike Cleveland. "We're always advocating for infrastructure that makes biking as safe and stress-free as possible. To create a mode shift, that's where we need to be."

The Ohio Department of Transportation agreed to pay for the bikeway as well as bike-friendly enhancements to the Abbey Road bridge a few years ago. At the time, it was offered as a concession to multimodal transportation advocates who had pressed for bike lanes to be built on the new I-90 Innerbelt bridge.

The Carnegie-Ontario intersection also has been made safer for pedestrians and cyclists thanks to a new pathway along the bridge's northeast end. That pathway will lead cyclists and walkers to cross at Eagle Avenue. Finally, the Guardians of Transportation statues will also be lit at night as part of the roadway project.


Source: Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Recent transplants to Cleveland arriving from so-called "big-ticket" metropolitan markets say that they are experiencing appreciable cost savings in terms of housing, transportation, entertainment and food. And that translates to a better standard of life with little lost in terms of quantity and quality of offerings.