Emerging Neighborhoods
Starting a successful food-based business takes more than a great idea and the ability to cook. Like any entrepreneurial venture, food startups require planning, money and a willingness to be flexible. But those who do dive in have found there's plenty of guidance, support and collaboration in the local food startup community.
A grassroots urban placemaking movement that started in Portland has made its way to Cleveland, and a few weeks ago, residents from three Cleveland neighborhoods came together to remove blight with community-led art.
City Repair, which started in Portland as a guerilla movement to add splashes of color to city streets, is so new here that the City of Cleveland denied a permit request at the last minute, forcing organizers to scramble to adapt their project. The original idea was to paint city intersections, and Cleveland officials now acknowledge that they need a new policy to deal with these requests.
In the end, City Repair Cleveland created three successful projects and built a greater sense of community in the process, says Adele DiMarco-Kious, consultant to the effort.
"This is about neighbors getting to know one another and taking shared action about things important to them in their neighborhood," she adds. "You get people to come together, take ownership of the public realm and start taking action and it has a multiplier effect. People build trust, take action and build a sense of power."
In Buckeye-Shaker Square, residents created a vision for a mural that they hope will be painted on a bridge over the RTA tracks that historically has divided their two neighborhoods; Clark-Fulton residents beautified the long-neglected Newark Court alley by painting a mural of the river that once ran through the community; and Stockyard residents covered up a blighted retaining wall with colorful designs.
DiMarco-Kious says the impact goes far beyond the physical projects themselves, as neighbors work shoulder-to-shoulder and families come out of their houses to help paint.
City Repair Cleveland was supported by Neighborhood Connections, a small grants and community building program affiliated with the Cleveland Foundation.
Source: Adele DiMarco-Kious
Writer: Lee Chilcote
City Repair, which started in Portland as a guerilla movement to add splashes of color to city streets, is so new here that the City of Cleveland denied a permit request at the last minute, forcing organizers to scramble to adapt their project. The original idea was to paint city intersections, and Cleveland officials now acknowledge that they need a new policy to deal with these requests.
In the end, City Repair Cleveland created three successful projects and built a greater sense of community in the process, says Adele DiMarco-Kious, consultant to the effort.
"This is about neighbors getting to know one another and taking shared action about things important to them in their neighborhood," she adds. "You get people to come together, take ownership of the public realm and start taking action and it has a multiplier effect. People build trust, take action and build a sense of power."
In Buckeye-Shaker Square, residents created a vision for a mural that they hope will be painted on a bridge over the RTA tracks that historically has divided their two neighborhoods; Clark-Fulton residents beautified the long-neglected Newark Court alley by painting a mural of the river that once ran through the community; and Stockyard residents covered up a blighted retaining wall with colorful designs.
DiMarco-Kious says the impact goes far beyond the physical projects themselves, as neighbors work shoulder-to-shoulder and families come out of their houses to help paint.
City Repair Cleveland was supported by Neighborhood Connections, a small grants and community building program affiliated with the Cleveland Foundation.
Source: Adele DiMarco-Kious
Writer: Lee Chilcote
WMMS "The Buzzard" reached the largest radio audience in the history of Cleveland media. A new film hopes to document the glory years when a charmed roster of on-air talent introduced national rock acts like Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Joe Walsh to the people of Cleveland and the rest of the country.
Micro-lending organization Bad Girl Ventures (BGV) wants Cleveland to connect with the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners. That hopefully beautiful friendship will begin on Thursday, October 3, when BGV Cleveland hosts its kickoff event introducing the 10 finalists of its fall business plan competition.
The 10 women will present themselves at Battery Park Wine Bar, pitching their ideas to an audience before embarking on BGV's nine-week course to help tweak their fledgling enterprises. The final class will be in mid-November, with the winner of BGV's $25,000 low-interest loan announced during a "graduation ceremony" the following month.
Financing and mentorship are just two of the benefits for program participants, says Reka Barabas, director of BGV Cleveland.
"Networking is a huge motivating factor for them," she says. "These women are not just sitting in a stuffy classroom, but extending their professional network."
This autumn's class represents a wide range of industries and specialty areas. There's a children's party bus, granola bar company, match-making business, and more.
BGV Cleveland offers business education courses and financing twice per year to help women-owned startups launch, manage and market their businesses. In May, custom cake baker Sugar Plum Cake Company earned the business group's $25,000 loan. Two other ventures -- Journey Art Gallery and The Agrarian Collective -- each received $5,000 loans from a private giving circle.
"We're exposing these businesses to as many resources as possible," says Barabas. "There's a huge value in that."
SOURCE: Reka Barabas
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The 10 women will present themselves at Battery Park Wine Bar, pitching their ideas to an audience before embarking on BGV's nine-week course to help tweak their fledgling enterprises. The final class will be in mid-November, with the winner of BGV's $25,000 low-interest loan announced during a "graduation ceremony" the following month.
Financing and mentorship are just two of the benefits for program participants, says Reka Barabas, director of BGV Cleveland.
"Networking is a huge motivating factor for them," she says. "These women are not just sitting in a stuffy classroom, but extending their professional network."
This autumn's class represents a wide range of industries and specialty areas. There's a children's party bus, granola bar company, match-making business, and more.
BGV Cleveland offers business education courses and financing twice per year to help women-owned startups launch, manage and market their businesses. In May, custom cake baker Sugar Plum Cake Company earned the business group's $25,000 loan. Two other ventures -- Journey Art Gallery and The Agrarian Collective -- each received $5,000 loans from a private giving circle.
"We're exposing these businesses to as many resources as possible," says Barabas. "There's a huge value in that."
SOURCE: Reka Barabas
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Speaking last week at the annual meeting of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), the regional transportation planning agency for Northeast Ohio, Executive Director Grace Gallucci promised a more strategic distribution of money for projects and greater emphasis on multi-modal transportation options.
"We want more choices; that's what freedom -- being an American -- is about," she said. "NOACA is not trying to vilify the automobile; we're trying to attract the best and the brightest. Bicycling is increasingly popular, and more communities are integrating bike plans. Americans are driving less for the first time in a generation, and that trend is clearly led by the Millenial generation."
NOACA also has launched a far-reaching plan to assemble information on the condition of every highway, road and street in five counties, and use this information to make objective decisions about transportation spending. "Making decisions in an objective, data-driven way is more important now than ever. If there ever was a time to make decisions make economic sense, the time is now."
Gallucci touted NOACA's new Regional Bicycle Transportation Plan, a $15 million investment in the City of Cleveland's W. 73rd Street Extension Project and the Clifton Boulevard streetscape project among NOACA's recent, big ticket investments.
Peter Rogoff, Federal Transit Administrator, gave the keynote address. He argued that transit-oriented development projects can spark urban revitalization if done right, citing Cleveland's bus-rapid transit along the Euclid Corridor as one example of success.
Cleveland is a "national model for doing" with the Euclid Corridor project, Rogoff stated, because the project cost a lot less than light rail but resulted in big ridership gains and major economic development along the corridor. Other cities are studying how Cleveland did it and replicating our success, he added.
Source: Grace Gallucci, Peter Rogoff
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We want more choices; that's what freedom -- being an American -- is about," she said. "NOACA is not trying to vilify the automobile; we're trying to attract the best and the brightest. Bicycling is increasingly popular, and more communities are integrating bike plans. Americans are driving less for the first time in a generation, and that trend is clearly led by the Millenial generation."
NOACA also has launched a far-reaching plan to assemble information on the condition of every highway, road and street in five counties, and use this information to make objective decisions about transportation spending. "Making decisions in an objective, data-driven way is more important now than ever. If there ever was a time to make decisions make economic sense, the time is now."
Gallucci touted NOACA's new Regional Bicycle Transportation Plan, a $15 million investment in the City of Cleveland's W. 73rd Street Extension Project and the Clifton Boulevard streetscape project among NOACA's recent, big ticket investments.
Peter Rogoff, Federal Transit Administrator, gave the keynote address. He argued that transit-oriented development projects can spark urban revitalization if done right, citing Cleveland's bus-rapid transit along the Euclid Corridor as one example of success.
Cleveland is a "national model for doing" with the Euclid Corridor project, Rogoff stated, because the project cost a lot less than light rail but resulted in big ridership gains and major economic development along the corridor. Other cities are studying how Cleveland did it and replicating our success, he added.
Source: Grace Gallucci, Peter Rogoff
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Hildebrandt Artist Collective is set to open studio and gallery space in the historic Hildebrandt building, a gigantic warehouse located on Walton Avenue on Cleveland's near west side, sometime next month.
The group joins existing tenants Rust Belt Welding, Soulcraft Woodshop and Wake Robin Fermented Foods in the sprawling complex, which was built a century ago as a meat packing company but has evolved into a hub for local food and art.
Fiber artist Katie Simmons says that she launched the space with about 10 other artists to provide affordable, collaborative workspace for young, emerging artists.
"A lot of these artists have just graduated from college, and they don't have a lot of extra funds, yet being an artist is difficult if you don't have space," she says. "By having a shared space, everybody brings something to the table and we can collaborate with one another, and yet we each have our own space, too."
The group also plans to open a gallery called The Lunchroom, and the entire building will be open for a First Friday art walk beginning in December.
"The building is always evolving," says Simmons, who also works at Great Lakes Brewing Company. "There are more artists moving in here."
Source: Katie Simmons
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The group joins existing tenants Rust Belt Welding, Soulcraft Woodshop and Wake Robin Fermented Foods in the sprawling complex, which was built a century ago as a meat packing company but has evolved into a hub for local food and art.
Fiber artist Katie Simmons says that she launched the space with about 10 other artists to provide affordable, collaborative workspace for young, emerging artists.
"A lot of these artists have just graduated from college, and they don't have a lot of extra funds, yet being an artist is difficult if you don't have space," she says. "By having a shared space, everybody brings something to the table and we can collaborate with one another, and yet we each have our own space, too."
The group also plans to open a gallery called The Lunchroom, and the entire building will be open for a First Friday art walk beginning in December.
"The building is always evolving," says Simmons, who also works at Great Lakes Brewing Company. "There are more artists moving in here."
Source: Katie Simmons
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Ninety two percent of residents in the Central neighborhood live below 200 percent of the poverty line, qualifying them to receive food from food pantries. Yet until recently, the future of the city's largest food pantry -- and the second-largest food pantry in Cuyahoga County -- was seriously in doubt.
Recently, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Cleveland (SVDP) stepped in to assume management of Brother Hubbard's Cupboard in the Carl Stokes Building at 6001 Woodland Avenue, which serves 1,700 people per month and over 20,000 annually.
"The need is still going up based on the number of people we're serving at food pantries, and the working poor tend to be the last ones affected by an economic upswing in a positive way," says John Litten, Executive Director of SVDP. "Northeast Ohio has been slower to recover than we've been led to believe."
The pantry previously was managed by the Capuchin Franciscan Brothers under the direction of Brother Walt Robb, but was in danger of closing when it was announced that Robb was leaving for another assignment.
Litten says SVDP has risen to the task of managing a massive food pantry that requires almost daily deliveries from the Cleveland Food Bank. Yet he stresses that it's about a lot more than just giving out food. "It's the human side that really gets to our mission, the person-to-person service," he says. "For many people, this may be the only person who's helping you today, smiling at you, asking how you're doing."
Although word is still getting out about the newly renamed SVDP Woodland Pantry, Litten says it's already making a difference. "The impact on the neighborhood is huge."
Source: John Litten
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Recently, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Cleveland (SVDP) stepped in to assume management of Brother Hubbard's Cupboard in the Carl Stokes Building at 6001 Woodland Avenue, which serves 1,700 people per month and over 20,000 annually.
"The need is still going up based on the number of people we're serving at food pantries, and the working poor tend to be the last ones affected by an economic upswing in a positive way," says John Litten, Executive Director of SVDP. "Northeast Ohio has been slower to recover than we've been led to believe."
The pantry previously was managed by the Capuchin Franciscan Brothers under the direction of Brother Walt Robb, but was in danger of closing when it was announced that Robb was leaving for another assignment.
Litten says SVDP has risen to the task of managing a massive food pantry that requires almost daily deliveries from the Cleveland Food Bank. Yet he stresses that it's about a lot more than just giving out food. "It's the human side that really gets to our mission, the person-to-person service," he says. "For many people, this may be the only person who's helping you today, smiling at you, asking how you're doing."
Although word is still getting out about the newly renamed SVDP Woodland Pantry, Litten says it's already making a difference. "The impact on the neighborhood is huge."
Source: John Litten
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Failure" is a tough word, particularly for entrepreneurial types throwing so much of their lives into a venture that might go belly up within a few months. However, Paul McAvinchey, creator of TechPint, believes valuable lessons can be learned from disappointment.
Such is the theme of this fall's TechPint conference, a casual gathering for entrepreneurs and investors in Internet technology. Coordinator McAvinchey expects more than 250 of the region's most innovative tech pacesetters to attend the quarterly-held event taking place tonight (September 26) at Sterle’s Slovenian Country House. Speakers John Gadd of Hotcards.com, Kendall Wouters of Reach Ventures and Phil Brennan of Echogen Power Systems will touch on how businesses can bounce back from seemingly crushing setbacks.
"It's a fact that you must fail many times before you see success," says McAvinchey, who moved to Cleveland from County Tipperary, Ireland, in April 2012 to lead product innovation for MedCity Media. "If you're failing, that means you're trying. That's a good thing."
Even stories of tremendous achievement, like the billion-dollar acquisition of Instagram, began on a rocky road of risk and false starts, McAvinchey points out.
"Failure will work for you if you learn from it," he says.
The informal get-together is designed to connect the region's tech thinkers over a couple pints of beers, says McAvinchey. TechPint's moniker this month is "Techtoberfest," in appreciation of this suds-filled season of the year.
Autumn also is a time for scary stories, and attendees will hear a few frightening business-related tales at TechPint. "It's important to celebrate failure," McAvinchey says. "This is a way to bring positive attention to it."
SOURCE: Paul McAvinchey
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Such is the theme of this fall's TechPint conference, a casual gathering for entrepreneurs and investors in Internet technology. Coordinator McAvinchey expects more than 250 of the region's most innovative tech pacesetters to attend the quarterly-held event taking place tonight (September 26) at Sterle’s Slovenian Country House. Speakers John Gadd of Hotcards.com, Kendall Wouters of Reach Ventures and Phil Brennan of Echogen Power Systems will touch on how businesses can bounce back from seemingly crushing setbacks.
"It's a fact that you must fail many times before you see success," says McAvinchey, who moved to Cleveland from County Tipperary, Ireland, in April 2012 to lead product innovation for MedCity Media. "If you're failing, that means you're trying. That's a good thing."
Even stories of tremendous achievement, like the billion-dollar acquisition of Instagram, began on a rocky road of risk and false starts, McAvinchey points out.
"Failure will work for you if you learn from it," he says.
The informal get-together is designed to connect the region's tech thinkers over a couple pints of beers, says McAvinchey. TechPint's moniker this month is "Techtoberfest," in appreciation of this suds-filled season of the year.
Autumn also is a time for scary stories, and attendees will hear a few frightening business-related tales at TechPint. "It's important to celebrate failure," McAvinchey says. "This is a way to bring positive attention to it."
SOURCE: Paul McAvinchey
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The large number of open jobs in the startup community indicates these companies are doing well and growing. But working for a young startup has unique challenges. Recruiters and employers discuss some of the critical qualities required for those looking for a good fit with a startup.
men's journal drops into cleveland for a visit
In a Men's Journal travel feature titled "Visiting Cleveland, on Purpose," writer Robert Reid manages to enjoy himself during an action-packed visit to town -- and also manages to trot out a few hackneyed affronts as well.
"Spread out on the south shore of Lake Erie, 'The Forest City' -- called the 'mistake by the lake' by the sort of people who talk like that -- is a pleasant surprise for visitors who actually make the trip," Reid writes. "Just the names of the neighborhoods, including Slavic Village, Little Italy, and Asiatown, are a tribute to the city’s melting-pot roots, which manifest in great fusion cuisine."
In the piece, Reid mentions Happy Dog, Beachland Ballroom, the Orchestra, Big Fun, MOCA, Melt and others.
Read the rest of the (back-handed) compliment here.
"Spread out on the south shore of Lake Erie, 'The Forest City' -- called the 'mistake by the lake' by the sort of people who talk like that -- is a pleasant surprise for visitors who actually make the trip," Reid writes. "Just the names of the neighborhoods, including Slavic Village, Little Italy, and Asiatown, are a tribute to the city’s melting-pot roots, which manifest in great fusion cuisine."
In the piece, Reid mentions Happy Dog, Beachland Ballroom, the Orchestra, Big Fun, MOCA, Melt and others.
Read the rest of the (back-handed) compliment here.
ny times gives ink to new rust belt mag 'belt'
In a New York Times Arts Beat post titled “New Magazine Celebrates ‘Rust Belt Chic,’ With a Wink,” writer Jennifer Schuessler details her conversation with Belt magazine editor Anne Trubek about a new publication dedicated to fostering a new journalistic beat in Cleveland.
"The decaying cities of the post-industrial Midwest can sometimes seem like a museum of things America used to make: cars, refrigerators, steel, televisions. But if a start-up in Cleveland gets its way, the region may help rebuild the market for another endangered product -- long-form magazine journalism," Schuessler writes.
The magazine offers up a collection of essays and reporting that seeks to explore the regional identity that is known as the Rust Belt.
“I cringe at words like ‘authentic,’” Trubek says in the article. “But the rust belt aesthetic isn’t about the ephemeral global economy, it’s about boots on the ground and things hidden in grandma’s attic. We want to explore that.”
Check out the full interview here.
"The decaying cities of the post-industrial Midwest can sometimes seem like a museum of things America used to make: cars, refrigerators, steel, televisions. But if a start-up in Cleveland gets its way, the region may help rebuild the market for another endangered product -- long-form magazine journalism," Schuessler writes.
The magazine offers up a collection of essays and reporting that seeks to explore the regional identity that is known as the Rust Belt.
“I cringe at words like ‘authentic,’” Trubek says in the article. “But the rust belt aesthetic isn’t about the ephemeral global economy, it’s about boots on the ground and things hidden in grandma’s attic. We want to explore that.”
Check out the full interview here.
Cleveland, like most American cities, has had its challenges regarding segregation. But emerging patterns of desegregation can significantly advance our city's position as a center of innovation. This represents a key opportunity to reconstitute a new American neighborhood model by harnessing the potential of diversification.
Kelli Hanley Potts has lived in Denver and Albuquerque, where she got involved in the slow food movement, replaced her front lawn with a vegetable garden, and worked for some of those cities' top chefs. When she got the urge to move back home to Cleveland, she knew she wanted to do something food-related.
That's when she stumbled upon a business idea. Despite the rise of the local food movement, most people had no idea how to cook kale, make jam or preserve food. She asked 18 female friends if they knew how to make a pie from scratch, and only two said yes.
Additionally, many people in the local farming movement have trouble explaining and marketing their products to customers, who are largely unfamiliar with them, she explains.
There are no cooking schools in Cleveland that did what she wanted to do -- connect people back to the land and back to their grandmothers' kitchens by teaching them the age-old skills of home economics -- so she decided to create one.
"I didn't want to watch a chef in front of me and drink wine," says Hanley Potts. "I wanted to learn something. I wanted to reconnect people to the lineage of the table, help them build their own table culture."
She recently launched the Agrarian Collective, an earth-to-table lifestyle school. Her mobile cooking school is offering classes this fall that cover topics like roasting your own coffee, fermented and cultured foods, and discovering local apples, among others. She'll be teaching students how to make the perfect pesto at this weekend's Cleveland Flea.
She was aided by a $5,000 low-interest loan from Bad Girl Ventures, which enabled her to purchase supplies and begin reaching out to chefs and farmers as partners.
"This is like home ec, but not quite as official and nerdy," she says. "It's about reconnecting people. All these things we once learned and were taught, they're missing. We're teaching people the 'how' of home."
Source: Kelli Hanley Potts
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's when she stumbled upon a business idea. Despite the rise of the local food movement, most people had no idea how to cook kale, make jam or preserve food. She asked 18 female friends if they knew how to make a pie from scratch, and only two said yes.
Additionally, many people in the local farming movement have trouble explaining and marketing their products to customers, who are largely unfamiliar with them, she explains.
There are no cooking schools in Cleveland that did what she wanted to do -- connect people back to the land and back to their grandmothers' kitchens by teaching them the age-old skills of home economics -- so she decided to create one.
"I didn't want to watch a chef in front of me and drink wine," says Hanley Potts. "I wanted to learn something. I wanted to reconnect people to the lineage of the table, help them build their own table culture."
She recently launched the Agrarian Collective, an earth-to-table lifestyle school. Her mobile cooking school is offering classes this fall that cover topics like roasting your own coffee, fermented and cultured foods, and discovering local apples, among others. She'll be teaching students how to make the perfect pesto at this weekend's Cleveland Flea.
She was aided by a $5,000 low-interest loan from Bad Girl Ventures, which enabled her to purchase supplies and begin reaching out to chefs and farmers as partners.
"This is like home ec, but not quite as official and nerdy," she says. "It's about reconnecting people. All these things we once learned and were taught, they're missing. We're teaching people the 'how' of home."
Source: Kelli Hanley Potts
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Are you sustainable, Cleveland? That's the question environmentally conscious city officials are asking heading into the fifth annual Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit. The initiative to build "a green city on a blue lake" is at the halfway mark, and Cleveland's new chief of sustainability believes Northeast Ohio is meeting the metrics set out a half decade ago.
Leslie Friend will be the first person to tell you that what she does is dangerous, but it's also a real thrill and great workout. She teaches aerial silks classes, best known as the acrobatic art form of Cirque du Soleil, at two different locations in Cleveland, the Studio Cleveland and Sokol Greater Cleveland.
"It utilizes every aspect of the body: core strength, balance and flexibility," says Friend. "Most importantly for most people, it builds confidence. A lot of people have a fear of doing stuff off the ground, and this builds up their confidence."
Aerial silks athletes climb and perform acrobatic maneuvers on nylon fabrics that are rigged to the ceiling. Friend starts class participants low to the ground, and as they advance in ability, she allows them to climb higher into the air to perform tricks. She's never had an accident, although participants sometimes do get tangled.
"We've had to build a tower of mats to reach them," she says. "We always tell people, 'If you're ever in doubt, back yourself out, lower yourself to the floor.'"
In Friend's classes, silks climbers can reach heights of up to 20 feet in the air. They entwine themselves in the silks to perform spins and hang upside down.
Although aerial silks classes are growing in popularity, there still are very few places in Ohio where you can even try it. Friend's classes have become so popular this year that she's introduced software on her websites allowing people to sign up in advance.
Classes typically cost between $15 and $20, with discounts available for five-class packages. All of the classes are open to beginners as well as more advanced aerial silks athletes.
Source: Leslie Friend
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"It utilizes every aspect of the body: core strength, balance and flexibility," says Friend. "Most importantly for most people, it builds confidence. A lot of people have a fear of doing stuff off the ground, and this builds up their confidence."
Aerial silks athletes climb and perform acrobatic maneuvers on nylon fabrics that are rigged to the ceiling. Friend starts class participants low to the ground, and as they advance in ability, she allows them to climb higher into the air to perform tricks. She's never had an accident, although participants sometimes do get tangled.
"We've had to build a tower of mats to reach them," she says. "We always tell people, 'If you're ever in doubt, back yourself out, lower yourself to the floor.'"
In Friend's classes, silks climbers can reach heights of up to 20 feet in the air. They entwine themselves in the silks to perform spins and hang upside down.
Although aerial silks classes are growing in popularity, there still are very few places in Ohio where you can even try it. Friend's classes have become so popular this year that she's introduced software on her websites allowing people to sign up in advance.
Classes typically cost between $15 and $20, with discounts available for five-class packages. All of the classes are open to beginners as well as more advanced aerial silks athletes.
Source: Leslie Friend
Writer: Lee Chilcote
What has been a lifelong love of comics and video games for Tamar Medina has turned into an interesting business. Medina and his co-founders developed J-Lynn Entertainment in 2011, which makes video game comics -- interactive comics where the reader controls the outcome of the comic or an entire series of comics.
In July, Medina began test marketing the video game comics at conventions. “The feedback we got at the comic conventions was great,” says Medina.
But at the conventions Medina also got an unexpected reaction. Parents and teachers approached him to say his video game comics would be a helpful tool for children with autism. After some research into autism, Medina and his team discovered their games were perfect for cognitive training, collecting performance data, and research in autism spectrum disorders.
“Kids with autism have trouble reading and comprehending certain words,” Medina explains. “But reading a comic and seeing what’s going on with pictures, the kids really adhere to technology.” Because the comics are interactive, they also help autistic children develop their social and decision-making skills.
Medina went to top experts for help in developing a line of games specific to kids with autism. “At the end of the game, we put statistics on the social choices they made,” says Medina of one feature he’s incorporated. “We wanted to have it be fun and be interactive.”
J-Lynn Entertainment is still developing its regular line of video game comics and is talking to investors. The company has five employees. Medina says they are hoping to bring on a full-time programmer, and envisions J-Lynn will employ 25 to 50 people within the next five years.
“The passion is awesome and we think our product will be great, not only in improving the autism condition, but also identifying it,” says Medina. “I believe we have the ability and skills for growth. J-Lynn is currently polishing its prototype and hopes to release it this fall for android.
Source: Tamar Medina
Writer: Karin Connelly
In July, Medina began test marketing the video game comics at conventions. “The feedback we got at the comic conventions was great,” says Medina.
But at the conventions Medina also got an unexpected reaction. Parents and teachers approached him to say his video game comics would be a helpful tool for children with autism. After some research into autism, Medina and his team discovered their games were perfect for cognitive training, collecting performance data, and research in autism spectrum disorders.
“Kids with autism have trouble reading and comprehending certain words,” Medina explains. “But reading a comic and seeing what’s going on with pictures, the kids really adhere to technology.” Because the comics are interactive, they also help autistic children develop their social and decision-making skills.
Medina went to top experts for help in developing a line of games specific to kids with autism. “At the end of the game, we put statistics on the social choices they made,” says Medina of one feature he’s incorporated. “We wanted to have it be fun and be interactive.”
J-Lynn Entertainment is still developing its regular line of video game comics and is talking to investors. The company has five employees. Medina says they are hoping to bring on a full-time programmer, and envisions J-Lynn will employ 25 to 50 people within the next five years.
“The passion is awesome and we think our product will be great, not only in improving the autism condition, but also identifying it,” says Medina. “I believe we have the ability and skills for growth. J-Lynn is currently polishing its prototype and hopes to release it this fall for android.
Source: Tamar Medina
Writer: Karin Connelly
There are now dozens of high-performing charter and public schools in the City of Cleveland. Yet a culture of school choice still is not the norm in many Cleveland neighborhoods, and as many as 60 percent of city families have not yet chosen a school to attend.
With the deadline looming on August 19th, those families that do not proactively choose a school will be enrolled in their neighborhood school, which may or may not be the best option depending on how the school is ranked on State of Ohio report cards.
Perhaps most startling is the fact that many high-performing schools in the city have empty seats waiting to be filled even as kids are enrolled in failing schools.
That's why the Transformation Alliance has launched an unprecedented campaign to "promote one common goal of driving enrollment to high-performing schools," says Megan O'Bryan, a nonprofit veteran who is its new Executive Director.
"The ultimate goal of the Transformation Alliance is to ensure that every child in Cleveland attends an excellent school and every neighborhood has a portfolio of high-quality school choices," says O'Bryan. "Our goal is to fill empty seats in the high-performing schools, and over time, drive demand to these good choices. In the marketplace, that demand will then naturally drive out low-performers."
Parents can learn more about school ratings at the Right School Right Now site. The group has completed three different mailers to 25,000 households promoting school choice options. Fliers have been passed out through local community groups. Families can also call 211 to learn more about school ratings.
"The goal is to get parents to look at the info and say, 'My child's school is in Academic Watch, but two miles away there's a school rated Excellent. Why?'"
Although the Transformation Alliance and this campaign are so new that they do not yet have formal goals, O'Bryan says the aim is a "cultural shift" that will take time. "I took this job because it’s an opportunity to create that cultural shift. It's very important for every single resident and the region that this shift occurs. It's a matter of equality and social justice. It's about economic success for our region."
Source: Megan O'Bryan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
With the deadline looming on August 19th, those families that do not proactively choose a school will be enrolled in their neighborhood school, which may or may not be the best option depending on how the school is ranked on State of Ohio report cards.
Perhaps most startling is the fact that many high-performing schools in the city have empty seats waiting to be filled even as kids are enrolled in failing schools.
That's why the Transformation Alliance has launched an unprecedented campaign to "promote one common goal of driving enrollment to high-performing schools," says Megan O'Bryan, a nonprofit veteran who is its new Executive Director.
"The ultimate goal of the Transformation Alliance is to ensure that every child in Cleveland attends an excellent school and every neighborhood has a portfolio of high-quality school choices," says O'Bryan. "Our goal is to fill empty seats in the high-performing schools, and over time, drive demand to these good choices. In the marketplace, that demand will then naturally drive out low-performers."
Parents can learn more about school ratings at the Right School Right Now site. The group has completed three different mailers to 25,000 households promoting school choice options. Fliers have been passed out through local community groups. Families can also call 211 to learn more about school ratings.
"The goal is to get parents to look at the info and say, 'My child's school is in Academic Watch, but two miles away there's a school rated Excellent. Why?'"
Although the Transformation Alliance and this campaign are so new that they do not yet have formal goals, O'Bryan says the aim is a "cultural shift" that will take time. "I took this job because it’s an opportunity to create that cultural shift. It's very important for every single resident and the region that this shift occurs. It's a matter of equality and social justice. It's about economic success for our region."
Source: Megan O'Bryan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Welcome to Cleveland, an artists' visitation weekend hosted by Northeast Shores CDC and the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, drew about a dozen artists to Cleveland, many of whom have signed leases and are expected to move here.
"The weekend exceeded our expectations by far," says Brian Friedman, Executive Director of Northeast Shores. "We didn't know they'd be so ready to go."
The artists were impressed not only by Cleveland's affordability but also by the accessibility of the rich arts scene here, Friedman says. "For them it was really the connectedness -- there's a much stronger ability for artists to network and connect here than in many of the communities where they're from."
The artists came from Brooklyn, Boston and Atlanta, among other locations. They were responsible for getting to Cleveland, but the nonprofit partners put them up in a hotel and covered most of their costs once they got here. The group spent the weekend on a whirlwind tour of North Collinwood, Slavic Village, St. Clair Superior, Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit Shoreway. Activities included a visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art and brunch at the Beachland Ballroom.
Northeast Shores and CPAC marketed to 12,000 artists nationally for the Artist-in-Residence program. Friedman says that since launching the effort a few years ago, he's seen 83 artists move to Cleveland, open a business, or do a project here.
Some of the artists who responded to the visitation weekend weren't sure if it was real. "They weren't sure if we would try to sell them a timeshare," says Friedman. "We told them, 'Really, just come. We want you to come be creative in Cleveland.'"
Once the artists move here, the nonprofit partners will help connect them to arts organizations and community efforts in their new neighborhoods. "We'll make sure that they get connected to the fabric of what's going on," says Friedman. "We anticipate that's the beginning of developing deeper roots in Cleveland."
Source: Brian Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The weekend exceeded our expectations by far," says Brian Friedman, Executive Director of Northeast Shores. "We didn't know they'd be so ready to go."
The artists were impressed not only by Cleveland's affordability but also by the accessibility of the rich arts scene here, Friedman says. "For them it was really the connectedness -- there's a much stronger ability for artists to network and connect here than in many of the communities where they're from."
The artists came from Brooklyn, Boston and Atlanta, among other locations. They were responsible for getting to Cleveland, but the nonprofit partners put them up in a hotel and covered most of their costs once they got here. The group spent the weekend on a whirlwind tour of North Collinwood, Slavic Village, St. Clair Superior, Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit Shoreway. Activities included a visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art and brunch at the Beachland Ballroom.
Northeast Shores and CPAC marketed to 12,000 artists nationally for the Artist-in-Residence program. Friedman says that since launching the effort a few years ago, he's seen 83 artists move to Cleveland, open a business, or do a project here.
Some of the artists who responded to the visitation weekend weren't sure if it was real. "They weren't sure if we would try to sell them a timeshare," says Friedman. "We told them, 'Really, just come. We want you to come be creative in Cleveland.'"
Once the artists move here, the nonprofit partners will help connect them to arts organizations and community efforts in their new neighborhoods. "We'll make sure that they get connected to the fabric of what's going on," says Friedman. "We anticipate that's the beginning of developing deeper roots in Cleveland."
Source: Brian Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
From Gordon Square to North Collinwood, a definite shift is occurring among young homebuyers, who increasingly are choosing to raise families in the city. Thanks to phenomenal amenities and a growing roster of good schools, Cleveland is becoming downright kid-friendly!