Entrepreneurs + Innovators

Shipping containers mark the spot: BoxSpot ready to debut in Kinsman
When a lack of affordable retail space was preventing small businesses and startups from getting off the ground in Cleveland's Kinsman neighborhood, Burten, Bell, Carr decided to think out of the box.
Rewriting romance: CLE's newest publishing company wants readers to fall in love with inclusion
BeLonging Books, a new publishing company based in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood, wants to modernize the romance novel genre by focusing on inclusive and feminist works.
Documenters.org comes to Cleveland
A website making it easier for citizen watchdogs to keep track of government meetings is coming to Cleveland.
Two Fairfax innovators prove that ideas can be homegrown
Delesia Robinson and Tim Willis work in very different fields, but both innovators are using their talents to help their Fairfax neighborhood.
Latest entry at Van Aken District is an approachable contemporary art gallery
Art appreciation just got a little easier, thanks to a new, novice-friendly gallery inside the Van Aken District.
Collinwood catalyst: Meet the semifinalists vying for $250,000 in Cleveland Chain Reaction
In the third season of Cleveland Chain Reaction, 18 local businesses are competing for a share of $250,000 in investment dollars along East 185th Street. But even if they aren't one of the five or more companies chosen, all of them should benefit from the economic boost heading to the Collinwood neighborhood.
VIDEO: A Taste of La Villa Hispana
As La Villa Hispana continues to crystallize as a cultural hub, the neighborhood is amplifying the sounds, sights, and smells that make it so special—and events like La Placita and new spots like Las Tienditas are enticing all of Greater Cleveland to experience them.
Comeback Cafe serves up tasty dishes and second chances
The Comeback Café serves up breakfast and lunch to state workers in downtown Cleveland, prepared by women seeking a jump start on a career after they are released from prison.
JumpStart gives crucial boost to minority- and women-owned businesses
Angela Flowers' in-school consulting business took off when she connected with JumpStart Inc., a Cleveland-based venture development group that focuses on women- and minority-owned companies.
We Tried It: Tasting our way through the Tour de Bruell
Join us on the Tour de Bruell as local chef Zack Bruell takes foodies on a delicious progressive dinner party through five Bruell-owned restaurants.
Euclid High School's welding program sparks success for students
When the new and improved Euclid High School opens in a year, new campus amenities will include a 9,000-square-foot welding lab. It’s a fitting (and long-awaited) development for the school’s celebrated welding program, which has ranked among the country’s top five programs for the last decade.
Las Tienditas welcomes the flavors of Southern Puerto Rico in its latest grand opening
Jean Garcia and Xaidy Rodriguez aren’t like other siblings their age.

For one, they’re both bilingual transplants native to Ponce, Puerto Rico, a small city of 145,000 on the southern part of the island. At 19 and 15 respectfully, Garcia and sister Rodriguez helm one of the youngest restaurant startups to open on Cleveland’s West Side, well, in ages.
How three brothers turned a fermenting hobby into a thriving business
Projected to be a $5 million to $7 million business in 2019, with sales growth expected to be as much as 500 percent, Cleveland Kraut is considered to be one of the fastest growing businesses in the fermented food industry.
Racial equity trainings aim to build awareness about structural racism
Third Space co-founder Evelyn Burnett says the point of the workshops is simple: to build awareness around racial equity and inequity. More than 3,000 people from 700 organizations have attended the trainings, which are now offered monthly.
This dynamic councilwoman is amplifying the voices and visions of Ward 14 residents
If someone had told a teenage Jasmin Santana that she would one day be the first Latina elected to Cleveland City Council, she probably wouldn’t have believed it.
5 up-and-coming artists to watch in Cleveland
From a dynamic duo bringing back Glenville to a Sudanese designer working on a welcome center for Irishtown Bend, these artists are changing the city's creative landscape.
Hey, parents: A safety-minded rideshare app for transporting kids is coming to Cleveland
Undoubtedly every parent has wished for it: a safe, reliable Uber-like solution for transporting kids from point A to point B. South Euclid resident Charisma Curry is launching Parents in Motion to make that wish a reality.
Startup Scaleup is set to take over the Flats tomorrow with 1,500+ Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs
The Cuyahoga River will be alive this week with a bevy of #Cuyahoga50 celebrations, but that’s not the only thing rolling on the river. Tomorrow JumpStart will host its fifth annual Startup Scaleup event in the Flats East Bank—with more than 150 speakers and 1,500 entrepreneurs attending from all over Northeast Ohio.
Lake effect: Four big Erie Hack ideas that can help keep our lake Great
As the Cuyahoga River draws closer to a momentous milestone with the Cuyahoga50 celebration, Lake Erie is also having its time in the sun. On Thursday, June 20, nine teams from across the Great Lakes region will gather in Cleveland to compete in the finals for Erie Hack 2.0—an innovation challenge spearheaded by Cleveland Water Alliance.
Lake Erie Pet Food opens Ohio City store to provide natural, locally-made pet food
For the past four years, Eric Huber and his wife, Julie, have been quietly operating Lake Erie Pet Food Company as a convenient way to get natural, locally-made dog and cat food delivered to Northeast Ohio pet lovers.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 12, the Hubers will officially open the doors to their first brick-and-mortar retail store at 4164 Lorain Ave. in Ohio City.