Entrepreneurs + Innovators
On Friday, June 7, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress will host its fifth annual Vibrant City Awards—where more than 600 people will gather at Euclid Beach Park to recognize 16 community leaders for their devotion and contributions to Cleveland's urban neighborhoods. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and tickets are still available for the lakefront BBQ luncheon provided by Zack Bruell Events.
These days, every day is a party for Catherine Blubaugh. After all, the owner of the new Oh Pink! Party Shop lives and breathes party supplies while she puts the final touches on her Ohio City storefront to gear up for its June 15th grand opening. But make no mistake—this is not your average strip-mall party shop.
You’ve probably seen the mark of Graffiti HeArt all around Cleveland, whether you realized it or not. The nonprofit coordinates graffiti-style murals in the city’s private and public spaces, like the vibrant piece on the Stockyard Meats building in Detroit Shoreway and the “Welcome to Cleveland” painting that greets visitors to Ohio City. But with the opening of the Graffiti HeArt Gallery on May 31, the organization will welcome guests and artists to a permanent homebase.
During a recent afternoon ceremony at the Halle Building, the mood was celebratory and inspiring as five local organizations received $5,000 grants in support of youth-geared initiatives. Even cooler? The benefactors are ambitious, civic-minded high school juniors and seniors who spent nine months serving on United Way of Greater Cleveland's John K. Mott Youth Fund Distribution Committee.
For 40 years, the nonprofit One World Shop has partnered with organizations around the globe to give artisans a chance to sell their creations—at fair trade wages—to Northeast Ohio residents. This week, One World will take its fair trade mission to another level by showcasing more than 300 hand-knotted rugs made by Pakistani artisans at its Fair Trade Rug Event.
Make no mistake—the buoy gently bobbing in the waves eight miles offshore in Lake Erie is not like the others.
Yet another reason Cleveland "rocks:" Clevelander Michele Gehrmann has created GoRock.com, a free website for people to track painted rocks in public.
One year after getting its start with a booth at the Cleveland Asian Festival, Ball Ball Waffle is open for business.
Shel Myeroff spent the better part of his professional life helping executives find their perfect jobs. He founded Solon-based Direct Recruiters in the late 1970s and spent 35 years growing the company. But at the end of the day, Myeroff would go home and unwind by making furniture in his basement.
Is it possible that the mere mention of free hot wings could alter one’s destiny? For RedHead wines founder Marisa Sergi, the answer to that question was a resounding “Yes.”
When Lindsay Watson saw how many kids took to the streets to play Pokemon Go, it sparked an idea. In her 13 years working with children with conditions like Down’s Syndrome and cerebral palsy, the pediatric physical therapist often dealt with patients who resisted doing their repetitive and boring physical therapy exercises after leaving her office—but here was a game that inspired kids to ditch the PlayStation for the park without prodding from parents.
Jeff Bargiel wants to warm up your yoga routine. As the founder of Toasti, Bargiel has created a heated yoga and exercise mat that makes it easier to get muscles loose and workout-ready—a necessity if you live in a not-so-toasty environment like Cleveland. The avid yoga practitioner first came up with the concept after shivering through one too many home yoga routines.
When Terrasana opened its doors on March 28 to become Cuyahoga County's first medical marijuana dispensary, it brought a sigh of relief to cannabis users throughout the Cleveland area. Prior to the opening of its Garfield Heights store, Ohio Marijuana Card holders had to travel to dispensaries in Canton or Wickliffe to get doctor-prescribed cannabis to treat the 21 state-approved medical conditions that qualify.
In case the psychedelic decor and music posters that wallpaper his Dave's Cosmic Subs shops don't give it away, rock-and-roll energy encompasses founder Dave Lombardy—and the opening of Cosmic Dave’s Rock Club in the former Barking Spider Tavern space on the Case Western Reserve University campus has him even more energized.
As businesses depart the street and pedestrian traffic wanes, Cleveland Heights' iconic street is gearing up to get its groove back.
On the surface, a Cleveland-area supermarket naming their aisles after local streets is a smile-inducing novelty. But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill supermarket. This is the newly opened Dave's Market & Eatery on E. 61st St. and Chester Ave. in Midtown—an ambitious venture that simultaneously honors a storied past, addresses the current needs of the community, and lays the groundwork for a vibrant future.
Auden & Company's Janae Bryson is changing the media game by starting a stock photography business aimed at promoting positive images of people of color.
Yalanda Medina is a rescue woman—a rescuer of pets in need. In 2016, she started her pet emergency medical response company Squad FiftyOne on Cleveland’s east side—one of only a few such companies in the country.
Carina Grenier opened Sipt in February to give customers a healthy, fresh option for fueling up in Beachwood's fitness plaza.
Inspired by three young children who lost their father, India Gill has created Karis Dolls to help kids through traumatic events.