Since the first event was held in 2015, the Accelerate: Citizens Make Change civic pitch competition has definitely made an indelible mark on Cleveland—from "give boxes" in the North Collinwood and Central neighborhoods to special needs toy libraries at Lake County libraries to a vibrant new mural in Slavic Village.
 

How can Cleveland get its entrepreneurial scene on par with places like Austin, Boulder, Chicago, and Silicon Valley? By encouraging startup founders to break bread together, naturally. And that’s exactly the point of StartInCLE, a growing collective of entrepreneurial types that meets monthly for informal group dinners and other events.

If you see a license plate that reads “HOME JOY” toting around town, you've likely spotted Cleveland's only certified KonMari consultant, Chris Beers. A Japanese approach to decluttering popularized by the recent Netflix show "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo," the KonMari method prompts participants to purge or keep belongings based on whether they ”spark joy," and it's essentially made Kondo a household name.

Cleveland and Pittsburgh may have a legendary rivalry when it comes to football, but Matt McMonagle and his wife, Lisa, are taking that rivalry to the condiment arena. As supporters of locally-owned businesses, Matt and Lisa noticed that everyone in Cleveland was serving Pittsburgh-based Heinz ketchup. “We saw a lot of [local] mustard, hot sauces, and barbeque sauces," says Matt. "But why are we buying ketchup from a Pittsburgh company?” 

Emily Moreno is on a mission: to “make America date again.” Last October, the 20something entrepreneur launched Donald Daters, a dating app designed to help Trump supporters connect romantically “without bias, judgment, or liberal intolerance.” In the four months since the app first launched, it has had 25,000 downloads.

Raffaele Di Lallo may work as a chemical engineer for a top specialty chemicals and coatings company, but his true passion is caring for tropical houseplants and sharing his knowledge. So, two years ago, the Clevelander starred Ohio Tropics—a daily blog focused on teaching readers how to grow and nurture their houseplants.

When Julia Gramenz and Abbey Markiewitz started Fetch & Co. boutique in October 2017 in Markiewitz’ basement with just a couple of clothing racks and a fitting room, they had one mission in mind: To offer unique clothing in a range of sizes that would fit every woman.

Cleveland is a spooky place, and not just around Halloween. No one knows that better than Jessica Oktober and Marleigh McVeigh, co-founders of the Cleveland Area Paranormal Society (CAPS).Together the two lead a team of experts in serving up everything paranormal—from Haunted History Tours around Cleveland to cryptid crafts to tarot card and tea readings.

Anyone who has read the works of Elie Weisel or Anne Frank knows that the most powerful way to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust is to hear about it firsthand from a survivor. Visitors to the Illinois Holocaust Museum get an unprecedented chance to do just that, thanks to the work of Cleveland-based company EventWorks 4D.

As Sean L. Ward sees it, there will come a day where East Cleveland is mentioned in the same breath with Tremont and Waterloo as thriving, vibrant neighborhoods. And though he knows revitalization won’t happen overnight, he believes that the burgeoning East Cleveland Growth Association can help usher in much-needed change—and that the city is perfectly positioned for it.
 

If there is one thing this weekend’s epic winter storm showed us, it’s that not even extreme weather conditions can keep Cleveland’s entrepreneurial community from coming out to celebrate its own. On Saturday, January 19, LaunchHouse hosted its annual Bootstrap Bash at RED Space with hundreds in attendance.

Pablo Lopez and Farris Khouri just completed their college degrees last year, but they're already making waves in the business world with Ohio’s first farm-to-cup coffee company, Mocina Coffee.

Alex Sheen is many things, but "boring" is not one of them. In the last six years, the Lakewood resident has walked across the state of Ohio in 10 days; learned to bake apple pie; personally delivered Disneyland tickets to 100 children with cancer; and driven overnight to bring disaster relief supplies to Hurricane Sandy victims. Why? Simply because he said he would.

Jeff King believes in doing things right the first time. That philosophy may have put him and his business partner, Brad Poe, more than a year behind schedule in opening the new Kensington Pub (2260 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights), but King says they are finally ready to open.

For Scott Robertson, every flower he uses in his creations is a work of art reflecting his own personal spin on design. “I think what we do here is really floral art, because we don’t just throw things in a vase,” he says of his new Stems Fleur floral and gift boutique in Cleveland Heights. “We mix traditional and really clean, modern looks, and people are starting to recognize our work.”
 

If Ben Turshen had his way, meditation would be just as vital to your daily routine as brushing your teeth. Like him, you’d settle in for multiple daily sessions to ease anxiety and feel more relaxed. And, now thanks to Turshen, it’s easier to learn how to follow in his Zen footsteps. After successfully founding Ben Turshen Meditation studio in New York City, he recently moved to Cleveland—bringing his practice with him.

After 18 years in the restaurant catering and food contracting industry, Lindsay Smith decided it was time to debunk some of the myths surrounding fine wines. Namely, Smith wants to correct the perceptions that wine is expensive, intimidating, and highbrow—and she's doing so at the new Flight Cleveland wine bar in the Gordon Square Arts District.
 

Could Believeland become Blockland? A motivated group of movers and shakers is melding manifestation and action to make it so.

While yoga studios aren’t exactly in short supply in Cleveland, there’s nothing quite like Ohio City Yoga Collective. The yoga scene's latest newcomer will be more than just a space to work on your downward-facing dog when classes kick off in early January. Founders Kira Heeley and Chrissy Sivori hope to bring in guest instructors and experts to offer nutrition classes, aerial silks, fitness workshops, massage therapy, and more.

Like any good entrepreneur, Larry Bonton knows he must explore the concept a bit further when an idea hits. Earlier this year, he joined forces with six other creative entrepreneurs and associates to found Dream Creative Complex (DCC)—geared at helping other creative types fulfill their goals through community, collaboration, and connection.