Entrepreneurs + Innovators

Cleveland Insider: the Palace of Fermentation
Student entrepreneurs, organizers ignite EntrovationCLE
A group of high school seniors will light up Beachwood High School on April 30 with fun, food trucks and 200 vendors ranging from international giants and local businesses to student entrepreneurs at EntrovationCLE.
YWCA Greater Cleveland announces 2016 Women of Achievement awards
YWCA Greater Cleveland is celebrating its 40th anniversary of honoring women in Northeast Ohio through the Women of Achievement awards, in which eight local leaders will be named Women of Achievement and 46 others will be designated as Women of Professional Excellence.
 
The awards allow companies and groups throughout Northeast Ohio to recognize the contributions of exceptional women in their organizations. Women receiving it exemplify high professional standards and career and personal growth; make significant contributions to the effective, efficient operation of their organizations; display a willingness to support and mentor others; and make a positive impact on the community. Previously known as the Merit Award, more than 1,500 women have received this honor since 1977.
 
The 2016 "Women of Achievement Award" recipients include:
  • Micki Byrnes, president and general manager, WKYC
  • Lee Friedman, CEO, College Now Greater Cleveland
  • Kathryn “Kit” Jensen, COO, ideastream
  • Kym Sellers, founder, Kym Sellers Foundation; television and radio personality
  • Robyn Minter Smyers, partner-in-charge, Thompson Hine LLP – Cleveland Office
  • Maryrose Sylvester, president and CEO, Current Powered by GE
  • Nancy Tinsley, president of Parma Medical Center, University Hospitals
  • Sue Tyler, executive vice President and chief experience officer, Medical Mutual of Ohio
The 46 designated "Women of Professional Excellence" include representatives from a diverse array of local organizations such as Cuyahoga Community College, the Northeast Ohio Sewer District, Key Bank, American Greetings and Forest City.
 
The women will be recognized at the 40th YWCA Women of Achievement Luncheon and Women’s Leadership Conference on Monday, May 2 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, which will also feature a host of conference workshops. More information about the event and registration details are available online.
Women's Business Center to host April 19 launch party
On Tuesday, April 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Ariel International Center, 1163 East 40th St., the  Women's Business Center of Northern Ohio will host a launch party featuring cocktails and hors d'oeuvres provided by Half Moon Bakery and Fire and Ash Catering.

Representatives from Cuyahoga County, Key4Women Resource Center and the Small Business Administration will be in attendance.

Three ticket options are available for purchase: members ($40), non-members ($55), and new membership with ticket ($100). Registration and ticket purchase is available online. Members interested in having a table at the event please may contact  Carrie Rosenfelt.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress announces finalists for Vibrant City Awards
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has announced 21 finalists for its 2016 Vibrant City Awards. Winners will be revealed on May 2 at the second annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch, hosted by CNP and presented by Key Bank and Community Blight Solutions.
 
“We are proud to convene community partners and stakeholders to celebrate city neighborhoods. These leading efforts in neighborhood revitalization are what help us all create a vibrant city,” says Joel Ratner, president and CEO of CNP. “The organizations and individuals being honored have displayed tremendous passion, dedication and collaboration. We’re excited to recognize them for their successful efforts in community development.”
 
CNP received more than 70 nominations for this year's awards.

Learn more about all 21 finalists and continue reading.
John Marshall students set to launch Lawyer's Cafe
Young inventor offers up promising portable studio, leaves behind difficult past
A young local entrepreneur is on the verge of introducing a unique portable studio to the world and giving everyone a chance to be a professional recording artist, wherever they may be.
 
Bloom Bakery opens on Public Square
Fund for Our Economic Future approves $3m in awards
The members of the Fund for Our Economic Future (the Fund), a philanthropic collaboration, have approved $3 million in funding to advance business development and job creation in Northeast Ohio, with the end goal of growing the regional economy so that all people benefit.

The recipients include:

Team NEO:  a one-year award of up to $650,000 to support the advancement of a shared, regional economic competitiveness strategy, business development and economic research.

BioEnterprise:  a two-year award of up to $800,000 to support its efforts to grow the bioscience cluster.

MAGNET:  a two-year award of up to $900,000 for its PRISM initiative to help mid-size manufacturers with high-growth potential innovate and prosper.

JumpStart:  a two-year award of up to $500,000 for its Scaleup Initiative to support high-growth potential companies; and a one-year award of up to $150,000 to support its startup network. 

Get all the details on this announcement here.
The very Irish history of Cleveland's west side philanthropy
The colorful history of May Dugan and how she embodied West Side philanthropy shimmers with the emerald green of her family's heritage.
Vision Yoga goes underground with second location
Vision Yoga and Wellness opened its doors on West 25th Street in Ohio City in April 2011 – bringing to the neighborhood a source for yoga classes at all levels, workshops, massage therapy and acupuncture. The offerings have been so popular, the 800-square-foot single studio space was busting at the seams and owner Theresa Gorski couldn’t meet the needs of her growing clientele.

So in February, Gorski opened a second location, Vision Underground, in the basement of St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3600 Church Ave. The 2,300-square-foot space will allow Gorski to cater to a broader range of needs. She now offers chair yoga, yoga for children and community-based workshops and certification classes.
 
“I don’t call it an addition, I call it an expansion,” Gorski says of the new space. “When you have only one studio, you have to cater to your clients’ makeup and the majority of the population are able-bodied.”
 
The chair yoga will cater to those who cannot easily get up from or sit down on the floor, Gorski says. The new space also allows Gorski to focus on the wellness aspect of her practice.
 
“There’s a new wave of interest in focusing on wellness and prevention,” she explains, “where people want to take care of themselves.”
 
Gorski hired three additional yoga teachers to help with the 12 additional classes now on the weekly schedule, bringing the staff total for the two spaces to 15.
 
The church itself also has historic significance. Built in the 1800s, St. John’s is the oldest church in Cuyahoga County, Gorski says, and the Vision space was the last stop on the Underground Railroad. The place is also used for Cleveland Public Theatre’s annual Station Hope celebration of the site. Vision Underground will go on hiatus during Station Hope.
 
Vision Yoga hosted Vision Underground’s grand opening on Saturday, March 4 with donation yoga classes taught by Gorski, prizes, discounts on yoga packages and refreshments. Almost 100 people attended the open house and $1,000 was raised through a raffle and donations.