Entrepreneurs + Innovators
Craig Lewis, Andrew Schad and CJ Valle, CWRU and Cleveland Institute of Art students and founders of Sprav Water, won the 2014 Ohio Clean Energy Challenge at Cleveland State last week for their wireless water meter. Sprav won $10,000 and will advance to the regional competition in Chicago in April, where they will compete for the $100,000 grand prize and a place in the Department of Energy’s National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition in Washington, D.C. this summer.
Although Lewis says the competition was “fairly stressful,” it was a good opportunity to showcase Sprav. “I think it means a lot because we’re entering a beta phase where we’re going to start testing it,” he says. “And the cash prize helps.”
The Sprav meter helps users conserve water in the shower by measuring water temperature and usage and relaying that data to a smartphone or tablet.
NorTech director of Cluster Acceleration Rick Earles served as Sprav’s mentor during the competition. “He was really helpful and added a lot of value,” says Lewis. “He gave us access to contacts at manufacturers in Northeast Ohio, which will be very valuable moving forward.”
In fact, Sprav is now a part of NorTech’s Speed to Market Accelerator. “It’s a lot of fun working with promising startups like Sprav Water,” Earles says. “These guys are so passionate about what they do. They have created a beautifully designed product and really understand what it takes to get it to market.”
Sprav just signed contracts with CWRU and Baldwin Wallace to test the meters in 60 of the universities’ showers. “We want to see how people’s behavior changes when they have real-time feedback with our device,” says Lewis.
Eight other teams from around the state competed in the Clean Energy Challenge, five from CWRU, and one each from University of Cincinnati, Wright State University and Ohio University.
Sources: Craig Lewis, Rick Earles
Writer: Karin Connelly
Although Lewis says the competition was “fairly stressful,” it was a good opportunity to showcase Sprav. “I think it means a lot because we’re entering a beta phase where we’re going to start testing it,” he says. “And the cash prize helps.”
The Sprav meter helps users conserve water in the shower by measuring water temperature and usage and relaying that data to a smartphone or tablet.
NorTech director of Cluster Acceleration Rick Earles served as Sprav’s mentor during the competition. “He was really helpful and added a lot of value,” says Lewis. “He gave us access to contacts at manufacturers in Northeast Ohio, which will be very valuable moving forward.”
In fact, Sprav is now a part of NorTech’s Speed to Market Accelerator. “It’s a lot of fun working with promising startups like Sprav Water,” Earles says. “These guys are so passionate about what they do. They have created a beautifully designed product and really understand what it takes to get it to market.”
Sprav just signed contracts with CWRU and Baldwin Wallace to test the meters in 60 of the universities’ showers. “We want to see how people’s behavior changes when they have real-time feedback with our device,” says Lewis.
Eight other teams from around the state competed in the Clean Energy Challenge, five from CWRU, and one each from University of Cincinnati, Wright State University and Ohio University.
Sources: Craig Lewis, Rick Earles
Writer: Karin Connelly
Winter shows no signs of abating with the impending arrival of another Polar Vortex and more of that white, fluffy stuff.
But have no fear! The Kurents are here. These mythical fuzzy creatures from Slovenia will be out in force this weekend at the second annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, an all-ages festival that seeks to ward off winter with a fun parade and day-long party.
"We have 10 fuzzy Kurents this year, six of which are waiting for us in customs right now," says Michael Fleming, Executive Director of St. Clair Superior Development, the nonprofit agency spearheading improvement efforts in the area, who expects a good crowd. "There's a lot of excitement this year."
Fleming and his co-organizers ordered the outfits directly from the city of Ptuj in Slovenia, which, in case you don't know, is the capitol of all things Kurentovanje.
Cleveland Kurentovanje takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair, with an after-party set for Sterle's Country House. The parade steps off at noon from St. Vitus Church, and will feature fuzzy Kurents, marching bands from area schools, floats from area businesses, and a DJ Kishka float. Family-friendly activities will take place in the basement of the Slovenian National Home, and kids can also march in the parade.
There will be plenty on tap at the Slovenian National Home, including krofe and sausage sandwiches, wine, beer, music, dance and crafting stations for kids.
Fleming says the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair and Sterle's on East 55th have become focal points for redevelopment activity in the area. The National Home has attracted new tenants including the Slovenian Genealogical Society, a dance studio and a bakery. Sterle's has reinvented itself with additional live music geared towards a younger crowd and an outdoor beer garden, yet it has retained the beer-and-schnitzel atmosphere that has worked for the past half century.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
But have no fear! The Kurents are here. These mythical fuzzy creatures from Slovenia will be out in force this weekend at the second annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, an all-ages festival that seeks to ward off winter with a fun parade and day-long party.
"We have 10 fuzzy Kurents this year, six of which are waiting for us in customs right now," says Michael Fleming, Executive Director of St. Clair Superior Development, the nonprofit agency spearheading improvement efforts in the area, who expects a good crowd. "There's a lot of excitement this year."
Fleming and his co-organizers ordered the outfits directly from the city of Ptuj in Slovenia, which, in case you don't know, is the capitol of all things Kurentovanje.
Cleveland Kurentovanje takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair, with an after-party set for Sterle's Country House. The parade steps off at noon from St. Vitus Church, and will feature fuzzy Kurents, marching bands from area schools, floats from area businesses, and a DJ Kishka float. Family-friendly activities will take place in the basement of the Slovenian National Home, and kids can also march in the parade.
There will be plenty on tap at the Slovenian National Home, including krofe and sausage sandwiches, wine, beer, music, dance and crafting stations for kids.
Fleming says the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair and Sterle's on East 55th have become focal points for redevelopment activity in the area. The National Home has attracted new tenants including the Slovenian Genealogical Society, a dance studio and a bakery. Sterle's has reinvented itself with additional live music geared towards a younger crowd and an outdoor beer garden, yet it has retained the beer-and-schnitzel atmosphere that has worked for the past half century.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Shaker Heights is seeking to become the next city in Northeast Ohio to earn a bicycle-friendly community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. A crowdfunding campaign launched this month to raise funds for 25 additional bike racks for the city illustrates one way the leafy east-side community has redoubled its efforts to develop cycling amenities.
"The city just finished its second application," explains Rick Smith of the advocacy group Bike Shaker and the Shaker Heights Public Works and Safety Committee. "One thing the League encourages cities to do is provide bike parking around the community, so we figured that we'd try to focus on that as low-hanging fruit."
So far, the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Lakewood are the only ones in Northeast Ohio to receive the increasingly coveted designation. Each one has earned a bronze-level award for its efforts. By comparison, Portland, Oregon, is the only major city in the U.S. to earn a platinum-level designation.
The IndieGogo campaign aims to raise $4,500 to help fund racks produced by Metro Metal Works, a project of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries that employs low-income individuals. The bike racks will be installed at public and private locations throughout the city. The goal is to paint them "Shaker Red," pending city approval, Smith says, to enhance the city's brand as a bike-friendly community.
The city also is offering five cycling-related courses through its Department of Recreation, and plans are in the works to add more "sharrows." The next step is to revisit the Lee Road plan and add bike lanes/infrastructure there, Smith says.
"The city is getting serious," notes Smith, citing the fact that Shaker Heights now has a Bicycle Programs Manager and has issued a proclamation designating May as Bike Month throughout the city, similar to other communities around the country.
"It's slow going, but all agree that cycling is an asset to the community, and that cycling improvements improve property values and quality of life," says Smith.
Source: Rick Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The city just finished its second application," explains Rick Smith of the advocacy group Bike Shaker and the Shaker Heights Public Works and Safety Committee. "One thing the League encourages cities to do is provide bike parking around the community, so we figured that we'd try to focus on that as low-hanging fruit."
So far, the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Lakewood are the only ones in Northeast Ohio to receive the increasingly coveted designation. Each one has earned a bronze-level award for its efforts. By comparison, Portland, Oregon, is the only major city in the U.S. to earn a platinum-level designation.
The IndieGogo campaign aims to raise $4,500 to help fund racks produced by Metro Metal Works, a project of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries that employs low-income individuals. The bike racks will be installed at public and private locations throughout the city. The goal is to paint them "Shaker Red," pending city approval, Smith says, to enhance the city's brand as a bike-friendly community.
The city also is offering five cycling-related courses through its Department of Recreation, and plans are in the works to add more "sharrows." The next step is to revisit the Lee Road plan and add bike lanes/infrastructure there, Smith says.
"The city is getting serious," notes Smith, citing the fact that Shaker Heights now has a Bicycle Programs Manager and has issued a proclamation designating May as Bike Month throughout the city, similar to other communities around the country.
"It's slow going, but all agree that cycling is an asset to the community, and that cycling improvements improve property values and quality of life," says Smith.
Source: Rick Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Thanks to a bevy of new accelerators and incubators -- all grooming startups to be the Next Big Thing -- the art of the pitch is more important now than ever. Whether it’s a casual elevator pitch or an intense 20-minute address to potential investors, there are some definite dos and don’ts to giving an effective pitch.
Whiskey aficionados sat up and took notice when Cleveland Whiskey hit the market last March. Founder Tom Lix’s “radically different” approach to making whiskey -- pressure aging the whiskey for a superior quality in a short period of time -- has been met with enthusiasm and praise.
“I think, if anything, we just had an incredible reception,” says Lix. “The support has been phenomenal, especially when we are doing things untraditionally.”
Cleveland Whiskey sold 50,000 bottles in 2012 and now employs 12 people. Today, Lix is producing 4,000 bottles a week. The company started selling in Illinois and Tennessee last year, has begun selling in Virginia, and is about to start distribution in Michigan.
“We want to make sure we can keep up with demand at our Cleveland home base,” says Lix. “We want slow growth, but our mission is to sell nationally and eventually overseas.”
During the holidays, Cleveland Whiskey released its Christmas Bourbon and is about to launch a new whiskey – 87 – a slightly lower proof version of the original. “It still has the same bold flavors but it's a little less strong,” explains Lix.
The Cleveland Whiskey group will contribute to a float in Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day parade that will feature Celtic band CRAIC. The team will host an after-parade party at McCarthy’s Downtown with another concert by CRAIC and, of course, some whiskey.
Source: Tom Lix
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I think, if anything, we just had an incredible reception,” says Lix. “The support has been phenomenal, especially when we are doing things untraditionally.”
Cleveland Whiskey sold 50,000 bottles in 2012 and now employs 12 people. Today, Lix is producing 4,000 bottles a week. The company started selling in Illinois and Tennessee last year, has begun selling in Virginia, and is about to start distribution in Michigan.
“We want to make sure we can keep up with demand at our Cleveland home base,” says Lix. “We want slow growth, but our mission is to sell nationally and eventually overseas.”
During the holidays, Cleveland Whiskey released its Christmas Bourbon and is about to launch a new whiskey – 87 – a slightly lower proof version of the original. “It still has the same bold flavors but it's a little less strong,” explains Lix.
The Cleveland Whiskey group will contribute to a float in Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day parade that will feature Celtic band CRAIC. The team will host an after-parade party at McCarthy’s Downtown with another concert by CRAIC and, of course, some whiskey.
Source: Tom Lix
Writer: Karin Connelly
Matt Strayer and his business partner, Aj Mihalic, had a vision: To be able to streamline all of their social network accounts into one place. The two were running a website and graphic design firm while in college, but they were burnt out and looking for something different.
During a bike ride through the Metroparks in 2012, that vision started to come into focus. “I said, ‘Why do I have to have to go to all these different sites to see my posts,’” he recalls. “Why can’t I just go to one site? And Aj said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Thanks to that bike ride, the first concept of Widdle took shape. The first version, called Nest, was simply an app that amassed all social networking sites in one place. Two years later, and after going through the LaunchHouse accelerator program, Strayer and Mihalic are preparing to launch Widdle in March.
The current version not only groups sites like Facebook and Twitter into one place, the app also pares down user content to the most relevant posts. “You can 'widdle' down the posts that don’t matter without removing or unfriending your contacts,” explains Strayer. “It’s like the Pandora Radio of social networking.”
Strayer says most of the past year and a half has been spent assembling the right management team. In addition to himself and Mihalic, Widdle employs Stephen Hatch and Cory Breed in development and wordsmith Meghan Norcross.
“It’s been a long time in the making but we’re finally comfortable with it,” says Strayer. “It had to be able to adapt as you change.”
Widdle users can set the app to download all their social media feeds, turn off certain sites, or select what content to show. “If you feel posts you want are being widdled, or the app is making bad decisions, you can go back and re-train the algorithm,” explains Strayer. “We put that feature in there because five years ago, I wasn’t interested in business at all. Now, it’s 90 percent of what I do.”
Strayer and his team currently are taking reservations for the app on the Widdle site.
Source: Matt Strayer
Writer: Karin Connelly
During a bike ride through the Metroparks in 2012, that vision started to come into focus. “I said, ‘Why do I have to have to go to all these different sites to see my posts,’” he recalls. “Why can’t I just go to one site? And Aj said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Thanks to that bike ride, the first concept of Widdle took shape. The first version, called Nest, was simply an app that amassed all social networking sites in one place. Two years later, and after going through the LaunchHouse accelerator program, Strayer and Mihalic are preparing to launch Widdle in March.
The current version not only groups sites like Facebook and Twitter into one place, the app also pares down user content to the most relevant posts. “You can 'widdle' down the posts that don’t matter without removing or unfriending your contacts,” explains Strayer. “It’s like the Pandora Radio of social networking.”
Strayer says most of the past year and a half has been spent assembling the right management team. In addition to himself and Mihalic, Widdle employs Stephen Hatch and Cory Breed in development and wordsmith Meghan Norcross.
“It’s been a long time in the making but we’re finally comfortable with it,” says Strayer. “It had to be able to adapt as you change.”
Widdle users can set the app to download all their social media feeds, turn off certain sites, or select what content to show. “If you feel posts you want are being widdled, or the app is making bad decisions, you can go back and re-train the algorithm,” explains Strayer. “We put that feature in there because five years ago, I wasn’t interested in business at all. Now, it’s 90 percent of what I do.”
Strayer and his team currently are taking reservations for the app on the Widdle site.
Source: Matt Strayer
Writer: Karin Connelly
Christian Ostenson says that he wants to do for Slavic Village what Sam McNulty did for Ohio City. He's emulating that successful entrepreneur by opening Thee Six5 Bistro, a 5,000-square-foot restaurant in a renovated, historic bank building in the Warszawa District on E. 65th. And while Slavic Village isn't Ohio City -- and isn't necessarily striving to be -- the new venue seems destined to add to the area's hidden charm.
Ostenson says Six5 will be an affordable, all-American bistro with frequent Polish and Slovenian specials in a nod to the area's rich ethnic heritage. It will have an open floor plan, large push-open windows and a rooftop deck and bar. Situated directly across from St. Stanislaus Church in the heart of the historic district, the building offers great views in an area with plenty of foot traffic.
"We want to make Slavic Village a destination, to bring people back to see what the area has to offer," says Ostenson, who steered clear of pricier real estate in Tremont or Ohio City because he wanted a spot where he could be a "pioneer."
Ostenson, a custom home builder who also runs Best of Both Worlds catering, purchased the building a few years ago with his wife Sarah for just $31,000, according to county auditor records. The second floor ceiling had caved in, and the roof dated back to the 1930s. "The building had seen better days," he notes.
But the builder has completely renovated the place from top to bottom, blowing through his $15,000 plumbing budget and spending more than four times that amount instead. But he's not complaining -- this is a project of passion as much as profit, he says. "I plan on being here awhile, so I don't need to make it all in a minute."
While he won't yet reveal the name of the chef on the project, he promises fresh, upscale cuisine at affordable prices. "We don't even have a freezer in the restaurant."
Ostenson will launch a Kickstarter campaign to help fund his pizza ovens before Thee Six5 Bistro opens in April. He promises that the rewards will be stellar.
This spring, the City of Cleveland will spend nearly $9 million rehabilitating nearby Fleet Avenue as one of the city's first complete-and-green streets.
Thee SixFive Bistro was financed by Key Bank, the City of Cleveland Storefront Renovation Program and the Economic and Community Development Institute.
Source: Christian Ostenson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Ostenson says Six5 will be an affordable, all-American bistro with frequent Polish and Slovenian specials in a nod to the area's rich ethnic heritage. It will have an open floor plan, large push-open windows and a rooftop deck and bar. Situated directly across from St. Stanislaus Church in the heart of the historic district, the building offers great views in an area with plenty of foot traffic.
"We want to make Slavic Village a destination, to bring people back to see what the area has to offer," says Ostenson, who steered clear of pricier real estate in Tremont or Ohio City because he wanted a spot where he could be a "pioneer."
Ostenson, a custom home builder who also runs Best of Both Worlds catering, purchased the building a few years ago with his wife Sarah for just $31,000, according to county auditor records. The second floor ceiling had caved in, and the roof dated back to the 1930s. "The building had seen better days," he notes.
But the builder has completely renovated the place from top to bottom, blowing through his $15,000 plumbing budget and spending more than four times that amount instead. But he's not complaining -- this is a project of passion as much as profit, he says. "I plan on being here awhile, so I don't need to make it all in a minute."
While he won't yet reveal the name of the chef on the project, he promises fresh, upscale cuisine at affordable prices. "We don't even have a freezer in the restaurant."
Ostenson will launch a Kickstarter campaign to help fund his pizza ovens before Thee Six5 Bistro opens in April. He promises that the rewards will be stellar.
This spring, the City of Cleveland will spend nearly $9 million rehabilitating nearby Fleet Avenue as one of the city's first complete-and-green streets.
Thee SixFive Bistro was financed by Key Bank, the City of Cleveland Storefront Renovation Program and the Economic and Community Development Institute.
Source: Christian Ostenson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
An innovative art installation that transformed empty homes in Columbus into day-long art galleries is coming to Slavic Village.
Rooms to Let: CLE will take place Saturday, May 17 on Forman Avenue. The event promises not only temporary art installations that transform vacant homes into interpretive displays, but also a block party and street tour featuring live music on porches and activities for the whole family.
Ben Campbell, Commercial Development Officer with Slavic Village Development, says he got inspired to bring Rooms to Let to Cleveland after seeing the impact it made in Columbus. He also loves the idea of hiring mostly local artists to help transform the houses. So he partnered with other SVD staff, Zygote Press and Rooms to Let: Columbus to bring the project to vacancy-pocked Slavic Village.
Rooms to Let isn't just an art show in an empty house; the project transforms the house itself into an art installation, transforming telltale signs of abandonment like broken drywall into symbols of fortitude, loss and renewal.
"Among the 11 installations created by 28 artists, visitors will find fabric pushing out of holes in walls, kitchen images painted on the walls of a demolished kitchen and a giant hole in a floor exposing a message on floor joists," Jim Weiker wrote last year in a Columbus Dispatch article. "Structural issues that would have been major flaws in a gallery have been seized upon as artistic opportunities."
Several curators -- Westleigh Harper and Michael Horton of MAKER design studio, Barbara Bachtell of Broadway School of Music & the Arts and artist Scott Pickering -- will select specific artists interested in transforming the abandoned and foreclosed homes. The houses are located in the area surrounding the Slavic Village Recovery project, and they're all slated for eventual rehabilitation.
"Given the larger context of Slavic Village’s unique history and the national attention received in the wake of the American foreclosure crisis, Rooms to Let: Cleveland creates an opportunity to see one of Cleveland’s most historic neighborhoods in new light," touts the project's Facebook page.
Rooms to Let: CLE is supported by a Cuyahoga Arts and Culture project grant.
Source: Ben Campbell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Rooms to Let: CLE will take place Saturday, May 17 on Forman Avenue. The event promises not only temporary art installations that transform vacant homes into interpretive displays, but also a block party and street tour featuring live music on porches and activities for the whole family.
Ben Campbell, Commercial Development Officer with Slavic Village Development, says he got inspired to bring Rooms to Let to Cleveland after seeing the impact it made in Columbus. He also loves the idea of hiring mostly local artists to help transform the houses. So he partnered with other SVD staff, Zygote Press and Rooms to Let: Columbus to bring the project to vacancy-pocked Slavic Village.
Rooms to Let isn't just an art show in an empty house; the project transforms the house itself into an art installation, transforming telltale signs of abandonment like broken drywall into symbols of fortitude, loss and renewal.
"Among the 11 installations created by 28 artists, visitors will find fabric pushing out of holes in walls, kitchen images painted on the walls of a demolished kitchen and a giant hole in a floor exposing a message on floor joists," Jim Weiker wrote last year in a Columbus Dispatch article. "Structural issues that would have been major flaws in a gallery have been seized upon as artistic opportunities."
Several curators -- Westleigh Harper and Michael Horton of MAKER design studio, Barbara Bachtell of Broadway School of Music & the Arts and artist Scott Pickering -- will select specific artists interested in transforming the abandoned and foreclosed homes. The houses are located in the area surrounding the Slavic Village Recovery project, and they're all slated for eventual rehabilitation.
"Given the larger context of Slavic Village’s unique history and the national attention received in the wake of the American foreclosure crisis, Rooms to Let: Cleveland creates an opportunity to see one of Cleveland’s most historic neighborhoods in new light," touts the project's Facebook page.
Rooms to Let: CLE is supported by a Cuyahoga Arts and Culture project grant.
Source: Ben Campbell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
forbes profiles local 'edisons' nottingham and spirk
In an article titled "The Invention Machine: Cleveland Duo Churns Out Ideas Worth Billions," written by Michael Nemeth and published in the March issue of Forbes, the founding partners of Nottingham Spirk are profiled.
"The closest thing in America to Thomas Edison’s New Jersey laboratory is a decommissioned Christian Science church in Cleveland. It’s here that John Nottingham, John Spirk and their team of 70 inventors, tinkerers and support staff have cooked up the Swiffer SweeperVac, Crest Spinbrush, Dirt Devil vacuum and nearly 1,000 other patented products. No, nothing as momentous as the light bulb or the phonograph, but in their nearly anonymous way -- even in Ohio, almost no one has heard of them -- Nottingham and Spirk have proven themselves as good at making money as the Wizard of Menlo Park himself."
“We’re probably responsible for more patents than any other company our size,” says Nottingham.
Read the rest right here.
"The closest thing in America to Thomas Edison’s New Jersey laboratory is a decommissioned Christian Science church in Cleveland. It’s here that John Nottingham, John Spirk and their team of 70 inventors, tinkerers and support staff have cooked up the Swiffer SweeperVac, Crest Spinbrush, Dirt Devil vacuum and nearly 1,000 other patented products. No, nothing as momentous as the light bulb or the phonograph, but in their nearly anonymous way -- even in Ohio, almost no one has heard of them -- Nottingham and Spirk have proven themselves as good at making money as the Wizard of Menlo Park himself."
“We’re probably responsible for more patents than any other company our size,” says Nottingham.
Read the rest right here.
Cleveland tech companies attracted venture and angel investments in 2013 amounting to pre-recession levels, according to JumpStart and a report released by the Venture Capital Advisory Task Force. One hundred and eighteen companies spanning IT, healthcare, clean tech, and business and consumer products received $259 million in equity investments last year, a 15-percent increase over the previous year.
“$259 million puts us up where we were pre-recession,” says JumpStart’s principal of communications Samantha Fryberger. “So that’s really good.”
IT companies led the way in investments. Sixty-six IT firms attracted $116 million, followed by 32 healthcare companies bringing in $98 million, and 15 clean technology businesses getting $44 million. Consumer products raised $1 million.
Furthermore, 27 of the investors were first-timers to the Northeast Ohio business community. “Year after year, there are investors finding we have great companies here,” says Fryberger. “More than 50 percent of the companies had angels involved in their deals, which means there are wealthy investors here who see good deals and want to put their dollars into these promising businesses.”
Seed companies fared well, securing 70 percent of the $259 million, according to the report, while companies in the early stages of growth followed the national trend and did not fare as well in Series A funding. Fryberger attributes the number of accelerators in the area fostering early business as one of the reasons seed funding was up. “We have more seed companies than ever before,” says Fryberger.
The news overall is good for growing companies in the area. “There’s certainly a great deal of entrepreneurial activity in Northeast Ohio,” notes Fryberger. “While a national shortage of Series A dollars could make fundraising more of a challenge for early stage businesses in the year ahead, it’s exciting to see new startups getting off the ground and some of the more mature companies attracting the capital they need to expand their market share.”
Source: Samantha Fryberger
Writer: Karin Connelly
“$259 million puts us up where we were pre-recession,” says JumpStart’s principal of communications Samantha Fryberger. “So that’s really good.”
IT companies led the way in investments. Sixty-six IT firms attracted $116 million, followed by 32 healthcare companies bringing in $98 million, and 15 clean technology businesses getting $44 million. Consumer products raised $1 million.
Furthermore, 27 of the investors were first-timers to the Northeast Ohio business community. “Year after year, there are investors finding we have great companies here,” says Fryberger. “More than 50 percent of the companies had angels involved in their deals, which means there are wealthy investors here who see good deals and want to put their dollars into these promising businesses.”
Seed companies fared well, securing 70 percent of the $259 million, according to the report, while companies in the early stages of growth followed the national trend and did not fare as well in Series A funding. Fryberger attributes the number of accelerators in the area fostering early business as one of the reasons seed funding was up. “We have more seed companies than ever before,” says Fryberger.
The news overall is good for growing companies in the area. “There’s certainly a great deal of entrepreneurial activity in Northeast Ohio,” notes Fryberger. “While a national shortage of Series A dollars could make fundraising more of a challenge for early stage businesses in the year ahead, it’s exciting to see new startups getting off the ground and some of the more mature companies attracting the capital they need to expand their market share.”
Source: Samantha Fryberger
Writer: Karin Connelly
OnShift, which provides online staff scheduling and labor solutions in healthcare, recently closed $7 million in Series C investment financing. The investors include HLM Venture Partners and five previous investors in OnShift.
OnShift CEO Mark Woodka said the money will be used to expand the company’s sales and marketing, product development and customer service departments. “We doubled our customer base last year, and we’re getting out of the gate this year pretty strong as well,” he says.
In response to its rapid growth, OnShift last year added 23 employees, 15 of which were new positions. Woodka predicts he will add another 20 to 30 new staffers in 2014. In fact, the company currently has 18 open positions.
OnShift’s staff scheduling software caters primarily to long-term care and senior living facilities, helping prevent overtime and scheduling gaps and increase efficiency. With the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, Woodka has seen a surge in business. He predicts that trend will continue as companies try to manage their costs and part-time employees.
OnShift is serving a virtually untapped market, with almost 85 percent of the senior living and long-term care industry lacking scheduling software. “They are mostly doing it on a piece of paper,” says Woodka. “The really advanced ones are doing it in Excel.”
Woodka continues to embrace Cleveland as the ideal home for OnShift. “Cleveland’s a great place,” he says. “We have access to great talent, with younger talent coming from Case and CSU, and the cost of doing business is one-third of what they are on the coasts. And we have the best view of downtown Cleveland.”
Source: Mark Woodka
Writer: Karin Connelly
OnShift CEO Mark Woodka said the money will be used to expand the company’s sales and marketing, product development and customer service departments. “We doubled our customer base last year, and we’re getting out of the gate this year pretty strong as well,” he says.
In response to its rapid growth, OnShift last year added 23 employees, 15 of which were new positions. Woodka predicts he will add another 20 to 30 new staffers in 2014. In fact, the company currently has 18 open positions.
OnShift’s staff scheduling software caters primarily to long-term care and senior living facilities, helping prevent overtime and scheduling gaps and increase efficiency. With the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, Woodka has seen a surge in business. He predicts that trend will continue as companies try to manage their costs and part-time employees.
OnShift is serving a virtually untapped market, with almost 85 percent of the senior living and long-term care industry lacking scheduling software. “They are mostly doing it on a piece of paper,” says Woodka. “The really advanced ones are doing it in Excel.”
Woodka continues to embrace Cleveland as the ideal home for OnShift. “Cleveland’s a great place,” he says. “We have access to great talent, with younger talent coming from Case and CSU, and the cost of doing business is one-third of what they are on the coasts. And we have the best view of downtown Cleveland.”
Source: Mark Woodka
Writer: Karin Connelly
2004 was a rough year for Deb Papes-Stanzak and her family. First her brother, Ron Papes, was on dialysis for renal failure. Her mother, Mary Papes, was undergoing blood transfusions for congestive heart failure. And her husband, Gary Stanzak, was getting chemotherapy treatments for a rare form of cancer. And Papes-Stanzak was taking care of all of them.
One day her brother complained that he was always cold during dialysis and asked his sister to bring some blankets. In fact, all of her family members going through treatment noted that they would get cold. With a 35-year career in retail fashion and textiles, Papes-Stanzak started thinking about how she could keep her loved ones warm.
“Everyone seemed to have the same problem,” she recalls. “I thought how can I make this better?”
She took a fleece shirt and sewed a zipper into the arm; the dialysis port was easily accessible and the shirt kept Ron warm. “You unzip it, connect and don’t have to worry about blankets,” she says of her original prototype. “The next day Ron said, ‘You’re going to be a millionaire. Everyone wants one of these. This solves the problem.’”
Papes-Stanzak’s first thought was, “I don’t have time for this; I’m taking care of everyone and I have a job.” But then Ron passed away in 2005. “The weekend he died he made me promise I would do something with the prototype I made,” she says.
Papes-Stanzak’s mom, husband and father-in-law also passed away within a year. After her husband died, she took out a shoebox with the materials from her original shirt, and RonWear Port-Able Clothing was born.
RonWear sells zippered jackets and pants to provide easy access to chemotherapy, dialysis and infusion ports. “I created zippers in every area there could be a port,” Papes-Stanzak says. “They are dual-pull zippers so you can zip it right up to the port.” She also sells non-zippered companion wear. The clothing, made from brushed French terrycloth, looks like a jogging suit and is stain-resistant and anti-microbial.
RonWear is sold in gift shops, healthcare institutions and on the RonWear website. Papes-Stanzak has sold more than 2,000 outfits worldwide. She works out of her home and her fulfillment center at US Brands in Beachwood. She employs five contract workers to help her with the operations.
Source: Deb Papes-Stanzak
Writer: Karin Connelly
One day her brother complained that he was always cold during dialysis and asked his sister to bring some blankets. In fact, all of her family members going through treatment noted that they would get cold. With a 35-year career in retail fashion and textiles, Papes-Stanzak started thinking about how she could keep her loved ones warm.
“Everyone seemed to have the same problem,” she recalls. “I thought how can I make this better?”
She took a fleece shirt and sewed a zipper into the arm; the dialysis port was easily accessible and the shirt kept Ron warm. “You unzip it, connect and don’t have to worry about blankets,” she says of her original prototype. “The next day Ron said, ‘You’re going to be a millionaire. Everyone wants one of these. This solves the problem.’”
Papes-Stanzak’s first thought was, “I don’t have time for this; I’m taking care of everyone and I have a job.” But then Ron passed away in 2005. “The weekend he died he made me promise I would do something with the prototype I made,” she says.
Papes-Stanzak’s mom, husband and father-in-law also passed away within a year. After her husband died, she took out a shoebox with the materials from her original shirt, and RonWear Port-Able Clothing was born.
RonWear sells zippered jackets and pants to provide easy access to chemotherapy, dialysis and infusion ports. “I created zippers in every area there could be a port,” Papes-Stanzak says. “They are dual-pull zippers so you can zip it right up to the port.” She also sells non-zippered companion wear. The clothing, made from brushed French terrycloth, looks like a jogging suit and is stain-resistant and anti-microbial.
RonWear is sold in gift shops, healthcare institutions and on the RonWear website. Papes-Stanzak has sold more than 2,000 outfits worldwide. She works out of her home and her fulfillment center at US Brands in Beachwood. She employs five contract workers to help her with the operations.
Source: Deb Papes-Stanzak
Writer: Karin Connelly
Jonathon Sawyer, the award-winning chef behind Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat, is opening a new restaurant with his wife Amelia. The venue, to be called Trentina, will feature cuisine from the Trento region of northern Italy, where Amelia's family is from. It will open in the former Sergio's space in University Circle in the coming months.
Sawyer describes Trentina as a "passion project" that will allow him to pay tribute to his wife's heritage while introducing the cuisine of Northern Italy to a wider audience.
"I always had an affinity with 'the Boot,' as it were," he says. "When I started Bar Cento, it was really a Roman restaurant in the style of the street mongers of Rome. I didn’t want to repeat that, but I knew my wife’s family had tie-ins with Trento."
He traveled there and fell in love. "We subsequently returned -- more than 100 days in past four years, in fact. The thing I keep coming back to is how similar the growing seasons are in Trento and the Cuyahoga Valley. The indigenous people are very similar to the ethnic backgrounds of a lot of Clevelanders; there's Austrian, Swiss, Slovenian… so much more so than just straight-up Italian."
To help fund the restaurant and pay for some extras like a pasta extruder, wood-burning grill and double-sided hearth, Sawyer launched a Kickstarter campaign. The original goal was $21,999, but the project already has exceeded that amount by nearly $10,000 with 18 days still left to go.
So Sawyer set a new, loftier goal: "We want to be the most-funded hospitality Kickstarter campaign in Ohio, whatever that is," he jokes.
Sawyer certainly has earned his fan club, but the campaign rewards also don't hurt. For $100, you can take a cooking class that normally would cost $150. Three hundred bucks buys a cocktail named after you, while $600 gets you meals shipped to your home for six months. The list goes on and on, all the way up to dinner at your house for 20 of "your foodiest friends and family," cooked by the chef himself ($500).
Trentina will offer fine dining with showy tableside service like polenta seared over burning embers. Sawyer says, "For us, it will be the first time we'll be able to accurately portray cuisine with ingredients from just outside our back door."
Source: Jonathon Sawyer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Sawyer describes Trentina as a "passion project" that will allow him to pay tribute to his wife's heritage while introducing the cuisine of Northern Italy to a wider audience.
"I always had an affinity with 'the Boot,' as it were," he says. "When I started Bar Cento, it was really a Roman restaurant in the style of the street mongers of Rome. I didn’t want to repeat that, but I knew my wife’s family had tie-ins with Trento."
He traveled there and fell in love. "We subsequently returned -- more than 100 days in past four years, in fact. The thing I keep coming back to is how similar the growing seasons are in Trento and the Cuyahoga Valley. The indigenous people are very similar to the ethnic backgrounds of a lot of Clevelanders; there's Austrian, Swiss, Slovenian… so much more so than just straight-up Italian."
To help fund the restaurant and pay for some extras like a pasta extruder, wood-burning grill and double-sided hearth, Sawyer launched a Kickstarter campaign. The original goal was $21,999, but the project already has exceeded that amount by nearly $10,000 with 18 days still left to go.
So Sawyer set a new, loftier goal: "We want to be the most-funded hospitality Kickstarter campaign in Ohio, whatever that is," he jokes.
Sawyer certainly has earned his fan club, but the campaign rewards also don't hurt. For $100, you can take a cooking class that normally would cost $150. Three hundred bucks buys a cocktail named after you, while $600 gets you meals shipped to your home for six months. The list goes on and on, all the way up to dinner at your house for 20 of "your foodiest friends and family," cooked by the chef himself ($500).
Trentina will offer fine dining with showy tableside service like polenta seared over burning embers. Sawyer says, "For us, it will be the first time we'll be able to accurately portray cuisine with ingredients from just outside our back door."
Source: Jonathon Sawyer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The historic Terminal Tower offices of the Van Sweringen brothers, the duo that built the iconic skyscraper and the streetcar suburb of Shaker Heights, will soon be occupied by a women-owned consulting firm that helps businesses and organizations embrace a more sustainable future.
BrownFlynn is relocating from Highland Heights to the tower's 36th floor. The firm, which provides sustainability consulting, communications and training, needs more space. The 7,000-square-foot office, boasting panoramic views of the city and located a few flights below the Observation Deck, will be completely renovated by the end of April.
"Clearly, we're committed to the city and want to be part of its vibrancy," says principal Margie Flynn. "We're committed to sustainability and want to make sure we're walking the talk in what we're doing. And the essence of sustainability is really historic preservation."
Flynn says her employees, many of whom live in the city, are very excited about being downtown. The office gives BrownFlynn room to grow, and the firm can welcome out-of-town guests via RTA's Red Line, which stops in Tower City.
"The space has a tremendous amount of natural light," Flynn comments. "We're going to adapt the space as a very open, collaborative work environment."
Vocon is helping to design the space, while Forest City, which owns the Terminal Tower and has been a major player in corporate sustainability nationwide, will facilitate renovations. Instead of reusing the massive corner offices as private suites, as the Vans once did, the principals plan to convert these spaces into open offices to encourage collaboration and stimulate creative thinking.
"The most important thing is to have a very open inviting environment for our team," says Flynn, adding that BrownFlynn could grow from 14 to 21 employees in the coming years to keep up with growing demand for its services.
BrownFlynn secured a job creation grant from the City of Cleveland to help facilitate the move.
Source: Margie Flynn
Writer: Lee Chilcote
BrownFlynn is relocating from Highland Heights to the tower's 36th floor. The firm, which provides sustainability consulting, communications and training, needs more space. The 7,000-square-foot office, boasting panoramic views of the city and located a few flights below the Observation Deck, will be completely renovated by the end of April.
"Clearly, we're committed to the city and want to be part of its vibrancy," says principal Margie Flynn. "We're committed to sustainability and want to make sure we're walking the talk in what we're doing. And the essence of sustainability is really historic preservation."
Flynn says her employees, many of whom live in the city, are very excited about being downtown. The office gives BrownFlynn room to grow, and the firm can welcome out-of-town guests via RTA's Red Line, which stops in Tower City.
"The space has a tremendous amount of natural light," Flynn comments. "We're going to adapt the space as a very open, collaborative work environment."
Vocon is helping to design the space, while Forest City, which owns the Terminal Tower and has been a major player in corporate sustainability nationwide, will facilitate renovations. Instead of reusing the massive corner offices as private suites, as the Vans once did, the principals plan to convert these spaces into open offices to encourage collaboration and stimulate creative thinking.
"The most important thing is to have a very open inviting environment for our team," says Flynn, adding that BrownFlynn could grow from 14 to 21 employees in the coming years to keep up with growing demand for its services.
BrownFlynn secured a job creation grant from the City of Cleveland to help facilitate the move.
Source: Margie Flynn
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In Cleveland, you might recognize the work of Think Media Studios from the Cavs intro videos that they produce. The award-winning Mayfield Heights company also has produced videos for Ohio State University sports teams and companies like Nestle, Progressive Insurance and Parker-Hannifin.
But Think Media owner Brian Glazen recently achieved his ultimate goal of establishing a reputation as a filmmaker. His film Fishing Without Nets, a feature about Somali pirates, examined from the perspective of the pirates, went to the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. The movie was adapted from a 2012 short film version that also won a jury prize at Sundance.
Glazen, a Chagrin Falls native, worked in the film industry in Los Angeles for 10 years before returning to Cleveland in 2003. “When I moved back to Cleveland and started Think Media Studios, I wanted to get into original film work,” he explains. Glazen and his team spent 70 days in Kenya shooting the film using many first-time actors.
Glazen wants to continue to build up Cleveland’s reputation for turning out quality movies. “Cleveland’s not the first thing that comes to mind in the film industry,” he says. “But here we are playing Hollywood in our own backyard.”
While Think Media Studios continues to produce quality videos for sports teams and businesses, Glazen currently is in talks to shoot two movies and a television show. It’s all still top-secret, but the television project is slated to shoot in Cleveland this summer.
“My goal is to have a [film] production company with the work we do in Cleveland,” Glazen says. “We want to tap into original content that we could actually sell and still do the work we do for our clients.”
Source: Brian Glazen
Writer: Karin Connelly
But Think Media owner Brian Glazen recently achieved his ultimate goal of establishing a reputation as a filmmaker. His film Fishing Without Nets, a feature about Somali pirates, examined from the perspective of the pirates, went to the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. The movie was adapted from a 2012 short film version that also won a jury prize at Sundance.
Glazen, a Chagrin Falls native, worked in the film industry in Los Angeles for 10 years before returning to Cleveland in 2003. “When I moved back to Cleveland and started Think Media Studios, I wanted to get into original film work,” he explains. Glazen and his team spent 70 days in Kenya shooting the film using many first-time actors.
Glazen wants to continue to build up Cleveland’s reputation for turning out quality movies. “Cleveland’s not the first thing that comes to mind in the film industry,” he says. “But here we are playing Hollywood in our own backyard.”
While Think Media Studios continues to produce quality videos for sports teams and businesses, Glazen currently is in talks to shoot two movies and a television show. It’s all still top-secret, but the television project is slated to shoot in Cleveland this summer.
“My goal is to have a [film] production company with the work we do in Cleveland,” Glazen says. “We want to tap into original content that we could actually sell and still do the work we do for our clients.”
Source: Brian Glazen
Writer: Karin Connelly