Entrepreneurs + Innovators
About 15 years ago Nick Stevovich was experiencing the familiar burn in his legs from bike racing. He thought to himself, there has to be a better way to pedal a bicycle.
“I thought how do I overcome leg fatigue and still get the same performance,” he says. “About the same time I was rollerblading.” With that the idea for Motion Resolution was born.
Stevovich is developing an improved bike pedal that uses some of the concepts of rollerblading. “It changes the stroke cycle, has greater efficiencies and uses different muscles for greater speed,” he says. “It distributes the work of your legs a little more evenly, and the pedals stride in and out in a skating motion.”
Stevovich plans to market the pedal to tri-athletes and racing cyclists. “The pedals fit on any bike -- if you saw them you probably couldn’t tell the difference,” he says. “I’m hoping it changes the way people look at bike pedals.”
Working out of the Incubator at MAGNET, Stevovich recently received $25,000 from the Lorain County Community College Foundation Innovation Fund. He plans to use the money to develop additional prototypes and show proof of concept.
For now, Stevovich’s wife is working on marketing and a Kent State graduate student is writing her thesis on the bike pedal concept. He plans to show his product at a bike show in Las Vegas in September, and hopes to bring the pedals to market by 2014.
Source: Nick Stevovich
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I thought how do I overcome leg fatigue and still get the same performance,” he says. “About the same time I was rollerblading.” With that the idea for Motion Resolution was born.
Stevovich is developing an improved bike pedal that uses some of the concepts of rollerblading. “It changes the stroke cycle, has greater efficiencies and uses different muscles for greater speed,” he says. “It distributes the work of your legs a little more evenly, and the pedals stride in and out in a skating motion.”
Stevovich plans to market the pedal to tri-athletes and racing cyclists. “The pedals fit on any bike -- if you saw them you probably couldn’t tell the difference,” he says. “I’m hoping it changes the way people look at bike pedals.”
Working out of the Incubator at MAGNET, Stevovich recently received $25,000 from the Lorain County Community College Foundation Innovation Fund. He plans to use the money to develop additional prototypes and show proof of concept.
For now, Stevovich’s wife is working on marketing and a Kent State graduate student is writing her thesis on the bike pedal concept. He plans to show his product at a bike show in Las Vegas in September, and hopes to bring the pedals to market by 2014.
Source: Nick Stevovich
Writer: Karin Connelly
When Dave Lazor founded Lazorpoint nearly 16 years ago, he had a vision of building a full-service IT firm that would allow clients to focus on what they do best and not worry about whether their information services capabilities were the right match.
“We think, build and run informational systems that instill confidence,” explains Lazor. “Entrepreneurs or mid-market CEOs are focused on running their businesses and servicing their customers. They know they need information services, but they don’t know anything about it. They need a point man.”
And a point man is exactly what Lazorpoint provides. Each client is assigned a point man, who makes sure every need is met. “They have a vision: the point man can provide the leadership,” says Lazor. “When there are problems, or opportunities, we provide the leadership to make things happen.”
Lazor makes sure all of his 22 employees are dedicated to their clients’ needs. “The people we hire are very passionate about serving our clients,” he says. “We are relentless in whatever mission we’re on. We go beyond just the technology. We look at the people process.”
An example of the point man philosophy at work is demonstrated in an instance where a client had a warehouse fire.
“The client called his point man at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night and asked if we could help,” recalls Lazor. “At 8 a.m. Sunday we were on site. They were back in business Monday morning, with emails getting through. No one knew they had this problem.”
The point man approach has proved successful for Lazorpoint. The company has been named to the Weatherhead 100 as one of the fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio eight times. Lazorpoint hired two additional people last year, and recently brought in a co-op student for a second year. The company currently has one open position, plans on hiring two interns this summer and creating another full-time position later this year.
Source: Dave Lazor
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We think, build and run informational systems that instill confidence,” explains Lazor. “Entrepreneurs or mid-market CEOs are focused on running their businesses and servicing their customers. They know they need information services, but they don’t know anything about it. They need a point man.”
And a point man is exactly what Lazorpoint provides. Each client is assigned a point man, who makes sure every need is met. “They have a vision: the point man can provide the leadership,” says Lazor. “When there are problems, or opportunities, we provide the leadership to make things happen.”
Lazor makes sure all of his 22 employees are dedicated to their clients’ needs. “The people we hire are very passionate about serving our clients,” he says. “We are relentless in whatever mission we’re on. We go beyond just the technology. We look at the people process.”
An example of the point man philosophy at work is demonstrated in an instance where a client had a warehouse fire.
“The client called his point man at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night and asked if we could help,” recalls Lazor. “At 8 a.m. Sunday we were on site. They were back in business Monday morning, with emails getting through. No one knew they had this problem.”
The point man approach has proved successful for Lazorpoint. The company has been named to the Weatherhead 100 as one of the fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio eight times. Lazorpoint hired two additional people last year, and recently brought in a co-op student for a second year. The company currently has one open position, plans on hiring two interns this summer and creating another full-time position later this year.
Source: Dave Lazor
Writer: Karin Connelly
Jonathan Yale has always been socially conscious. As an athlete, he is also concerned about what foods he puts into his body. Those two principles came together when Yale and Phillip Williams founded HooftyMatch last August, an online marketplace for buying and selling locally produced meats.
“It started from a nutritional aspect,” says Yale. “I actually went to farms and bought some whole animals. I started educating myself on all the different factors of why it’s better meat.”
Yale and Williams came up with the idea for HooftyMatch after seeing a booming trend in farm-to-table eating and a strong desire to consume meat from humanely treated animals.
“We focus on farmers and the trend of beef without hormones or antibiotics,” says Yale. “We want to make that higher-quality product easier to get into the market. We want to have a consumer-friendly product where our customers can buy directly from our site and have it shipped to them or they can pick it up from a set location.”
A portfolio company in LaunchHouse Accelerator, HooftyMatch received a $25,000 investment. The company also won Startup Lakewood’s Ideation Challenge last summer.
Yale plans on starting a monthly Cleveland Meat Series with "localvore" restaurants to market HooftyMatch and educate people. “There are definitely people who want this and we want to say it’s out there,” he says. “It's good for farmers, it’s good for the restaurant business, and it’s good for people. It’s kind of like a win-win-win.”
HooftyMatch plans to officially launch its site next month.
Source: Jonathan Yale
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It started from a nutritional aspect,” says Yale. “I actually went to farms and bought some whole animals. I started educating myself on all the different factors of why it’s better meat.”
Yale and Williams came up with the idea for HooftyMatch after seeing a booming trend in farm-to-table eating and a strong desire to consume meat from humanely treated animals.
“We focus on farmers and the trend of beef without hormones or antibiotics,” says Yale. “We want to make that higher-quality product easier to get into the market. We want to have a consumer-friendly product where our customers can buy directly from our site and have it shipped to them or they can pick it up from a set location.”
A portfolio company in LaunchHouse Accelerator, HooftyMatch received a $25,000 investment. The company also won Startup Lakewood’s Ideation Challenge last summer.
Yale plans on starting a monthly Cleveland Meat Series with "localvore" restaurants to market HooftyMatch and educate people. “There are definitely people who want this and we want to say it’s out there,” he says. “It's good for farmers, it’s good for the restaurant business, and it’s good for people. It’s kind of like a win-win-win.”
HooftyMatch plans to officially launch its site next month.
Source: Jonathan Yale
Writer: Karin Connelly
"I don't cook like any of those other guys on the block, I'll tell you that right now," promises Cajun chef Johnny Schulze, tossing out the names of celebrity chefs Michael Symon and Rocco Whalen, both of whom have Tremont restaurants. "I pull from what I learned growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The reason I'm doing this restaurant is I want to cook what I'm really good at."
Schulze is talking about his planned restaurant and watering hole Bourbon Street Barrel Room, which was recently approved by the local Tremont block club, a major feat given the propensity of skiddish neighbors to blackball new liquor licenses. The 100-seat restaurant, which will be located on Professor Avenue between Fahnrenheit and Edison's, is expected to open by next summer.
Bourbon Street will serve authentic, reasonably-priced Cajun cuisine, something that Schulze says doesn't exist in Northeast Ohio. "The way I see it, they live off the land, these Cajuns," he says. "They make do with inexpensive ingredients. It's seafood-heavy. It's about building flavors -- like a jambalaya, it looks very simple when it's served, but when you taste it, you're diving into multiple flavors."
Schulze and co-owners Justin and Barry Clemens know that such rich, spicy flavors pair perfectly with craft beer. So, in addition to traditional Cajun dishes such as gumbo and shrimp creole, Bourbon Street will offer plenty of beer selections, wine and liquor. "You might even be able to order a hurricane," hints Schulze.
When he was recruited by the owners, the veteran chef had been operating the Zydeco Bistro food truck with no plans to open a restaurant. "I built a food truck to retire -- I didn't want to work for anyone ever again," Schulze says with a laugh. "I tried to say no at first. But Tremont has the right atmosphere; it's culturally diverse and feels like you're outside the French quarter. I can pull this off."
Source: Johnny Schulze
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Schulze is talking about his planned restaurant and watering hole Bourbon Street Barrel Room, which was recently approved by the local Tremont block club, a major feat given the propensity of skiddish neighbors to blackball new liquor licenses. The 100-seat restaurant, which will be located on Professor Avenue between Fahnrenheit and Edison's, is expected to open by next summer.
Bourbon Street will serve authentic, reasonably-priced Cajun cuisine, something that Schulze says doesn't exist in Northeast Ohio. "The way I see it, they live off the land, these Cajuns," he says. "They make do with inexpensive ingredients. It's seafood-heavy. It's about building flavors -- like a jambalaya, it looks very simple when it's served, but when you taste it, you're diving into multiple flavors."
Schulze and co-owners Justin and Barry Clemens know that such rich, spicy flavors pair perfectly with craft beer. So, in addition to traditional Cajun dishes such as gumbo and shrimp creole, Bourbon Street will offer plenty of beer selections, wine and liquor. "You might even be able to order a hurricane," hints Schulze.
When he was recruited by the owners, the veteran chef had been operating the Zydeco Bistro food truck with no plans to open a restaurant. "I built a food truck to retire -- I didn't want to work for anyone ever again," Schulze says with a laugh. "I tried to say no at first. But Tremont has the right atmosphere; it's culturally diverse and feels like you're outside the French quarter. I can pull this off."
Source: Johnny Schulze
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Throughout its colorful history, the Agora complex in MidTown has been home to a vaudeville theatre, burlesque house, and one of the nation's premiere concert venues. Now, thanks to an evolving landscape outside its door, it's being redeveloped into start-up friendly office space.
Valerie Mayen is both nervous and excited as she talks about taking Yellowcake, the independent clothing company she built from the ground up, from pop-up to permanent. In March, the 31-year-old Texas native, who came to Cleveland to study at the Cleveland Institute of Art and appeared on Season 8 of "Project Runway," will double her current retail space at W. 65th Street and Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square Arts District.
Yellowcake's new 1,500-square-foot space will offer expanded clothing lines, more menswear and additional kids' clothing. Mayen also will teach classes and offer shared workspace. D-day will be in January when Mayen punches through the wall of the former podiatry office next door. When the dust settles, she'll outfit her shop with new lighting, flooring, paint, sewing equipment and shared work stations.
"We've been here for 18 months as a pop-up store, and we decided to stick it out because we love the neighborhood," says Mayen. Although sales of her higher-end, locally-made women's dresses, coats and clothing haven't been what she hoped, she inked a three-year lease out of confidence in the area's upswing. "We're working our asses off to make this corner spot look amazing," she says.
Mayen also benefited from a $10,000 grant from Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization's inaugural Best Business Plan Competition. She will receive free rent during the buildout followed by a graduated payment schedule. The competition was funded by Councilman Matt Zone and Charter One Bank.
Mayen's long-planned co-working space for entrepreneurs in the fashion industry, Buzz and Growl, will take up residence in Yellowcake's new headquarters. She will sell a handful of memberships initially and plans to offer classes and tours as well.
Mayen urged her fellow Clevelanders to shop local and independent businesses during the holiday season -- and beyond. "People are conditioned to think that Forever21 and H&M prices are the norm. I recognize that $98 for a cotton dress is a lot. Honestly, our prices should be about 20 percent higher. We don't put them higher because I understand that there's a price people are willing to pay."
While she's excited about her new permanent store, the ambitious designer, who has built Yellowcake with her own sweat equity and hard cash, is not one to rest. "I'm happy with who we are, what we are and where we're at... ish," she says.
Source: Valerie Mayen
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yellowcake's new 1,500-square-foot space will offer expanded clothing lines, more menswear and additional kids' clothing. Mayen also will teach classes and offer shared workspace. D-day will be in January when Mayen punches through the wall of the former podiatry office next door. When the dust settles, she'll outfit her shop with new lighting, flooring, paint, sewing equipment and shared work stations.
"We've been here for 18 months as a pop-up store, and we decided to stick it out because we love the neighborhood," says Mayen. Although sales of her higher-end, locally-made women's dresses, coats and clothing haven't been what she hoped, she inked a three-year lease out of confidence in the area's upswing. "We're working our asses off to make this corner spot look amazing," she says.
Mayen also benefited from a $10,000 grant from Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization's inaugural Best Business Plan Competition. She will receive free rent during the buildout followed by a graduated payment schedule. The competition was funded by Councilman Matt Zone and Charter One Bank.
Mayen's long-planned co-working space for entrepreneurs in the fashion industry, Buzz and Growl, will take up residence in Yellowcake's new headquarters. She will sell a handful of memberships initially and plans to offer classes and tours as well.
Mayen urged her fellow Clevelanders to shop local and independent businesses during the holiday season -- and beyond. "People are conditioned to think that Forever21 and H&M prices are the norm. I recognize that $98 for a cotton dress is a lot. Honestly, our prices should be about 20 percent higher. We don't put them higher because I understand that there's a price people are willing to pay."
While she's excited about her new permanent store, the ambitious designer, who has built Yellowcake with her own sweat equity and hard cash, is not one to rest. "I'm happy with who we are, what we are and where we're at... ish," she says.
Source: Valerie Mayen
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When Deej Lincoln bought Interior Products Company two years ago, he thought he would build upon the commercial millwork company’s reputation for creating beautiful libraries. While the company continues to do library work, a new business built on sustainability, recycling and a bit of nostalgia has evolved.
Reclaimed Cleveland harvests wood from Cleveland properties slated for demolition and turns what they find into functional works of art. “We wanted to build the business in a new direction, and we got into wood reclamation,” explains Lincoln. “The idea resonated with our Interior Products Company customers.”
From benches and console tables to bottle openers and iPhone skins, every Reclaimed Cleveland product is stamped with the address of the property from which it came. Much of the focus is on old homes, which have a lot of old-growth wood, and churches.
“Obviously, there’s a sustainability component to it,” says Lincoln. “But there’s an aesthetic component that comes from a talented designer.”
The inspiration to create products from reclaimed wood came almost out of necessity. “About a year ago, we were sitting on all this wood and we had no furniture designed or built,” says Lincoln. “I said we have to have some holiday gift items at a low price point.”
From there, Reclaimed Cleveland made a bottle opener and marketed it through flash sales. “We immediately sold out of them,” says Lincoln. “We were impressed and pleased with the fact it took off as well as it did. I regret as a company, we didn’t do it sooner.” The products have even found a following outside of Cleveland.
Aaron Gogolin, who co-founded A Piece of Cleveland (APOC), joined the company in 2011 He helped produce the original products for Reclaimed Cleveland and helps maintain assembly and design standards. David Meyers joined in 2011 and is key in new product designs and branding of Reclaimed Cleveland. The company employs a total of 12 people.
Source: Deej Lincoln
Writer: Karin Connelly
Reclaimed Cleveland harvests wood from Cleveland properties slated for demolition and turns what they find into functional works of art. “We wanted to build the business in a new direction, and we got into wood reclamation,” explains Lincoln. “The idea resonated with our Interior Products Company customers.”
From benches and console tables to bottle openers and iPhone skins, every Reclaimed Cleveland product is stamped with the address of the property from which it came. Much of the focus is on old homes, which have a lot of old-growth wood, and churches.
“Obviously, there’s a sustainability component to it,” says Lincoln. “But there’s an aesthetic component that comes from a talented designer.”
The inspiration to create products from reclaimed wood came almost out of necessity. “About a year ago, we were sitting on all this wood and we had no furniture designed or built,” says Lincoln. “I said we have to have some holiday gift items at a low price point.”
From there, Reclaimed Cleveland made a bottle opener and marketed it through flash sales. “We immediately sold out of them,” says Lincoln. “We were impressed and pleased with the fact it took off as well as it did. I regret as a company, we didn’t do it sooner.” The products have even found a following outside of Cleveland.
Aaron Gogolin, who co-founded A Piece of Cleveland (APOC), joined the company in 2011 He helped produce the original products for Reclaimed Cleveland and helps maintain assembly and design standards. David Meyers joined in 2011 and is key in new product designs and branding of Reclaimed Cleveland. The company employs a total of 12 people.
Source: Deej Lincoln
Writer: Karin Connelly
bgv winner birdtown crossfit to open gym in lakewood
Jillian Neimeister and Tricia Tortoreti met at a CrossFit gym in 2009 and have been friends ever since. In that time, both have become certified trainers and began talking about how they would do things differently if they owned a gym.
“We got a feel for what we liked and what we disliked,” recalls Neimeister. So after hearing about Bad Girl Ventures’ fall business training program, the two decided to enroll in the class. “We learned a lot,” says Neimeister. “We had a business plan going into it, but throughout the course we completely re-wrote it.”
Ultimately Neimeister and Tortoreti not only won a $25,000 loan from BGV to start their business, they also won a loan from BGV loan partner Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI). They decided to accept the ECDI loan, and they plan to open Birdtown CrossFit in Lakewood in January.
Birdtown CrossFit is different from most gyms. Instead of treadmills and elliptical machines, CrossFit has jump ropes and barbells. “It’s not your typical gym,” says Tortoreti. “It’s very structured with group classes and hardly any machines.”
Neimeister predicts Birdtown will be a welcome addition to Lakewood. “I think there’s definitely demand for it on the west side of Cleveland,” she says. In addition to working at area CrossFit gyms, the two have toured gyms all over the country to get a feel for what they want in their own gym.
The BGV loan will now go to Renter's BOOM, a company that uses social media for apartment listings. BGV awarded Tantalize, a mobile spray tanning company, a $5,000 loan.
Sources: Jillian Neimeister and Tricia Tortoreti
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We got a feel for what we liked and what we disliked,” recalls Neimeister. So after hearing about Bad Girl Ventures’ fall business training program, the two decided to enroll in the class. “We learned a lot,” says Neimeister. “We had a business plan going into it, but throughout the course we completely re-wrote it.”
Ultimately Neimeister and Tortoreti not only won a $25,000 loan from BGV to start their business, they also won a loan from BGV loan partner Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI). They decided to accept the ECDI loan, and they plan to open Birdtown CrossFit in Lakewood in January.
Birdtown CrossFit is different from most gyms. Instead of treadmills and elliptical machines, CrossFit has jump ropes and barbells. “It’s not your typical gym,” says Tortoreti. “It’s very structured with group classes and hardly any machines.”
Neimeister predicts Birdtown will be a welcome addition to Lakewood. “I think there’s definitely demand for it on the west side of Cleveland,” she says. In addition to working at area CrossFit gyms, the two have toured gyms all over the country to get a feel for what they want in their own gym.
The BGV loan will now go to Renter's BOOM, a company that uses social media for apartment listings. BGV awarded Tantalize, a mobile spray tanning company, a $5,000 loan.
Sources: Jillian Neimeister and Tricia Tortoreti
Writer: Karin Connelly
When a patient needs a breathing tube or feeding tube, proper placement is critical. Miach Medical Innovations, a company formed in 2011 out of CWRU, is developing tubes with built-in sensors to ensure proper placement.
“Several statistics show the need for properly placing these tubes,” says operations manager Cullen Dolan, who is working on his masters in engineering management. “Ten percent of breathing tubes are not initially placed properly. We found other statistics that show 20 percent of breathing tubes experience unplanned movement and 70 percent of feeding tubes experience unplanned movement. Also, 15 percent of extubate patients need to be reintubated." The ramifications can be damaging and even cause death.
The Miach Medical team, which includes CWRU doctors James Reynolds, Jim Rowbottom and Jeff Ustin, is developing sensors to assist caregivers with placement. “It will help caregivers know the tube is properly placed, unplanned movement, and when it is safe for the tube to come out,” explains Dolan.
Miach’s developments earned the company top honors at JumpStart's Northeast Ohio Entrepreneur Expo’s student competition. The company won $1,500 for placing first in the competition. Additionally, Miach was awarded $25,000 by the Lorain County Community College Foundation Innovation Fund.
The team will use the money on sensor development. “The key is finding a sensor that is cost effective and still meets all of our technical needs,” Dolan says. “We’re working with academic groups and companies to find the sensor we need.”
Dolan has found the experience educational and rewarding. “The sensor tube is something that’s needed, and with my background in biomedical engineering this was something I wanted to be a part of,” he says. Representing the company at the expo was a great experience. Winning the competition was just icing on the cake.”
Source: Cullen Dolin
Writer: Karin Connelly
“Several statistics show the need for properly placing these tubes,” says operations manager Cullen Dolan, who is working on his masters in engineering management. “Ten percent of breathing tubes are not initially placed properly. We found other statistics that show 20 percent of breathing tubes experience unplanned movement and 70 percent of feeding tubes experience unplanned movement. Also, 15 percent of extubate patients need to be reintubated." The ramifications can be damaging and even cause death.
The Miach Medical team, which includes CWRU doctors James Reynolds, Jim Rowbottom and Jeff Ustin, is developing sensors to assist caregivers with placement. “It will help caregivers know the tube is properly placed, unplanned movement, and when it is safe for the tube to come out,” explains Dolan.
Miach’s developments earned the company top honors at JumpStart's Northeast Ohio Entrepreneur Expo’s student competition. The company won $1,500 for placing first in the competition. Additionally, Miach was awarded $25,000 by the Lorain County Community College Foundation Innovation Fund.
The team will use the money on sensor development. “The key is finding a sensor that is cost effective and still meets all of our technical needs,” Dolan says. “We’re working with academic groups and companies to find the sensor we need.”
Dolan has found the experience educational and rewarding. “The sensor tube is something that’s needed, and with my background in biomedical engineering this was something I wanted to be a part of,” he says. Representing the company at the expo was a great experience. Winning the competition was just icing on the cake.”
Source: Cullen Dolin
Writer: Karin Connelly
To succeed as a region, Cleveland needs hungry, highly skilled immigrants willing to risk it all for a chance to build their dreams. With an estimated 30,000 open positions in high-skill industries in the region, the time is now to market Cleveland as a place friendly to outsiders. Fortunately, Radhika Reddy and others are on top of it.
Donna Lee, CEO of MascotSecret, has always eyed with envy the vacant good seats at sporting events. She thought there had to be some way to get those unused good seats into the hands of those sitting in the cheap seats. So Lee and co-founder Jennifer Jeng set out to find a way.
“This is the problem we had growing up -- we always wanted better seats,” says Lee. “You go to the game, you see all the empty seats, and we thought there has to be a better solution.”
This past summer, Lee and Jeng moved to Cleveland from San Francisco to develop MascotSecret through Bizdom, a non-profit startup accelerator founded by Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans and majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It allows you to upgrade your seats during game time through your mobile phone,” explains Lee. “All you need to do is open the app, put in how many tickets you want to upgrade, and then move to your new seats.”
Lee says the price to upgrade might be cheaper or more expensiver than face value depending on availability, the game, and other factors.
So far, MascotSecret has been testing the app at Cavs games. As a Bizdom company, they have gotten the support from Gilbert and Veritix. “We’ve had a really great response so far," says Lee. "Customers who have heard about it want to try it.”
MascotSecret recently received a $25,000 grant from the Lorain County Community College Foundation Innovation Fund, which they will use to further develop the app. The company is beginning talks with the Indians to use the app. The goal is to sell the app to markets across the country.
“Of course we want to expand as quickly as possible,” says Lee. As they expand, the company will be looking for technical and marketing talent.
Source: Donna Lee
Writer: Karin Connelly
“This is the problem we had growing up -- we always wanted better seats,” says Lee. “You go to the game, you see all the empty seats, and we thought there has to be a better solution.”
This past summer, Lee and Jeng moved to Cleveland from San Francisco to develop MascotSecret through Bizdom, a non-profit startup accelerator founded by Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans and majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It allows you to upgrade your seats during game time through your mobile phone,” explains Lee. “All you need to do is open the app, put in how many tickets you want to upgrade, and then move to your new seats.”
Lee says the price to upgrade might be cheaper or more expensiver than face value depending on availability, the game, and other factors.
So far, MascotSecret has been testing the app at Cavs games. As a Bizdom company, they have gotten the support from Gilbert and Veritix. “We’ve had a really great response so far," says Lee. "Customers who have heard about it want to try it.”
MascotSecret recently received a $25,000 grant from the Lorain County Community College Foundation Innovation Fund, which they will use to further develop the app. The company is beginning talks with the Indians to use the app. The goal is to sell the app to markets across the country.
“Of course we want to expand as quickly as possible,” says Lee. As they expand, the company will be looking for technical and marketing talent.
Source: Donna Lee
Writer: Karin Connelly
This summer, the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation launched an initiative called "Retail Ready" with the objective of filling a slew of vacant storefronts along St. Clair Avenue. In partnership with local landlords, they offered enticements such as reduced rent, free buildout and marketing support. The goal was to create a "big bang" effect in which a number of shops opened simultaneously, bringing new life to this historic street.
Although the project has taken longer than anticipated, it has sparked a lot of fresh interest in the area, says St. Clair Superior Executive Director Michael Fleming. The faded strip also recently celebrated a new tenant, Nx Dance Studio, which opened its doors on Sunday with a room full of line dancers and music spilling out into the street. Three additional retailers are expected to open early next year.
Now, thanks to a $25,375 grant awarded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, St. Clair Superior is gearing up for a major public art project this summer that will beautify the street between E. 62nd and Addison. "Hope-Sketch: St. Clair Avenue Reimagined" will create large-scale public art with community input.
"We've always known that a major component to the 'pop-up neighborhood' would be public art," Fleming says. "Hope-Sketch will involve neighborhood residents and businesses in working with an artist to put together ideas as to what their hopes are for the neighborhood. Then they'll create a temporary art installation for one weekend and the whole street will come alive. Afterwards, a professional design firm, Agnes Studio, will distill the concepts into permanent public art."
Hope-Sketch will be completed in summer of 2013. In February, St. Clair Superior is also planning to celebrate kurentovanje, a Slovenian carnival event that is based on Pagan tradition. By then, Fleming hopes that new retailers such as an art gallery, coffeeshop and bakery will be open, with more on the way.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Although the project has taken longer than anticipated, it has sparked a lot of fresh interest in the area, says St. Clair Superior Executive Director Michael Fleming. The faded strip also recently celebrated a new tenant, Nx Dance Studio, which opened its doors on Sunday with a room full of line dancers and music spilling out into the street. Three additional retailers are expected to open early next year.
Now, thanks to a $25,375 grant awarded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, St. Clair Superior is gearing up for a major public art project this summer that will beautify the street between E. 62nd and Addison. "Hope-Sketch: St. Clair Avenue Reimagined" will create large-scale public art with community input.
"We've always known that a major component to the 'pop-up neighborhood' would be public art," Fleming says. "Hope-Sketch will involve neighborhood residents and businesses in working with an artist to put together ideas as to what their hopes are for the neighborhood. Then they'll create a temporary art installation for one weekend and the whole street will come alive. Afterwards, a professional design firm, Agnes Studio, will distill the concepts into permanent public art."
Hope-Sketch will be completed in summer of 2013. In February, St. Clair Superior is also planning to celebrate kurentovanje, a Slovenian carnival event that is based on Pagan tradition. By then, Fleming hopes that new retailers such as an art gallery, coffeeshop and bakery will be open, with more on the way.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
It's a match made in culinary heaven, to be certain. Bursting at the seams of their respective home-based kitchens, an artisan cookie maker and a scratch baker have joined forces to open a cozy bakeshop and catering kitchen at 4261 Mayfield in South Euclid.
"It's busier than I expected -- we've got nice foot traffic and neighborhood traffic," says Bob Sferra, owner of the full-service catering company Culinary Occasions, who partnered with Christine Mehling of Better Bit of Butter Cookies to open the Better Occasions Shop. Sferra, who got his start under famed Cleveland chef Parker Bosley, has studied French pastry arts and sources many ingredients locally.
Mehling is known for her creative, artisan cookies, including the cranberry-coconut with lemon glaze and apricot-cashew with lime glaze. She uses only natural products, including real butter and eggs from free-range chickens.
Sferra's business is up about 20 percent from last year, something he attributes to his growing referral-based business and the storefront. "The front is nice. It opens up the conversation to someone wanting to cater a party for the holidays," he says, adding that the shop is "somewhere in between homey and a little bit hip."
Adds Sferra: "When you take butter, eggs, sugar, chocolate and dried fruit and make something without adding any junk… For me, it’s almost like when I was a kid growing up in an Italian family. It’s just good. It’s good and it’s uncomplicated."
The Better Occasions Shop is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Source: Bob Sferra
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"It's busier than I expected -- we've got nice foot traffic and neighborhood traffic," says Bob Sferra, owner of the full-service catering company Culinary Occasions, who partnered with Christine Mehling of Better Bit of Butter Cookies to open the Better Occasions Shop. Sferra, who got his start under famed Cleveland chef Parker Bosley, has studied French pastry arts and sources many ingredients locally.
Mehling is known for her creative, artisan cookies, including the cranberry-coconut with lemon glaze and apricot-cashew with lime glaze. She uses only natural products, including real butter and eggs from free-range chickens.
Sferra's business is up about 20 percent from last year, something he attributes to his growing referral-based business and the storefront. "The front is nice. It opens up the conversation to someone wanting to cater a party for the holidays," he says, adding that the shop is "somewhere in between homey and a little bit hip."
Adds Sferra: "When you take butter, eggs, sugar, chocolate and dried fruit and make something without adding any junk… For me, it’s almost like when I was a kid growing up in an Italian family. It’s just good. It’s good and it’s uncomplicated."
The Better Occasions Shop is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Source: Bob Sferra
Writer: Lee Chilcote
cleveland-based paladar making waves in south florida
Cleveland-based Paladar restaurant is impressing the locals in South Florida, where a new outpost of the Latin-themed eatery recently opened.
In a Miami New Times article titled "Paladar: New Entry at Gulfstream Park Serves Up Winning Latin Fare," the food writer spoke fondly of the new restaurant, which is the fourth in the locally owned chain.
"Who would have thought that a respectable nuevo Latino restaurant would arrive in South Florida by way of Cleveland and Annapolis? Well, that's what's happened with the opening of Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar at The Village at Gulfstream Park. Paladar got its start in Cleveland in 2007 and opened in Annapolis three years later. A fourth location will be opening soon in Bethesda."
"Always on the lookout for new places to eat and drink, Short Order checked out Paladar and was impressed with the setting, ambiance, service and food."
Read the rest right here.
In a Miami New Times article titled "Paladar: New Entry at Gulfstream Park Serves Up Winning Latin Fare," the food writer spoke fondly of the new restaurant, which is the fourth in the locally owned chain.
"Who would have thought that a respectable nuevo Latino restaurant would arrive in South Florida by way of Cleveland and Annapolis? Well, that's what's happened with the opening of Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar at The Village at Gulfstream Park. Paladar got its start in Cleveland in 2007 and opened in Annapolis three years later. A fourth location will be opening soon in Bethesda."
"Always on the lookout for new places to eat and drink, Short Order checked out Paladar and was impressed with the setting, ambiance, service and food."
Read the rest right here.
Since Eddie 'n Eddie opened its doors in downtown Lakewood, the place has been jamming, a testament to the growing foodie culture that has sprung up in the heart of this inner-ring suburb.
"With all of the restaurants here like Deagan's, Melt, and the Beer Engine, downtown Lakewood is really becoming a destination," says co-owner Eddie Cerino Jr., who created the restaurant along with his father, Eddie Cerino Sr. "It's not just locals. People are coming in from the 'burbs, and that's a great thing."
Eddie 'n Eddie is described as Americana-style food with Southern flair. Propping up the tag line "burgers, bourbon and apple pie" is a menu of prime and choice cut ground beef burgers, an extensive list of handpicked bourbons, and apple pies baked from scratch using the family's recipe.
"This is a concept that I have always wanted to open, inspired by a couple of restaurants in New York City," says Eddie Jr., who also owns Eddie's Pizzeria Cerino in Seven Hills. "I saw how big and hot bourbon was at these places."
At Eddie 'n Eddie, bourbon isn't simply on the menu -- it is soaked deep into it. The apple pies, desserts and sauces all have a touch of Wild Turkey. "It's gonna add that distinct caramel sweetness to it -- that's why it makes a fantastic barbeque sauce," says Eddie Jr. "When we do pecan pie, we do a bourbon glaze with it, and that light cream sauce really complements the pie."
Cerino is excited for World of Beers to open a franchise next door in February. The venue allows patrons to carry in food from other establishments. With Eddie 'n Eddie right next door, Cerino is chomping at the bit for a piece of the action.
Source: Eddie Cerino Jr.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"With all of the restaurants here like Deagan's, Melt, and the Beer Engine, downtown Lakewood is really becoming a destination," says co-owner Eddie Cerino Jr., who created the restaurant along with his father, Eddie Cerino Sr. "It's not just locals. People are coming in from the 'burbs, and that's a great thing."
Eddie 'n Eddie is described as Americana-style food with Southern flair. Propping up the tag line "burgers, bourbon and apple pie" is a menu of prime and choice cut ground beef burgers, an extensive list of handpicked bourbons, and apple pies baked from scratch using the family's recipe.
"This is a concept that I have always wanted to open, inspired by a couple of restaurants in New York City," says Eddie Jr., who also owns Eddie's Pizzeria Cerino in Seven Hills. "I saw how big and hot bourbon was at these places."
At Eddie 'n Eddie, bourbon isn't simply on the menu -- it is soaked deep into it. The apple pies, desserts and sauces all have a touch of Wild Turkey. "It's gonna add that distinct caramel sweetness to it -- that's why it makes a fantastic barbeque sauce," says Eddie Jr. "When we do pecan pie, we do a bourbon glaze with it, and that light cream sauce really complements the pie."
Cerino is excited for World of Beers to open a franchise next door in February. The venue allows patrons to carry in food from other establishments. With Eddie 'n Eddie right next door, Cerino is chomping at the bit for a piece of the action.
Source: Eddie Cerino Jr.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Last May, Brandt Butze had what he calls an “Aha! moment.” He was 370 pounds and wanted to lose the weight and get in shape. He went on Facebook and posted that he was committed to walking.
“I had 225 comments on my Facebook page and all sorts of support,” he recalls. That first morning, his sister and a group of people met Butze and they went for a 30-minute walk. “We jogged the last block,” he says. “I was in tears there was so much support. Thirty-minute walks turned into 45-minute walks and in three weeks, I was walking six to seven miles a day.”
In fact, Butze had so much support that trying to schedule people to walk with him was interfering with actually walking. “I was spending three to four hours a day trying to plan walks,” he says.” I looked for an app to help and I realized other people were in the same boat I was -- finding some way to have a workout schedule where people can work out with other people.”
So Butze and friends Aaron Marks, Jonathan Schultz and Kevin Rahilly created FitVia, a mobile app that allows users to post their workout schedules and find others to join them.
“We tried different hypotheses, talked to friends and friends of friends and asked them what motivated them, what de-motivated them,” Butze says. “We realized we were on to something.”
The four approached LaunchHouse for help developing FitVia and were accepted to the accelerator program. FitVia will launch by the end of the year. “We’re launching this as a premier app initially,” says Butze. “We’re hoping to gain as many people as possible as quickly as possible.”
FitVia plans to hire additional staff as they grow. Butze plans to branch out to corporate America as they grow, targeting HR departments as a way to keep healthcare costs down.
To date, Butze has lost 71 pounds.
Source: Brandt Butze
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I had 225 comments on my Facebook page and all sorts of support,” he recalls. That first morning, his sister and a group of people met Butze and they went for a 30-minute walk. “We jogged the last block,” he says. “I was in tears there was so much support. Thirty-minute walks turned into 45-minute walks and in three weeks, I was walking six to seven miles a day.”
In fact, Butze had so much support that trying to schedule people to walk with him was interfering with actually walking. “I was spending three to four hours a day trying to plan walks,” he says.” I looked for an app to help and I realized other people were in the same boat I was -- finding some way to have a workout schedule where people can work out with other people.”
So Butze and friends Aaron Marks, Jonathan Schultz and Kevin Rahilly created FitVia, a mobile app that allows users to post their workout schedules and find others to join them.
“We tried different hypotheses, talked to friends and friends of friends and asked them what motivated them, what de-motivated them,” Butze says. “We realized we were on to something.”
The four approached LaunchHouse for help developing FitVia and were accepted to the accelerator program. FitVia will launch by the end of the year. “We’re launching this as a premier app initially,” says Butze. “We’re hoping to gain as many people as possible as quickly as possible.”
FitVia plans to hire additional staff as they grow. Butze plans to branch out to corporate America as they grow, targeting HR departments as a way to keep healthcare costs down.
To date, Butze has lost 71 pounds.
Source: Brandt Butze
Writer: Karin Connelly
Amplified Wind Solutions, a Cleveland State University company behind a wind amplification system that can produce up to six times more electricity than a typical wind turbine, won second place and $600 in the student business competition at JumpStart’s Entrepreneur Expo November 13.
The AWS founders are targeting the telecommunications industry. “This system can be placed on top of cell phone towers in remote and urban locations, and be used to power the equipment on site,” explains CEO Niki Zmij. “In today's world, wireless communication is growing explosively and as a result more and more towers are going up in the U.S. and abroad. Each new tower has to be powered.”
Amplified Wind Solutions was founded in February 2012, based on technology invented by Majid Rashidi, chair of CSU’s engineering technology department. Zmij is working on her MBA. Other company members include Terry Thiele, director of sustainable product strategies at the Lubrizol Corporation. The team recently added Jon Stehura, financial manager at Laird Technologies and former CFO of ParkOhio.
AWS has two prototypes -- one at CSU and one at Progressive Field -- and a third prototype in the works that will be the version marketed to the telecommunications industry.
Zmij was so busy at the Entrepreneur Expo that she didn’t sit down all day. “It really helped AWS gain exposure within our community as well as make important connections that will support our business development,” she says, adding that she might have found some investment leads as well. “I did speak with a few individuals in the venture capital space who thought our idea was a compelling one and are interested in learning more about our plans.”
In addition to the $600, AWS has the opportunity to receive mentoring from JumpStart. “The mentoring alone has an incredible value for our business development,” says Zmij. Student teams from CWRU and Kent State were also winners in the competition.
Source: Niki Zmij
Writer: Karin Connelly
The AWS founders are targeting the telecommunications industry. “This system can be placed on top of cell phone towers in remote and urban locations, and be used to power the equipment on site,” explains CEO Niki Zmij. “In today's world, wireless communication is growing explosively and as a result more and more towers are going up in the U.S. and abroad. Each new tower has to be powered.”
Amplified Wind Solutions was founded in February 2012, based on technology invented by Majid Rashidi, chair of CSU’s engineering technology department. Zmij is working on her MBA. Other company members include Terry Thiele, director of sustainable product strategies at the Lubrizol Corporation. The team recently added Jon Stehura, financial manager at Laird Technologies and former CFO of ParkOhio.
AWS has two prototypes -- one at CSU and one at Progressive Field -- and a third prototype in the works that will be the version marketed to the telecommunications industry.
Zmij was so busy at the Entrepreneur Expo that she didn’t sit down all day. “It really helped AWS gain exposure within our community as well as make important connections that will support our business development,” she says, adding that she might have found some investment leads as well. “I did speak with a few individuals in the venture capital space who thought our idea was a compelling one and are interested in learning more about our plans.”
In addition to the $600, AWS has the opportunity to receive mentoring from JumpStart. “The mentoring alone has an incredible value for our business development,” says Zmij. Student teams from CWRU and Kent State were also winners in the competition.
Source: Niki Zmij
Writer: Karin Connelly
Caley Coleff first began collecting vintage furniture from flea markets with her grandfather when she was a little girl. Once the furniture was home, she'd watch her grandfather refinish it, absorbing his techniques even when he thought she wasn't paying attention.
This month, Coleff unveiled a vintage store that pays tribute to those early experiences while adding her own unique twist. Located at 11102 Detroit Avenue in Cudell, Heck's Revival is named after her grandfather, whose last name was Heck.
"I started doing stuff from my home because you can't afford nice, well-made furniture anymore," she explains. "If you buy something it's the cheapo [stuff] that falls apart. I had a lot, so I started doing custom orders and selling to friends. I never realized I was actually good at it, I was just making stuff that I liked."
Then Coleff met her business partner, Jill Krznaric ("It's Croatian, even though I'm not"), and a business idea was born. Krznaric is into retro items like old barstools, while Coleff likes to take French Provincial furniture and paint it with cool designs. Together, they found a space with hardwood floors that they liked and signed a lease.
"A lot of our stuff comes out of the trash," says Coleff, who is 26 years old and also tends bar. "It's beat up and broken and people think it's out of style. We stain it, prime it and put it back together. Then I paint it with cool colors and designs."
The most expensive item in Heck's Revival is a $400 dresser that Coleff painted with a white background and a black outline of Marilyn Monroe's face. The least expensive items are old retro kitchen stuff that sell for a buck apiece.
"As new as we are, I thought it would have taken a lot longer to pick up. We've been doing really, really well," effuses Coleff, who aims to create a younger, more accessible kind of vintage retailer. "People like it enough to tell their friends."
Heck's Revival, which opened in mid-November, has regular hours on Mondays from 12-7 p.m., Wednesdays-Fridays from 12-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 12-4 p.m.
Source: Caley Coleff
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This month, Coleff unveiled a vintage store that pays tribute to those early experiences while adding her own unique twist. Located at 11102 Detroit Avenue in Cudell, Heck's Revival is named after her grandfather, whose last name was Heck.
"I started doing stuff from my home because you can't afford nice, well-made furniture anymore," she explains. "If you buy something it's the cheapo [stuff] that falls apart. I had a lot, so I started doing custom orders and selling to friends. I never realized I was actually good at it, I was just making stuff that I liked."
Then Coleff met her business partner, Jill Krznaric ("It's Croatian, even though I'm not"), and a business idea was born. Krznaric is into retro items like old barstools, while Coleff likes to take French Provincial furniture and paint it with cool designs. Together, they found a space with hardwood floors that they liked and signed a lease.
"A lot of our stuff comes out of the trash," says Coleff, who is 26 years old and also tends bar. "It's beat up and broken and people think it's out of style. We stain it, prime it and put it back together. Then I paint it with cool colors and designs."
The most expensive item in Heck's Revival is a $400 dresser that Coleff painted with a white background and a black outline of Marilyn Monroe's face. The least expensive items are old retro kitchen stuff that sell for a buck apiece.
"As new as we are, I thought it would have taken a lot longer to pick up. We've been doing really, really well," effuses Coleff, who aims to create a younger, more accessible kind of vintage retailer. "People like it enough to tell their friends."
Heck's Revival, which opened in mid-November, has regular hours on Mondays from 12-7 p.m., Wednesdays-Fridays from 12-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 12-4 p.m.
Source: Caley Coleff
Writer: Lee Chilcote