University Circle Inc.'s recent annual meeting highlighted examples of successful innovation within the district, from Piccadilly Artisan Creamery's liquid nitrogen-fueled ice cream to healthcare startups spinning out of BioEnterprise.

At the University Circle Incorporated (UCI) annual meeting last week, President Chris Ronayne touted the district's roots in innovation as well as impressive present-day growth. In short, University Circle is now returning full circle and has become an area that's not only rife with arts institutions and top schools, but is also spinning out some of the region's fastest-growing companies and ideas.

Ronayne also stated that innovation begins and ends, in many ways, with connectivity, something that University Circle has in spades. "The key to innovation is density, connectivity, diversity and experience," he said. "Creating an environment that is inspiring and pulls people together."

Now University Circle is about to get even better connected thanks to a new partnership with Zipcar, the world's leading carshare company. Initially, four vehicles will be available for lease in designated parking spots in the garage at 1980 Ford Road and the University Circle Inc. Lot at 10831 Magnolia Drive. The cars, which will be available 24/7 on demand, can be leased for as low as $7.50 per hour and $69 per day with gas, insurance and up to 180 miles of driving per day included in the rate. College students age 18 and older as well as community members age 21 and older will be able to take advantage of the program.

“As University Circle continues to grow, so does its need for innovative transportation,” said Ronayne in a release. “Partnering with Zipcar allows us to address this need by giving students, employees, and community members access to vehicles on a short term basis. It’s a great, sustainable solution.”

Community members, students and businesses can join Zipcar here. The Occasional Driving Plan is available for $60 a year or $6 a month, allowing users access to the four Zipcar’s in University Circle as well as more than 10,000 vehicles worldwide. UCI has also helped to establish a special university rate -- college students, faculty and staff at participating universities in the area can join for just $25 to use a set of wheels for as little as an hour or for several days.
 
There's also a Zipcar for Business program for local businesses that offers discounted driving rates Monday through Friday. The goal of this program is to help businesses save cash, meet sustainability goals, and reduce parking needs by providing employees with access to the cars as a way to get around town.

Users can employ their smartphones to make reservations, lock and unlock the vehicle, and even honk the horn to locate their vehicle. Reservations are available over the phone or through Zipcar's website.

According to 2010 census figures, the city's population is just 5 percent foreign-born, less than half the nationwide average. This decade also witnessed our city's population slip below 400,000, a decline that advocates believe can be reversed by attracting newcomers, including immigrants.

UNIDOS is a Hispanic resource group that strives to foster a diverse and welcoming workplace culture. The group aims to be the vehicle to pull in Hispanic talent from colleges and job fairs, a cogent point considering diversity is among Forest City's core values.

Tucked away behind Rockefeller Park lies a historic neighborhood filled with stately, brick homes built at the turn of the last century. It has remained stable despite Glenville's struggles, and now rising interest in University Circle is propelling early signs of growth.

Cleveland almost lost native son Daniel Gray-Kontar to California's charms. But this writer, poet, performer and father has come home and into his own as an educator and stalwart youth advocate.

The Cleveland-based nonprofit International Partners in Mission has worked on projects in more than 40 countries around the world. Last month, it held a weeklong series of events to celebrate its milestone anniversary.

As part of the Lockwood Thompson Dialogues, LAND Studio and Cleveland Public Library invite you to a weekend filled with dance workshops, discussions about dance and a nighttime community dance party.

The event, which is called "STEP OUT, Cleveland ... SHAKE OFF THE RUST!", takes place November 8th-9th at the Global Center for Health Innovation.

Presenters, workshop leaders and performers include DJ FreQ Nasty, an electronic music producer and developer of The Yoga of Bass, a study of the spiritual connection between yoga and dance; Ana Rokafella Garcia, a B-girl and filmmaker who broke into dance in New York City during the early days of the hip hop scene; and Ragen Chastain, a dancer, marathoner and Health at Every Size advocate who travels, speaks and blogs at danceswithfat.org about self-esteem and body image.

Clevelanders who will be presenting include Jasmine Dragons, Cleveland Exotic Dance, and DJ Red-I and Daniel Gray-Kontar of Sanctuary Cleveland.

All events are free. In a press release, LAND Studio invites participants to:

"SPEAK UP at a live, interactive discussion with experts who will open up about struggles, successes, and finding their voice through dance.

SHAKE LOOSE with free public classes at varying levels, aimed at letting the inner dancer – experienced or not – break out.

GET DOWN with a nighttime dance party that's open to all!"

There will also be a cash bar and food trucks on site. C'mon down and shake it!

As part of its centennial celebration, the Cleveland Foundation has anounced that it is giving away a free day of theater at Playhouse Square. The gift includes 2,300 free tickets to five holiday performances by the Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theatre and Cleveland Public Theatre on Sunday, November 30th. To be eligible, you must enter your name into an online ticket lottery system for the chance to receive up to four tickets to a single show.

From the press release:

"The Cleveland Foundation Day of Theater will include the following productions at PlayhouseSquare:

·         'A Christmas Story' by Cleveland Play House at the Allen Theatre at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (family-friendly show)
·         'A Christmas Carol' by Great Lakes Theater at the Ohio Theatre at 3 p.m. (family-friendly show)
·         'The Santaland Diaries' by Cleveland Public Theatre at the Outcalt Theatre at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (adults-only show)

Beginning today, people can enter the online lottery at www.playhousesquare.org/giftlottery. The website is currently open and will remain open for 100 hours or just over four days, until 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7. This lottery is not first-come, first-served; residents will be randomly selected to attend the performances."

The Cleveland Foundation has helped to sustain and bolster all three theater organizations, and officials decided to use this latest centennial gift as a way to expose more Clevelanders to the gift of theater.

In our hyperconnected, digital age, people hunger for real stories. In Cleveland and across the country, storytelling nights are growing thanks to the popularity of The Moth, This American Life and other programs that elevate life into art.

Young people born in Cleveland in the 90s don't feel a sense of nostalgia for the city's heyday. Instead, they see an increasingly vibrant city as a place of opportunity, provided we stay on our current path.

The premier healthcare gathering in the country takes place this week at the Cleveland Convention Center. Here are four Cleveland healthcare innovators being featured at the conference.

In September, innovators from around the country convened in Detroit to exchange their ideas for building better cities and stronger communities. For three days, Detroit was transformed into a marketplace for ideas for cities.