Regional Economy
"Think big" was the theme of an Amplify Speaker Series luncheon on making the most of Northeast Ohio's steadily developing information technology presence.
The region must continue to expand its fiber optic infrastructure alongside ongoing efforts to transform Cleveland into a bustling tech hub with worldwide reach, said a foursome of panelists during the October 1 event sponsored by Contempo Communications.
The physical network itself is burgeoning, notes Lev Gonnick of OneCommunity, a nonprofit foundation helping to grow high-speed internet in Northeast Ohio. Since its founding in 2003, the organization has laid 111 miles of fiber in Cuyahoga County alone.
An advanced fiber optic/digital base transporting data at high speeds can be a boon for the area's already robust healthcare sector, says Kevin Goodman, managing director/partner of downtown Cleveland cloud-computing provider BlueBridge Networks. Crystal clear doctor-to-patient conferencing is just one example of how robust telecommunications can aid the industry.
If a healthy digital platform can help build industry and bring jobs, it will give Northeast Ohio an advantage in the hunt for young professionals over similarly sized markets, says Ashley Basile Oeken, executive director of Engage! Cleveland, a talent attraction/retention nonprofit.
"We're falling behind cities like Pittsburgh and Indianapolis in bringing in talent," Basile Oeken says. "Cleveland has to find ways to stand out."
Dan Young, founder of technology and design agency DXY, is looking beyond county, state and even national borders when it comes to connecting with the next wave of innovators. Young helped establish a DXY satellite office in Germany, an experience that showcased the need for Cleveland to attract immigrant brainpower.
"The city has to be bigger and bolder about the conversation it's having," he says.
Creating a regional tech epicenter here would make drawing dynamic folks of disparate backgrounds all the easier easier, says Joy Roller, panel facilitator and executive director of Global Cleveland.
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"We need to be open to the flow of ideas and new people," she says.
positively cleveland president shares travel, tourism best practices to conventioneers
In a Quad-City Times feature titled “Cleveland tourism chief tells of visitor successes,” writer Jennifer DeWitt reports about a keynote speech that David Gilbert of Positively Cleveland gave at the annual Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau meeting.
“In his keynote speech at the annual Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau meeting, David Gilbert offered lessons on how his Ohio hometown and surrounding region have rewritten the travel and tourism strategy and found success attracting major tourism events and economic development activity,” DeWitt reports.
"You need to take a look at places like Cleveland and the Quad-Cities and think: 'How do you look and feel like a traveler destination?'" the president and CEO of Positively Cleveland told attendees.
“In the past five years, Cleveland has seen a significant transformation in its travel and tourism industry with $2 billion in new visitor-related infrastructure, including a new convention center, a new casino and nine new hotels, six of which are in its downtown area,” adds DeWitt.
“Thorough research with visitors and residents showed Cleveland needed to "connect the dots" to make the typical traveler's experience as good as its amenities, he said. The research found the region was perceived as difficult to navigate for visitors, had a poor reputation for cleanliness, safety and friendliness, and a low level of residents who would recommend it as a destination for visitors.”
"We had to look at ourselves through the visitor lens," Gilbert said, adding that some changes included signage, streetscaping and encouraging the hospitality industry to promote its strengths.
Read the rest here.
“In his keynote speech at the annual Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau meeting, David Gilbert offered lessons on how his Ohio hometown and surrounding region have rewritten the travel and tourism strategy and found success attracting major tourism events and economic development activity,” DeWitt reports.
"You need to take a look at places like Cleveland and the Quad-Cities and think: 'How do you look and feel like a traveler destination?'" the president and CEO of Positively Cleveland told attendees.
“In the past five years, Cleveland has seen a significant transformation in its travel and tourism industry with $2 billion in new visitor-related infrastructure, including a new convention center, a new casino and nine new hotels, six of which are in its downtown area,” adds DeWitt.
“Thorough research with visitors and residents showed Cleveland needed to "connect the dots" to make the typical traveler's experience as good as its amenities, he said. The research found the region was perceived as difficult to navigate for visitors, had a poor reputation for cleanliness, safety and friendliness, and a low level of residents who would recommend it as a destination for visitors.”
"We had to look at ourselves through the visitor lens," Gilbert said, adding that some changes included signage, streetscaping and encouraging the hospitality industry to promote its strengths.
Read the rest here.
Workers aged 40 and over might not fit the typical hip innovator profile, but they are often undervalued. Some may be former CEOs of large companies, arriving with particular skill sets that mesh with growth industries like biomedicine or advanced materials.
When Apryl Beverly signed up for the Bad Girl Ventures education program last spring, she had her eye set on winning the $25,000 loan awarded to one of the class finalists. What she ended up learning was how to make her business, BAAB Writing and Marketing, create its own success and income.
“The BGV program is geared around applying for a loan at the end of the class,” explains Beverly. “I was so, I need this money, I need this money. And when I didn’t get the loan I thought, what am I going to do now?”
What Beverly did was put the lessons she learned in the program to work and managed to drum up more than $26,000 in contracts from five clients between May and July. BAAB is a business writing service. Beverly and her staff assist their clients with writing business plans and proposals to coaching and marketing services.
“After moving past my pity party, I realized losing was the best thing for me,” says Beverly. “It's not about loans and competitions. It's about perseverance and the drive to make things happen.”
Before she started BAAB (the initials of her family members) in 2011, Beverly had worked in PR and marketing at a few different companies. She used her previous employers as a starting point to grow her own company. “I just started reaching out to previous employers, people I met in the BGV program; asking my existing clients to give me more work,” explains Beverly. “I had to be really focused and I said this is what I need to do. Now I’m not even looking for a loan. I realized I can do it without one.”
With BAAB’s growth, Beverly has been able to hire a part-time editor and a part-time writer to assist with the workload. Eventually, she plans to hire a full staff so she can focus on running BAAB.
“The BGV program is geared around applying for a loan at the end of the class,” explains Beverly. “I was so, I need this money, I need this money. And when I didn’t get the loan I thought, what am I going to do now?”
What Beverly did was put the lessons she learned in the program to work and managed to drum up more than $26,000 in contracts from five clients between May and July. BAAB is a business writing service. Beverly and her staff assist their clients with writing business plans and proposals to coaching and marketing services.
“After moving past my pity party, I realized losing was the best thing for me,” says Beverly. “It's not about loans and competitions. It's about perseverance and the drive to make things happen.”
Before she started BAAB (the initials of her family members) in 2011, Beverly had worked in PR and marketing at a few different companies. She used her previous employers as a starting point to grow her own company. “I just started reaching out to previous employers, people I met in the BGV program; asking my existing clients to give me more work,” explains Beverly. “I had to be really focused and I said this is what I need to do. Now I’m not even looking for a loan. I realized I can do it without one.”
With BAAB’s growth, Beverly has been able to hire a part-time editor and a part-time writer to assist with the workload. Eventually, she plans to hire a full staff so she can focus on running BAAB.
new york times touts detroit shoreway revitalization
A feature titled “In Cleveland, Adding Life Where Grit Once Prevailed” in the New York Times Travel section outlined recent developments in the near-west neighborhood of Detroit Shoreway. Writer Erik Piepenburg, who frequently covers Cleveland developments, penned the feature.
“About two miles west of downtown Cleveland, the gritty Detroit-Shoreway was once a vibrant neighborhood before it was hit hard by the exodus of big manufacturing companies in the early decades of the 20th century,” he writes. “Lately, new businesses, arts groups and residents have settled in the Gordon Square Arts District, a revitalized mile-long stretch of Detroit Avenue. A recent $30 million capital campaign included new streetscapes and signage. Visitors can catch a show at the Cleveland Public Theater, walk through galleries at 78th Street Studios or grab a late-night bite at XYZ Tavern. And this spring, the Near West Theater will have a $7.3 million new home.”
Mentioned in the piece are Yellowcake, Toast, Sweet Moses, Happy Dog, and Capitol Theatre.
Read the rest of the feature here.
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“About two miles west of downtown Cleveland, the gritty Detroit-Shoreway was once a vibrant neighborhood before it was hit hard by the exodus of big manufacturing companies in the early decades of the 20th century,” he writes. “Lately, new businesses, arts groups and residents have settled in the Gordon Square Arts District, a revitalized mile-long stretch of Detroit Avenue. A recent $30 million capital campaign included new streetscapes and signage. Visitors can catch a show at the Cleveland Public Theater, walk through galleries at 78th Street Studios or grab a late-night bite at XYZ Tavern. And this spring, the Near West Theater will have a $7.3 million new home.”
Mentioned in the piece are Yellowcake, Toast, Sweet Moses, Happy Dog, and Capitol Theatre.
Read the rest of the feature here.
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NorTech hosted its first Innovation UnConference at the Cleveland Convention Center Wednesday, September 24. It was billed as an exchange of innovative ideas with no set topic or agenda, but rather a chance for the more than 250 participants to set their own discussion topics.
“This is no longer NorTech’s conference -- it’s your conference,” NorTech president and CEO Rebecca Bagley told the group in her registration welcome. With that, more than 50 people lined up to present their discussion topics. Thirty-two sessions were chosen and the group broke into smaller discussion groups. Attendees were reminded of the two-leg law: If you don’t like a discussion or are bored, get up and move to another group.
Discussion topics ranged from “Collaborations Between Small and Big Companies” to “Growing Entrepreneurs from Education into the Economy.” Bagley said most of the topics centered around talent attraction, energy and technology topics.
The event idea originated from the MassTLC Unconference in Boston, which has been holding its event for the past 10 years. Cleveland organizers were pleased that the Cleveland Unconference surpassed Boston’s first-year attendance numbers. The Boston event has grown to about 1,200 people each year.
Additionally, Bagley said the idea came to her when she was on a panel at a conference and was bored. “Looking into the audience, I thought, I know he has something to say, I know she has something to say,” she recalls. “This is about how we accelerate the pace of innovation.”
Participants also had the opportunity to have one-on-one half-hour sessions with 32 mentors to pick their brains and ask advice.
“This is no longer NorTech’s conference -- it’s your conference,” NorTech president and CEO Rebecca Bagley told the group in her registration welcome. With that, more than 50 people lined up to present their discussion topics. Thirty-two sessions were chosen and the group broke into smaller discussion groups. Attendees were reminded of the two-leg law: If you don’t like a discussion or are bored, get up and move to another group.
Discussion topics ranged from “Collaborations Between Small and Big Companies” to “Growing Entrepreneurs from Education into the Economy.” Bagley said most of the topics centered around talent attraction, energy and technology topics.
The event idea originated from the MassTLC Unconference in Boston, which has been holding its event for the past 10 years. Cleveland organizers were pleased that the Cleveland Unconference surpassed Boston’s first-year attendance numbers. The Boston event has grown to about 1,200 people each year.
Additionally, Bagley said the idea came to her when she was on a panel at a conference and was bored. “Looking into the audience, I thought, I know he has something to say, I know she has something to say,” she recalls. “This is about how we accelerate the pace of innovation.”
Participants also had the opportunity to have one-on-one half-hour sessions with 32 mentors to pick their brains and ask advice.
Brain gain, urbanization and increased development has created a demand in downtown living space. Historically, vacant buildings in need of change are targeted for this purpose. Lately, however, buildings with office tenants are being adapted or proposed for residential.
newly-unveiled flats plan prioritizes projects, sets stage for additional development
The 2014 Flats Forward Framework Plan, which will be unveiled today at a public meeting at the Music Box Supper Club on the West Bank, offers a roadmap for the area's future. Some of the key priorities identified in the plan include preserving the area's history as an industrial corridor, further developing recreation and riverfront access opportunities, investing in infrastructure and wayfinding signage, and designating land uses to clear the way for additional development.
"The Flats are a critical part of Cleveland's history and demonstrate immense opportunity for future growth," the report states, citing the $4.5 billion in new development that has occurred downtown since 2010, 95 percent apartment occupancy rates, and the growth of Ohio City, Tremont and Gordon Square as reasons for optimism.
The report divides the core of the Flats into six different areas -- the Old River Channel, East Bank, West Bank, Columbus Peninsula, Scranton Peninsula and Irishtown Bend. Some of the challenges identified in the report include confusing entryways into the Flats and the lack of wayfinding signage, the underused riverfront, crumbling infrastructure and poor public transit access.
So what's the future look like? The Flats Forward plan shows a network of green spaces (Whiskey Island, Canal Basin Park, Scranton Flats, Rivergate Park) connected by trails (Lake Link Trail, proposed River Walk Trail, Towpath Trail). It calls for a maintenance plan to improve the condition of streets and sidewalks and make the area more bike- and pedestrian-friendly. It calls for wayfinding signage, better waterfront access, and improved public transit links.
The plan also develops a roadway typology, suggesting that certain streets should be designated for primarily industrial uses.This could reduce the conflicts that currently exist between industrial concerns and other users in the Flats.
Other immediate next steps including identifying and applying for funding for planning efforts, hiring a marketing and branding firm, and determining market demand and potential land uses through a detailed economic study.
Although this plan represents a long-term vision, new economic activity is already being generated in the Flats. The shipping channel is very active, Rivergate Park is a recreation hub, the Columbus Peninsula is seeing redevelopment and both the East and West Banks are adding new businesses. This report suggests that this activity will increase -- and provides a roadmap to help guide it along.
"The Flats are a critical part of Cleveland's history and demonstrate immense opportunity for future growth," the report states, citing the $4.5 billion in new development that has occurred downtown since 2010, 95 percent apartment occupancy rates, and the growth of Ohio City, Tremont and Gordon Square as reasons for optimism.
The report divides the core of the Flats into six different areas -- the Old River Channel, East Bank, West Bank, Columbus Peninsula, Scranton Peninsula and Irishtown Bend. Some of the challenges identified in the report include confusing entryways into the Flats and the lack of wayfinding signage, the underused riverfront, crumbling infrastructure and poor public transit access.
So what's the future look like? The Flats Forward plan shows a network of green spaces (Whiskey Island, Canal Basin Park, Scranton Flats, Rivergate Park) connected by trails (Lake Link Trail, proposed River Walk Trail, Towpath Trail). It calls for a maintenance plan to improve the condition of streets and sidewalks and make the area more bike- and pedestrian-friendly. It calls for wayfinding signage, better waterfront access, and improved public transit links.
The plan also develops a roadway typology, suggesting that certain streets should be designated for primarily industrial uses.This could reduce the conflicts that currently exist between industrial concerns and other users in the Flats.
Other immediate next steps including identifying and applying for funding for planning efforts, hiring a marketing and branding firm, and determining market demand and potential land uses through a detailed economic study.
Although this plan represents a long-term vision, new economic activity is already being generated in the Flats. The shipping channel is very active, Rivergate Park is a recreation hub, the Columbus Peninsula is seeing redevelopment and both the East and West Banks are adding new businesses. This report suggests that this activity will increase -- and provides a roadmap to help guide it along.
Ingenuity Fest will return to Cleveland Lakefront Dock 32, the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock Hall, this weekend, September 26-28, for its 10th year of highlighting and celebrating innovation in Cleveland. In addition to the music, art and technology demonstrations that attract attendees every year, Ingenuity is featuring some new attractions this year.
The event kicks off with an opening party at the Great Lakes Science Center, called “Science After Dark.” The adults-only party offers a chance to drink, mingle, explore the exhibits and see artists’ interpretations of technology in our lives.
A can’t-miss is a flame bonfire sculpture, powered by stationary bicycles, says Annie Weiss, Ingenuity’s marketing manager. “The faster you pedal, the brighter the flame is,” she explains.
Perhaps the most significant addition to Ingenuity Fest this year is the Engines of Ingenuity Summit on Saturday, September 27 at the Great Lakes Science Center. Hosted by Plain Dealer tech columnist Michael DeAloia, the summit schedule offers dialogs between large and small companies, exhibits and presentations.
Weiss says the summit grew out of the feedback from prior attendees. “We saw an opportunity for this market,” she says. “I feel like there are a lot of summits for entrepreneur startups or corporate businesses, but now a lot of connections between the two. We wanted to bring unlikely conversations to the event.”
Such unlikely conversations include Intellectual Property versus Open Space, featuring area business leaders. “It covers when do you share with the world what you made and when do you hold it close to you,” says Weiss. Other topics include Defining Audience, Hacking Health, and Games and Gaming.
The summit concludes with a presentation by Bizdom, The Art of the Pitch. “It’s learning how to explain and present your idea,” says Weiss. The pitch segment will feature area business founders and people experienced with pitching their companies.
Jeff Duerk, dean of the CWRU school of engineering, will deliver the keynote address, “The Maker Movement and the Future of Manufacturing.”
The summit is free to attend the day of the event, but advanced registration costs $5.
The event kicks off with an opening party at the Great Lakes Science Center, called “Science After Dark.” The adults-only party offers a chance to drink, mingle, explore the exhibits and see artists’ interpretations of technology in our lives.
A can’t-miss is a flame bonfire sculpture, powered by stationary bicycles, says Annie Weiss, Ingenuity’s marketing manager. “The faster you pedal, the brighter the flame is,” she explains.
Perhaps the most significant addition to Ingenuity Fest this year is the Engines of Ingenuity Summit on Saturday, September 27 at the Great Lakes Science Center. Hosted by Plain Dealer tech columnist Michael DeAloia, the summit schedule offers dialogs between large and small companies, exhibits and presentations.
Weiss says the summit grew out of the feedback from prior attendees. “We saw an opportunity for this market,” she says. “I feel like there are a lot of summits for entrepreneur startups or corporate businesses, but now a lot of connections between the two. We wanted to bring unlikely conversations to the event.”
Such unlikely conversations include Intellectual Property versus Open Space, featuring area business leaders. “It covers when do you share with the world what you made and when do you hold it close to you,” says Weiss. Other topics include Defining Audience, Hacking Health, and Games and Gaming.
The summit concludes with a presentation by Bizdom, The Art of the Pitch. “It’s learning how to explain and present your idea,” says Weiss. The pitch segment will feature area business founders and people experienced with pitching their companies.
Jeff Duerk, dean of the CWRU school of engineering, will deliver the keynote address, “The Maker Movement and the Future of Manufacturing.”
The summit is free to attend the day of the event, but advanced registration costs $5.
cle named by mag as one of nation's 'best up-and-coming nightlife cities'
Women's Health magazine teamed up with Yelp to find the “fittest, artsiest, foodiest, and just plain coolest cities on the rise in America.” The results of their research landed them this list: Social Climbers: 5 Best Up-and-Coming Nightlife Cities. Cleveland is among the best.
“For our first ever Social Cities package in the October 2014 issue of Women's Health, we teamed up with data scientists at Yelp to help us find the best (and most surprising) cities across America for different types of social scenes. For cities to rank high for nightlife, we looked at bars of all types --champagne bars, dive bars, gay bars, hookah bars, Irish pubs, sports bars, wine bars... you name it! We also looked for cities with a ton of dance clubs, night clubs, a solid karaoke scene, pool halls... and so much more. The five fantastic cities that we named our top up-and-coming nightlife hotspots had a LOT of all of the above on offer. If you're looking for a seriously fun road trip with your closest girlfriends, you should definitely add any of these bumping cities to your must-visit list.”
2. Cleveland, OH
“Sure, Cleveland has always rocked. Now, thanks to three reinvigorated neighborhoods, the city's nightlife pulses with a new sophistication. We're not talking cookie-cutter poshness: The after-dark ambience in these trendsetting locales are decidedly diverse.”
Mentioned in the item are the Horseshoe Casino, Ohio City's West 25th Street, Uptown, Cleveland Orchestra's Severance Hall, Cleveland Heights and The Grog Shop.
Read the rest right here.
“For our first ever Social Cities package in the October 2014 issue of Women's Health, we teamed up with data scientists at Yelp to help us find the best (and most surprising) cities across America for different types of social scenes. For cities to rank high for nightlife, we looked at bars of all types --champagne bars, dive bars, gay bars, hookah bars, Irish pubs, sports bars, wine bars... you name it! We also looked for cities with a ton of dance clubs, night clubs, a solid karaoke scene, pool halls... and so much more. The five fantastic cities that we named our top up-and-coming nightlife hotspots had a LOT of all of the above on offer. If you're looking for a seriously fun road trip with your closest girlfriends, you should definitely add any of these bumping cities to your must-visit list.”
2. Cleveland, OH
“Sure, Cleveland has always rocked. Now, thanks to three reinvigorated neighborhoods, the city's nightlife pulses with a new sophistication. We're not talking cookie-cutter poshness: The after-dark ambience in these trendsetting locales are decidedly diverse.”
Mentioned in the item are the Horseshoe Casino, Ohio City's West 25th Street, Uptown, Cleveland Orchestra's Severance Hall, Cleveland Heights and The Grog Shop.
Read the rest right here.
In its third quarter manufacturing outlook survey, WIRE-Net, a non-profit economic development organization for the manufacturing industry in Northeast Ohio, found that Cleveland area manufacturers are having a good year and are optimistic that business will continue to be good.
Of the 89 WIRE-Net members who participated in the survey, half of the companies reported they anticipated increased profits in the upcoming year and 31 percent expected profits to equal last year. The majority of the companies were small manufacturers, with fewer than 50 employees and sales under $10 million annually.
In previous years, the top two concerns of WIRE-Net members were around attracting qualified workers and sales and new customers. This year, while respondents still reported that talent attraction was a top concern, other priorities shifted to costs.
“They are now talking materials, the Affordable Care Act and electricity costs,” explains Julie King, WIRE-Net’s vice president of resource development and communications. “Sales and customers must be flowing because it wasn’t a barrier. So that’s how we know companies are doing well.”
Tom Schullman, general manager of E.C. Kitzel and Sons, a tool manufacturer for the automotive, aerospace, small appliance and mining industries, participated in the survey and agrees with the results.
The 30-person company has started to see an increase in business this year. “Toward the end of the second quarter we saw kind of an uptick in business and it’s carried over into the third quarter,” he says.
Schullman describes sales as “brisk,” which bodes well for the overall manufacturing ecosystem. “We sell tooling and that’s considered a commodity -- our customers don’t purchase unless they have a need for it,” he explains. “We’ve added new customers in the last six months. The primary thing is our customers are getting busier and it’s causing them to increase orders to us.”
Among WIRE-Net members, manufacturing accounts for 21,000 jobs and $1 billion in wages in Northeast Ohio, which in turn is the engine behind 13,000 additional non-manufacturing jobs.
Of the 89 WIRE-Net members who participated in the survey, half of the companies reported they anticipated increased profits in the upcoming year and 31 percent expected profits to equal last year. The majority of the companies were small manufacturers, with fewer than 50 employees and sales under $10 million annually.
In previous years, the top two concerns of WIRE-Net members were around attracting qualified workers and sales and new customers. This year, while respondents still reported that talent attraction was a top concern, other priorities shifted to costs.
“They are now talking materials, the Affordable Care Act and electricity costs,” explains Julie King, WIRE-Net’s vice president of resource development and communications. “Sales and customers must be flowing because it wasn’t a barrier. So that’s how we know companies are doing well.”
Tom Schullman, general manager of E.C. Kitzel and Sons, a tool manufacturer for the automotive, aerospace, small appliance and mining industries, participated in the survey and agrees with the results.
The 30-person company has started to see an increase in business this year. “Toward the end of the second quarter we saw kind of an uptick in business and it’s carried over into the third quarter,” he says.
Schullman describes sales as “brisk,” which bodes well for the overall manufacturing ecosystem. “We sell tooling and that’s considered a commodity -- our customers don’t purchase unless they have a need for it,” he explains. “We’ve added new customers in the last six months. The primary thing is our customers are getting busier and it’s causing them to increase orders to us.”
Among WIRE-Net members, manufacturing accounts for 21,000 jobs and $1 billion in wages in Northeast Ohio, which in turn is the engine behind 13,000 additional non-manufacturing jobs.
Several Cleveland companies have new faces on their staffs. Here’s a rundown of who’s in new positions.
Ben Faller is the Home Repair Resource Center’s new executive director. Since 2009, Faller has served as a staff attorney and chief housing specialist for the Cleveland Housing Court, working to expand the court’s problem-solving programs and engaging in outreach and policy work on housing and property issues. He previously worked for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland on housing issues and operated his own small business as a general contractor, specializing in residential remodeling. Ben is currently an adjunct professor of law at CWRU and serves as the board chairperson for Larchmere PorchFest.
2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Bill Nemeth has signed on to lead JumpStart's Burton D. Morgan Mentoring Program after exiting his own company, Mirifex Systems, which was named the fastest-growing IT consulting firm in the United States in the 2005 Inc. 500 list. In his role, Nemeth connects JumpStart’s network of experts with entrepreneurs who need advice and guidance.
Marilyn Mosinski is the new director of business recruitment and development for Slavic Village Development, where she will work with area businesses and recruit new commercial retail and industrial companies to the area. Mosinski joins Slavic Village Development from MidTown Cleveland, where she was manager of planning and development. She is a lifelong Slavic Village resident, and has been active in the neighborhood’s growth and success.
Have a new hire to share? Email Karin with the details and we’ll spread the word!
Ben Faller is the Home Repair Resource Center’s new executive director. Since 2009, Faller has served as a staff attorney and chief housing specialist for the Cleveland Housing Court, working to expand the court’s problem-solving programs and engaging in outreach and policy work on housing and property issues. He previously worked for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland on housing issues and operated his own small business as a general contractor, specializing in residential remodeling. Ben is currently an adjunct professor of law at CWRU and serves as the board chairperson for Larchmere PorchFest.
2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Bill Nemeth has signed on to lead JumpStart's Burton D. Morgan Mentoring Program after exiting his own company, Mirifex Systems, which was named the fastest-growing IT consulting firm in the United States in the 2005 Inc. 500 list. In his role, Nemeth connects JumpStart’s network of experts with entrepreneurs who need advice and guidance.
Marilyn Mosinski is the new director of business recruitment and development for Slavic Village Development, where she will work with area businesses and recruit new commercial retail and industrial companies to the area. Mosinski joins Slavic Village Development from MidTown Cleveland, where she was manager of planning and development. She is a lifelong Slavic Village resident, and has been active in the neighborhood’s growth and success.
Have a new hire to share? Email Karin with the details and we’ll spread the word!
travel writer discovers 'the quirky side of cleveland'
In feature titled “Discovering the quirky side of Cleveland,” travel writer Katherine Calos of the Richmond Times-Dispatch focuses on the less conventional side of some Cleveland hotspots.
“You really know a city when you know its quirks. So, let’s get to know Cleveland,” she leads off.
“Where else would you find the world’s largest chandelier hanging over a city street, Froot Loops on hot dogs, religious statues lovingly restored by a makeup artist, a leg lamp in the Christmas house that made it famous, a portrait featuring eye protection from whale-oil lamps and a museum that’s enshrined the remains of a disc jockey?”
Highlighted for inclusion are:
The Happy Dog: “Chili cheese dogs seem a little lame when compared with the Mobile Home-Wrecker, the Sunday Night Special, the 1:45 AM Special and East Meets West -- a few of the suggestions for combining the 50 available toppings for the $5 hot dogs.”
The Playhouse Square Chandelier: “The world’s largest outdoor chandelier, according to the Guinness World Records, became the centerpiece of Cleveland’s theater district in May. It’s already become an icon for Playhouse Square.”
A Christmas Story House: “If you’ve ever marveled at the supreme tackiness of the leg lamp in the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story,” you’ll love it in its natural setting.”
Cleveland Museum of Art: “Put on your coolest shades for a ‘selfie’ with Nathaniel Olds. That’s what he did when he sat for a portrait in 1837. His fashionable green-tinted eyeglasses offered protection from the bright light of Argand lamps, which produced about 10 times as much light as other whale-oil lamps.”
Read the rest right here.
“You really know a city when you know its quirks. So, let’s get to know Cleveland,” she leads off.
“Where else would you find the world’s largest chandelier hanging over a city street, Froot Loops on hot dogs, religious statues lovingly restored by a makeup artist, a leg lamp in the Christmas house that made it famous, a portrait featuring eye protection from whale-oil lamps and a museum that’s enshrined the remains of a disc jockey?”
Highlighted for inclusion are:
The Happy Dog: “Chili cheese dogs seem a little lame when compared with the Mobile Home-Wrecker, the Sunday Night Special, the 1:45 AM Special and East Meets West -- a few of the suggestions for combining the 50 available toppings for the $5 hot dogs.”
The Playhouse Square Chandelier: “The world’s largest outdoor chandelier, according to the Guinness World Records, became the centerpiece of Cleveland’s theater district in May. It’s already become an icon for Playhouse Square.”
A Christmas Story House: “If you’ve ever marveled at the supreme tackiness of the leg lamp in the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story,” you’ll love it in its natural setting.”
Cleveland Museum of Art: “Put on your coolest shades for a ‘selfie’ with Nathaniel Olds. That’s what he did when he sat for a portrait in 1837. His fashionable green-tinted eyeglasses offered protection from the bright light of Argand lamps, which produced about 10 times as much light as other whale-oil lamps.”
Read the rest right here.
charlotte writer visits home -- superman’s home that is
In a travel feature titled “At home -- really -- with Superman,” Charlotte Observer writer John Bordsen spends some quality time in the Cleveland home where Superman was born.
“Superman, the story goes, was born on the planet Krypton and sent to Earth in a small rocket by his father when that planet was about to explode. He was actually born in 1933 in a two-story bungalow in a scruffy neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, probably in the attic.”
The home, in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, was the residence of the Siegel family, whose son Jerry created most famous superhero. Jerry wrote the story while his neighborhood friend Joe Shuster drew the cartoon. Superman’s inaugural appearance was in Action Comics’ first issue, published in 1938.
“Drawing from Tarzan books and comic strips and Tarzan movie star Johnny Weissmuller, plus Dick Tracy, Buck Rogers and other pop idols, their Superman gradually evolved from a villainous mastermind to a good guy with super powers and a secret identity.”
Read more here.
“Superman, the story goes, was born on the planet Krypton and sent to Earth in a small rocket by his father when that planet was about to explode. He was actually born in 1933 in a two-story bungalow in a scruffy neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, probably in the attic.”
The home, in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, was the residence of the Siegel family, whose son Jerry created most famous superhero. Jerry wrote the story while his neighborhood friend Joe Shuster drew the cartoon. Superman’s inaugural appearance was in Action Comics’ first issue, published in 1938.
“Drawing from Tarzan books and comic strips and Tarzan movie star Johnny Weissmuller, plus Dick Tracy, Buck Rogers and other pop idols, their Superman gradually evolved from a villainous mastermind to a good guy with super powers and a secret identity.”
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