Regional Economy
From Charles F. Brush to John D. Rockefeller, Cleveland has been home to entrepreneurs with innovations that helped shape the world. We take a look at some of Cleveland’s ground breaking companies -- some old, some new -- to see what makes the company unique, how it achieved its success, and where they stand today.
Any teenager with a smartphone and some ingenuity can record a song and download it to SoundCloud or YouTube. But Cuyahoga Community College’s recording arts and technology program prepares students for all types of positions within the audio industry.
wall street journal digs into cleveland's lakefront development plan
In a feature titled, “In Cleveland, Developer Puts Down Stakes by the Lake,” Wall Street Journal scribe Chelsey Dulaney writes about the ambitious lakefront development plans currently taking shape in downtown Cleveland.
“Cleveland's longtime dream of developing its Lake Erie waterfront took a step forward last month when its City Council approved plans for a $700 million development,” she writes.
Spurred by increasing residential demand from new residents interested in a more urban lifestyle, the project is on its way to fruition.
“The downtown's population has risen by 88% since 2000 to more than 12,500, according to a Downtown Cleveland Alliance report published in April. Restaurants, microbreweries and art galleries dot Cleveland's once-lifeless streets.”
Among the plans is a school, boutique hotel and restaurants. Apartment rents will range from $1,000 to $2,000 a month, “making them affordable to young professionals, empty-nesters and families.”
"When I left Cleveland after college, downtown wasn't the place to be," Mr. Halloran said. "Now everybody coming back to Cleveland wants to be downtown. There's life there."
Read the rest right here.
“Cleveland's longtime dream of developing its Lake Erie waterfront took a step forward last month when its City Council approved plans for a $700 million development,” she writes.
Spurred by increasing residential demand from new residents interested in a more urban lifestyle, the project is on its way to fruition.
“The downtown's population has risen by 88% since 2000 to more than 12,500, according to a Downtown Cleveland Alliance report published in April. Restaurants, microbreweries and art galleries dot Cleveland's once-lifeless streets.”
Among the plans is a school, boutique hotel and restaurants. Apartment rents will range from $1,000 to $2,000 a month, “making them affordable to young professionals, empty-nesters and families.”
"When I left Cleveland after college, downtown wasn't the place to be," Mr. Halloran said. "Now everybody coming back to Cleveland wants to be downtown. There's life there."
Read the rest right here.
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Some might say that the opening of a waxing studio in the former home of the Speak in Tongues music club signals a seismic shift in the Ohio City neighborhood it calls home. To owner Danielle Fuller, it simply fills a need for those looking to get pretty.
On Tuesday, July 8, Fuller opened the doors to Bloom & Clover Wax Studio at 4309 Lorain Avenue, the former home of the infamous rock club Speak in Tongues, which closed in 2001. It has remained vacant ever since.
“You wouldn’t believe the random stuff we found in this place,” says Fuller.
Walk in there today and you’ll find a hip, contemporary space with three employees eager to depilate clients in style and comfort. The former S.I.T. space was divided into two 1,000-square-foot properties.
“The space is a little industrial, mid-century modern mixed with hard edges,” says Fuller. “It has its rough edges, but with pretty pieces -- just like me.”
Fuller, who lives in Ohio City and has a child who attends Campus International, is a skilled aesthetician with years in the business. But all of those years have been spent in suburbs, where all of the salons and studios tend to be located.
“The problem is that there isn’t anywhere for girls -- and guys too -- to go in the city for these services,” she says. “All the salons are in the suburbs. With all the young professionals moving into the neighborhood and downtown, it seemed like the perfect timing to open.”
In addition to making customers baby-smooth, Bloom & Clover will also offer spray tans. “We want to keep people out of the sun and healthy,” she adds.
In addition to old cassette tapes, Fuller unearthed the old bowling alley addition in the back, which doubled as “home away from home” for many touring musicians. That old lumber was turned into furniture.
As for the name, Fuller says she was just looking for something “fun and quirky, not all new-agey.”
On Tuesday, July 8, Fuller opened the doors to Bloom & Clover Wax Studio at 4309 Lorain Avenue, the former home of the infamous rock club Speak in Tongues, which closed in 2001. It has remained vacant ever since.
“You wouldn’t believe the random stuff we found in this place,” says Fuller.
Walk in there today and you’ll find a hip, contemporary space with three employees eager to depilate clients in style and comfort. The former S.I.T. space was divided into two 1,000-square-foot properties.
“The space is a little industrial, mid-century modern mixed with hard edges,” says Fuller. “It has its rough edges, but with pretty pieces -- just like me.”
Fuller, who lives in Ohio City and has a child who attends Campus International, is a skilled aesthetician with years in the business. But all of those years have been spent in suburbs, where all of the salons and studios tend to be located.
“The problem is that there isn’t anywhere for girls -- and guys too -- to go in the city for these services,” she says. “All the salons are in the suburbs. With all the young professionals moving into the neighborhood and downtown, it seemed like the perfect timing to open.”
In addition to making customers baby-smooth, Bloom & Clover will also offer spray tans. “We want to keep people out of the sun and healthy,” she adds.
In addition to old cassette tapes, Fuller unearthed the old bowling alley addition in the back, which doubled as “home away from home” for many touring musicians. That old lumber was turned into furniture.
As for the name, Fuller says she was just looking for something “fun and quirky, not all new-agey.”
Graphic design is a form of visual storytelling, where a few well-crafted images can speak to the viewer in a language more powerful than words. Cuyahoga Community College's graphic design program helps students to harness that power for themselves, with the story they're telling going straight into their portfolios.
Terri Pontremoli has a vision for the Tri-C JazzFest's first foray into summer. The event director imagines thousands of Clevelanders gathered in the newly chandeliered U.S. Bank Plaza, enjoying the early evening sunshine and a host of free outdoor music events. Close by, Playhouse Square's multiple indoor venues are packed with genre enthusiasts whose finger-snapping exuberance has helped make JazzFest the must-attend extravaganza that it has been for the last 34 years.
Whether this vision comes to life or not will be determined when the festival's 35th installment hits its first note later this week, marking an official shift from an annual 10-day event in April to a single summer weekend, June 26-28.
The new schedule is an experiment for the annual affair by Cuyahoga Community College, one made necessary by practical reasons and a desire to help transform downtown into a warm weather music destination.
"We think Cleveland is ready for it," says Pontremoli.
Read the rest of the JazzFest feature here.
Whether this vision comes to life or not will be determined when the festival's 35th installment hits its first note later this week, marking an official shift from an annual 10-day event in April to a single summer weekend, June 26-28.
The new schedule is an experiment for the annual affair by Cuyahoga Community College, one made necessary by practical reasons and a desire to help transform downtown into a warm weather music destination.
"We think Cleveland is ready for it," says Pontremoli.
Read the rest of the JazzFest feature here.
There has been a flood of new businesses that tout the city through an assortment of Cleveland-themed apparel and products or by integrating the city name right into the company’s branding. Many point to the recent recession as the dawn of this entrepreneurial movement, which coincided with a newfound pride of place.
On Wednesday, June 25, Cleveland will become the 43rd U.S. city to join the 1 Million Cups campaign, a national effort to engage, educate and connect entrepreneurs both locally and nationally -- and eventually internationally. The program, funded by the Kauffman Foundation, is based on the idea that entrepreneurs network and move their ideas forward over one million cups of coffee.
“It’s just about creating a community put together by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, across multiple industries,” explains Jose Vasquez, owner of Quez Media Marketing and one of the organizers of the Cleveland chapter.
1 Million Cups Cleveland will host weekly meetings, during which two entrepreneurs each will deliver six-minute presentations followed by 20 minutes of Q&A with the audience. “What can we do for you? is the question to be answered at these weekly engagements,” says Vasquez. “A lot of opportunity can come from the community. This is really about entrepreneurs who need help and advice from the community.”
Vasquez explains that 1 Million Cups is different from other entrepreneurial networking organizations in that it spans multiple industries. “It brings all these communities together,” he says. “It’s really just helping people.”
The goal of 1 Million Cups is to eventually serve as a worldwide networking organization, where entrepreneurs can call upon other entrepreneurs in similar industries for advice and support.
Other Cleveland organizers include Colleen Beyer of Borrow Vintage and Eclectic Rentals; Cole Worley, a co-conductor of StartupBus and GiveCamp volunteer; and Carl Shotwell, a developer and entrepreneur at LeanDog. JumpStart and LaunchHouse worked to help make Cleveland a 1 Million Cups City.
Meeting locations will change on a quarterly basis, with the first meetings being held at JumpStart’s offices on June 25th, from 9 to 10 a.m. Vasquez says they are still recruiting entrepreneurs to speak, location sponsors and coffee sponsors. The two entrepreneurial speakers have yet to be announced.
“It’s just about creating a community put together by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, across multiple industries,” explains Jose Vasquez, owner of Quez Media Marketing and one of the organizers of the Cleveland chapter.
1 Million Cups Cleveland will host weekly meetings, during which two entrepreneurs each will deliver six-minute presentations followed by 20 minutes of Q&A with the audience. “What can we do for you? is the question to be answered at these weekly engagements,” says Vasquez. “A lot of opportunity can come from the community. This is really about entrepreneurs who need help and advice from the community.”
Vasquez explains that 1 Million Cups is different from other entrepreneurial networking organizations in that it spans multiple industries. “It brings all these communities together,” he says. “It’s really just helping people.”
The goal of 1 Million Cups is to eventually serve as a worldwide networking organization, where entrepreneurs can call upon other entrepreneurs in similar industries for advice and support.
Other Cleveland organizers include Colleen Beyer of Borrow Vintage and Eclectic Rentals; Cole Worley, a co-conductor of StartupBus and GiveCamp volunteer; and Carl Shotwell, a developer and entrepreneur at LeanDog. JumpStart and LaunchHouse worked to help make Cleveland a 1 Million Cups City.
Meeting locations will change on a quarterly basis, with the first meetings being held at JumpStart’s offices on June 25th, from 9 to 10 a.m. Vasquez says they are still recruiting entrepreneurs to speak, location sponsors and coffee sponsors. The two entrepreneurial speakers have yet to be announced.
Global Cleveland will take its Talent Attraction Campaign on the road to Washington D.C. in the hopes of enticing people to relocate to Cleveland.
On June 26, leaders from Cleveland will travel to our nation’s capital to share the many employment opportunities in our region. Attendees also will hear about the exciting things happening in Cleveland like the thriving arts and culture scene coupled with our low cost of living.
“We’re very excited to take Global Cleveland on the road to show the rest of the country -- and really, the world -- what we’re capable of and what’s attractive about Cleveland,” says Joy Roller, President of Global Cleveland.
The Talent Attraction Campaign will promote its principal tool, the online portal at globalcleveland.org that can orient job seekers toward all of the offerings that Cleveland provides. The organization is billing it as a one-stop-shop about Cleveland. In addition to highlighting the newly launched portal, the event also will focus on its virtual job fair that runs June 23-27. Local companies across many sectors have posted opportunities and Global Cleveland is working to spread the word about the job fair outside of Cleveland in hopes of attracting more people to the region.
The event organizers are looking to Clevelanders to alert those they know in the D.C. area to this event to help drive attendance. If you know someone in the D.C. area, forward them this invitation to help spread the good news.
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On June 26, leaders from Cleveland will travel to our nation’s capital to share the many employment opportunities in our region. Attendees also will hear about the exciting things happening in Cleveland like the thriving arts and culture scene coupled with our low cost of living.
“We’re very excited to take Global Cleveland on the road to show the rest of the country -- and really, the world -- what we’re capable of and what’s attractive about Cleveland,” says Joy Roller, President of Global Cleveland.
The Talent Attraction Campaign will promote its principal tool, the online portal at globalcleveland.org that can orient job seekers toward all of the offerings that Cleveland provides. The organization is billing it as a one-stop-shop about Cleveland. In addition to highlighting the newly launched portal, the event also will focus on its virtual job fair that runs June 23-27. Local companies across many sectors have posted opportunities and Global Cleveland is working to spread the word about the job fair outside of Cleveland in hopes of attracting more people to the region.
The event organizers are looking to Clevelanders to alert those they know in the D.C. area to this event to help drive attendance. If you know someone in the D.C. area, forward them this invitation to help spread the good news.
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Everybody has those days when they just don’t feel like going to work. But some employers offer perks that make coming to work a little less painful. From all-you-can-eat snack bars to pursuing outside interests on company time -- and free beer! -- these companies help make coming to the office a little easier to swallow.
cleveland shakes off the rust thanks to influx of educated, young new residents
In this Forbes article written by Joel Kotkin titled “Shaking Off The Rust: Cleveland Workforce Gets Younger And Smarter Between 2000 and 2012,” Kotkin examines the growing trend of a younger, well-educated generation shying away from expensive “coast cities” to instead take up residence in the Rust Belt, especially Cleveland.
“The Cleveland metro area logged a net gain of about 60,000 people 25 and over with a college degree while losing a net 70,000 of those without a bachelor’s, according to a recent report from Cleveland State University. The number of newcomers aged 25 to 34 increased by 23 percent from 2006 to 2012, with an 11 percent increase from 2011 to 2012 alone. Most revealingly, half of these people came from other states. When it comes to net migration, Atlanta, Detroit, and Pittsburgh were the biggest feeders for those arriving with a bachelor’s degree, while Chicago, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh sent the most net migrants with a graduate or professional degree.”
Kotkin goes on to explain the changing demographic of Clevelanders from past perceptions.
“The picture of Cleveland that emerges from the Cleveland State University study is a very different one from that to which we are accustomed. Rather than a metro area left behind by the information revolution, Cleveland boasts an increasingly youthful workforce that is among the better educated in the nation. In 2009. notes University of Pittsburgh economist Chris Briem, some 15% of Cleveland’s workforce between 25 and 34 has a graduate degree, ranking the area seventh in the nation, ahead of such “brain centers” as Chicago, Austin and Seattle. Old Clevelanders as a whole will remain undereducated, but likely not the next generation.”’
Read the rest of the good news here.
“The Cleveland metro area logged a net gain of about 60,000 people 25 and over with a college degree while losing a net 70,000 of those without a bachelor’s, according to a recent report from Cleveland State University. The number of newcomers aged 25 to 34 increased by 23 percent from 2006 to 2012, with an 11 percent increase from 2011 to 2012 alone. Most revealingly, half of these people came from other states. When it comes to net migration, Atlanta, Detroit, and Pittsburgh were the biggest feeders for those arriving with a bachelor’s degree, while Chicago, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh sent the most net migrants with a graduate or professional degree.”
Kotkin goes on to explain the changing demographic of Clevelanders from past perceptions.
“The picture of Cleveland that emerges from the Cleveland State University study is a very different one from that to which we are accustomed. Rather than a metro area left behind by the information revolution, Cleveland boasts an increasingly youthful workforce that is among the better educated in the nation. In 2009. notes University of Pittsburgh economist Chris Briem, some 15% of Cleveland’s workforce between 25 and 34 has a graduate degree, ranking the area seventh in the nation, ahead of such “brain centers” as Chicago, Austin and Seattle. Old Clevelanders as a whole will remain undereducated, but likely not the next generation.”’
Read the rest of the good news here.
time out calls cleveland 'a road trip for food lovers'
In a Time Out Chicago feature titled, “Road trips for food-lovers: Cleveland,” writer Rebecca Skoch offer road-trippers a quick itinerary for food-focused visitors to our fair city.
“With a mix of old school restaurants and ambitious chefs, the Ohio city is an up-and-coming culinary destination,” she writes.
“Cleveland's restaurant and bar scene has been gaining momentum over the past few years. Celebrity chefs like Michael Symon of Lola and Lolita have taken the lead in championing local dining, and long-standing favorites are finally gaining the recognition they deserve.”
“Here are a few places not to miss during a summer weekend on the shores of Lake Erie.”
Among the places highlighted in the piece are Flying Fig, West Side Market, Sokolowski's, Greenhouse Tavern and Porco Lounge.
Read the rest here.
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“With a mix of old school restaurants and ambitious chefs, the Ohio city is an up-and-coming culinary destination,” she writes.
“Cleveland's restaurant and bar scene has been gaining momentum over the past few years. Celebrity chefs like Michael Symon of Lola and Lolita have taken the lead in championing local dining, and long-standing favorites are finally gaining the recognition they deserve.”
“Here are a few places not to miss during a summer weekend on the shores of Lake Erie.”
Among the places highlighted in the piece are Flying Fig, West Side Market, Sokolowski's, Greenhouse Tavern and Porco Lounge.
Read the rest here.
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As the West Side Market’s new manager, Amanda Dempsey is stepping in at a time when the treasured public market is receiving unprecedented attention -- both good and unwanted. But throughout it all, she says, the focus must remain on the bond between the century-old icon and the city that embraces it.
Three organizations -- LaunchHouse, Civic Commons Ideastream and Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) -- have come together as the lead partners in supporting entrepreneurs with ideas to improve their communities.
SEA Change, a Social Enterprise Accelerator, provides up to $50,000 in funding, coaching and connections to eligible candidates trying to make a difference in Cleveland neighborhoods. “We’re funding people who have ideas to improve their communities in a sustainable way,” says Mike Shafarenko, Civic Commons director. “A number of organizations came together last November to discuss how to revive development and support of social enterprises in Northeast Ohio.”
Seven other groups are also involved, including JumpStart, Foundation Center Cleveland and Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU). SEA Change is funded by the Business of Good Foundation, the Generation Foundation, the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and the George Gund Foundation.
Shafarenko says SEA Change emerged as the involved organizations saw a need to support the growing number of social enterprises in Cleveland. “We have a tremendous amount of talented, active people in Northeast Ohio who just don’t have the means to execute their ideas,” he explains. “The entrepreneurial spirit needs a little bit of coaching and support to take it to the next level.”
Examples of existing successful social enterprises include Edwins Restaurant at Shaker Square, which employs former inmates, Tunnel Vision Hoops, which manufactures and sells hoop houses to extend the growing season, and From the Blue Bag, which converts recyclables into works of art.
Sea Change will host training sessions on Friday, June 13 and Friday, July 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The events will provide training, one-on-one consultation and networking to help participants get social enterprise ideas off the ground.
SEA Change, a Social Enterprise Accelerator, provides up to $50,000 in funding, coaching and connections to eligible candidates trying to make a difference in Cleveland neighborhoods. “We’re funding people who have ideas to improve their communities in a sustainable way,” says Mike Shafarenko, Civic Commons director. “A number of organizations came together last November to discuss how to revive development and support of social enterprises in Northeast Ohio.”
Seven other groups are also involved, including JumpStart, Foundation Center Cleveland and Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU). SEA Change is funded by the Business of Good Foundation, the Generation Foundation, the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and the George Gund Foundation.
Shafarenko says SEA Change emerged as the involved organizations saw a need to support the growing number of social enterprises in Cleveland. “We have a tremendous amount of talented, active people in Northeast Ohio who just don’t have the means to execute their ideas,” he explains. “The entrepreneurial spirit needs a little bit of coaching and support to take it to the next level.”
Examples of existing successful social enterprises include Edwins Restaurant at Shaker Square, which employs former inmates, Tunnel Vision Hoops, which manufactures and sells hoop houses to extend the growing season, and From the Blue Bag, which converts recyclables into works of art.
Sea Change will host training sessions on Friday, June 13 and Friday, July 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The events will provide training, one-on-one consultation and networking to help participants get social enterprise ideas off the ground.
newsweek highlights lee road, the 'bitcoin boulevard' in cleveland heights
In a Newsweek article titled "Bitcoin Makes the Jump to Brick-and-Mortar in Cleveland," reporter Joe Kloc describes the details of a new digital currency, Bitcoin, and how numerous retailers on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights have adapted the system.
"Most of the customers at Mitchell’s Fine Chocolates in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, are locals who have been reared from birth on its chocolate-covered marshmallows, pecan turtles and half-dipped apricots," Kloc writes. "But lately, says Bill Mitchell, the shop’s 54-year-old proprietor, there have been some new faces."
Mitchell goes on to describe a fresh-faced couple who recently shopped at his store, and while the visit was unremarkable, the payment was anything but.
“I couldn’t even tell you what they bought,” the Mitchell confessed. But what he does remember is how the couple paid: "with about 0.12 bitcoins."
"Mitchell is one of a dozen shop owners on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights who have joined together to accept the controversial digital cryptocurrency in the hope of attracting new customers, and as a way to avoid credit card fees. Since May 1, bitcoiners have traveled to the tree-lined street in northeast Ohio from as far away as North Carolina. Here, they trade their bitcoins for ice cream cones, haircuts and handmade Colombian bracelets, and are sent off with a 'buh-bye now,' the local parlance on what bills itself as America’s first Bitcoin Boulevard."
“We don’t expect a windfall,” says Nikhil Chand, founder of the bitcoin consultancy CoinNEO, who conceived of Bitcoin Boulevard late last year. “This is about so much more -- about the hurt from the fees through traditional payment.”
Read the rest of the story here.
"Most of the customers at Mitchell’s Fine Chocolates in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, are locals who have been reared from birth on its chocolate-covered marshmallows, pecan turtles and half-dipped apricots," Kloc writes. "But lately, says Bill Mitchell, the shop’s 54-year-old proprietor, there have been some new faces."
Mitchell goes on to describe a fresh-faced couple who recently shopped at his store, and while the visit was unremarkable, the payment was anything but.
“I couldn’t even tell you what they bought,” the Mitchell confessed. But what he does remember is how the couple paid: "with about 0.12 bitcoins."
"Mitchell is one of a dozen shop owners on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights who have joined together to accept the controversial digital cryptocurrency in the hope of attracting new customers, and as a way to avoid credit card fees. Since May 1, bitcoiners have traveled to the tree-lined street in northeast Ohio from as far away as North Carolina. Here, they trade their bitcoins for ice cream cones, haircuts and handmade Colombian bracelets, and are sent off with a 'buh-bye now,' the local parlance on what bills itself as America’s first Bitcoin Boulevard."
“We don’t expect a windfall,” says Nikhil Chand, founder of the bitcoin consultancy CoinNEO, who conceived of Bitcoin Boulevard late last year. “This is about so much more -- about the hurt from the fees through traditional payment.”
Read the rest of the story here.
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) and Ernst & Young named Thomas W. Harvey High School junior Brandon McClain "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" during its annual ceremony. McClain is CEO of B Kind Cards, which features his original photography of Cleveland landmarks. He received $1,000 and the chance to compete in the national Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) competition in November at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
Y.O.U. is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk teens succeed in life. The E-City program uses the NFTE curriculum to teach entrepreneurship, business and leadership skills and encourages participants to start their own companies. “They can go to school, take the E-City class, enter the workforce and pursue their own ideas,” explains Emily Bacha, development and marketing administrator for Y.O.U. “Lots of students go on to continue their businesses after taking the class.”
Y.O.U.’s E-City classes prepare students for the real business world, especially when finding a decent job or going to college can be difficult right out of high school.
“Teaching our students about entrepreneurism and how to start their own business is important because it provides another route to economic and personal success,” says Bacha. “A number of our alumni have sustained their businesses after finishing the program and the income they’re earning is helping them pay bills and pay for college.”
Eight high school entrepreneurs from Horizon Science Academy, John F. Kennedy High School, Shaw High School and Thomas W. Harvey High School had eight minutes to present their business plans to a panel of three judges on May 22 at E&Y’s new Flats-based offices.
The experience of presenting provides its own rewards in putting classroom lessons into practice. “Youth are tasked with presenting their business plans, but are rewarded with practical advice on how to grow their businesses from successful entrepreneurs,” says Bacha. “Our finalists are rewarded with financial investments in their businesses.”
In addition to McCain, Harvey senior Byron Alston, CEO of Jazzy Scarves, took second place and won $500 from Y.O.U. to put towards his business and a trip to the NFTE competition. Shaw senior and CEO of KJ’s Steam Clean Service Kevin Alexander took third place, winning $250.
Y.O.U. is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk teens succeed in life. The E-City program uses the NFTE curriculum to teach entrepreneurship, business and leadership skills and encourages participants to start their own companies. “They can go to school, take the E-City class, enter the workforce and pursue their own ideas,” explains Emily Bacha, development and marketing administrator for Y.O.U. “Lots of students go on to continue their businesses after taking the class.”
Y.O.U.’s E-City classes prepare students for the real business world, especially when finding a decent job or going to college can be difficult right out of high school.
“Teaching our students about entrepreneurism and how to start their own business is important because it provides another route to economic and personal success,” says Bacha. “A number of our alumni have sustained their businesses after finishing the program and the income they’re earning is helping them pay bills and pay for college.”
Eight high school entrepreneurs from Horizon Science Academy, John F. Kennedy High School, Shaw High School and Thomas W. Harvey High School had eight minutes to present their business plans to a panel of three judges on May 22 at E&Y’s new Flats-based offices.
The experience of presenting provides its own rewards in putting classroom lessons into practice. “Youth are tasked with presenting their business plans, but are rewarded with practical advice on how to grow their businesses from successful entrepreneurs,” says Bacha. “Our finalists are rewarded with financial investments in their businesses.”
In addition to McCain, Harvey senior Byron Alston, CEO of Jazzy Scarves, took second place and won $500 from Y.O.U. to put towards his business and a trip to the NFTE competition. Shaw senior and CEO of KJ’s Steam Clean Service Kevin Alexander took third place, winning $250.
An annual economic impact study conducted by Center for Economic Development at Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs shows that companies that received support from 16 of the area’s business accelerators, incubators and other organizations generated $424 million for Ohio.
Of the 245 companies surveyed, 236 companies are in Northeast Ohio, generating $306.2 million in the region. These numbers reflect good news for the startup community in Cleveland. “Companies that start here are growing,” says JumpStart chief marketing officer Cathy Belk. “The fact that companies are growing and generating jobs reflects that those courageous folks jumping into the startup world are able to access great people, capital and the expertise -- and are able to lead their companies forward. The ecosystem here is robust and getting more robust all the time.”
Of the companies included in the latest study, 42 local businesses have participated each year over the past four years. “Over that time, they have grown payroll by $14.7 million and created and retained 134 jobs in this region,” says Belk. “This reflects that startups here are able to be successful, creating sustainable jobs for people who live here.”
Belk wants to see these trends grow. “We want entrepreneurs to continue to decide to start companies in this area, and keep them here because of their ability to be successful here,” she explains. “We have to make sure we continue to have the successful startup programs and ecosystem in this region, ensuring companies are able to access the capital they need. And we must continue to help a broader number of small businesses -- including those that could create a significant number of jobs. These are all next steps for our community to maintain and accelerate our momentum.”
Of the 245 companies surveyed, 236 companies are in Northeast Ohio, generating $306.2 million in the region. These numbers reflect good news for the startup community in Cleveland. “Companies that start here are growing,” says JumpStart chief marketing officer Cathy Belk. “The fact that companies are growing and generating jobs reflects that those courageous folks jumping into the startup world are able to access great people, capital and the expertise -- and are able to lead their companies forward. The ecosystem here is robust and getting more robust all the time.”
Of the companies included in the latest study, 42 local businesses have participated each year over the past four years. “Over that time, they have grown payroll by $14.7 million and created and retained 134 jobs in this region,” says Belk. “This reflects that startups here are able to be successful, creating sustainable jobs for people who live here.”
Belk wants to see these trends grow. “We want entrepreneurs to continue to decide to start companies in this area, and keep them here because of their ability to be successful here,” she explains. “We have to make sure we continue to have the successful startup programs and ecosystem in this region, ensuring companies are able to access the capital they need. And we must continue to help a broader number of small businesses -- including those that could create a significant number of jobs. These are all next steps for our community to maintain and accelerate our momentum.”
For today's top talent, the job market is only one thing to consider when choosing a place to live. Young professionals increasingly desire a vibrant city to plug into, a creative place where they can network with like-minded people, and a dynamic place where they can land their next job.