“Cities are back, downtowns are back, and the places that we call anchor districts are leveraging growth in cities,” says Chris Ronayne of UCI. In Cleveland and beyond, stakeholders like universities, hospitals and museums ('eds and meds') are leading the way in reshaping cities into vibrant, livable places.

Bizdom and the Shaker LaunchHouse Accelerator (LHX) program each received $200,000 from the Third Frontier Ohio’s New Entrepreneurs (ONE) Fund to invest in a total of 20 startups. The two are the only business accelerators in Ohio to receive the funding.

While Bizdom’s program focuses on software and web opportunities in healthcare, consumer finance, real estate, entertainment, sports, online marketing and gaming, the LHX program centers on technology, internet, mobile and hardware/robotics industries.
 
However, Bizdom leader Paul Allen says they welcome all types of businesses to apply for their accelerator. “Every company today uses technology in some way, so the definition of technology companies is evolving,” he says. “We do like software, web and apps companies because they are less capital intensive, but we want to see everything. We’ll look at any technology business.”

LaunchHouse will accept applications for the August 12-week accelerator program starting tomorrow. Bizdom's application deadline for the summer program is March 17 and July 7 for the fall program.
 
The two organizations are looking forward to running their fall programs simultaneously. “We’re looking to collaborate and build jobs and the best businesses in Northeast Ohio,” says LaunchHouse CEO Todd Goldstein.
 
Allen says the two programs will be of historical importance in the region. “As far as I know, we’ve never had 20 companies at the same time,” he says. “We collaborate whenever we can, wherever it makes sense. The goal is to create lots of successful new businesses, create jobs and replace jobs that have been lost.”
 
Since January 2012, Bizdom has launched 18 new tech businesses in Cleveland, nine of which received follow-on funding and are profitable. LaunchHouse, which was recently named one of the best incubators in the North and Midwest by Elite Daily, has launched 10 companies in its inaugural accelerator program last summer, and has invested in 40 companies and raised $9 million in follow-on funding since 2008.

 
Sources: Paul Allen, Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karin Connelly

Imagine having an online resource with the information needed to custom design your own career path. That’s what the UNCOMN.TV does. This project identifies what employers need in employees, what educators need to be teaching students, and what students need to be doing to snag jobs -- thus helping to turn brain drain into brain gain.

Cleveland has gained a reputation nationally for its vibrant local food culture. The city's foodie status has gotten quite a bit bigger - literally - thanks to Green City Growers Cooperative, a 3.25-acre greenhouse that celebrated its official opening on Feb. 25.

Size matters at the hydroponic, high-tech greenhouse, which aims to produce three million heads of lettuce and 300,000 pounds of herbs annually to vendors within a 50-mile radius from its location in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood.
"It's the largest food production greenhouse in an urban area in the U.S.," says Mary Donnell, CEO of Green City Growers.

The greenhouse, which is the size of three football fields, grows its healthy wares in nutrient-rich water rather than soil. The year-round venture, overseen by the nonprofit Evergreen Cooperative Corporation, started harvesting crops in January and is already producing about 60,000 heads of lettuce per week. Green City Growers customers include grocery stores and restaurants.

Planting the leafy goods are local residents. The 25 Clevelanders Green City Growers hired to run the operation will become employee-owners of the cooperative business, receiving a living wage and health insurance.

Besides producing those tasty eats, the goal is create jobs and build financial assets for residents of Cleveland's underserved neighborhoods, says Donnell, whose background includes helping to create a hydroponic greenhouse program for The Ohio State University. The project's key partners include the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Foundation, PNC Bank and the National Development Council. 

Cleveland's new greenhouse is an economic development project that could mean better things for an inner-city neighborhood. "It's wonderful that we have this in the heart of the city," Donnell says.
 
 
SOURCE: Mary Donnell
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

If  Kauser Razvi has a say in it, underutilized spaces in Cleveland will be a place where a child's imagination can run wild, all thanks to power of the written word.

Razvi, founder of the Cleveland-based project management organization Strategic Urban Solutions, is the book-loving brains behind Literary Lots,  a program that aims to "brings books to life" in a vacant lot, playground or other outdoor space.

To pilot this idea, Strategic Urban Solutions plans to launch its first Literary Lot this summer in Ohio City's Novak Park. In conjunction with Cleveland Public Library, LAND Studio, and Ohio City Writers, Razvi's group will recreate places, concepts, and adventures from select children's books. The space will also host educational programming, with the goal of bringing Cleveland's kids together through the cooperation of the city's cultural institutions.

"Libraries are community anchors," says Razvi. "We thought it would be cool to marry the idea of bringing books to life in places near our libraries."

The summer program spot would have books (of course), poetry readings or a movie based on the book the space is built around. Artists would enliven the space, perhaps decorating a small sandpit in which kids can dig for buried gold,  just like the young adventurer from Treasure Island.

"I think of it as a 'comfortable artistic backyard,'" Razvi says.

Building a nice "backyard" isn't free. A Kickstarter fundraising campaign for the project begins at the end of February, with a minimum goal of $5,500. Razvi believes transforming an underused space into a reading zone for kids is well worth the price of admission.
 
SOURCE: Kauser Razvi
WRITER:  Douglas J. Guth

As new VP of operations for the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp (LEEDCo), Dave Karpinski will guide the organization through the next phase in the process of building the nation’s first freshwater offshore wind project. With its first round of financing in tow, LEEDCo must now compete for a critical second infusion of funds against six other projects across the country.

The city of Beachwood already is home to 2,500 businesses, and the city has long taken pride in providing services and amenities that make the city an attractive place to locate. Now Beachwood is launching a grant program to further entice new businesses and encourage existing businesses to expand.
 
The Job Creation Incentive Grant Program offers annual grant payments to companies. The payments are based on a percentage of payroll withholding taxes generated by new jobs. Businesses that relocate to Beachwood must create a minimum of 30 full-time jobs or a minimum annual payroll of $1 million within three years. An existing Beachwood company that expands within the city also qualifies for the grant under the same rules. Retail and food service businesses are not eligible.
 
Mayor Merle S. Gorden and city council must approve each grant application.
 
“We know that expansion of business is very important to the wellbeing of the community,” says Beachwood economic development director Jim Doutt. “Payroll is subject to income tax. A company would be able to get back some of that tax if it locates here.”
 
The program is just the first step in a larger economic development plan recommended after Gorden commissioned a study last October to position Beachwood for future business growth. City council approved the program on Feb. 4.
 
“This is just one element of a larger incentive framework we’ll be putting in place,” Doutt says. He has no estimates on how many jobs the incentive program may create in the city. “It’s anyone’s guess; we just hope it spurs job growth.”

 
Source: Jim Doutt
Writer: Karin Connelly

Venture for America, a non-profit group that places new college grads in startup companies, is coming to Cleveland. The New York-based organization focuses on placing new college grads in jobs at startups in cities with a low cost of living and in the process of revitalization.

“The goal is to create young entrepreneurs,” explains VFA vice president of corporate development Mike Tarullo. “Too many of our best and brightest are going into big firms and too few are going into growth businesses and startups.” Ultimately, the hope is that the fellows will become successful entrepreneurs themselves in the cities where they are assigned.
 
The VFA team scours college campuses for recruits. The grads then spend two years in startup or growing companies, getting hands-on experience in developing a company. The employers pay the fellows $36,000 a year.
 
VFA launched 18 months ago with 40 fellows in five cities: Cincinnati, Detroit, New Orleans, Providence and Las Vegas. This year the organization expanded to Cleveland and Baltimore. The concept is modeled after the Teach for America program, which places new teachers in underserved schools.
 
“We identify cities that are kind of reinventing themselves through entrepreneurship industries,” says Tarullo. “A lot of it is about preventing brain drain.” The VFA wants to create 100,000 new jobs by 2025 by helping young companies expand and train new college graduates to become business builders and job creators.
 
The organization has identified 25 possible Cleveland companies, and Tarullo has already talked to more than 10 companies that are interested in hiring a fellow. “They are all different sizes in all industries,” he says. “The common thread is great leadership and exciting growth opportunities. The fellows can cut their teeth and spend a couple of years learning and growing.”
 
VFA plans to send eight to 10 fellows to Cleveland each year. Tarullo has relied on area support organizations to identify companies. “JumpStart and Bizdom have played a huge role,” he says. “They have welcomed us to the community and introduced us to the right people.”

 
Source: Mike Tarullo
Writer: Karin Connelly

Dan Malz is a science guy and a rum aficionado who always dreamed of making his own rum. Three years ago over a pint of Guinness, that dream was on the way to becoming a reality. That's when Malz and his three business partners, John Marek, Keith Sutton and Matthew Zappernick, founded Portside Distillery, Cleveland’s first distillery since Prohibition.
 
Portside Distillery produces small-batch artisan spirits and craft beers from its lakeside location on W. 9th and Front streets. Malz and his partners got the distillery’s name from their location. “We’re right on the lake, and rum is a very nautical term,” he says. We’re on the side of the port and in the same building as the Cleveland Port Authority, so it fit up well.”
 
Their first batch of silver rum was released in December of last year. “Silver rum is un-aged rum,” explains Malz. “It’s just high class distilled spirits.” Portside rum hit 22 state liquor stores in January. “The first batch of 800 bottles sold out in three days,” says Malz. “The second batch is in stores now.”
 
Plans are underway to expand Portside’s selection. “We’re going to make vanilla maple rum and spiced rum,” says Malz. “And we have a couple of beers brewing right now.” Malz and his partners are brewing double pale ale, followed by an imperial stout. The two new rums should be available later this month.
 
Additional plans include a restaurant at the distillery, which is scheduled to open this summer. It will feature upscale food, eight Portside beers and 18 local guest brews on tap.
 
Portside is currently looking to fill two positions, one in the brewery and one in the distillery.

 
Source: Dan Malz
Writer: Karin Connelly

Shaker LaunchHouse raised $15,000 at its second annual gala, held last week at Crawford Galleries of Western Reserve Historical Society. The money will help support Cleveland’s budding entrepreneurs. More than 260 attended the event, which was sponsored by the Shaker Heights Development Corporation.
 
“It was huge,” says LaunchHouse co-founder Todd Goldstein. “There were entrepreneurs, business leaders, successful CEOs of companies and people from the city of Shaker Heights. We even had people who flew in from out of state. It was a broad range of people supporting the entrepreneur community.”
 
The money will be used to support LaunchHouse startups and for programming. Specifically, Freebie Fridays, when people can come into the offices to work and pitch their ideas, will continue. LaunchHouse will also continue its support of the LightHouse Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (LEAP), a program targeted at high school students.
 
Goldstein points out that LaunchHouse staff will assist anyone with an idea. “We never turn an entrepreneur away,” he says. “If an entrepreneur shows up at our door, we’ll work with them. And we’ve helped hundreds of small business owners who come in on Thursdays for open office hours and one-on-one business advice from our team members.”
 
Since its founding in 2009, LaunchHouse has invested in more than 40 companies, with more than 100 working directly out of LaunchHouse.
 
“Our advanced goal is to be an idea hub in the region,” says Goldstein. “Seeing that many people come out really is a testament to all the entrepreneurial activity happening in Shaker Heights.”
 
Stephanie Colangelo, director of public relations and marketing, adds that LaunchHouse has a solid relationship with other entrepreneurial support organizations. “If something is not necessarily for LaunchHouse, we direct them to JumpStart or Bizdom,” she explains. “And they do the same for us.”

 
Source: Todd Goldstein, Stephanie Colangelo
Writer: Karin Connelly

Filing a federal income tax return is far from the most enjoyable activity one can do. It can even be intimidating for people who don't understand the process or know they are eligible for an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit providing free tax preparation and other services to low- and middle-income Cuyahoga County residents, aims to bridge the knowledge gap and help hard-working individuals and families keep more of what they earned. Nationwide last year, the average credit handed out was about $2,200, but the credit can provide as much as $5,900.

"About 20 percent of people eligible for [EITC] don't claim it," says Mark McDermott, Enterprise vice president and Ohio market leader. "We get the word out."

That word is spread in conjunction with the Cuyahoga County Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition and a host of other local partner organizations. This tax season, Enterprise has recruited over 350 IRS-certified volunteers to assist in the effort.

Eligible residents can access the free service by dialing the United Way of Greater Cleveland's 2-1-1 help line. Appointments are scheduled at one of 25 sites located throughout the country. There are also a handful of Saturday free tax-preparation events taking place right up until filing day.

During the past seven years, more than 55,000 participants have received over $77 million in refunds and saved millions of dollars in fees from paid tax preparers, notes program director Kathy Matthews.

"That's about $13 million going back into the local economy," says Matthews.

Tax help isn't Enterprise's only offering. Those who use the service also have access to benefit screenings, debt management and more.

"The tax work is our foundation," says McDermott. "This has proven to be a great program."
 
 
SOURCES: Mark McDermott, Kathy Matthews
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

TOA, a developer and provider of field service and mobile management applications, was named to the Forbes Most Promising Companies in America list, ranking 81 out of 100 and the only Ohio company on the list of privately-held, high-growth companies. TOA went through a rigorous application process to be chosen from thousands of applicants.

“It’s a big honor for us,” says John Opdycke, TOA’s vice president of worldwide marketing. Opdycke and others involved kept the application process a secret until they found out they made the list last week. “Co-founder Yuval Brisker was just over the moon.”

Criteria for the honor included sales and hiring growth, quality of the management team and investors, market size and key partnerships. “It says TOA is a great place to work, our technology solves a problem that reaches a lot of people and we’re recognized as a technology innovator,” says Opdycke.

TOA’s ETAdirect Mobility App provides accurate, up-to-the-minute workforce management on any browser for in-home services – making sure the service people arrive on time.

The Forbes recognition is not only good for TOA’s business, but it helps put Cleveland on the map for technology business as a whole. “We absolutely enjoy and embrace the role of visionary of technology in Northeast Ohio,” says Opdycke. “You think the only companies on the list are in the Silicon Valley, New York or Boston. But you can be doing technology in Cleveland and doing business all over the world.”

Opdycke says the title helps attract top talent and customers from around the country, as well as locally. “It’s a great acknowledgement that we’re a company on the move and were growing,” he says. “It helps us attract people -- the best and the brightest -- retain our customers and attract new customers."

TOA employs 425 people worldwide, with more than 50 in its Beachwood headquarters. Opdycke predicts significant growth in the upcoming year, while continuing to foster creativity among TOA’s current employees and providing top customer service.

 
Source: John Opdycke
Writer: Karin Connelly

Will Tarter, Jr. stands out as a leader among Cleveland’s young professional community. As the charismatic head of the Cleveland Young Professional Senate, he champions causes and issues that impact this highly in-demand demographic, not to mention the long-term well-being of Cleveland.