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Currently, visitors to the Carnegie-West branch of the Cleveland Public Library find an underutilized park across the street. But soon they'll stumble upon a literary wonderland of peanut butter sandwich boats with sails, spaghetti tubes and a stone soup mural.
Inspired by children's books, a love of reading and the ambition to bring families and community members together, Literary Lots will kick off Saturday, August 3rd in Novak Park in Ohio City and run for two consecutive weeks.
"This idea started with saying, 'We have a great anchor in the library, books are inspiring and we want an educated, engaged community,'" says Kauser Razvi, an Ohio City parent who has served as Project Manager for Literary Lots. "Tons of kids come to the library. Let's do this work together and offer it in a single place."
"Hopefully soon, the park is a place where people stop and say, 'What are those three sandwich boats doing there?' says Razvi, an urban strategist. "Then they want to come in and take part in a poetry slam or start doing some spaghetti art."
Programming will be offered daily at Novak Park, which is located north of Lorain on W. 38th, including art and writing events, author nights and movie nights.
The idea behind the event is to engage kids and families in reading and building a sense of community together. "The city needs to do more things for kids and families, because that's how you're going to help the city grow," says Razvi.
Project partners include Cleveland Public Library, Ohio City Writers, Art House and LAND Studio. Funders include The Cleveland Colectivo, Councilman Joe Cimperman, Neighborhood Connections and the George Gund Foundation.
Literary Lots will kick off this Saturday with community mural painting with artist Julia Kuo. Community members will help illustrate the classic story Stone Soup.
Source: Kauser Razvi
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Inspired by children's books, a love of reading and the ambition to bring families and community members together, Literary Lots will kick off Saturday, August 3rd in Novak Park in Ohio City and run for two consecutive weeks.
"This idea started with saying, 'We have a great anchor in the library, books are inspiring and we want an educated, engaged community,'" says Kauser Razvi, an Ohio City parent who has served as Project Manager for Literary Lots. "Tons of kids come to the library. Let's do this work together and offer it in a single place."
"Hopefully soon, the park is a place where people stop and say, 'What are those three sandwich boats doing there?' says Razvi, an urban strategist. "Then they want to come in and take part in a poetry slam or start doing some spaghetti art."
Programming will be offered daily at Novak Park, which is located north of Lorain on W. 38th, including art and writing events, author nights and movie nights.
The idea behind the event is to engage kids and families in reading and building a sense of community together. "The city needs to do more things for kids and families, because that's how you're going to help the city grow," says Razvi.
Project partners include Cleveland Public Library, Ohio City Writers, Art House and LAND Studio. Funders include The Cleveland Colectivo, Councilman Joe Cimperman, Neighborhood Connections and the George Gund Foundation.
Literary Lots will kick off this Saturday with community mural painting with artist Julia Kuo. Community members will help illustrate the classic story Stone Soup.
Source: Kauser Razvi
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Former L'Albatros GM Brandon Chrostowski just signed a lease to open EDWINS, a restaurant that will serve as a training program to help people reentering society after prison to gain relevant job skills. Chrostowski will open the eatery, which will be located in the former Grotto Wine Bar space at Shaker Square, this fall.
"The food will be industrial French -- I've only worked in French restaurants, so it's kind of like taking that cuisine and putting an industrial twist on it," Chrostowski says. "For the City of Cleveland, I think it's got to have that flavor and punch to it."
Edwins will offer a six-month training program modeled after Chrostowski's alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America. Participants learn cooking fundamentals as well as "front of house" managerial skills. Chrostowski has relationships with judges and nonprofit reentry programs to help identify candidates and provide additional support.
After participants have completed the six-month program, they'll be paired with an industry professional through the "big chef/little cook" program. The long-term goal is to help trainees find meaningful employment in the restaurant industry.
Chrostowski, whose passion for the progam is motivated by a prior stint behind bars and the help he received getting back on his feet, is currently fixing up the space. The price points will be comparable to other restaurants at the Square, he says, adding that the experience will be professional and won't feel like a student-run restaurant.
Edwins is a nonprofit organization. Chrostowski raised money from foundations and individuals to support his dream since he first launched the effort in 2007.
"It's kind of amazing what a community can do when you believe in something," he says.
Source: Brandon Chrostowski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The food will be industrial French -- I've only worked in French restaurants, so it's kind of like taking that cuisine and putting an industrial twist on it," Chrostowski says. "For the City of Cleveland, I think it's got to have that flavor and punch to it."
Edwins will offer a six-month training program modeled after Chrostowski's alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America. Participants learn cooking fundamentals as well as "front of house" managerial skills. Chrostowski has relationships with judges and nonprofit reentry programs to help identify candidates and provide additional support.
After participants have completed the six-month program, they'll be paired with an industry professional through the "big chef/little cook" program. The long-term goal is to help trainees find meaningful employment in the restaurant industry.
Chrostowski, whose passion for the progam is motivated by a prior stint behind bars and the help he received getting back on his feet, is currently fixing up the space. The price points will be comparable to other restaurants at the Square, he says, adding that the experience will be professional and won't feel like a student-run restaurant.
Edwins is a nonprofit organization. Chrostowski raised money from foundations and individuals to support his dream since he first launched the effort in 2007.
"It's kind of amazing what a community can do when you believe in something," he says.
Source: Brandon Chrostowski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Lynde Vespoli has a background in the tourism industry. When she started hearing about projects like the Global Center for Health Innovation, the Cleveland Convention Center and the Horseshoe Casino, as well as plans to host the National Senior Games this summer and the Gay Games next, Vespoli decided to put her talents in destination management to work.
Last November Vespoli started Discover My Cleveland, a Destination Management Company. “Think of it as a one-stop shop for events and meeting planners who are coming to Cleveland,” Vespoli says. “With all of the events coming to Cleveland, we needed a company to assist groups full-time.”
Discover My Cleveland provides group tours of Cleveland attractions and landmarks, such as city bus tours and historical walking tours. Vespoli can tell visitors, and locals, all about the Daniel Burnham Group Plan, the 1903 plan that includes the public buildings on The Mall.
For the National Senior Games, Vespoli has organized some unique tours for the 11,000 athletes and 12,000 spectators expected. Group tours include everything from a visit to Amish country to a Beer and Bourbon tour, to a tour of Cleveland’s sacred landmarks.
These tours, which run daily from July 21 to July 28, are open to the general public as well. In fact, Vespoli encourages Clevelanders to join the tours and act as ambassadors. “It’s a neat way for people to do these things, but also mingle with the athletes,” she says.
Vespoli employs eight tour guides on a contract basis. She says she is always looking for additional guides, who have to learn a script and be able to direct a bus driver with their backs to the window.
Vespoli has some other groups lined up for her tours, and only expects business to increase. “”When people start to realize how affordable Cleveland is and how nice we are, they’ll start coming back,” she predicts. “This is a very exciting time for Cleveland and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Source: Lynde Vespoli
Writer: Karin Connelly
Last November Vespoli started Discover My Cleveland, a Destination Management Company. “Think of it as a one-stop shop for events and meeting planners who are coming to Cleveland,” Vespoli says. “With all of the events coming to Cleveland, we needed a company to assist groups full-time.”
Discover My Cleveland provides group tours of Cleveland attractions and landmarks, such as city bus tours and historical walking tours. Vespoli can tell visitors, and locals, all about the Daniel Burnham Group Plan, the 1903 plan that includes the public buildings on The Mall.
For the National Senior Games, Vespoli has organized some unique tours for the 11,000 athletes and 12,000 spectators expected. Group tours include everything from a visit to Amish country to a Beer and Bourbon tour, to a tour of Cleveland’s sacred landmarks.
These tours, which run daily from July 21 to July 28, are open to the general public as well. In fact, Vespoli encourages Clevelanders to join the tours and act as ambassadors. “It’s a neat way for people to do these things, but also mingle with the athletes,” she says.
Vespoli employs eight tour guides on a contract basis. She says she is always looking for additional guides, who have to learn a script and be able to direct a bus driver with their backs to the window.
Vespoli has some other groups lined up for her tours, and only expects business to increase. “”When people start to realize how affordable Cleveland is and how nice we are, they’ll start coming back,” she predicts. “This is a very exciting time for Cleveland and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Source: Lynde Vespoli
Writer: Karin Connelly
BlueBridge Networks isn’t trying to be the biggest cloud-based data storage and recovery company; the Cleveland-based company simply wants to be the best for its customers. To ensure that it is, BlueBridge recently announced a $6 million investment in technology to build the best network and facilities possible.
“We are controlling our own destiny,” explains managing director and partner Kevin Goodman. “We’re building our network to be cheaper, better and faster. Over time, the $6 million will be about time, talent and treasure.”
The three key players at BlueBridge -- Goodman, CFO Phillip Weihe, and director of operations Petar Bojovic -- sat down and made a plan for strategic growth that includes hardware and software improvements, updates to facilities and hiring the right people to make it all happen.
“The three of us strategically put together what we have to do to build it better,” says Goodman. “It’s a terrific time for us. Our focus has always been the next step. We always look at operational excellence, but we’re also always poised for growth.”
Pat Garcia, associate partner of technology at Rosetta, one of BlueBridge’s long-term customers, backs up Goodman’s mission to be the best provider to its customers. “We’ve really had a good experience with their response time,” Garcia says. “They are service oriented and all about customers and getting things done right.”
In addition to its Cleveland headquarters, Bluebridge has data centers in Mayfield Heights, Columbus and, more recently, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Goodman says the centers are all located on the line of the technology telecom track and centrally located. The bulk of the investment will be in the Cleveland headquarters, Goodman says, where the majority of the cloud platform is located. The new and improved platform is called bCloud2.0.
BlueBridge currently has 14 employees and 30 contractors. Goodman says they plan to bring on 15 additional people this year, and already are hiring people from all over the country.
Source: Kevin Goodman
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We are controlling our own destiny,” explains managing director and partner Kevin Goodman. “We’re building our network to be cheaper, better and faster. Over time, the $6 million will be about time, talent and treasure.”
The three key players at BlueBridge -- Goodman, CFO Phillip Weihe, and director of operations Petar Bojovic -- sat down and made a plan for strategic growth that includes hardware and software improvements, updates to facilities and hiring the right people to make it all happen.
“The three of us strategically put together what we have to do to build it better,” says Goodman. “It’s a terrific time for us. Our focus has always been the next step. We always look at operational excellence, but we’re also always poised for growth.”
Pat Garcia, associate partner of technology at Rosetta, one of BlueBridge’s long-term customers, backs up Goodman’s mission to be the best provider to its customers. “We’ve really had a good experience with their response time,” Garcia says. “They are service oriented and all about customers and getting things done right.”
In addition to its Cleveland headquarters, Bluebridge has data centers in Mayfield Heights, Columbus and, more recently, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Goodman says the centers are all located on the line of the technology telecom track and centrally located. The bulk of the investment will be in the Cleveland headquarters, Goodman says, where the majority of the cloud platform is located. The new and improved platform is called bCloud2.0.
BlueBridge currently has 14 employees and 30 contractors. Goodman says they plan to bring on 15 additional people this year, and already are hiring people from all over the country.
Source: Kevin Goodman
Writer: Karin Connelly
For Gordon Square residents and Edgewater Park visitors, the long wait finally is over. The bike-ped underpass at W. 76th Street that connects the west side to Edgewater reopens next week -- albeit a few years late and millions over budget. Public officials plan to celebrate on Tuesday, July 2nd at 5 pm with a ribbon cutting at Battery Park Wine Bar.
Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson Amanda Lee says the delays were caused by environmental issues that required a new retaining wall design. High water content in the soil forced them back to the drawing board. Essentially two connected tunnels, it goes under tracks and the Shoreway.
Not only is the underpass cleaner, better illuminated and more accessible, it also boasts a striking new work of public art, "Cold Front," designed by Cleveland artist Mark Reigelman. The piece plays off the natural history of the area, whose bluffs were carved out by glaciers -- known as pathmakers -- eons ago.
"This is what you see when you come out of the tunnel: Cleveland's best natural feature, Lake Erie, as well as the history of the lake and how it's been formed," says Riegelman, whose artwork at the entrance was built out of cast concrete by Great Lakes Construction.
The work, which consists of hexagonal shapes in shades of blue designed to mimic the water molecules in glaciers, was built so that it will be visible to all who pass. "From the neighborhood you see the crest of the glacier; trains can see a luminescent blue quality; and people can see it from their boats on the water."
LAND Studio coordinated the selection process for the public artwork, which was completed with funds from the State of Ohio, City and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
The underpass will better connect residents to Edgewater Park at a time when the Metroparks has just assumed management. Users report that the Metroparks already has made improvements, with staff picking up litter and combing the beach and long-awaited recycling bins set to be installed next week.
Source: Mark Reigelman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson Amanda Lee says the delays were caused by environmental issues that required a new retaining wall design. High water content in the soil forced them back to the drawing board. Essentially two connected tunnels, it goes under tracks and the Shoreway.
Not only is the underpass cleaner, better illuminated and more accessible, it also boasts a striking new work of public art, "Cold Front," designed by Cleveland artist Mark Reigelman. The piece plays off the natural history of the area, whose bluffs were carved out by glaciers -- known as pathmakers -- eons ago.
"This is what you see when you come out of the tunnel: Cleveland's best natural feature, Lake Erie, as well as the history of the lake and how it's been formed," says Riegelman, whose artwork at the entrance was built out of cast concrete by Great Lakes Construction.
The work, which consists of hexagonal shapes in shades of blue designed to mimic the water molecules in glaciers, was built so that it will be visible to all who pass. "From the neighborhood you see the crest of the glacier; trains can see a luminescent blue quality; and people can see it from their boats on the water."
LAND Studio coordinated the selection process for the public artwork, which was completed with funds from the State of Ohio, City and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
The underpass will better connect residents to Edgewater Park at a time when the Metroparks has just assumed management. Users report that the Metroparks already has made improvements, with staff picking up litter and combing the beach and long-awaited recycling bins set to be installed next week.
Source: Mark Reigelman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The developers behind a new 62-unit apartment building in Ohio City say they'll start demolition of existing buildings this week. Construction will begin later this summer, and moving trucks should start pulling up to the newly minted units by fall 2014.
"It's the right time to do something," says Brian Koch as to why he chose to pursue the long-stalled project on Detroit Avenue between W. 30th and 32nd streets, which originally was planned as condos before the recession. "With the explosive growth of Ohio City, there's increased demand for new apartments."
Koch is developing the project with his father, Charles "Bud" Koch, former Charter One Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Construction financing will be provided by First Merit Bank, and the Kochs will invest more than $5 million in the project. The units, which will have balconies, patios and decks with lake views, will start at $900 for a one-bedroom and $1,100 for a two-bedroom, or $1.42 per square foot.
The design of the four-story building provides every unit with both outdoor space facing Lake Erie as well as a two-level glass atrium. Two side lots will offer views of the lake from Church Avenue (currently, residents there have nearly unimpeded views). Koch says that the development team designed it to be sensitive to the scale of the surrounding neighborhood while creating a structure that he describes as an anchor in Cleveland's version of the "Gold Coast."
Other features include top-floor units with extravagant private rooftop decks and large common area with a "community skylounge and gym," says Koch. "The fourth floor will have a wonderful vista for watching fireworks or air shows, laying out or using the home theatre or the demonstration kitchen."
Parking will be housed in a 62-space underground parking garage that will be located off of W. 32nd. There will be a smaller eight-space visitor's lot.
The apartments borrow some of the vernacular from the micro-unit trend of coastal cities while maintaining the luxury of space available in Cleveland. They are efficiently laid out but have traditional bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms.
"We hope this will be a springboard for the next generation [of development] in Cleveland," says Koch. "It's a nice area people will gravitate to for apartments."
Source: Brian Koch
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"It's the right time to do something," says Brian Koch as to why he chose to pursue the long-stalled project on Detroit Avenue between W. 30th and 32nd streets, which originally was planned as condos before the recession. "With the explosive growth of Ohio City, there's increased demand for new apartments."
Koch is developing the project with his father, Charles "Bud" Koch, former Charter One Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Construction financing will be provided by First Merit Bank, and the Kochs will invest more than $5 million in the project. The units, which will have balconies, patios and decks with lake views, will start at $900 for a one-bedroom and $1,100 for a two-bedroom, or $1.42 per square foot.
The design of the four-story building provides every unit with both outdoor space facing Lake Erie as well as a two-level glass atrium. Two side lots will offer views of the lake from Church Avenue (currently, residents there have nearly unimpeded views). Koch says that the development team designed it to be sensitive to the scale of the surrounding neighborhood while creating a structure that he describes as an anchor in Cleveland's version of the "Gold Coast."
Other features include top-floor units with extravagant private rooftop decks and large common area with a "community skylounge and gym," says Koch. "The fourth floor will have a wonderful vista for watching fireworks or air shows, laying out or using the home theatre or the demonstration kitchen."
Parking will be housed in a 62-space underground parking garage that will be located off of W. 32nd. There will be a smaller eight-space visitor's lot.
The apartments borrow some of the vernacular from the micro-unit trend of coastal cities while maintaining the luxury of space available in Cleveland. They are efficiently laid out but have traditional bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms.
"We hope this will be a springboard for the next generation [of development] in Cleveland," says Koch. "It's a nice area people will gravitate to for apartments."
Source: Brian Koch
Writer: Lee Chilcote
With downtown Cleveland seeing more than $2 billion in travel-related development, we must step up and make sure visitors are provided with the best possible service. We want them to spread the word when they get home about how great Cleveland is.
That was the message from David Gilbert, CEO of Positively Cleveland, at the organization's recent annual meeting. Based on recent research, the organization has determined that the city has "a communication gap" rather than "a product gap."
"We have the product -- amenities that most cities would be jealous of," said Gilbert. "We don't have enough people experiencing it."
To close that gap, Gilbert unveiled an aggressive plan to train hospitality workers as well as locals in how to better market the city and welcome and direct visitors. Positively Cleveland will also focus on legibility and wayfinding signage, online information, streetscape improvements, visitor hospitality, altering local perceptions and better destination branding and communications.
"We've done a great job of building big buildings, but we need more than that," Gilbert said. "It's 'what was the walk like?,' not just the Rock Hall experience."
Source: David Gilbert
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That was the message from David Gilbert, CEO of Positively Cleveland, at the organization's recent annual meeting. Based on recent research, the organization has determined that the city has "a communication gap" rather than "a product gap."
"We have the product -- amenities that most cities would be jealous of," said Gilbert. "We don't have enough people experiencing it."
To close that gap, Gilbert unveiled an aggressive plan to train hospitality workers as well as locals in how to better market the city and welcome and direct visitors. Positively Cleveland will also focus on legibility and wayfinding signage, online information, streetscape improvements, visitor hospitality, altering local perceptions and better destination branding and communications.
"We've done a great job of building big buildings, but we need more than that," Gilbert said. "It's 'what was the walk like?,' not just the Rock Hall experience."
Source: David Gilbert
Writer: Lee Chilcote
bbc covers cle orchestra's efforts to reach new audiences
The BBC's Jane O'Brien covered the Cleveland Orchestra's novel efforts to reach new (read younger) audiences by performing outside Severance Hall. In this video, O'Brien follows the orchestra from Severance Hall to Happy Dog in Gordon Square as they perform to enthusiastic young crowds.
"It is often easier and cheaper to experience great orchestras online and while older music lovers might shudder at the idea, research shows that most Americans under the age of 30 actually prefer it. But Cleveland, Ohio, boasts one of the world's top orchestras and rather than accept the empty seats at Severance Hall, the musicians decided to seek out new audiences in an unlikely venue."
Enjoy the video here.
"It is often easier and cheaper to experience great orchestras online and while older music lovers might shudder at the idea, research shows that most Americans under the age of 30 actually prefer it. But Cleveland, Ohio, boasts one of the world's top orchestras and rather than accept the empty seats at Severance Hall, the musicians decided to seek out new audiences in an unlikely venue."
Enjoy the video here.
art museum kudos continue for innovative use of technology
In a Christian Science Monitor story titled “An art museum uses technology to lure young patrons,” writer Nicole Wallace explores Cleveland Museum of Art's use of technology to attract younger audiences.
"As cultural institutions across the country struggle to attract young visitors, the Cleveland Museum of Art is embracing cutting-edge technology to try to lure new audiences to its collection of masterworks," she writes.
“The goal is to make the museum more welcoming, especially to young people who mediate the world through the screen,” David Franklin, director of the museum, is quoted in the piece.
Wallace goes on to highlight the 40-foot touch-screen wall, the ability to create personal tours via an iPad, and even touches upon Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period in the La Vie exhibit.
Check out the full story here.
"As cultural institutions across the country struggle to attract young visitors, the Cleveland Museum of Art is embracing cutting-edge technology to try to lure new audiences to its collection of masterworks," she writes.
“The goal is to make the museum more welcoming, especially to young people who mediate the world through the screen,” David Franklin, director of the museum, is quoted in the piece.
Wallace goes on to highlight the 40-foot touch-screen wall, the ability to create personal tours via an iPad, and even touches upon Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period in the La Vie exhibit.
Check out the full story here.
wine mag highlights trio of local gems
In a Wine Enthusiast Magazine story titled “Hot in Cleveland: Three Wine Bars to Visit in Cleveland,” the editors point out that Cleveland is attracting the likes of young artists, artisans, and web entrepreneurs due to modestly priced real estate and an above-average food and beverage scene.
“And while the food and beer scenes have always been strong (C-town is home to Michael Symon's empire and the Great Lakes Brewing Co.), this recent trend is raising the culture quotient and energizing the wine scene. There is life beyond the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland.”
Market Avenue Wine Bar, La Cave du Vin and Lola Bistro each provide a unique draw to the young and old alike, from high ceilings, parquet floors, and easy access to the West Side Market for Market Avenue Wine Bar to the genius of Michael Symon’s culinary team at Lola, Cleveland has plenty to keep folks returning for more.
Enjoy the full story here.
“And while the food and beer scenes have always been strong (C-town is home to Michael Symon's empire and the Great Lakes Brewing Co.), this recent trend is raising the culture quotient and energizing the wine scene. There is life beyond the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland.”
Market Avenue Wine Bar, La Cave du Vin and Lola Bistro each provide a unique draw to the young and old alike, from high ceilings, parquet floors, and easy access to the West Side Market for Market Avenue Wine Bar to the genius of Michael Symon’s culinary team at Lola, Cleveland has plenty to keep folks returning for more.
Enjoy the full story here.
TOA Technologies announced that Madrid, Spain-based Telefonica has chosen TOA's mobile workforce management software to manage its worldwide field technicians. Telefonica, which is one of the largest telecom companies in the world, chose TOA for its cloud-based ETADirect technology and its ability to ramp up operations quickly in multiple locations.
“It was a fairly long selection process,” says TOA vice president of worldwide marketing John Opdycke. “Telefonica originally thought it would be an on-premise solution, but then they realized the cloud-based solution would allow them to go one country at a time.”
TOA will implement its products first in Brazil, followed by Spain, Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Peru. Eventually, TOA will be in 24 countries with Telefonica. “There’s nothing anyone needs except access to a browser,” explains Opdycke of why TOA was attractive to Telefonica. “They can be non-standard, browser agnostic and platform agnostic. Telefonica needed that flexibility.”
Telefonica is TOA’s largest customer to date in terms of size. More important, Opdycke says, is Cleveland’s increasingly strong presence in the global technology marketplace. “We’re proud to represent the Cleveland technology market and the international market,” he says. “TOA is one of the leading companies in the Cleveland market that is really doing international business.”
TOA employs 56 people in its Cleveland headquarters, and another 454 worldwide. The Telefonica deal will add employees to TOA in Spain and Brazil, and perhaps Cleveland. Telefonica’s CTO and other team members are planning a visit to Cleveland.
In the meantime, TOA is in the midst of expanding its headquarters from 8,200 square feet to 17,000 square feet. The company was also recently named as a finalist as Tech Company of the Year in the 2013 NEOSA Tech Week Best of Tech Awards.
Source: John Opdycke
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It was a fairly long selection process,” says TOA vice president of worldwide marketing John Opdycke. “Telefonica originally thought it would be an on-premise solution, but then they realized the cloud-based solution would allow them to go one country at a time.”
TOA will implement its products first in Brazil, followed by Spain, Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Peru. Eventually, TOA will be in 24 countries with Telefonica. “There’s nothing anyone needs except access to a browser,” explains Opdycke of why TOA was attractive to Telefonica. “They can be non-standard, browser agnostic and platform agnostic. Telefonica needed that flexibility.”
Telefonica is TOA’s largest customer to date in terms of size. More important, Opdycke says, is Cleveland’s increasingly strong presence in the global technology marketplace. “We’re proud to represent the Cleveland technology market and the international market,” he says. “TOA is one of the leading companies in the Cleveland market that is really doing international business.”
TOA employs 56 people in its Cleveland headquarters, and another 454 worldwide. The Telefonica deal will add employees to TOA in Spain and Brazil, and perhaps Cleveland. Telefonica’s CTO and other team members are planning a visit to Cleveland.
In the meantime, TOA is in the midst of expanding its headquarters from 8,200 square feet to 17,000 square feet. The company was also recently named as a finalist as Tech Company of the Year in the 2013 NEOSA Tech Week Best of Tech Awards.
Source: John Opdycke
Writer: Karin Connelly
rick steves enjoys visit to cleveland
In a Huffington Post blog post titled “Road Trip USA: Late-Night Drives Dodging Snowflakes in New England, and Cleavage in Cleveland,” Rick Steves shares of his experiences traveling on the final leg of his road trip visiting the likes of St. Louis, Vermont, New Hampshire, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland.
“Enjoying Cleveland's impressive skyline on the taxi ride into town, I passed Progressive Field, where a banner trumpeted the good news for Indians fans: '18 days until the first game of the baseball season!'"
Steves goes on to talk about other gems of the city including the Horseshoe Casino and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
“Later, during autograph time, a woman made her plunging neckline a little deeper and asked for my John Hancock on her chest -- the highlight of my Sharpie's day.”
Stay classy Cleveland!
Read the full piece here.
“Enjoying Cleveland's impressive skyline on the taxi ride into town, I passed Progressive Field, where a banner trumpeted the good news for Indians fans: '18 days until the first game of the baseball season!'"
Steves goes on to talk about other gems of the city including the Horseshoe Casino and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
“Later, during autograph time, a woman made her plunging neckline a little deeper and asked for my John Hancock on her chest -- the highlight of my Sharpie's day.”
Stay classy Cleveland!
Read the full piece here.
PlayhouseSquare will soon add another delicious restaurant to the district, adding fuel to its quest to become a 24/7 neighborhood that encourages theater patrons to stick around long after the shows end. Entrepreneurs Jiyoung and John Sung will open Sung's House next month, adding a Korean and Japanese restaurant to the downtown scene.
"It's not traditional Korean food -- it's fusion style," says Jiyoung Sung, who moved from Michigan to be close to family. "We're also building a sushi bar."
John Sung worked as a sushi chef for 13 years before moving to Cleveland. The venue is a big leap for the couple. "We're happy and nervous at the same time. We're excited about having our own place, but it's kind of frightening, too."
The price range for lunch will be $8-10, while dinner items will be around $15, keeping the menu affordable for CSU students and downtown office workers.
"We think those who live, work and visit here will appreciate having yet another great choice of where to eat," says Cindi Szymanski of PlayhouseSquare, which owns the building. "The planned Korean and Japanese menu choices, including sushi, will bring a currently unrepresented style of cuisine to PlayhouseSquare."
Why did the couple choose PlayhouseSquare? "My uncle is a professor at CSU, and he knows the area very well," says Jiyoung Sung. "He recommended it to us."
The restaurant will be located at 1507 Euclid Avenue, in the former China Sea Express space. It is expected to open in May.
Source: Jiyoung Sung
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"It's not traditional Korean food -- it's fusion style," says Jiyoung Sung, who moved from Michigan to be close to family. "We're also building a sushi bar."
John Sung worked as a sushi chef for 13 years before moving to Cleveland. The venue is a big leap for the couple. "We're happy and nervous at the same time. We're excited about having our own place, but it's kind of frightening, too."
The price range for lunch will be $8-10, while dinner items will be around $15, keeping the menu affordable for CSU students and downtown office workers.
"We think those who live, work and visit here will appreciate having yet another great choice of where to eat," says Cindi Szymanski of PlayhouseSquare, which owns the building. "The planned Korean and Japanese menu choices, including sushi, will bring a currently unrepresented style of cuisine to PlayhouseSquare."
Why did the couple choose PlayhouseSquare? "My uncle is a professor at CSU, and he knows the area very well," says Jiyoung Sung. "He recommended it to us."
The restaurant will be located at 1507 Euclid Avenue, in the former China Sea Express space. It is expected to open in May.
Source: Jiyoung Sung
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Some creative, outside-the-box thinking by the city's leading urban design and cycling advocates has led to the creation of four additional "bike boxes," which are to be installed this spring in various Cleveland neighborhoods.
The newest wave of bike boxes are modeled after a successful pilot project at Nano Brew in Ohio City. That installation transformed a steel shipping container into a colorful curbside bike garage for two-wheeled visitors.
By offering secure, covered parking in a bike corral that also functions as dynamic, placemaking public art, the Bridge Avenue bike box does more than simply provide practical parking: It brands the city as a place that prioritizes cycling.
"It's really a center of gravity," says Greg Peckham, Managing Director of LAND Studio, the nonprofit that spearheaded the project with Bike Cleveland. "It's as much about a safe, convenient, protected place to park your bike as it is about making a statement that cycling is an important mode of transportation in the city."
Peckham says that Ohio City's bike box is very well used on days when the West Side Market is open and in the evening when riders coast in for dinner or a drink. With the street's bike racks often at capacity, the bike box was critical, he says.
The new bike boxes will be installed in time for Bike Month in May. The locations are Gordon Square (a barn-red beauty outside Happy Dog), Tremont (two "half loaves," as Peckham calls them, outside South Side and Tremont Tap House), St. Clair Superior (location TBD) and a final, undetermined community.
The bike boxes are being custom-fabricated by Rust Belt Welding, which is an entrepreneurial duo that has made creative bike parking a calling card for their work. Each of the boxes is being designed with neighborhood input -- hence Tremont's half-boxes, which amount to a shipping container split in two.
The project is being supported by Charter One Growing Communities, which has also funded retail attraction efforts in Ohio City, downtown and St. Clair Superior.
Peckham says the new designs accommodate more bikes and use lighter colors. Users can expect more innovations in the future -- LAND Studio is working to secure funding so that green roofs and solar panels can be added to the boxes.
The bike boxes are being maintained through partnerships with neighboring businesses, which agree to maintain, clean and keep secure the facilities.
Source: Greg Peckham
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The newest wave of bike boxes are modeled after a successful pilot project at Nano Brew in Ohio City. That installation transformed a steel shipping container into a colorful curbside bike garage for two-wheeled visitors.
By offering secure, covered parking in a bike corral that also functions as dynamic, placemaking public art, the Bridge Avenue bike box does more than simply provide practical parking: It brands the city as a place that prioritizes cycling.
"It's really a center of gravity," says Greg Peckham, Managing Director of LAND Studio, the nonprofit that spearheaded the project with Bike Cleveland. "It's as much about a safe, convenient, protected place to park your bike as it is about making a statement that cycling is an important mode of transportation in the city."
Peckham says that Ohio City's bike box is very well used on days when the West Side Market is open and in the evening when riders coast in for dinner or a drink. With the street's bike racks often at capacity, the bike box was critical, he says.
The new bike boxes will be installed in time for Bike Month in May. The locations are Gordon Square (a barn-red beauty outside Happy Dog), Tremont (two "half loaves," as Peckham calls them, outside South Side and Tremont Tap House), St. Clair Superior (location TBD) and a final, undetermined community.
The bike boxes are being custom-fabricated by Rust Belt Welding, which is an entrepreneurial duo that has made creative bike parking a calling card for their work. Each of the boxes is being designed with neighborhood input -- hence Tremont's half-boxes, which amount to a shipping container split in two.
The project is being supported by Charter One Growing Communities, which has also funded retail attraction efforts in Ohio City, downtown and St. Clair Superior.
Peckham says the new designs accommodate more bikes and use lighter colors. Users can expect more innovations in the future -- LAND Studio is working to secure funding so that green roofs and solar panels can be added to the boxes.
The bike boxes are being maintained through partnerships with neighboring businesses, which agree to maintain, clean and keep secure the facilities.
Source: Greg Peckham
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Jazz is like the kind of man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with." That might sound like a curious quote for a pastor to use in blessing a jazz bar, yet these were Mark Giuliano's words at the opening of the new Take 5 Jazz Club in downtown Cleveland. The quote comes from jazz legend Duke Ellington.
"We know how important live music is for gathering people; we're for that kind of community building," explains Giuliano, Pastor of Old Stone Church on Public Square and President of the Downtown Residents Association. "We want a place where you can have great food and a couple drinks, listen to live music, be able to visit and have a sense of community. What [the owners] have done is take an old, divey bar and brought new life to it."
Giuliano believes Take 5 will fill a gap in the Warehouse District entertainment scene by offering music that's geared towards an older, multicultural crowd.
"There are an awful lot of empty-nesters like my wife and I [downtown]," he says. "We're not really going to be doing the club scene over on W. 6th at two in the morning. This is a place where everybody feels welcome and has a place."
Take 5, which opened on March 21, offers live jazz, R&B and blues from Thursday through Sunday nights. It is located at 740 Superior Avenue, in the former House of Cues and Prime Rib Steakhouse location in the Warehouse District. The venue also offers an extensive tapas menu prepared by executive chef Jeremy Rolen.
Owners Brian Gresham and Claude Carson have renovated the once-shabby House of Cues into an upscale jazz venue that caters to a professional crowd. Gresham says he saw an opening in the scene due to all the development taking place downtown.
"With the casino, med mart and Flats being revitalized, we wanted to fill a niche," he says. "We more or less took concepts from places that were once in the area that did very well -- The Bop Stop, Wilberts and Sixth Street Down Under."
The owners renovated the interior with new lighting and other improvements. A black ceiling makes it "feel like you're in a true musical venue," Gresham says.
Take 5 welcomed trumpet player and vocalist Skip Martin for its opening weekend, and Gresham is currently working to bring Sean Jones to town, as well. The venue's performers will include a mix of regional and national acts.
Source: Mark Giuliano, Brian Gresham
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We know how important live music is for gathering people; we're for that kind of community building," explains Giuliano, Pastor of Old Stone Church on Public Square and President of the Downtown Residents Association. "We want a place where you can have great food and a couple drinks, listen to live music, be able to visit and have a sense of community. What [the owners] have done is take an old, divey bar and brought new life to it."
Giuliano believes Take 5 will fill a gap in the Warehouse District entertainment scene by offering music that's geared towards an older, multicultural crowd.
"There are an awful lot of empty-nesters like my wife and I [downtown]," he says. "We're not really going to be doing the club scene over on W. 6th at two in the morning. This is a place where everybody feels welcome and has a place."
Take 5, which opened on March 21, offers live jazz, R&B and blues from Thursday through Sunday nights. It is located at 740 Superior Avenue, in the former House of Cues and Prime Rib Steakhouse location in the Warehouse District. The venue also offers an extensive tapas menu prepared by executive chef Jeremy Rolen.
Owners Brian Gresham and Claude Carson have renovated the once-shabby House of Cues into an upscale jazz venue that caters to a professional crowd. Gresham says he saw an opening in the scene due to all the development taking place downtown.
"With the casino, med mart and Flats being revitalized, we wanted to fill a niche," he says. "We more or less took concepts from places that were once in the area that did very well -- The Bop Stop, Wilberts and Sixth Street Down Under."
The owners renovated the interior with new lighting and other improvements. A black ceiling makes it "feel like you're in a true musical venue," Gresham says.
Take 5 welcomed trumpet player and vocalist Skip Martin for its opening weekend, and Gresham is currently working to bring Sean Jones to town, as well. The venue's performers will include a mix of regional and national acts.
Source: Mark Giuliano, Brian Gresham
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Although it wasn't obvious to Thomas Fox at the time, losing his job at Go Media several years ago may have been the best thing that ever happened to him. It led him to create Bad Racket Recording Studio with partners James Kananen and Adam Wagner.
Since launching the studio in 2010, the group has expanded its presence in the music scene. Last year, they took on additional space, bolstered sound panels to create a better recording experience, and began hosting additional live concerts.
"January was our busiest month ever -- we were booked almost every day," says Fox, who handles marketing and operations for Bad Racket. "We're building a community of people that we're working with. Our customers have come from as far away as Philly and West Virginia, but right now it's mostly Cleveland bands."
What's different about Bad Racket, which occupies a warehouse space at W. 45th and Lorain (below Go Media's offices), is that it has created a recording space that feels like a cross between a living room and a comfortable stage.
"We're not a clean, polished space, but our emphasis is on creating a space for performance," says Fox. "All you do is show up, play your songs at your best and the rest is taken care of. People prefer live recordings -- although we do both."
Bad Racket, which charges $45 per hour for studio time, also handles video production. The recording space doubles as a stage used for live concerts.
Fox and his cohorts self-financed the studio and have reinvested profits back into the space. They've built walls from rockwall insulation and acoustic panels from "rolls of bike helmet padding from Zero Waste Landfill and whatever is cheapest at JoAnn Fabric." The result? A 1,200-square-foot space with great acoustics.
It's a labor of love that's paying off. "When there's a project we really, really want to do, budget is not an issue. Everyone here just wants to make great music. Most of us have separate jobs, but if anyone asks us what we do, we'd say Bad Racket."
Fox is also a leading force behind Brite Winter Fest (he books the music), which recently attracted 20,000 people to Ohio City on a cold, snowy February evening.
Source: Thomas Fox
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Since launching the studio in 2010, the group has expanded its presence in the music scene. Last year, they took on additional space, bolstered sound panels to create a better recording experience, and began hosting additional live concerts.
"January was our busiest month ever -- we were booked almost every day," says Fox, who handles marketing and operations for Bad Racket. "We're building a community of people that we're working with. Our customers have come from as far away as Philly and West Virginia, but right now it's mostly Cleveland bands."
What's different about Bad Racket, which occupies a warehouse space at W. 45th and Lorain (below Go Media's offices), is that it has created a recording space that feels like a cross between a living room and a comfortable stage.
"We're not a clean, polished space, but our emphasis is on creating a space for performance," says Fox. "All you do is show up, play your songs at your best and the rest is taken care of. People prefer live recordings -- although we do both."
Bad Racket, which charges $45 per hour for studio time, also handles video production. The recording space doubles as a stage used for live concerts.
Fox and his cohorts self-financed the studio and have reinvested profits back into the space. They've built walls from rockwall insulation and acoustic panels from "rolls of bike helmet padding from Zero Waste Landfill and whatever is cheapest at JoAnn Fabric." The result? A 1,200-square-foot space with great acoustics.
It's a labor of love that's paying off. "When there's a project we really, really want to do, budget is not an issue. Everyone here just wants to make great music. Most of us have separate jobs, but if anyone asks us what we do, we'd say Bad Racket."
Fox is also a leading force behind Brite Winter Fest (he books the music), which recently attracted 20,000 people to Ohio City on a cold, snowy February evening.
Source: Thomas Fox
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Two years ago, Matt Benton and his partner Jeremy Amos had an idea for adding social media to the college search process. So they quit their jobs doing investment work at KeyBank to develop College with Friends, a free mobile app that allows users to build a list of schools and see where their friends are going.
“It’s a way of saying, 'Hey, I want to go to Ohio State; who else wants to go there?'" says Benton. "The main idea is seeing who your future classmates might be."
It also gives colleges an alternate way of contacting students who are interested in their schools, as opposed to blindly marketing through the mail.
“At Key, time and again we heard parents complaining about kids going to college,” recalls Benton. “In addition to financing, they were getting all this mail, and kids wanted to know where everyone else is going. We wanted to create a time and a place for the college search and solve a lot of these problems.”
The app contains all the academic information prospective students need about the schools, and shows what friends are looking at those schools. Benton and Amos launched the app in January after talking to schools about their marketing process.
“We spent a ton of time with colleges,” says Benton. “The number-one thing they do is mailings through buying zip code data. We create the ability for colleges to come in and connect directly with the kids interested in going to that college.” Benton and Amos also talked to high school students about what they’d like to see in College with Friends.
Benton and Amos plan to add a news feed to the app, in which students can share their campus visits.
Right now the two work with a development firm for the technical aspects of the app while they focus on the design side. Benton says they plan to move the technical side in-house, as well as hire a “pretty sizeable” sales force.
Source: Matt Benton
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It’s a way of saying, 'Hey, I want to go to Ohio State; who else wants to go there?'" says Benton. "The main idea is seeing who your future classmates might be."
It also gives colleges an alternate way of contacting students who are interested in their schools, as opposed to blindly marketing through the mail.
“At Key, time and again we heard parents complaining about kids going to college,” recalls Benton. “In addition to financing, they were getting all this mail, and kids wanted to know where everyone else is going. We wanted to create a time and a place for the college search and solve a lot of these problems.”
The app contains all the academic information prospective students need about the schools, and shows what friends are looking at those schools. Benton and Amos launched the app in January after talking to schools about their marketing process.
“We spent a ton of time with colleges,” says Benton. “The number-one thing they do is mailings through buying zip code data. We create the ability for colleges to come in and connect directly with the kids interested in going to that college.” Benton and Amos also talked to high school students about what they’d like to see in College with Friends.
Benton and Amos plan to add a news feed to the app, in which students can share their campus visits.
Right now the two work with a development firm for the technical aspects of the app while they focus on the design side. Benton says they plan to move the technical side in-house, as well as hire a “pretty sizeable” sales force.
Source: Matt Benton
Writer: Karin Connelly
local company making most of exporting opportunities
In a Huffington Post story titled “ It’s a Small (Business) World: The Benefits of Exporting,” Karen Mills, an administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, shares a story about Cleveland’s TLC Products and its success in exporting through the assistance of the program.
“I recently visited TLC Products -- a Cleveland business which manufactures live bacterial products used for environmentally-friendly water treatment in ponds, septic systems and aquariums,” Mills writes.
“The company credits SBA Express loans and other products with transforming their business. Today, they have export opportunities to eight countries and expect to increase sales significantly next year with additional sales to China, India and Mexico.”
Check out the detailed piece here.
“I recently visited TLC Products -- a Cleveland business which manufactures live bacterial products used for environmentally-friendly water treatment in ponds, septic systems and aquariums,” Mills writes.
“The company credits SBA Express loans and other products with transforming their business. Today, they have export opportunities to eight countries and expect to increase sales significantly next year with additional sales to China, India and Mexico.”
Check out the detailed piece here.
chef chris hodgson nominated by food & wine magazine
In a Food & Wine post titled “The People’s Best New Chef: Great Lakes,” Cleveland’s own Chris Hodgson is a nominee for the magazine’s well-known award.
He is among 100 outstanding chefs, divided into 10 regions, who will compete for votes from the general public. The chef with the most votes in each region will be named a finalist and the finalist with the most votes overall will be named The People’s Best New Chef. The winner will be featured in the July issue.
Hodgson’s bio gives him kudos for being appreciated “because he pioneered Cleveland’s acclaimed food-truck scene with his quirky takes on American comfort food, now featured at this brick-and-mortar spot,” referring to his restaurant Hodge’s.
The post goes on to talk about his culinary background training at Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale and his work at Christopher’s Crush (Phoenix) and The Spotted Pig (New York City) before returning to Cleveland to found Dim and Dem Sum Truck.
Fans are asked to vote for the Cleveland chef. Voting runs now through 3/18/13. Visit here to cast yours http://www.foodandwine.com/peoples-best-new-chef/great-lakes
He is among 100 outstanding chefs, divided into 10 regions, who will compete for votes from the general public. The chef with the most votes in each region will be named a finalist and the finalist with the most votes overall will be named The People’s Best New Chef. The winner will be featured in the July issue.
Hodgson’s bio gives him kudos for being appreciated “because he pioneered Cleveland’s acclaimed food-truck scene with his quirky takes on American comfort food, now featured at this brick-and-mortar spot,” referring to his restaurant Hodge’s.
The post goes on to talk about his culinary background training at Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale and his work at Christopher’s Crush (Phoenix) and The Spotted Pig (New York City) before returning to Cleveland to found Dim and Dem Sum Truck.
Fans are asked to vote for the Cleveland chef. Voting runs now through 3/18/13. Visit here to cast yours http://www.foodandwine.com/peoples-best-new-chef/great-lakes
With over 11 million visitors expected in downtown Cleveland this year (up from nine million last year), RTA officials sought last year to better connect the city's neighborhoods via public transportation. Their goal was to ensure that RTA is the transportation mode of choice for visitors to downtown.
Six months ago, RTA was able to launch expanded, free shuttle service downtown on weeknights and weekends, thanks to $2.88 million in federal transit money and $720,000 in donations. The program is funded for the next three years.
Speaking at a downtown tour last week, RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese touted the trolley service as a huge success for downtown Cleveland that will enhance the visitor experience as the Global Health Innovation Center opens.
"RTA experienced five percent growth last year," he said. "We think downtown growth will help us. We want to make public transit a viable option for tourists."
As downtown experiences a so-called "parking crunch," Calabrese said that RTA is increasingly becoming the transportation mode of choice. Trolleys run until 11 p.m.
There are five lines: The C-line, which links the casino with the convention center; the L-line, which focuses on lakefront destinations; the NineTwelve line, which helps shuttle office workers from large garages to offices on E. 9th; the E-line on Euclid Avenue; and the B-line on Superior and Lakeside Avenues. Trolleys start at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends, and they arrive every 10 minutes.
The trolleys also serve downtown's growing residential population, expected to swell from 11,000 to 14,000 as new apartment projects open in the next two years. Another benefit? Helping office workers get around downtown easily.
Source: Joe Calabrese
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Six months ago, RTA was able to launch expanded, free shuttle service downtown on weeknights and weekends, thanks to $2.88 million in federal transit money and $720,000 in donations. The program is funded for the next three years.
Speaking at a downtown tour last week, RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese touted the trolley service as a huge success for downtown Cleveland that will enhance the visitor experience as the Global Health Innovation Center opens.
"RTA experienced five percent growth last year," he said. "We think downtown growth will help us. We want to make public transit a viable option for tourists."
As downtown experiences a so-called "parking crunch," Calabrese said that RTA is increasingly becoming the transportation mode of choice. Trolleys run until 11 p.m.
There are five lines: The C-line, which links the casino with the convention center; the L-line, which focuses on lakefront destinations; the NineTwelve line, which helps shuttle office workers from large garages to offices on E. 9th; the E-line on Euclid Avenue; and the B-line on Superior and Lakeside Avenues. Trolleys start at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends, and they arrive every 10 minutes.
The trolleys also serve downtown's growing residential population, expected to swell from 11,000 to 14,000 as new apartment projects open in the next two years. Another benefit? Helping office workers get around downtown easily.
Source: Joe Calabrese
Writer: Lee Chilcote