On the heels of a successful merger that brought together under one roof three nonprofit community development organizations, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has made a key hire to lead its policy and advocacy efforts. Alesha Washington, a Glenville native who most recently served as Director of Executive Administration and Government Relations at the Centers for Family and Children, recently joined CNP as its Senior Director of Advocacy, Policy and Research. Washington will lead strategic policy initiatives at the city, county, state and federal levels and identify and use academic research to inform community development strategies.

"Trying to create a shared advocacy platform for the CDC community is what attracted me to the role," says Washington. "There's a need and a longing for a very coordinated and aligned system. The goal is to work together to improve Cleveland's neighborhoods for all people."

"It's about connecting the dots," adds Joel Ratner, President of CNP. "The needs we're identifying at the neighborhood level should be articulated clearly, strongly and strategically to officials who are setting policy and government budgets."

In recent years, Ratner says, no such coordinated effort has existed. Policy priorities might include strategies and funding to address vacant and abandoned properties, maintaining and enhancing tax credit programs that lend to neighborhood development, and influencing the state budget.


Source: Alesha Washington, Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Tipse Treats founder Autumn Skoczen came up with the brilliant idea for a cupcake that contains a full shot of alcohol after visiting a bakery in another city, purchasing a booze-infused treat, and determining that all of the "good stuff" had burned off in the oven.

At the same time, she noticed cupcake shops on practically every other block. Along with bars, of course. So she hatched a plan to combine the two and create the cupcake equivalent of the Jell-o shot.

Now Tipse Treats, which has been rapidly gaining popularity in the two years since it launched, is opening a production facility in Parma to keep up with demand. Located at 5883 Broadview Road, the bakery will celebrate its grand opening with a party on Saturday, January 25th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Cake and cupcake samples will be offered at the event, but you can also purchase your tipsy treats online or by calling them at 440-262-5531.

Co-owner Chelsea Scavnicky says Tipse Treats has found success with both commercial clients and individuals. Although she can't discuss the company's patent pending process in detail, she explains that the dessert is served "chilled, like a cocktail."

The Tipse Treats website touts the product as "the first ever cupcake shot." The company also offers alcohol-infused marshmallows, ice spheres and cubes, cocktail bubbles, popsicles and pudding pies. The "pint-sized playthings," say staffers, are perfect for functions ranging from bachelorette parties to adult sleepovers to corporate parties.

The production space in Parma will be used to sell non-alcoholic, prepackaged items, to hold events like cake tastings for weddings, and of course as the company's bakery.

The co-founders say they are searching for a retail space downtown, preferably in PlayhouseSquare. They even have their eye on a space, but it's too early to divulge any details. Co-owner Meghan Ciacchi will own and manage the downtown store.

"Everybody loves the idea," says Scavnicky of her company's growth. "When we go and present it, people are hooked."


Source: Chelsea Scavnicky
Writer: Lee Chilcote

When Addisah Sherwood-Ajiboye and her husband, A. Bolu Ajiboye, wanted to introduce their three-year-old to science and math, they were surprised by the lack of age-appropriate activities.

While parents often concentrate on early reading skills, they often don’t focus on science, technology, engineering and math – or STEM -- skills, Sherwood-Ajiboye says. “Eighty-five percent of brain development happens before the age of five,” she explains. “Too often, math and science instruction is overlooked by parents. Studies show that children introduced to STEM educational resources at a young age perform better in science and math than those who are not.”
 
So Sherwood-Ajiboye, a former teacher, and her husband, a neuroscientist and engineering professor at CWRU, started STEMpowerkids to introduce science and math to kids aged three to seven years old. Sherwood-Ajiboye works with three early childhood education experts to develop a STEM curriculum designed for preschool and kindergarten children.
 
“Our all-inclusive kit is designed to be both fun and educational,” Sherwood-Ajiboye says. “Our mission is to empower children in STEM by promoting their interest and abilities with fun experiential learning activities at home.” The “bite-sized” lesson plans can be tweaked for different ages and include hands-on projects. Activities include making a potato battery and building a film-canister rocket.
 
Right now STEMpowerkids is in beta phase, selling subscriptions at a discount. When the company officially launches at the Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C. in April, subscriptions will sell for $29.95 per month, which includes shipping.
 
STEMpowerkids won a $25,000 loan from Bad Girl Ventures in December and is currently looking for first-round investors. Sherwood-Ajiboye also is searching for a business accelerator or incubator program.

 
Source: Adissah Sherwood-Ajiboye
Writer: Karin Connelly

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress has awarded $340,000 to nine community development corporations for green space improvements in Cleveland neighborhoods. The funds, which stem from the WellsFargo CityLIFT program as part of a multimillion dollar national settlement, will be used to fund side yards, pocket parks, pathway parks and street-edge improvements across the city.

"We feel this is very impactful," says Joel Ratner, President of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. "Every day there are more vacant lots in Cleveland. The vast majority of them are scattered sites. How do we repurpose them in a way that supports neighborhoods? Urban agriculture is great, but you usually need larger pieces of land. This is a way of supporting the people that live on these streets."

Through a competitive process, CNP awarded funds to a pocket park adjacent to the E. 79th Street rapid station in Central, a pathway park in Tremont, and side yards in Stockyards, Brooklyn Centre and Clark-Fulton, among others.

The work will be completed on these lots in the spring and summer of 2014, with all improvements slated to be completed by November 2014.

"This is about the psychology of the neighborhood on some basic level," says Ratner. "It shows people their neighborhoods have not been forgotten. There may be many development opportunities in the medium or long-term future, but in the meantime, we want to keep the streets as strong as possible."

The grants were awarded as part of ReImagining Cleveland 3.0, a program whose earlier rounds fostered urban agriculture and greening projects across Cleveland.

Cleveland has been recognized nationally as a leader in urban agriculture and neighborhood greening as a response to population loss and the foreclosure crisis.


Source: Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Great neighborhoods require great cafes. These so-called "third places" provide residents with a neutral place to meet, talk and take part in the daily discourse of life. Thanks to a maturing coffee movement, most of Cleveland's neighborhoods are now blessed with just such a place. Here are some of our favorites.

While the West Side Market and Terminal Tower demand center stage, what about the hidden gems, wallflowers and untold stories? With CityProwl podcaster and veteran architect Jennifer Coleman as our guide, we discover one treasure after another, from a tiny neighborhood worthy of Dickens to bouquets of flowers fit for a giant.

Amber Pompeii and her husband, Michael George, both Cleveland natives, spent the last couple of years in Seattle. While most people think of Seattle as a coffee hotspot, Pompeii discovered something different: tea. While working for Remedy Teas in Seattle, Pompeii saw that there’s a whole different mind-set in a tea shop than a coffee shop.

“Most of the time people walk into a coffee shop and it’s go, go, go, with a lot of carry out,” Pompeii says. “Tea is about taking time out of your day.”
 
Pompeii and George moved back to Cleveland eight months ago because they missed the city and wanted to bring the tea experience to Hingetown. They are on track to open Cleveland Tea Revival February 1. “It will be exactly like a coffee shop, where you go in and sit down, but we focus on tea, not coffee,” Pompeii says. “I love tea and there are not a lot of great places to buy tea in Cleveland.”
 
Cleveland Tea Revival will feature 50 organic teas, from white to black, as well as pu-erh, a fermented tea. Customers can enjoy a pot of tea in the café, take a cup to go, buy tea leaves or learn about the benefits of drinking tea. “We will focus on pure teas, that way you get a lot of natural flavors – buttery, flowery flavors with enzymes that help with digestion.” Pompeii currently is looking for local sources for pastries and plans to source locally for blending ingredients.
 
Pompeii went through the Bad Girl Ventures Fall 2013 business program and received a $25,000 loan from ECDI to help start Cleveland Tea Revival. While Pompeii and George are the only two employees right now, Pompeii says they plan to hire at least two people this year as the café gets off the ground.

 
Source: Amber Pompeii
Writer: Karin Connelly

The biggest gripe of downtown Cleveland residents (and, really, downtown dwellers in most non-coastal cities) is that their city center lacks the retail and amenities they need. Being a downtown resident often means regular car trips to the 'burbs -- or somewhere that's not within walking distance -- for shopping.

Yet that's slowly beginning to change. As any commercial broker will tell you, retail follows rooftops. As downtown Cleveland gains thousands of new residents, retailers are finding a market here. The 5th Street Arcades are nearly 100 percent full, and Heinen's is planning to open a new grocery store downtown.

The topic of retail and amenities will be in the spotlight this week as Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) and the City Club of Cleveland kick off a new event series. "Civic Drinks: Downtown Dialogues" will bring together developers and nonprofit leaders to discuss what downtown Cleveland needs to thrive. The kickoff takes place on Wednesday, January 8th at 4 p.m. in the former Cleveland Trust Rotunda (future home of Heinen's Fine Foods) at East 9th and Euclid Ave.

The kickoff event will feature a panel discussion with DCA President and CEO Joe Marinucci, developer Fred Geis and Tom Heinen of Heinen's Fine Foods.

“Our Downtown Dialogue events are designed to give people who are invested in the future of downtown Cleveland an opportunity to discuss what’s next for our city," said Marinucci in a release. "Each talk will feature experts in a particular area that is crucial for moving downtown forward, and will offer opportunities for small group dialogue and sharing ideas.”

Future events will tackle green space and connectivity (April 4th), livability (July 2nd) and downtown's vision plan (September 3rd).


Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Two years ago, after a 17-year career as a communications consultant with some of the area’s larger human resources firms, Denise Reynolds decided she wanted to put a little color in her job. So after she was laid off from her last position, she launched Outside the Lines Creative Group (OTL), a company that uses cartoons to convey company messages.

“I wanted to take all of my knowledge about benefits, wellness, policies and procedures and make it fun,” she says of her newfound venture. “I thought, this stuff is so boring. If only we’d put cartoons with it, people would actually read it.”
 
So she recruited nationally syndicated cartoonist Jenny Campbell to illustrate Reynolds’ HR messages. Reynolds uses humor and illustrations to communicate sometimes not-so-exciting subject matter, like dress codes and employee safety rules. “Companies love it,” she says. “And employees think it’s great.”
 
Currently, OTL has about 20 clients, ranging from Jergens Industrial Supply to the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In fact, finding clients hasn’t been too hard, says Reynolds. “You have to find clients who want to do something innovative."
 
Jergens liked Reynolds’ campaign so much they asked that the cartoon characters be painted on the plant’s machinery. “Companies try everything to get the attention of employees, but they haven’t tried cartoons yet,” says Reynolds. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park hired OTL to create a children’s educational activity book featuring a river otter. The book won an international award and the otter has been made into a plush stuffed animal.
 
In fact, OTL won five international awards in two competitions in 2013 for its work on projects for Akron Children’s Hospital, ACRT, Jergens Industrial Supply and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
 
OTL recently was awarded a $5,000 loan from Bad Girl Ventures, which Reynolds plans to use to update her website and post some work samples. She also plans on hiring a second cartoonist.

 
Source: Denise Reynolds
Writer: Karin Connelly

As recently as last year, the Colonial and Euclid Arcades downtown suffered from 40 percent vacancy. But oh, how fortunes have changed. The once-moribund properties, rebranded as 5th Street Arcades, have gone from half-empty to almost full. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski spent some time in the arcades window shopping with his camera.

What's the big idea behind the South Euclid Idea House? Housing Manager Sally Martin says the goal of the energy-efficient, 1,800-square-foot home, which was completed this fall, is to stimulate new thinking about the future of this built-out, inner ring 'burb.

That future now includes seven new-construction homes scattered throughout the community, five community gardens and three pocket parks. These projects rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the foreclosure crisis -- South Euclid has now demolished 56 homes, with more to come. The city also has inspired at least one private builder, Weathervane Homes, to build homes in the community.

"We built the Idea House to show that you can live big on a small lot," says Martin. "The 'big idea' is that infill development is a great possibility for the private sector, and that houses can be built here in a modern way that modern buyers will like."

In the past, Martin says, many builders looked past South Euclid to the exurbs. The modest silver lining in the housing crisis, which resulted in many vacant homes, is that infill lots are beginning to open up. One South Euclid, a new community development group, now offers these lots for development.

The Idea House features an open floor plan, upscale finishes, first-floor master bedroom or den, and energy-efficient design. The house, which was built using Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding, is under contract for $162,000.

Martin says the new homes, coupled with green space initiatives, aggressive code enforcement, nuisance abatement and offering of lots to private developers, have spurred the beginnings of a renaissance.
 
"We've planted the seeds, and it's taken off from there. We've seen a small increase in the housing market. There's hope."


Source: Sally Martin
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Tomorrow's economy-boosting titans are today's middle and high school students, and there's no good reason to make them wait until college or later to start honing their business acumen. Fortunately, area programs aimed at would-be high school entrepreneurs are providing experience that will serve them well regardless their future paths.