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Danny Sheridan comes from a family of entrepreneurs -- his father invests in small tech businesses and deals in commercial real estate for medical officers, and his mother is a marketing consultant. So it was only natural that the junior at Beachwood High School would start his own business. After finding he had a knack for selling things on eBay, Sheridan started Woodside Distributors, distributing energy efficient LED lights for Solon-based Mr. Beams.
“Mr. Beams didn’t have a lot of eBay, but I was really good at eBay,” says Sheridan. “When I ran into them I immediately was able to distribute their products online. I was able to add my area of expertise, and now we’re on Amazon and other places.”
Sheridan’s business has quadrupled in the past few months and he expects to reach $100,000 in sales by the end of the year.
Sheridan, who is president of the Beachwood High School Business Club, set up a booth at Entrovation on April 19 to showcase his company and the products he distributes. “There were a ton of people -- 1,000 or so -- who just came by to say hi,” he recalls. “The biggest reaction was, ‘Hey, you’re just a kid.’ Then it was, ‘Wow, he’s actually selling.’ I was fortunate; I made a few hundred bucks that day.”
In fact, Sheridan won the Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year award, sponsored by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. He received the top prize of $3,000. “I’m excited to buy more inventory and expand even faster,” he says.
Sheridan’s business is growing so fast, he’s looking for new fulfillment options. “I’ve been using Amazon to do more fulfillment,” he explains. “But it’s getting to the point I can’t ship from my house any more. The mailman can’t keep up.”
Source: Danny Sheridan
Writer: Karin Connelly
“Mr. Beams didn’t have a lot of eBay, but I was really good at eBay,” says Sheridan. “When I ran into them I immediately was able to distribute their products online. I was able to add my area of expertise, and now we’re on Amazon and other places.”
Sheridan’s business has quadrupled in the past few months and he expects to reach $100,000 in sales by the end of the year.
Sheridan, who is president of the Beachwood High School Business Club, set up a booth at Entrovation on April 19 to showcase his company and the products he distributes. “There were a ton of people -- 1,000 or so -- who just came by to say hi,” he recalls. “The biggest reaction was, ‘Hey, you’re just a kid.’ Then it was, ‘Wow, he’s actually selling.’ I was fortunate; I made a few hundred bucks that day.”
In fact, Sheridan won the Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year award, sponsored by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. He received the top prize of $3,000. “I’m excited to buy more inventory and expand even faster,” he says.
Sheridan’s business is growing so fast, he’s looking for new fulfillment options. “I’ve been using Amazon to do more fulfillment,” he explains. “But it’s getting to the point I can’t ship from my house any more. The mailman can’t keep up.”
Source: Danny Sheridan
Writer: Karin Connelly
art daily touts cma's beckmann acquisition
In an Art Daily feature titled “Cleveland Museum of Art acquires dramatic painting by seminal 20th century German artist Max Beckmann,” the editors continue to praise the Cleveland Museum of Art for their ongoing work in building some of the most comprehensive collections in the country, including the recently added painting by German artist Max Beckmann.
“The acquisition of the Beckmann marks the successful conclusion of a decade-long hunt for a major work by the artist and adds a fascinating and challenging picture to the museum’s holdings of modern European art,” explains C. Griffith Mann, Ph.D, the museum’s deputy director and chief curator. “The African textiles are notable not only for their quality but also for their provenance, and the gifts speak eloquently to the impact our collectors and donors are capable of making across our collections.”
The feature goes on to highlight the life and career of Beckmann, including the nature of his work for which he is most known.
Explore the full feature here.
“The acquisition of the Beckmann marks the successful conclusion of a decade-long hunt for a major work by the artist and adds a fascinating and challenging picture to the museum’s holdings of modern European art,” explains C. Griffith Mann, Ph.D, the museum’s deputy director and chief curator. “The African textiles are notable not only for their quality but also for their provenance, and the gifts speak eloquently to the impact our collectors and donors are capable of making across our collections.”
The feature goes on to highlight the life and career of Beckmann, including the nature of his work for which he is most known.
Explore the full feature here.
The fourth Blackstone LaunchPad opened on the CWRU campus on April 23, providing a place for aspiring entrepreneurs to gather, learn and get advice.
“LaunchPad is aimed at students seeing it and saying, ‘I have an idea,’” says Deborah D. Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. “It’s aimed at students walking in and talking to people and an idea takes off.”
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced in November 2011 that they had committed $3.2 million over three years to open LaunchPad locations in Northeast Ohio to train area student entrepreneurs.
The LaunchPad is a venture coach program developed at the University of Miami, Florida in 2008. The program provides participants with advice and mentorship to take business ideas to fruition. Students are matched up with venture coaches to guide them through the development process.
The other Northeast Ohio LaunchPads are on the campuses of Baldwin Wallace University, Lorain County Community College and Kent State University. The goal is to create 150 new sustainable companies in the next five years, which could generate as many as 3,000 jobs. Hoover says they expect to exceed that goal.
More than 40 students already are registered with the CWRU LaunchPad and 16 are exploring their business ideas. “More than 400 student ventures are underway among the four campuses,” says Hoover. “We think that’s pretty great.” Registration is ongoing.
Nearly 200 people turned out for the opening in CWRU’s Thwing Center. “It was great, we were really pleased with the way it went,” Hoover says of the opening. Attendees included Case president Barbara Snyder and Bob Sopko, director of the CWRU LaunchPad, as well as Joan Solotar, chair of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Vinny Gupta, chair of the Ohio Board of Regents.
Source: Deborah D. Hoover
Writer: Karin Connelly
“LaunchPad is aimed at students seeing it and saying, ‘I have an idea,’” says Deborah D. Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. “It’s aimed at students walking in and talking to people and an idea takes off.”
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced in November 2011 that they had committed $3.2 million over three years to open LaunchPad locations in Northeast Ohio to train area student entrepreneurs.
The LaunchPad is a venture coach program developed at the University of Miami, Florida in 2008. The program provides participants with advice and mentorship to take business ideas to fruition. Students are matched up with venture coaches to guide them through the development process.
The other Northeast Ohio LaunchPads are on the campuses of Baldwin Wallace University, Lorain County Community College and Kent State University. The goal is to create 150 new sustainable companies in the next five years, which could generate as many as 3,000 jobs. Hoover says they expect to exceed that goal.
More than 40 students already are registered with the CWRU LaunchPad and 16 are exploring their business ideas. “More than 400 student ventures are underway among the four campuses,” says Hoover. “We think that’s pretty great.” Registration is ongoing.
Nearly 200 people turned out for the opening in CWRU’s Thwing Center. “It was great, we were really pleased with the way it went,” Hoover says of the opening. Attendees included Case president Barbara Snyder and Bob Sopko, director of the CWRU LaunchPad, as well as Joan Solotar, chair of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Vinny Gupta, chair of the Ohio Board of Regents.
Source: Deborah D. Hoover
Writer: Karin Connelly
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
Barroco, a Colombian and Latin American restaurant with another location is in Lakewood, recently opened a small cafe on W. 6th Street to bring its signature Latin American street food to the Warehouse District.
The new eatery, which can seat about 40 inside and outside on its patio, offers the popular arepa -- thick corn tortillas that are split like English muffins and filled with a variety of meat and veggies -- as well as other favorites such as a Cuban sandwich, Colombian chicken and Barroco burger.
The joint truly will be jumping when the W. 6th Streetscape project wraps up later this summer, allowing Barroco's patio to flourish. Co-owner Juan David Vergara says the clientele includes downtown office workers, residents and late-night revelers.
"This is a faster version of our restaurant," he says. "We still specialize in arepas, but we're also throwing in a couple of new items such as a loaded baked potato."
Vergara is working on some new concepts, including collaborating with Bank Street Wine and Spirits next door to allow BYOB, adding a larger chef's menu for dinner, and displaying what he calls "Barroco TV" (viewers can watch their food being prepared). Barroco is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Latin American street food is pretty much drinking food, bar food," he says. "People go out and stop by the street carts early or late. That's our concept."
Barroco makes its own arepas by hand, a three-day process that Vergara says is "like the ancients" -- they use hominy corn, not corn flour. The restaurant has been getting attention for its food and just won Best Latin Restaurant in Scene.
"So far it's been phenomenal," he says. "We're getting office people for lunch, people who live around here for dinner, and drunk people after the clubs let out."
Source: Juan David Vergara
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The new eatery, which can seat about 40 inside and outside on its patio, offers the popular arepa -- thick corn tortillas that are split like English muffins and filled with a variety of meat and veggies -- as well as other favorites such as a Cuban sandwich, Colombian chicken and Barroco burger.
The joint truly will be jumping when the W. 6th Streetscape project wraps up later this summer, allowing Barroco's patio to flourish. Co-owner Juan David Vergara says the clientele includes downtown office workers, residents and late-night revelers.
"This is a faster version of our restaurant," he says. "We still specialize in arepas, but we're also throwing in a couple of new items such as a loaded baked potato."
Vergara is working on some new concepts, including collaborating with Bank Street Wine and Spirits next door to allow BYOB, adding a larger chef's menu for dinner, and displaying what he calls "Barroco TV" (viewers can watch their food being prepared). Barroco is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Latin American street food is pretty much drinking food, bar food," he says. "People go out and stop by the street carts early or late. That's our concept."
Barroco makes its own arepas by hand, a three-day process that Vergara says is "like the ancients" -- they use hominy corn, not corn flour. The restaurant has been getting attention for its food and just won Best Latin Restaurant in Scene.
"So far it's been phenomenal," he says. "We're getting office people for lunch, people who live around here for dinner, and drunk people after the clubs let out."
Source: Juan David Vergara
Writer: Lee Chilcote
NEOSA Tech Week brought 1,600 attendees to events around Cleveland last week, tripling its numbers since it first started three years ago. “It’s really inspiring to see the region recognizing the value and importance of the IT industry in Cleveland,” says NEOSA director Brad Nellis.
From the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, which had 34 local participants in a worldwide event of 9,000, to the much-anticipated Best of Tech Awards, to educational events and job fairs, Tech Week highlighted both the emerging technology companies and the more established and growing businesses in the region.
“We saw a lot of new companies we hadn’t seen before and that was kind of cool,” says Nellis. In particular he cites iOTOS as a standout winner in the new Best of Tech category Most Promising Startup. “These guys showed a high degree of promise. iOTOS holds the opportunity to be something big coming out of Northeast Ohio.”
UrbanCode, which announced Monday that it has been acquired by IBM, won Best Software Product. “UrbanCode really stands out in the market,” says Nellis. “It was cool that we give them an award on Thursday, and on Monday they announce they’ve been acquired. We’ve been following them for a couple of years and they’re a company that’s growing like wildfire. They’ll probably double in size again this year.”
Hyland Software won Tech Company of the Year, Vox Mobile won Best IT Services Company, and DecisionDesk won Best Emerging Company. Nellis points out that all of the finalists are impressive companies as well, having emerged out of 60 nominations in five categories. Six CIO of the Year were named in various categories by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Source: Brad Nellis
Writer: Karin Connelly
From the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, which had 34 local participants in a worldwide event of 9,000, to the much-anticipated Best of Tech Awards, to educational events and job fairs, Tech Week highlighted both the emerging technology companies and the more established and growing businesses in the region.
“We saw a lot of new companies we hadn’t seen before and that was kind of cool,” says Nellis. In particular he cites iOTOS as a standout winner in the new Best of Tech category Most Promising Startup. “These guys showed a high degree of promise. iOTOS holds the opportunity to be something big coming out of Northeast Ohio.”
UrbanCode, which announced Monday that it has been acquired by IBM, won Best Software Product. “UrbanCode really stands out in the market,” says Nellis. “It was cool that we give them an award on Thursday, and on Monday they announce they’ve been acquired. We’ve been following them for a couple of years and they’re a company that’s growing like wildfire. They’ll probably double in size again this year.”
Hyland Software won Tech Company of the Year, Vox Mobile won Best IT Services Company, and DecisionDesk won Best Emerging Company. Nellis points out that all of the finalists are impressive companies as well, having emerged out of 60 nominations in five categories. Six CIO of the Year were named in various categories by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Source: Brad Nellis
Writer: Karin Connelly
Has Silicon Valley jumped the shark? Ask many keen observers of technology hubs from coast to coast and they'll tell you that 2013 is prime time for startups to bloom in unexpected cities like Detroit and Cleveland. Dubbed the "Rise of the Rest," the burgeoning trend documents the blossoming of entrepreneurialism in unexpected places.
Chris Armenio and Art Geigel like having everything they need right at their fingertips. Pairing smart phones with tinkering on a hobbyist level, the two came up with iOTOS, a way to control everything from the garage door opener to the coffee maker through smart phones and tablets.
Armenio and Geigel developed iOTOS through the LaunchHouse Accelerator Program last year. Based on a technology known as “the Internet of things,” the tech wirelessly connects consumers and businesses to the things they use every day. The Internet of things market is expected to hit $14.4 trillion in the next 10 years.
“It started as an easy way to control hobby projects through a website or email for the hardware hackers,” explains Armenio of their NiOS wireless hub. “As we started looking out there, we found more and more diversified companies were looking to fit this stuff with their commercial products.”
The technology and iOTOS’ offerings are growing in popularity as the concept and demand takes off. The company was named “Most Promising Startup” at 2013 NEOSA Tech Week’s Best in Tech awards last week.
So far, the company has sold its technology to garage door opener retrofit packagers. iOTOS recently announced pre-sales of its NioGarage, a retrofit WiFi garage door system. “We’re in pretty advanced talks with a few Northeast Ohio companies,” says Geigel.
iOTOS has four full-time employees, including Armenio and Geigel, two salespeople and three part-time employees. The company recently brought on Jim McGreevy as vice president of business development.
Sources: Chris Armenio and Art Geigel
Writer: Karin Connelly
Armenio and Geigel developed iOTOS through the LaunchHouse Accelerator Program last year. Based on a technology known as “the Internet of things,” the tech wirelessly connects consumers and businesses to the things they use every day. The Internet of things market is expected to hit $14.4 trillion in the next 10 years.
“It started as an easy way to control hobby projects through a website or email for the hardware hackers,” explains Armenio of their NiOS wireless hub. “As we started looking out there, we found more and more diversified companies were looking to fit this stuff with their commercial products.”
The technology and iOTOS’ offerings are growing in popularity as the concept and demand takes off. The company was named “Most Promising Startup” at 2013 NEOSA Tech Week’s Best in Tech awards last week.
So far, the company has sold its technology to garage door opener retrofit packagers. iOTOS recently announced pre-sales of its NioGarage, a retrofit WiFi garage door system. “We’re in pretty advanced talks with a few Northeast Ohio companies,” says Geigel.
iOTOS has four full-time employees, including Armenio and Geigel, two salespeople and three part-time employees. The company recently brought on Jim McGreevy as vice president of business development.
Sources: Chris Armenio and Art Geigel
Writer: Karin Connelly
Talent management firm Alexander Mann Solutions unexpectedly chose Cleveland as the hub for its U.S. operations last year. The company was all but set on Raleigh, North Carolina, when a full-throttle pitch by business leaders changed their minds. Afterwards, CEO Rosaleen Blair said the firm was "love-bombed" into choosing Cleveland. A package of incentives from the State of Ohio reportedly helped to seal the deal.
Now the firm is quickly expanding into its temporary offices in the Erieview Tower in downtown Cleveland. It has doubled in size since opening in August -- the firm now employs 40, and plans are in the works to ramp up to 60-75 employees by the end of the year.
"It's getting smaller by the day," says Mark Jones, Head of Global Client Services for Alexander Mann, of the current, 8,000-square-foot office. Jones moved here from the U.K. with his family. "We are looking at all options downtown."
Based in London, AMS employs more than 1,800 people, and assists clients in more than 60 countries. Cleveland is the firm's fifth operations center, with additional hubs in the U.K., China, the Phillipines and Poland. The firm has said that the hub in Cleveland could grow to become as large as 300 employees.
Finding the right talent for AMS in Cleveland has been harder than he anticipated. "Part of the challenge is that what we do is not straightforward. We're not a staffing firm. We are a specialist organization that deals with large corporate clients, handling all aspects of talent management for those clients. Not only does that mean finding candidates, but the complete onboarding of candidates."
Alexander Mann is currently hiring qualified individuals with experience in recruiting. Jones says he's been happy with the level of talent they've identified so far. "The caliber of people we've been able to hire is very, very strong."
Source: Mark Jones
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now the firm is quickly expanding into its temporary offices in the Erieview Tower in downtown Cleveland. It has doubled in size since opening in August -- the firm now employs 40, and plans are in the works to ramp up to 60-75 employees by the end of the year.
"It's getting smaller by the day," says Mark Jones, Head of Global Client Services for Alexander Mann, of the current, 8,000-square-foot office. Jones moved here from the U.K. with his family. "We are looking at all options downtown."
Based in London, AMS employs more than 1,800 people, and assists clients in more than 60 countries. Cleveland is the firm's fifth operations center, with additional hubs in the U.K., China, the Phillipines and Poland. The firm has said that the hub in Cleveland could grow to become as large as 300 employees.
Finding the right talent for AMS in Cleveland has been harder than he anticipated. "Part of the challenge is that what we do is not straightforward. We're not a staffing firm. We are a specialist organization that deals with large corporate clients, handling all aspects of talent management for those clients. Not only does that mean finding candidates, but the complete onboarding of candidates."
Alexander Mann is currently hiring qualified individuals with experience in recruiting. Jones says he's been happy with the level of talent they've identified so far. "The caliber of people we've been able to hire is very, very strong."
Source: Mark Jones
Writer: Lee Chilcote
survey says: cle is a small-biz friendly city
In a Thumbtack.com survey titled “United States Small Business Friendliness,” the editors grade Cleveland an “A-“ in overall friendliness to small business. They also gave Cleveland an “A” in ease of hiring and an “A+” in training and networking programs.
“Starting a business is one of the greatest risks I have undertaken. I have the good fortune of starting that business in Ohio. The State gave me an entire website guiding me so that the odds of success are greater. I am not sure I can qualify starting a business as easy, but the support in my state made certain that it wasn't too painful,” shared a Cleveland-based marketing consultant.
Cleveland did have some areas for improvement despite its high overall grade. Regulations and tax code issues can sometimes be challenging for small business owners according to the findings.
Check out the complete survey here.
“Starting a business is one of the greatest risks I have undertaken. I have the good fortune of starting that business in Ohio. The State gave me an entire website guiding me so that the odds of success are greater. I am not sure I can qualify starting a business as easy, but the support in my state made certain that it wasn't too painful,” shared a Cleveland-based marketing consultant.
Cleveland did have some areas for improvement despite its high overall grade. Regulations and tax code issues can sometimes be challenging for small business owners according to the findings.
Check out the complete survey here.
Ryan O’Donnell has created a way to add a personal touch to online gifting. The founder and CEO of Sociagram has created an online cloud-based platform to create customized personal video messages. O’Donnell recognized that people enjoy sending e-cards and adding other personal touches when they send online gifts.
O’Donnell started Let’s Gift It in 2011, an online group gifting site, but quickly recognized the market wasn’t there. “What we learned is we were in a startup graveyard,” he says. “There was low perceived value and a high level of complexity to integrate it.”
But the idea behind Let’s Gift It led to Sociagram in 2012. “Since 1996, the only option was printing out a gift message on a packing slip that gets sent out with the product,” explains O’Donnell. “We realized we need more than that. With Sociagram, grandma and grandpa live in another state, they can click a button and sing happy birthday to their grandson. Dad can then record the grandson opening their gift.”
Retailers can also incorporate Sociagram into their gift options. Sociagram clients include 1-800-Bakery, Ashland Addison Florist Company and Mak·a·boo Personalized Gifts.
Sociagram recently received a $250,000 investment from JumpStart to further develop its platform. “They’ve been great partners,” says O’Donnell. “They’ve helped us think it through.” O’Donnell just moved Sociagram’s offices to Cleveland from New York. “Cleveland has been a very receptive place for us,” he says. He’s currently working out of the FlashStarts offices.
The company currently employs two software developers and two marketing and sales people, as well as an intern. O’Donnell plans to hire an additional four people as the company grows.
Source: Ryan O’Donnell
Writer: Karin Connelly
O’Donnell started Let’s Gift It in 2011, an online group gifting site, but quickly recognized the market wasn’t there. “What we learned is we were in a startup graveyard,” he says. “There was low perceived value and a high level of complexity to integrate it.”
But the idea behind Let’s Gift It led to Sociagram in 2012. “Since 1996, the only option was printing out a gift message on a packing slip that gets sent out with the product,” explains O’Donnell. “We realized we need more than that. With Sociagram, grandma and grandpa live in another state, they can click a button and sing happy birthday to their grandson. Dad can then record the grandson opening their gift.”
Retailers can also incorporate Sociagram into their gift options. Sociagram clients include 1-800-Bakery, Ashland Addison Florist Company and Mak·a·boo Personalized Gifts.
Sociagram recently received a $250,000 investment from JumpStart to further develop its platform. “They’ve been great partners,” says O’Donnell. “They’ve helped us think it through.” O’Donnell just moved Sociagram’s offices to Cleveland from New York. “Cleveland has been a very receptive place for us,” he says. He’s currently working out of the FlashStarts offices.
The company currently employs two software developers and two marketing and sales people, as well as an intern. O’Donnell plans to hire an additional four people as the company grows.
Source: Ryan O’Donnell
Writer: Karin Connelly
cle's hodgson to appear on next food network star
In a PR Newswire item posted in The Wall Street Journal titled “New Roster Of Hopefuls Vie For Culinary Stardom In Season Nine Of Primetime Competition Series Food Network Star,” the release announces the finalists for the upcoming season in addition to some background on the show.
Cleveland’s own Chris Hodgson of Hodge's Restaurant and food truck fame is among the finalists.
The finalists for season nine are: Nikki Dinki (New York); Andres Guillama (Waynesville, NC); Rodney Henry (Baltimore); Chris Hodgson (Cleveland); Connie "Lovely" Jackson (Los Angeles); Russell Jackson (San Francisco); Danushka Lysek (New York); Daniela Perez-Reyes (Haleiwa, Haw.); Viet Pham (Salt Lake City); Damaris Phillips (Louisville, Ky.); Stacey Poon-Kinney (San Diego) and Chad Rosenthal (Ambler, Penn.).
Hodgson is no stranger to Food Network stardom as he finished in second place in the second season of The Great Food Truck Race.
View the full release here.
Cleveland’s own Chris Hodgson of Hodge's Restaurant and food truck fame is among the finalists.
The finalists for season nine are: Nikki Dinki (New York); Andres Guillama (Waynesville, NC); Rodney Henry (Baltimore); Chris Hodgson (Cleveland); Connie "Lovely" Jackson (Los Angeles); Russell Jackson (San Francisco); Danushka Lysek (New York); Daniela Perez-Reyes (Haleiwa, Haw.); Viet Pham (Salt Lake City); Damaris Phillips (Louisville, Ky.); Stacey Poon-Kinney (San Diego) and Chad Rosenthal (Ambler, Penn.).
Hodgson is no stranger to Food Network stardom as he finished in second place in the second season of The Great Food Truck Race.
View the full release here.
Even in Ohio City's Market District, where monthly announcements of new businesses opening are not uncommon, this one is noteworthy. Boris Music, the Slovenian-born owner of the Hansa Import Haus at West 28th and Lorain, is set to break ground on a multi-million-dollar expansion that will transform a dated store into a restaurant and microbrewery.
For years, Hansa Import Haus has been a favorite of locals and those in-the-know -- its faded, faux-German exterior concealing the treasures of European chocolates, cheeses, meats and beer within. To outsiders, it was like: "That place? Is it even open?"
Yet Music, who owned eight other businesses in Cleveland but has shut them all down to start this project, says that the Ohio City neighborhood has finally been redeveloped to the point where he can jump in and pursue his dream project.
"The building was built as a fortress 30 years ago because we had to keep the vandals out," says the 56-year-old. "Now we're moving in the opposite direction. It will be much friendlier, with lots of windows that let the natural light in."
Although Music will roll out his new business in stages, the new Hansa House will hold an exclusive license to brew Pivovarna Lasko beer, Slovenia's largest beer producer, and also feature a European-style restaurant that offers lunch and dinner service. Later, Music plans to add a wine cellar and offer breakfast.
Designs for the new venue show the defensively-designed exterior opened up with large storefront-style windows and a new addition on the current parking lot. The design looks a bit like an Austrian ski lodge crossed with an ethnic beer garden.
As for the menu, Music says that he'll serve simple, high-quality food priced well. "Good ingredients, good quality," he says. "If you put something good in the pot, you get something good out. If you put garbage in the pot, you get garbage out."
More specifically, Music plans to bring in rotating chefs from Europe to deliver a menu that will focus on cuisine from a specific region for several months at a time. Cuisine from Hungary, Italy and Slovenia are likely options. Music says it's a concept he's seen work well in New York City that he wants to import here.
The Hansa Haus will also have a full bottling line. "This is nothing bombastic, it's not Great Lakes Brewery," he says. "We'll still be a microbrewery, and we want to help local breweries be more effective by offering them a cost-effective service."
Music intends to begin brewing beer in July and open the brewpub by October.
Source: Boris Music
Writer: Lee Chilcote
For years, Hansa Import Haus has been a favorite of locals and those in-the-know -- its faded, faux-German exterior concealing the treasures of European chocolates, cheeses, meats and beer within. To outsiders, it was like: "That place? Is it even open?"
Yet Music, who owned eight other businesses in Cleveland but has shut them all down to start this project, says that the Ohio City neighborhood has finally been redeveloped to the point where he can jump in and pursue his dream project.
"The building was built as a fortress 30 years ago because we had to keep the vandals out," says the 56-year-old. "Now we're moving in the opposite direction. It will be much friendlier, with lots of windows that let the natural light in."
Although Music will roll out his new business in stages, the new Hansa House will hold an exclusive license to brew Pivovarna Lasko beer, Slovenia's largest beer producer, and also feature a European-style restaurant that offers lunch and dinner service. Later, Music plans to add a wine cellar and offer breakfast.
Designs for the new venue show the defensively-designed exterior opened up with large storefront-style windows and a new addition on the current parking lot. The design looks a bit like an Austrian ski lodge crossed with an ethnic beer garden.
As for the menu, Music says that he'll serve simple, high-quality food priced well. "Good ingredients, good quality," he says. "If you put something good in the pot, you get something good out. If you put garbage in the pot, you get garbage out."
More specifically, Music plans to bring in rotating chefs from Europe to deliver a menu that will focus on cuisine from a specific region for several months at a time. Cuisine from Hungary, Italy and Slovenia are likely options. Music says it's a concept he's seen work well in New York City that he wants to import here.
The Hansa Haus will also have a full bottling line. "This is nothing bombastic, it's not Great Lakes Brewery," he says. "We'll still be a microbrewery, and we want to help local breweries be more effective by offering them a cost-effective service."
Music intends to begin brewing beer in July and open the brewpub by October.
Source: Boris Music
Writer: Lee Chilcote
rust wire discusses 'clevelandish' life of harvey pekar
In a Rust Wire feature titled “The Oh-So-Clevelandish Life of Harvey Pekar,” Angie Schmitt shares her thoughts on the late Harvey Pekar in an article than does not necessarily honor his accomplishments as a writer, but the genius behind his work.
“Here is this creative genius and intellectual and he won’t follow his doctor wife out of the region because he has a civil service job -- a steady, reliable government job. That is the most Cleveland, the most Rust Belt, move ever. In a scary economy, get that government job and cling to it for dear life,” Schmitt writes.
“That is the Cleveland way. The dream. It’s a pretty freaking sad one, if you ask me, but one that still holds a powerful appeal in this region, especially for older people. And I guess if you have a mortgage and a family and you’re watching your regional economy unravel, it makes a lot of sense,” Schmitt continues.
Enjoy the full tribute here.
“Here is this creative genius and intellectual and he won’t follow his doctor wife out of the region because he has a civil service job -- a steady, reliable government job. That is the most Cleveland, the most Rust Belt, move ever. In a scary economy, get that government job and cling to it for dear life,” Schmitt writes.
“That is the Cleveland way. The dream. It’s a pretty freaking sad one, if you ask me, but one that still holds a powerful appeal in this region, especially for older people. And I guess if you have a mortgage and a family and you’re watching your regional economy unravel, it makes a lot of sense,” Schmitt continues.
Enjoy the full tribute here.
melt included among best grilled cheese sandos
In honor of National Grilled Cheese Month, a Relish listicle rattles off “America’s 10 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.” Cleveland’s Melt Bar and Grilled makes the list with multiple locations throughout the area.
“Boring thin-sliced white bread and American [cheese] are things of the past,” says Melt Bar and Grilled owner Matt Fish of his forwarding-thinking sandwich philosophy. “The more attitude and adventurous you can make the grilled cheese the better.”
Check out the full write-up here.
“Boring thin-sliced white bread and American [cheese] are things of the past,” says Melt Bar and Grilled owner Matt Fish of his forwarding-thinking sandwich philosophy. “The more attitude and adventurous you can make the grilled cheese the better.”
Check out the full write-up here.
playhouse square's multi-million dollar facelift gets attention
In an Associated Press story published on Vindy.com titled “Playhouse Square theater district in Cleveland to get $16M exterior upgrade,” editors write of the streetscape upgrade in the works for Cleveland’s famed PlayhouseSquare Theater District.
“The nonprofit PlayhouseSquare Foundation plans to spend $16 million over the next year to upgrade the district with bright signs, gateway arches and digital displays,” the article states.
The highlight of the proposal would be the installation of a 24-foot-tall glass and crystal chandelier over the district’s prime intersection. Other features would include gold-colored signage that span entrances to the district and architectural lighting that highlights details of the historic buildings.
Enjoy the full story here.
“The nonprofit PlayhouseSquare Foundation plans to spend $16 million over the next year to upgrade the district with bright signs, gateway arches and digital displays,” the article states.
The highlight of the proposal would be the installation of a 24-foot-tall glass and crystal chandelier over the district’s prime intersection. Other features would include gold-colored signage that span entrances to the district and architectural lighting that highlights details of the historic buildings.
Enjoy the full story here.
The journey that led Adrian and Cosmin Bota to open an organic, self-serve frozen yogurt shop on Coventry was a long, winding one that included illegally trekking across the Romanian border with their family to escape their tumultuous homeland.
The Bota brothers, who recall traveling miles at a time at night with their parents and three siblings, were just kids then. Eventually, the family made its way to the U.S. and was granted asylum. The family moved to Parma, where the boys grew up.
After stints living in New York and Florida, Adrian (who works for Cleveland Clinic Innovations) and Cosmin (a real estate entrepreneur) decided to pursue their dream of opening a small business. After studying the market, they landed on an organic, self-serve "fro-yo" concept and targeted the Coventry neighborhood. Piccadilly Artisan Yogurt, located at 1767 Coventry Road, is the result.
The shop, which sells yogurt and assorted toppings for $0.57 per ounce (yielding a healthy portion for a few bucks), is well-lit with big storefront windows, colorful tables, high ceilings and furniture built of reclaimed wood and other materials.
The fro-yo is touted as "full of healthy probiotics, vitamin D, calcium, protein and yummy goodness" while free of "high fructose corn syrup, hormones, artificial flavors, colors and preservatives." Toppings include fresh fruit sourced from the West Side Market. It's tasty stuff -- this writer can vouch for that.
"We wanted to couple health-conscious, quality-conscious food with a walkable, urban location," says Adrian Bota. "Places like Menchie's tend to go in malls. We went away from the franchise model from the beginning. We wanted it to be local."
Although the Botas have not yet been able to obtain local dairy, they're working on that. Meanwhile, many other products are sourced locally.
Coventry denizens will hardly recognize the former Grog Shop space, which has been vacant for 10 years. Landlord Michael Montlack apparently has been waiting for just the right tenant. He seems to have found it. The design-savvy duo transformed the club's front door into a table, keeping the sticker-laden graffiti on its underside.
The Botas are working with Cleveland Institute of Art students to program local artwork on the walls and hold regular openings. They envision the space as a community hub. Next up, they're dreaming of expanding to Ohio City.
Source: Adrian and Cosmin Bota
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Bota brothers, who recall traveling miles at a time at night with their parents and three siblings, were just kids then. Eventually, the family made its way to the U.S. and was granted asylum. The family moved to Parma, where the boys grew up.
After stints living in New York and Florida, Adrian (who works for Cleveland Clinic Innovations) and Cosmin (a real estate entrepreneur) decided to pursue their dream of opening a small business. After studying the market, they landed on an organic, self-serve "fro-yo" concept and targeted the Coventry neighborhood. Piccadilly Artisan Yogurt, located at 1767 Coventry Road, is the result.
The shop, which sells yogurt and assorted toppings for $0.57 per ounce (yielding a healthy portion for a few bucks), is well-lit with big storefront windows, colorful tables, high ceilings and furniture built of reclaimed wood and other materials.
The fro-yo is touted as "full of healthy probiotics, vitamin D, calcium, protein and yummy goodness" while free of "high fructose corn syrup, hormones, artificial flavors, colors and preservatives." Toppings include fresh fruit sourced from the West Side Market. It's tasty stuff -- this writer can vouch for that.
"We wanted to couple health-conscious, quality-conscious food with a walkable, urban location," says Adrian Bota. "Places like Menchie's tend to go in malls. We went away from the franchise model from the beginning. We wanted it to be local."
Although the Botas have not yet been able to obtain local dairy, they're working on that. Meanwhile, many other products are sourced locally.
Coventry denizens will hardly recognize the former Grog Shop space, which has been vacant for 10 years. Landlord Michael Montlack apparently has been waiting for just the right tenant. He seems to have found it. The design-savvy duo transformed the club's front door into a table, keeping the sticker-laden graffiti on its underside.
The Botas are working with Cleveland Institute of Art students to program local artwork on the walls and hold regular openings. They envision the space as a community hub. Next up, they're dreaming of expanding to Ohio City.
Source: Adrian and Cosmin Bota
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski documents the entire Lottery League experience -- from draft night through debut performance. Through a complex process, some 200 musicians are assembled into 42 bands, which then write music, practice, and perform before a live audience. Enjoy the show!
Researchers at CWRU have developed a material that can morph from stiff to soft, making its gradient properties potentially useful in medical implants. The research was conducted by professors Stuart Rowan, Justin Fox and Jeffrey Capadona of the macromolecular science and engineering, chemistry and biomedical engineering departments, and Paul Marasco of the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The inspiration for the new material came from studying the properties of squid beaks. “Squid beaks are a stiff material, but they have to attach to very soft tissue,” explains Rowan. “They don’t have any bones per se. Imagine a piece of steel attached to a piece of plastic and you started bending or putting stressors on it. Things would start to tear, and that’s obviously not very good for the squid.”
Capadona, Marasco and Rowan came up with the idea after reading a research paper published in 2008 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Rowan and his team looked at how the squid’s beak transitions from hard to soft material. “How the squid solves the problem is with a gradient design that goes from hard to soft when wet,” explains Rowan. “We created a material with a similar kind of structure. We tried to mimic the architecture and properties.”
The nanocomposite material the researchers developed changes properties when wet -- going from a rigid material to a soft material. It potentially will prove useful in medical devices such as diabetic glucose sensors, prosthetic limbs and central vein ports. The researchers are now working with the Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs to develop uses for the material.
The research was recently published in the Journal of the American Chemistry Society.
Rowan and Capadona previously had studied the properties of the sea cucumber, developing a self-healing polymer that is useful in coating. Rowan enjoys taking his cues from natural phenomena.
“As a materials person, I can learn a lot from seeing how nature has evolved to tackle the challenges that we see in our world, too,” Rowan says. “Nature makes a wonderful variety of very cool materials. The key is in understanding how nature does that.”
Source: Stuart Rowan
Writer: Karin Connelly
The inspiration for the new material came from studying the properties of squid beaks. “Squid beaks are a stiff material, but they have to attach to very soft tissue,” explains Rowan. “They don’t have any bones per se. Imagine a piece of steel attached to a piece of plastic and you started bending or putting stressors on it. Things would start to tear, and that’s obviously not very good for the squid.”
Capadona, Marasco and Rowan came up with the idea after reading a research paper published in 2008 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Rowan and his team looked at how the squid’s beak transitions from hard to soft material. “How the squid solves the problem is with a gradient design that goes from hard to soft when wet,” explains Rowan. “We created a material with a similar kind of structure. We tried to mimic the architecture and properties.”
The nanocomposite material the researchers developed changes properties when wet -- going from a rigid material to a soft material. It potentially will prove useful in medical devices such as diabetic glucose sensors, prosthetic limbs and central vein ports. The researchers are now working with the Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs to develop uses for the material.
The research was recently published in the Journal of the American Chemistry Society.
Rowan and Capadona previously had studied the properties of the sea cucumber, developing a self-healing polymer that is useful in coating. Rowan enjoys taking his cues from natural phenomena.
“As a materials person, I can learn a lot from seeing how nature has evolved to tackle the challenges that we see in our world, too,” Rowan says. “Nature makes a wonderful variety of very cool materials. The key is in understanding how nature does that.”
Source: Stuart Rowan
Writer: Karin Connelly
Construction work has begun on a $1 million facelift to W. 6th Street, which will soon be transformed into a more attractive pedestrian-friendly environment that will include wider sidewalks, larger outdoor cafes, new public art and a branding campaign.
Thomas Starinsky of the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation says that the impetus for the project came when officials realized that most of the buildings in the area had been restored, and that neighborhood leaders now needed to focus their attention on improving the "space between buildings."
"As the Global Center for Health Innovation, Convention Center and Ernst and Young Tower became a reality, we realized we needed to kick it up a notch," he says. "We pushed the City of Cleveland to make sure this project would be completed before the Global Center and the Convention Center open."
The project, which should be completed July 18th, is being funded through federal transportation enhancement dollars combined with a 20 percent city match. New banners and flower baskets are being paid for by sponsorships and memberships.
The downside is that businesses along W. 6th Street will sacrifice their patios this spring. "They're excited, but not about four months of construction," says Starinsky. "But we're taking it off like a band-aid and getting it done fast."
Although W. 6th perhaps is best known for its (occasionally infamous) clubs, Starinsky says the district's identity is not only diverse -- he cites a range of excellent ethnic cuisine in a few compact blocks -- but also quickly evolving.
"We have 3,000 residents and employees today, and we're adding 2,000 more employees with the Ernst and Young Tower," he says. "We recognize there will be a different type of person walking around here from the Convention Center and Global Center. We look at this as an opportunity to step up the Warehouse District."
Starinsky cites Take 5 jazz club as an example of the kind of new business that he hopes will add to the Warehouse District's ever-blossoming entertainment and dining scene. "There needs to be more diversity of food and entertainment."
The project also will include public art that tells the story of the Warehouse District. The 11-foot tall displays, which will be installed in the streetscape on W. 6th Street and eventually throughout the district, are designed by artist Corrie Slawson and authored by Warehouse District Director Tom Yablonsky.
Source: Thomas Starinsky
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Thomas Starinsky of the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation says that the impetus for the project came when officials realized that most of the buildings in the area had been restored, and that neighborhood leaders now needed to focus their attention on improving the "space between buildings."
"As the Global Center for Health Innovation, Convention Center and Ernst and Young Tower became a reality, we realized we needed to kick it up a notch," he says. "We pushed the City of Cleveland to make sure this project would be completed before the Global Center and the Convention Center open."
The project, which should be completed July 18th, is being funded through federal transportation enhancement dollars combined with a 20 percent city match. New banners and flower baskets are being paid for by sponsorships and memberships.
The downside is that businesses along W. 6th Street will sacrifice their patios this spring. "They're excited, but not about four months of construction," says Starinsky. "But we're taking it off like a band-aid and getting it done fast."
Although W. 6th perhaps is best known for its (occasionally infamous) clubs, Starinsky says the district's identity is not only diverse -- he cites a range of excellent ethnic cuisine in a few compact blocks -- but also quickly evolving.
"We have 3,000 residents and employees today, and we're adding 2,000 more employees with the Ernst and Young Tower," he says. "We recognize there will be a different type of person walking around here from the Convention Center and Global Center. We look at this as an opportunity to step up the Warehouse District."
Starinsky cites Take 5 jazz club as an example of the kind of new business that he hopes will add to the Warehouse District's ever-blossoming entertainment and dining scene. "There needs to be more diversity of food and entertainment."
The project also will include public art that tells the story of the Warehouse District. The 11-foot tall displays, which will be installed in the streetscape on W. 6th Street and eventually throughout the district, are designed by artist Corrie Slawson and authored by Warehouse District Director Tom Yablonsky.
Source: Thomas Starinsky
Writer: Lee Chilcote