Last week at the 2013 Movers and Shakers Awards, the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club honored 25 area professionals under the age of 35 who are active in their communities. The event was held at Ariel International Center.
 
The up-and-coming leaders were honored for their work as volunteers or board members in the communities and businesses they are involved in. The keynote speaker was Jonathon Sawyer, chef-owner of Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat.
 
Sawyer spoke about moving back to Cleveland and how he and his wife wanted to make a difference in the city. He set out to open Cleveland’s first green certified restaurant, eventually succeeding and opening the Greenhouse Tavern. He spoke about his excitement that Cleveland is becoming recognized for its restaurant scene.
 
Honorees included Ryan Anderson, Chijioke Asomugha, Andrew Bennett, Emily Campbell, Michael Christoff, Rachel Ciomcia, Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Katie Davis, Dave Diffendal, James Gasparatos, Donté Gibbs, John Hagerty, John Hausman, Julie L. Hill, Dominique LaRochelle, Amanda Leffler, Amanda Maggiotto, Timothy McCue, Kelly McGlumphy, Bryan Schauer, Lori Scott, Brent Shelley, Jeff Sobieraj, Jessica Wallis and Jonathan Wehner.
 
Gautam Pai, president of the 20/30 Club, stressed the importance of honoring young professionals.

“We hear constantly that young professionals are the future,” says Pai. “However, the future is the result of those things we're doing right now, in the present. Movers and Shakers is the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club's opportunity to showcase those young professionals that are doing just that:  Making positive contributions right now and serving as leading examples for all to follow.”

 
Sources: Gautam Pai
Writer: Karin Connelly

As part of the city's 10-year initiative Sustainable Cleveland 2019, 2013 is being called the Year of Advanced and Renewable Energy. Evidenced by measures big and small -- both civic and private -- Cleveland continues to inch toward becoming a "Green City on a Blue Lake."

This week, Ohio City Incorporated and Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization launched an unprecedented joint process to develop a streetscape plan for long-suffering Lorain Avenue.

The street, which runs through the heart of Cleveland's west side, was historically a bustling neighborhood retail corridor. Although it fell on hard times beginning in the 70s, it has recently drawn investment by entrepreneurs like Ian P.E. of Palookaville Chili and David Ellison of D.H. Ellison Architects.

The street's classic, character-filled architecture as well as investment by major players like St. Ignatius High School and Urban Community School have made it an attractive breeding ground for up-and-coming members of the creative class.

If this week's public meeting was any indication, neighborhood residents, businesses and stakeholders will have plenty of passionate opinions about the future of this main street. They won't hold back in sharing them, either.

A capacity crowd that showed up to the meeting at Urban Community School voiced concerns about on-street parking, bike lanes, retaining the mixed-use character of the street and ensuring that low-income residents are engaged.

Behnke Associates and Michael Baker Jr. Inc. have been hired to help develop a plan that will include "traffic analysis, utility and signage recommendations as well as cycling analysis, green infrastructure and complete streetscape treatments," according to a handout provided by OCI, DSCDO and the City of Cleveland.

Early signs indicate that the plan will be quite different from those developed for Detroit Avenue and West 25th Street. For one thing, Lorain Avenue is narrower than those streets, which will make it tougher to widen sidewalks and create dedicated bike lanes. Secondly, the street's tenants range from antique shops to manufacturing businesses, making it a distinct challenge to serve all of them.

Nonetheless, representatives of the city and both CDC's pledged to create an inclusive plan that could serve as a model for "complete and green streets" that incorporate all modes of transportation and minimize environmental impacts.

Want to voice your vision for Lorain? A survey will be available beginning March 11th on the OCI and DSCDO websites, and a workshop is scheduled for May 28th.


Source: OCI, DSCDO, City of Cleveland
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The Burton D. Morgan Foundation, which supports entrepreneurship education and programming in Northeast Ohio, awarded a $1 million grant to JumpStart last week for an entrepreneurial mentoring program over the next three years.

“Our goal is to reach aspiring entrepreneurs by using the talent and time of the mentors to help these businesses move along with their plans,” explains Deborah D. Hoover, Burton D. Morgan Foundation CEO and president.
 
The mentoring program has been operating as a pilot program for about a year at JumpStart, with 24 mentor teams participating. The goal is to provide mentoring and support services to 1,500 early stage businesses in the region through 2015.
 
“This is an amazing investment the Burton D. Morgan Foundation made in JumpStart and the work we’re doing in the region,” says JumpStart COO Cathy Belk. “This is an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs to access the wisdom and insight of people who have been through the same things they’re going through, people who know how to grow a business in tough positions.”
 
The grant will allow for the creation of a mentorship council, which will help form the most effective mentoring program. “The council will learn about best practices, understand other programs in the region and the differences between them,” says Belk.
 
Mentoring was one of Morgan’s core values as an entrepreneur himself. This program fits exactly with the foundation’s mission. “Mr. Morgan helped mentor hundreds of businesses,” says Hoover. “He loved to talk to people and had an open door policy.” Belk adds that JumpStart CEO Ray Leach once received mentoring from Morgan.
 
Source: Deborah Hoover and Cathy Belk
Writer: Karin Connelly

Startup Weekend is returning to Cleveland March 8-10 at the 5^th Street Arcades. An event that originated in Seattle, Startup Weekends occur all over the world and are designed to get people with the entrepreneurial bug together to pitch ideas, form teams to hash the ideas out and potentially form companies.

 
The event has not been held in Cleveland since 2009, but thanks to the efforts of Hyland Software employees Ryan Marimon and Brian Adams, it’s back and promises to be a jam-packed weekend of ideas. Anyone with a business idea, or just the desire to help build on an idea, is welcome to attend.
 
“There are no restrictions,” says Marimon. “The interesting thing about Startup Weekend is that many people have the notion, ‘I’m not ready to pack up and quite my job to start a new business.’ The reality is this is about community building, networking with people who have like-minded skills. You can really learn so much, no matter what you are doing.”
 
Participants give their pitches and the audience votes on the best ideas. Teams are then formed around the best ideas. The rest of the weekend is spent flushing out the businesses before final presentations are made to judges Kendall Wouters, CEO of Reach Ventures; Morris Wheeler of Drummond Road Capital; and Jeff Hoffman, co-founder of ColorJar.
 
Teams will have access to coaches from successful local businesses for advice. Teams can work around the clock throughout the weekend if they choose.
 
“Come prepared to not get a lot of sleep,” says Marimon. “It’s an awesome, exciting and intense weekend.” The event begins at 5:30pm Friday and run through 9pm Sunday.
 
Marimon says 2013 seemed like the perfect time to bring Startup Weekend back to Cleveland. “When you look at what’s happening downtown, it’s definitely a renaissance,” explains Marimon. “We wanted to use this as a springboard for that.”
 
Registration is $99 for the weekend and includes meals and coffee – all locally sourced. Fresh Water readers however can receive a $25 discount using the code “freshwater” in the promotional code section during registration.
 
Source: Ryan Marimon
Writer: Karin Connelly

Expedient and Fast Switch are bringing their Tech Strategy event to Northeast Ohio. Started in 2007 in Columbus by Fast Switch, the Tech Strategy events are relaxed invitation-only networking events between senior level IT executives and promising technology startup companies.

Expedient got on board as a co-sponsor soon after the group’s inception, and now the two companies brought the concept to 70 attendees at Lockkeepers in Independence on Tuesday, Feb. 26 for its inaugural Tech Strategy NEO. “I think it’s a great, unique concept for this area,” says Michael DeAloia, Expedient’s regional vice president. “It’s invitation-only to senior IT executives so they can meet with their peers while at the same time meeting with a select group of startups.”
 
The goal is to help the startups generate local customers, find advisory board candidates, access capital, gather employee referrals and receive business plan and strategy critiques. While the structure is casual, startup founders are given a short time to give their elevator pitches to the executives.

Eight startups pitched their companies, including Widdle, DragonID and J-Lynn Entertainment. Additionally, Fast Switch New Ventures and North Coast Angel Fund pitched to the group. “When was the last time a venture group pitched a room full of entrepreneurs,” asked DeAloia.
 
“It was a fascinating mix of people, creeds and generations in the room and I am always jazzed to be in the company of entrepreneurs and the energy and enthusiasm they possess,” says DeAloia. “I dig hanging out with the experienced executive and enjoy the opportunity to explore their experiences.”

No selling is a firm rule at these meetings, which will occur every two months, although DeAloia admits that occasionally the meetings have led to client relationships. The objective is to provide a casual yet controlled forum for executives to learn about technology start-ups in the region and explore ways to help them succeed. 
 
For information about future Tech Strategy events, contact DeAloia.
 
Source: Michael DeAloia
Writer: Karin Connelly


 
 

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

When we last checked in with real estate developer Howard Grandon, he was kicking off renovations of a 9,000-square-foot Detroit Shoreway building into four apartments and five retail spaces. The structure, which had housed an illicit nightclub called "Cheerios," sat vacant for seven-plus years before he bought it.

That was then, this is now. Although it's taken him longer than he anticipated, two and a half years later the results are plain. Grandon's building offers some of the most creatively-designed small apartments in Cleveland, a trend that's catching on in major cities.

"Because we were working with green, repurposed materials, we had to fabricate everything. It was more expensive than we anticipated," he says. "That happens in real estate."

It was worth the wait. Grandon himself moved into the building, occupying one of the light-filled apartments overlooking the Gordon Square streetscape. His suite includes a clever nook for his bed, spacious walk-in closet, huge kitchen with a countertop built for entertaining, and exposed spiral ductwork that hugs the ceiling. He has a bathroom straight out of Dwell magazine, including a European-style toilet with hidden plumbing and a glass-walled shower with subway tile.

The apartments, which are all similarly designed, rent for about $850 per month. The rates are about 25 percent cheaper than downtown, and two of the four are occupied. Grandon has completed a third, and the fourth will be ready this year.

Grandon's project also features many green, sustainable features. The wood floors in the units are built from an old parquet floor reclaimed from a gym. Come spring, he'll create unique planters out of old chemistry lab sinks he bought on Lorain Ave.

Grandon says that he's tapping into a small-is-beautiful movement that's popular in our post-recession world. "People are interested in having less possessions and living more efficiently," he says, pointing to huge kitchen counters that make dining room tables redundant and murphy beds that drop from the walls.

Perhaps the most radical feature of Grandon's units is that there are no walls except for the closets and bathrooms. It makes 800 square feet feel entirely liveable.

Grandon's next step is to begin renovating the storefronts. To do that, however, he needs to find willing entrepreneurs who are also bankable. Stay tuned for the next installment in our series covering this creative entrepreneur's endeavors.


Source: Howard Grandon
Writer: Lee Chilcote

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

 
Source: Jim Doutt
Writer: Karin Connelly

Cleveland is quietly transforming from a meat-and-potatoes to a beets-and-tomatoes kind of town -- at least at the edges. Not only are there more meat-free diners in Cleveland. But vegans are finding more meat-free dinners thanks to progressive new eateries and chefs, who are more than eager to please this growing faction of foodies.

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

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

 
Source: Mike Tarullo
Writer: Karin Connelly

As the number of cyclists and pedestrians on the near west side grows and car traffic remains relatively flat, urban planners are giving several streets a "road diet" to make them friendlier for bikers and walkers while still accessible to drivers.

The result will be some of the city's first model green streets.

"We're starting to create all this connectivity," says Ward 15 Councilman Matt Zone, who has helped push green initiatives through city hall, including the "complete and green streets" legislation that passed last year. "The city is realizing they have to accept and build out and incorporate all modes of transportation."

So what does a "road diet" look like? The recently-completed plan for W. 65th Street between Denison Avenue and the lakefront shows curb bumpouts with additional landscaping, striped sharrows for road riders, and a 10-foot-wide multimodal path for peds and cyclists who prefer not to ride in the street.

If the pretty pictures become a reality -- a process that will take several years and require an application to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency for millions in federal dollars -- it could result in a "healthier" street that better connects the investments happening in near west side neighborhoods.

"This is the main north-south thoroughfare between West Boulevard and W. 25th," says Zone. "We can build off the momentum we've created here. You'll eventually be able to bike from Edgewater Beach to the zoo via W. 65th."

Among the assets in the area, Zone cited the Gordon Square Arts District, the new Max Hayes High School scheduled to break ground this year, the EcoVillage, major employers and eight schools. The W. 65th project will cost about $6 million.

Most importantly, Zone says, streetscape projects like the W. 65th Street re-do make roads safer for kids who walk to school and families without access to a car.

Other green-street projects on the near west side include bike lanes on Detroit Avenue (which will be striped this spring), the planned Train Avenue corridor greenway, the creation of bike lanes on W. 41st and 44th streets in Ohio City (to be completed this year), a new streetscape for Denison Avenue (a few years away) and a planning process for Lorain Avenue (launching this month).

The West 65th Street corridor study was completed by Environmental Design Group, which has offices in both Cleveland and Akron.


Source: Matt Zone
Writer: Lee Chilcote