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Andy Halko has entrepreneurship in his genes. The characteristics that make an entrepreneur succeed -- vision, hard work, and a touch of daredevil -- prompted Halko in 2002 to create Insivia, a strategic marketing and sales agency focused on business-to-business.
“In high school and all through college I worked for a company doing website development and software solutions,” recalls Halko. After graduating from John Carroll University, Halko stayed with the company for a while before deciding to go into business for himself.
“My dad was an entrepreneur. I had nothing to lose and I thought, I can do this," he says. "It’s kind of in my blood and I’m not afraid of work.”
Insivia focuses on four areas: Generating leads through SEO and direct mail; converting those leads; closing sales through presentations, proposals and online sales; and retaining customers. “We consider ourselves a full gamut firm, from leads to retaining customers,” Halko says. “We really try to come up with new ideas for things to improve our clients’ business. We use technology to close sales and design to impress customers.”
An additional component of Halko’s vision is customer service. “The other piece is good work,” he says. “Our stratagem is don’t settle for good enough. We take ideas, plans and strategy to reach our clients business goals. We’re really looking at the end goal and our focus being proud of every single piece.”
The philosophy has worked: 10 years later, Insivia has 15 employees in “the coolest” space on the West Bank of the Flats. The company is looking to hire people in account management, customer relations and software development.
“We’re always looking for talented people,” Halko says. “People who can produce good work and come up with good ideas.”
Source: Andy Halko
Writer: Karin Connelly
“In high school and all through college I worked for a company doing website development and software solutions,” recalls Halko. After graduating from John Carroll University, Halko stayed with the company for a while before deciding to go into business for himself.
“My dad was an entrepreneur. I had nothing to lose and I thought, I can do this," he says. "It’s kind of in my blood and I’m not afraid of work.”
Insivia focuses on four areas: Generating leads through SEO and direct mail; converting those leads; closing sales through presentations, proposals and online sales; and retaining customers. “We consider ourselves a full gamut firm, from leads to retaining customers,” Halko says. “We really try to come up with new ideas for things to improve our clients’ business. We use technology to close sales and design to impress customers.”
An additional component of Halko’s vision is customer service. “The other piece is good work,” he says. “Our stratagem is don’t settle for good enough. We take ideas, plans and strategy to reach our clients business goals. We’re really looking at the end goal and our focus being proud of every single piece.”
The philosophy has worked: 10 years later, Insivia has 15 employees in “the coolest” space on the West Bank of the Flats. The company is looking to hire people in account management, customer relations and software development.
“We’re always looking for talented people,” Halko says. “People who can produce good work and come up with good ideas.”
Source: Andy Halko
Writer: Karin Connelly
The Blackstone LaunchPad program opened its doors on the Baldwin-Wallace College and Lorain County Community College campuses on Sept. 6 and 7 and will open at Kent State University later this month and CWRU in January.
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced last November that they had committed $3.2 million 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 real goal here is around education,” says Deborah D. Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. “We’re providing a strong education, it’s experiential. Our key approach to the program is about networking – obviously in Northeast Ohio and venture coaches, but also in the larger community and through the national network of LaunchPad locations.”
Hoover reports that the potential is there for 150 new sustainable companies in the next five years, which could generate as many as 3,000 jobs.
Amy Stursberg, executive director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, says Northeast Ohio is an idea fit for LaunchPad. “We try to choose locations where we feel there is a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and culture,” she says. “We’re leveraging those assets to jumpstart the region where it already exists.”
Kent State, which had a soft launch of LaunchPad this summer, already has 70 to 80 students involved in the program.
Sources: Deborah H. Hoover, Amy Stursberg
Writer: Karin Connelly
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced last November that they had committed $3.2 million 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 real goal here is around education,” says Deborah D. Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. “We’re providing a strong education, it’s experiential. Our key approach to the program is about networking – obviously in Northeast Ohio and venture coaches, but also in the larger community and through the national network of LaunchPad locations.”
Hoover reports that the potential is there for 150 new sustainable companies in the next five years, which could generate as many as 3,000 jobs.
Amy Stursberg, executive director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, says Northeast Ohio is an idea fit for LaunchPad. “We try to choose locations where we feel there is a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and culture,” she says. “We’re leveraging those assets to jumpstart the region where it already exists.”
Kent State, which had a soft launch of LaunchPad this summer, already has 70 to 80 students involved in the program.
Sources: Deborah H. Hoover, Amy Stursberg
Writer: Karin Connelly
The Cleveland Museum of Art recently opened its signature new atrium, a breathtaking public space whose traditional and contemporary elements bridge the museum's past and future. It soon will become one of the city's central gathering places, as well as a spot that brands the city to visitors, akin to Grand Central Station in New York.
The museum will host a community celebration on Sunday, October 28th to celebrate the completion of the atrium and the opening of the beautiful new museum store. Provenance Restaurant and Cafe, which will be managed by Doug Katz, chef-owner of Fire Food and Drink, will provide fresh, local fare. Other highlights of the event include music and dance, free tours and a giant photograph of everyone.
“The Ames Family Atrium will serve as a central hub for the museum, offering visitors a chance to relax and reflect on their experiences in the galleries,” said David Franklin, Director of CMA, in a release. “This dynamic space will offer opportunities for temporary art installations, performances and special events.”
The atrium, designed by New York architect Rafael Vinoly as a centerpiece to the museum's expansion, is nearly as large as a football field and has an elegant, curved glass ceiling that bathes the space in light on even the cloudiest of days. One half of the giant room is contemporary, with wood, glass and steel elements, while the other half reveals the restored 1916 building's classical north facade.
The atrium also has a charcoal-colored stone floor and indoor gardens that introduce color and life. It is not only a centerpiece of the museum's new design, but also the central point to which visitors continually return. A second floor balcony that offers great views of the atrium escorts visitors between the galleries.
The skylighted ceiling, which rises from 55 to 66 feet in height, mirrors the sense that one's consciousness and view of the world expands as one enters the galleries.
The opening of the atrium caps a decade of planning and seven years of construction. The entire project is expected to be completed next year.
Source: Cleveland Museum of Art
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The museum will host a community celebration on Sunday, October 28th to celebrate the completion of the atrium and the opening of the beautiful new museum store. Provenance Restaurant and Cafe, which will be managed by Doug Katz, chef-owner of Fire Food and Drink, will provide fresh, local fare. Other highlights of the event include music and dance, free tours and a giant photograph of everyone.
“The Ames Family Atrium will serve as a central hub for the museum, offering visitors a chance to relax and reflect on their experiences in the galleries,” said David Franklin, Director of CMA, in a release. “This dynamic space will offer opportunities for temporary art installations, performances and special events.”
The atrium, designed by New York architect Rafael Vinoly as a centerpiece to the museum's expansion, is nearly as large as a football field and has an elegant, curved glass ceiling that bathes the space in light on even the cloudiest of days. One half of the giant room is contemporary, with wood, glass and steel elements, while the other half reveals the restored 1916 building's classical north facade.
The atrium also has a charcoal-colored stone floor and indoor gardens that introduce color and life. It is not only a centerpiece of the museum's new design, but also the central point to which visitors continually return. A second floor balcony that offers great views of the atrium escorts visitors between the galleries.
The skylighted ceiling, which rises from 55 to 66 feet in height, mirrors the sense that one's consciousness and view of the world expands as one enters the galleries.
The opening of the atrium caps a decade of planning and seven years of construction. The entire project is expected to be completed next year.
Source: Cleveland Museum of Art
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Giancarlo Calicchia, the Italian-born sculptor and artist who has been a fixture in the Cleveland art scene for decades, is opening a new gallery and offices in a historic, restored building at 4600 Carnegie Avenue in the Midtown neighborhood.
Calicchia still owns a large building at 6550 Carnegie Avenue, where his studio is currently located. However, he may be selling it to Fred Geis, who is developing space for high tech and biomedical companies along the Health-Tech Corridor.
The building at 4600 Carnegie will soon become home to Artisan Direct, a company that represents over 1,000 artists from around the world. Artisan Direct helps artists to market, show and sell their original work to a diverse audience. Previously, the company was headquartered in Rochester, New York.
"One of my dreams has been to establish Cleveland as an international center for the arts," says Calicchia, who adds that Cleveland's artistic community and central location make it a natural fit for Artisan Direct's headquarters. "Cleveland is already a mix of ethnicities, so we just have to revitalize what's already here."
Artisan Direct helps artists to gain access to valuable new markets. "We give artists exposure to shows and galleries they might not otherwise experience, and we also publish our own magazine and marketing materials," says Calicchia.
The new Artisan Direct gallery will officially open for business on October 26th.
Calicchia still owns a large building at 6550 Carnegie Avenue, where his studio is currently located. However, he may be selling it to Fred Geis, who is developing space for high tech and biomedical companies along the Health-Tech Corridor.
The building at 4600 Carnegie will soon become home to Artisan Direct, a company that represents over 1,000 artists from around the world. Artisan Direct helps artists to market, show and sell their original work to a diverse audience. Previously, the company was headquartered in Rochester, New York.
"One of my dreams has been to establish Cleveland as an international center for the arts," says Calicchia, who adds that Cleveland's artistic community and central location make it a natural fit for Artisan Direct's headquarters. "Cleveland is already a mix of ethnicities, so we just have to revitalize what's already here."
Artisan Direct helps artists to gain access to valuable new markets. "We give artists exposure to shows and galleries they might not otherwise experience, and we also publish our own magazine and marketing materials," says Calicchia.
The new Artisan Direct gallery will officially open for business on October 26th.
When Sonali Morris first enrolled her children (ages five and three) in swim classes while living in a Detroit suburb, it was a miserable experience.
"They were crying because they could see me sitting right on the pool deck and the water was very uncomfortable,” says Morris. “I had to go out and hide in the locker room area of the country club. I hated I couldn't see them taking lessons and had no idea what was happening.”
But then Morris discovered Goldfish Swim School, a swimming facility designed for kids four months to 12 years old.
“This was a place that really spoke to them, took the fear out of the water,” Morris says. The water is always 90 degrees, a four-to-one student teacher ratio and classes deigned to teach children to enjoy swimming. Private or semi-private lessons are offered. There’s also a snack bar, air-conditioned viewing room for parents and a pro shop.
Now, Morris and her husband Michael, along with Robert and Vicki Pietrick, are opening a Goldfish Swim School in Warrensville Heights. Construction has begun on a 8,900-square-foot facility and is expected to open in mid-November.
“We have a proprietary curriculum,” says Morris. “Swim school concepts aren’t new. We took the best practices and standardized it.”
Not only will the Goldfish Swim School teach children how to swim, the new facility will employ about 40 people year round. Morris is the general manager.
“We have a lot of part-time positions,” says Morris. “We need instructors, lifeguards, front desk workers and deck supervisors.”
Source: Sonali Morris
Writer: Karin Connelly
"They were crying because they could see me sitting right on the pool deck and the water was very uncomfortable,” says Morris. “I had to go out and hide in the locker room area of the country club. I hated I couldn't see them taking lessons and had no idea what was happening.”
But then Morris discovered Goldfish Swim School, a swimming facility designed for kids four months to 12 years old.
“This was a place that really spoke to them, took the fear out of the water,” Morris says. The water is always 90 degrees, a four-to-one student teacher ratio and classes deigned to teach children to enjoy swimming. Private or semi-private lessons are offered. There’s also a snack bar, air-conditioned viewing room for parents and a pro shop.
Now, Morris and her husband Michael, along with Robert and Vicki Pietrick, are opening a Goldfish Swim School in Warrensville Heights. Construction has begun on a 8,900-square-foot facility and is expected to open in mid-November.
“We have a proprietary curriculum,” says Morris. “Swim school concepts aren’t new. We took the best practices and standardized it.”
Not only will the Goldfish Swim School teach children how to swim, the new facility will employ about 40 people year round. Morris is the general manager.
“We have a lot of part-time positions,” says Morris. “We need instructors, lifeguards, front desk workers and deck supervisors.”
Source: Sonali Morris
Writer: Karin Connelly
Juma Gallery and Boutique will soon move into the building at Chagrin Boulevard and Farnsleigh Road following a $195,000 facelift.
Juma's new space, which will offer shared artist and retail space as well as a place where people can meet for coffee or tea, is located adjacent to Lucy's Sweet Surrender, Opus Restaurant and Bicycle Boulevard, among others.
The gallery is a second location for artist and businesswoman Erica Weiss, who opened Juma in Little Italy 10 years ago. She was attracted to Shaker Heights by the city's aggressive approach to economic development and the public investment that will take place in the reconfiguraton of the Chagrin/Van Aken intersection.
"We're just doin' it," says Weiss of taking the plunge in a still-shaky economy. "Shaker has so much to offer, and we want this area to become the city's downtown. We want people to believe Shaker can be funky and cool, too."
The building at 20100-20106 Chagrin Boulevard is owned by David Weiss, Erica's husband. He had originally planned to develop it into live-work housing, but the downturn soured that idea. Yet in some ways, the original dream of supporting artists lives on in Juma's new approach -- which will welcome small businesses such as Housewarmings, operated by Shaker Heights resident Carina Reimers.
Juma Gallery and Boutique received a $40,000 job creation grant from the city's Economic Development and Housing Reserve Fund. Weiss is also taking out a $15,000 micro-finance "Ignition" loan from the City of Shaker Heights.
Source: Juma Gallery and Boutique
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Juma's new space, which will offer shared artist and retail space as well as a place where people can meet for coffee or tea, is located adjacent to Lucy's Sweet Surrender, Opus Restaurant and Bicycle Boulevard, among others.
The gallery is a second location for artist and businesswoman Erica Weiss, who opened Juma in Little Italy 10 years ago. She was attracted to Shaker Heights by the city's aggressive approach to economic development and the public investment that will take place in the reconfiguraton of the Chagrin/Van Aken intersection.
"We're just doin' it," says Weiss of taking the plunge in a still-shaky economy. "Shaker has so much to offer, and we want this area to become the city's downtown. We want people to believe Shaker can be funky and cool, too."
The building at 20100-20106 Chagrin Boulevard is owned by David Weiss, Erica's husband. He had originally planned to develop it into live-work housing, but the downturn soured that idea. Yet in some ways, the original dream of supporting artists lives on in Juma's new approach -- which will welcome small businesses such as Housewarmings, operated by Shaker Heights resident Carina Reimers.
Juma Gallery and Boutique received a $40,000 job creation grant from the city's Economic Development and Housing Reserve Fund. Weiss is also taking out a $15,000 micro-finance "Ignition" loan from the City of Shaker Heights.
Source: Juma Gallery and Boutique
Writer: Lee Chilcote
new data reveals that travel and tourism is on the rise in cle
According to The Economic Impact of Tourism Study, organized by the research firm Tourism Economics and coordinated by the Ohio Tourism Division, Northeast Ohio tourism is up significantly
Visitor volume to Cuyahoga County has jumped to 14.9 million visitors in 2011, compared to 13 million in 2009. Those visitors generated $6.7 billion in related business activity, which constitutes a 12-percent jump in the same time period.
The travel and tourism industry is Cuyahoga County’s fourth largest employer, with tourism supporting 1 in every 11 salaried jobs. In 2011, tourism employment accounted for more than 60,946 individuals, generating $1.8 billion dollars in wages.
Tourism in Cuyahoga County contributed more than $886 million in taxes, with $265 million for state taxes and $194 million in local taxes in 2011.
“The tourism industry is a major contributor to the economic vitality of our region,” Positively Cleveland’s President/ CEO David Gilbert said. “Visitors to our region buy local products and services, support area amenities, generate tax revenues and sustain jobs.”
More on the way
With $2 billion in visitor-related development underway throughout Northeast Ohio, numbers are increasing in both business and leisure travel. Visitors to Downtown Cleveland are expected to double in 2013, equating to a projected six million visitors.
Read the rest of the report here.
Visitor volume to Cuyahoga County has jumped to 14.9 million visitors in 2011, compared to 13 million in 2009. Those visitors generated $6.7 billion in related business activity, which constitutes a 12-percent jump in the same time period.
The travel and tourism industry is Cuyahoga County’s fourth largest employer, with tourism supporting 1 in every 11 salaried jobs. In 2011, tourism employment accounted for more than 60,946 individuals, generating $1.8 billion dollars in wages.
Tourism in Cuyahoga County contributed more than $886 million in taxes, with $265 million for state taxes and $194 million in local taxes in 2011.
“The tourism industry is a major contributor to the economic vitality of our region,” Positively Cleveland’s President/ CEO David Gilbert said. “Visitors to our region buy local products and services, support area amenities, generate tax revenues and sustain jobs.”
More on the way
With $2 billion in visitor-related development underway throughout Northeast Ohio, numbers are increasing in both business and leisure travel. Visitors to Downtown Cleveland are expected to double in 2013, equating to a projected six million visitors.
Read the rest of the report here.
west shoreway a 'freeway without a future'
In an article titled "Which Urban Freeways Are Ready to Go?" Next American City writer Alex Vuocolo highlights an issue near and dear to many a Clevelander's heart.
"To many city-dwellers, the obsolescence of aging urban highways is obvious. Here in Philadelphia, for instance, I-95 is fast-approaching the end of its design life. What will become of it -- particularly a three-mile stretch along the Delaware River that divides the city from its waterfront -- has occupied the concern and imagination of residents and city planners alike."
Cleveland's West Shoreway is just such a stretch -- and we aren't the only ones who think so.
The Congress for the New Urbanism, a proponent of more walkable and less automobile-oriented cities, identifies urban freeways primed for demolition crews. In its most recent listing of "2012 Freeways Without Futures," a dozen urban American freeways are called out for the following factors: “The age and design of structures, redevelopment potential, potential cost savings, ability to improve both overall mobility and local access, existence of pending infrastructure decisions, and community support.”
Here are the freeways included:
1. I-10/Claiborne Overpass, New Orleans
2. I-895/Sheridan Expressway, New York City (Bronx)
3. Route 34/Oak Street Connector, New Haven
4. Route 5/Skyway, Buffalo
5. I-395/Overtown Expressway, Miami
6. I-70, St. Louis
7. West Shoreway, Cleveland
8. I-490/Inner Loop, Rochester
9. I-81, Syracuse
10. Gardiner Expressway, Toronto
11. Aetna Viaduct, Hartford
12. Route 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle
Read the rest here.
"To many city-dwellers, the obsolescence of aging urban highways is obvious. Here in Philadelphia, for instance, I-95 is fast-approaching the end of its design life. What will become of it -- particularly a three-mile stretch along the Delaware River that divides the city from its waterfront -- has occupied the concern and imagination of residents and city planners alike."
Cleveland's West Shoreway is just such a stretch -- and we aren't the only ones who think so.
The Congress for the New Urbanism, a proponent of more walkable and less automobile-oriented cities, identifies urban freeways primed for demolition crews. In its most recent listing of "2012 Freeways Without Futures," a dozen urban American freeways are called out for the following factors: “The age and design of structures, redevelopment potential, potential cost savings, ability to improve both overall mobility and local access, existence of pending infrastructure decisions, and community support.”
Here are the freeways included:
1. I-10/Claiborne Overpass, New Orleans
2. I-895/Sheridan Expressway, New York City (Bronx)
3. Route 34/Oak Street Connector, New Haven
4. Route 5/Skyway, Buffalo
5. I-395/Overtown Expressway, Miami
6. I-70, St. Louis
7. West Shoreway, Cleveland
8. I-490/Inner Loop, Rochester
9. I-81, Syracuse
10. Gardiner Expressway, Toronto
11. Aetna Viaduct, Hartford
12. Route 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle
Read the rest here.
The LaunchHouse Accelerator kicked off its inaugural program on September 4 with 10 technology startup companies eager to move to the next level. The program is funded through a $200,000 ONEFund grant and a $50,000 grant from Clarion Direct Investment. Each company will receive a $25,000 investment from LaunchHouse to grow their business.
“We’re quite excited,” says LaunchHouse CEO Todd Goldstein. “It’s changing the way investments are made in Northeast Ohio. With a little bit of capital we work with them to go from idea to validation.”
Goldstein describes the accelerator program as “customer-centric,” emphasizing the identification and needs of potential customers to grow the business. The 12-week program will provide mentors and instruction to the startup owners, guiding them through set goals.
“We’re hitting the ground running,” says Goldstein. “We’re not starting from scratch. We’re looking at the best innovators and how the company has grown.”
More than 60 companies from around the world applied for the accelerator. Twenty were selected to make their pitches to a panel of experts. From there, 10 companies were chosen, nine of which are from Northeast Ohio. The hope is that these 10 businesses will remain in Northeast Ohio once they are better established.
“The goal is to keep these companies in the region,” says Goldstein. “We believe Northeast Ohio is prime for an explosion of entrepreneurs.”
Source: Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We’re quite excited,” says LaunchHouse CEO Todd Goldstein. “It’s changing the way investments are made in Northeast Ohio. With a little bit of capital we work with them to go from idea to validation.”
Goldstein describes the accelerator program as “customer-centric,” emphasizing the identification and needs of potential customers to grow the business. The 12-week program will provide mentors and instruction to the startup owners, guiding them through set goals.
“We’re hitting the ground running,” says Goldstein. “We’re not starting from scratch. We’re looking at the best innovators and how the company has grown.”
More than 60 companies from around the world applied for the accelerator. Twenty were selected to make their pitches to a panel of experts. From there, 10 companies were chosen, nine of which are from Northeast Ohio. The hope is that these 10 businesses will remain in Northeast Ohio once they are better established.
“The goal is to keep these companies in the region,” says Goldstein. “We believe Northeast Ohio is prime for an explosion of entrepreneurs.”
Source: Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karin Connelly
cleveland is best example of 'market city,' says smithsonian
In the Smithsonian blog, Sarah Rich describes "What Public Spaces Like Cleveland’s West Side Market Mean for Cities," a lead-up of sorts to the Public Markets Conference to be held in Cleveland next week.
Rich writes that, "Markets have long been an important organizing principle for infrastructure, traffic patterns, and human activity in a city, but in many places, the grand buildings that once housed central markets have gone neglected, and the businesses inside are long shuttered. Where public markets are still in operation or have been revived, however, it’s hard to find a stronger example of the power of placemaking."
These places are Market Cities, where public food sources “act as hubs for the region and function as great multi-use destinations, with many activities clustering nearby… Market Cities are, in essence, places where food is one of the fundamental building blocks of urban life -- not just fuel that you use to get through the day.”
"There are a number of good examples of market cities in the U.S., but one of the best is Cleveland, where the century-old West Side Market has become a key engine in the city’s revitalization. The market building itself is one of Cleveland’s finest architectural gems -- a vast, red-brick terminal with stunningly high vaulted ceilings, book-ended with massive, arched windows."
"The West Side Market is now just one (albeit sizeable) node in a buzzing network of food-related endeavors -- restaurants, farmers’ markets, urban farms -- which are assembling into a whole new identity for the Rust Belt city."
Read the rest of the report here.
Rich writes that, "Markets have long been an important organizing principle for infrastructure, traffic patterns, and human activity in a city, but in many places, the grand buildings that once housed central markets have gone neglected, and the businesses inside are long shuttered. Where public markets are still in operation or have been revived, however, it’s hard to find a stronger example of the power of placemaking."
These places are Market Cities, where public food sources “act as hubs for the region and function as great multi-use destinations, with many activities clustering nearby… Market Cities are, in essence, places where food is one of the fundamental building blocks of urban life -- not just fuel that you use to get through the day.”
"There are a number of good examples of market cities in the U.S., but one of the best is Cleveland, where the century-old West Side Market has become a key engine in the city’s revitalization. The market building itself is one of Cleveland’s finest architectural gems -- a vast, red-brick terminal with stunningly high vaulted ceilings, book-ended with massive, arched windows."
"The West Side Market is now just one (albeit sizeable) node in a buzzing network of food-related endeavors -- restaurants, farmers’ markets, urban farms -- which are assembling into a whole new identity for the Rust Belt city."
Read the rest of the report here.
TiE Ohio will recognize international entrepreneurs at its awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 20. Two Cleveland business executives, Jose Feliciano and Wayne Duigan, will be honored.
TiE Ohio is a resource for entrepreneurs to network and find mentors for their businesses. This event recognizes immigrant and American-born entrepreneurs who have taken their businesses to an international level.
“Entrepreneurs have the passion, the dream and they are willing to put themselves all in,” says Joe Cole, executive director of TiE Ohio. “We want to reward the entrepreneurs who are going global.”
Jose Feliciano, a trial lawyer with BakerHostetler, will receive the Community Catalyst Award. The award recognizes people who have supported immigrant entrepreneurs. “He’s really been in the forefront of advocacy of the immigrant entrepreneur,” adds Cole. “He has a predisposition to being an entrepreneur.”
Feliciano is the founder and chair of the Hispanic Roundtable, is former chairman of the Hispanic Leadership Development Program, founder of the Hispanic Community Forum and was a founder of the Ohio Hispanic Bar Association. He also hosts the monthly talk show, El Sol de Cleveland. “He’s really been out in the forefront,” says Cole.
Wayne Duigan, director international sales for Horizons, Inc. is nominated for the Global Entrepreneur award. “He has significantly grown Horizons’ global presence,” Cole notes. “They’ve really done a great job in establishing an international presence.”
The event will be held at the Ariel International Center at 5:30 p.m. Mark Kvamme, president and CIO of JobsOhio, will be the keynote speaker.
Source: Joe Cole
Writer: Karin Connelly
TiE Ohio is a resource for entrepreneurs to network and find mentors for their businesses. This event recognizes immigrant and American-born entrepreneurs who have taken their businesses to an international level.
“Entrepreneurs have the passion, the dream and they are willing to put themselves all in,” says Joe Cole, executive director of TiE Ohio. “We want to reward the entrepreneurs who are going global.”
Jose Feliciano, a trial lawyer with BakerHostetler, will receive the Community Catalyst Award. The award recognizes people who have supported immigrant entrepreneurs. “He’s really been in the forefront of advocacy of the immigrant entrepreneur,” adds Cole. “He has a predisposition to being an entrepreneur.”
Feliciano is the founder and chair of the Hispanic Roundtable, is former chairman of the Hispanic Leadership Development Program, founder of the Hispanic Community Forum and was a founder of the Ohio Hispanic Bar Association. He also hosts the monthly talk show, El Sol de Cleveland. “He’s really been out in the forefront,” says Cole.
Wayne Duigan, director international sales for Horizons, Inc. is nominated for the Global Entrepreneur award. “He has significantly grown Horizons’ global presence,” Cole notes. “They’ve really done a great job in establishing an international presence.”
The event will be held at the Ariel International Center at 5:30 p.m. Mark Kvamme, president and CIO of JobsOhio, will be the keynote speaker.
Source: Joe Cole
Writer: Karin Connelly
planning for gay games, cleveland is 'ahead of schedule'
Metro Weekly, D.C.'s gay and lesbian news magazine, writes in an article titled "Planning for Gay Games in 2014 is ahead of schedule" that "Many people around the world were shocked when Cleveland beat Boston and Washington, D.C., in the battle to host the Gay Games in 2014. However, Ohio's second largest city is proving it is not just up for the task but ready to set the bar for future Gay Games."
Leading up to the Gay Games, which will take place in Cleveland Aug. 9 to 16, 2014, organizers are ahead of schedule when it comes to planning. Organizers announced that 26 hotels in Cleveland and Akron, which is co-hosting the games, have been officially contracted to provide than 20,000 rooms to accommodate more then 11,000 expected participants.
Approximately 35 sports and culture events will be a part of Gay Games. Events will run the gamut from softball, track & field, soccer and swimming to volleyball, bowling, marathon and rowing to band, orchestra and cheer.
"Cleveland has long been active in promoting the city as a welcoming destination for LGBT visitors. Positively Cleveland launched its gay travel marketing campaign in 2007 that included the creation of an LGBT section of its website."
Following the move to be the host city for the Gay Games, Cleveland created a domestic partnership registry and granted domestic partner benefits to city employees.
In 2011, The Advocate named Cleveland among its list of "Gayest Cities in America."
Read the rest here.
Leading up to the Gay Games, which will take place in Cleveland Aug. 9 to 16, 2014, organizers are ahead of schedule when it comes to planning. Organizers announced that 26 hotels in Cleveland and Akron, which is co-hosting the games, have been officially contracted to provide than 20,000 rooms to accommodate more then 11,000 expected participants.
Approximately 35 sports and culture events will be a part of Gay Games. Events will run the gamut from softball, track & field, soccer and swimming to volleyball, bowling, marathon and rowing to band, orchestra and cheer.
"Cleveland has long been active in promoting the city as a welcoming destination for LGBT visitors. Positively Cleveland launched its gay travel marketing campaign in 2007 that included the creation of an LGBT section of its website."
Following the move to be the host city for the Gay Games, Cleveland created a domestic partnership registry and granted domestic partner benefits to city employees.
In 2011, The Advocate named Cleveland among its list of "Gayest Cities in America."
Read the rest here.
The City of Cleveland has developed a plan to create bike lanes along Detroit Avenue between West 25th and West 75th streets to cater to the growing number of two-wheeled commuters using the thoroughfare.
The idea was developed as a temporary alternative to the stalled West Shoreway project, but has now taken on a life of its own. City officials say that even if more money is found to complete multi-modal paths along the Shoreway, the Detroit bike lanes are here to stay.
"This really is a new day in the City of Cleveland for cycling," Planning Director Bob Brown told the audience at a recent public meeting. "For decades, Cleveland put the priority on cars and cyclists were treated as second class citizens. The big change was the complete and green streets ordinance -- now it's the law of the land that every time we plan a roadway project, bikes have to be a priority."
"If we want to create a mode shift [away from driving and towards cycling], then we need to create the facilities to do it," added Jacob Van Sickle, Executive Director of Bike Cleveland. "Bike Cleveland will continue to push the city."
The complex project, which will span 1.7 miles and cost $76,000, includes a mixture of bike lanes and sharrows (painted arrows in the roadway indicating that cars must share the road with bikes). The five foot lanes allow for on-street parking while providing enough room for cyclists to avoid the "door zone" (the area where they could be hit if the driver of a parked car opens the door).
The long-term goal, Brown said during the meeting, is to create a network of bike lanes on major streets throughout the city. Planners are working on eventually extending the bike lanes along the Detroit-Superior bridge and Superior.
Source: Bob Brown, Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The idea was developed as a temporary alternative to the stalled West Shoreway project, but has now taken on a life of its own. City officials say that even if more money is found to complete multi-modal paths along the Shoreway, the Detroit bike lanes are here to stay.
"This really is a new day in the City of Cleveland for cycling," Planning Director Bob Brown told the audience at a recent public meeting. "For decades, Cleveland put the priority on cars and cyclists were treated as second class citizens. The big change was the complete and green streets ordinance -- now it's the law of the land that every time we plan a roadway project, bikes have to be a priority."
"If we want to create a mode shift [away from driving and towards cycling], then we need to create the facilities to do it," added Jacob Van Sickle, Executive Director of Bike Cleveland. "Bike Cleveland will continue to push the city."
The complex project, which will span 1.7 miles and cost $76,000, includes a mixture of bike lanes and sharrows (painted arrows in the roadway indicating that cars must share the road with bikes). The five foot lanes allow for on-street parking while providing enough room for cyclists to avoid the "door zone" (the area where they could be hit if the driver of a parked car opens the door).
The long-term goal, Brown said during the meeting, is to create a network of bike lanes on major streets throughout the city. Planners are working on eventually extending the bike lanes along the Detroit-Superior bridge and Superior.
Source: Bob Brown, Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In recent years, Cleveland Municipal School District has opened 14 new high-performing public schools rated Excellent or Effective by the State. The Cleveland Plan, approved this summer by state legislators, will pave the way for even more improvements to the district's schools, making it more likely that urban parents will choose to remain in the city.
Ingenuity Fest 2012 will take place this weekend, September 14 to 16 at Cleveland Lakefront Docks 30 and 32, in 120,000 square feet of warehouse space. Aside from music and artistic performances, the festival will showcase the work of local inventors working on some fun and interactive projects.
“It ranges from DIY aesthetic things to engineers,” says director of programming James Krouse. “We have inventors or people who are beta testing a product or are in academic engineering programs. This is a place to display these innovations.”
The Make Space area of the festival will include the Lorain County Community College Fab Lab and the Cleveland MC2 Stem School Mobile Fab Lab -- a NASCAR trailer equipped with computers, software and lasers for creating 3-D images.
“It’s just a collection of designer software and laser cutters,” says Krouse.
A CWRU engineering graduate student will have a display of solar-powered fireflies that mimic the algorithm of fireflies’ communication. A panel of local chefs and sustainability advocates will speak on Friday about local food and sustainability. A series of talks on Saturday will examine the history of flight -- from the Wright brothers all the way through the Mars Curiosity expedition.
Source: James Krouse
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It ranges from DIY aesthetic things to engineers,” says director of programming James Krouse. “We have inventors or people who are beta testing a product or are in academic engineering programs. This is a place to display these innovations.”
The Make Space area of the festival will include the Lorain County Community College Fab Lab and the Cleveland MC2 Stem School Mobile Fab Lab -- a NASCAR trailer equipped with computers, software and lasers for creating 3-D images.
“It’s just a collection of designer software and laser cutters,” says Krouse.
A CWRU engineering graduate student will have a display of solar-powered fireflies that mimic the algorithm of fireflies’ communication. A panel of local chefs and sustainability advocates will speak on Friday about local food and sustainability. A series of talks on Saturday will examine the history of flight -- from the Wright brothers all the way through the Mars Curiosity expedition.
Source: James Krouse
Writer: Karin Connelly
Thanks to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, entrepreneurs often overlooked by traditional investment sources are securing much-needed capital to launch their startups. In addition to raising cash, these sites are proving invaluable for testing new ideas, developing a customer base, gaining exposure, and launching ideas into a larger marketplace.
Experienced Cleveland developer Mike DeCesare recently started construction on the Waverly Station Townhomes in Detroit Shoreway -- a 22-unit project that is the only new, for-sale housing development to break ground in the City of Cleveland this year.
"Getting the project up and running was no small task, as it proved to be impossible to find conventional bank financing for the project," he says. "We ended up doing private financing. We had investors willing to put money into it."
The project is located on a one-block stretch of land along Bridge Avenue between West 57th and 58th streets. DeCesare acquired a parcel of vacant land from Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and purchased several distressed multifamily properties that he tore down. These additional parcels expanded the project and will add to the sense of community, he says.
"There's a feeling of safety in numbers," he says of the $4.5 million project. "The scope of something like Waverly instills confidence in prospective buyers."
Waverly Station features high-end finishes and rooftop decks with city views. One- and two-car garage units are available, and all units include two bedrooms and two and a half baths. Energy-efficient features and 15-year, 100-percent tax abatement also are part of the community. Sales prices range from $179,900 to $209,900.
DeCesare already has several units sold and is hoping to break ground on the second building in the project later this year. Buyers have been drawn to the location within walking distance of the Gordon Square Arts District, he says.
Source: Mike DeCesare
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Getting the project up and running was no small task, as it proved to be impossible to find conventional bank financing for the project," he says. "We ended up doing private financing. We had investors willing to put money into it."
The project is located on a one-block stretch of land along Bridge Avenue between West 57th and 58th streets. DeCesare acquired a parcel of vacant land from Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and purchased several distressed multifamily properties that he tore down. These additional parcels expanded the project and will add to the sense of community, he says.
"There's a feeling of safety in numbers," he says of the $4.5 million project. "The scope of something like Waverly instills confidence in prospective buyers."
Waverly Station features high-end finishes and rooftop decks with city views. One- and two-car garage units are available, and all units include two bedrooms and two and a half baths. Energy-efficient features and 15-year, 100-percent tax abatement also are part of the community. Sales prices range from $179,900 to $209,900.
DeCesare already has several units sold and is hoping to break ground on the second building in the project later this year. Buyers have been drawn to the location within walking distance of the Gordon Square Arts District, he says.
Source: Mike DeCesare
Writer: Lee Chilcote
cpt's ray bobgan in american theatre mag
In a long American Theatre feature and interview titled "The Cleveland Connection," former Plain Dealer theater critic Tony Brown writes about Raymond Bobgan, executive artistic director of Cleveland Public Theatre.
"Cleveland Public Theatre has long been a place of artistic collaboration that earns the right to use the word public in its name," writes Brown. "The cutting-edge theatre has led the metamorphosis of a rough inner-city neighborhood, where once crack dens and motorcycle bars set the tone, into a burgeoning and lively arts district populated with some of Cleveland’s best restaurants and nightclubs."
Of Bobgan, Brown writes, "He turned CPT’s fiscal and creative situation around, despite all the financial risks of doing theatre in a slow economy, not by pulling back but by programming even more theatre, and a riskier kind of theatre to boot. With a relatively modest $1.2 million annual operating budget, CPT does the kind of nontraditional, discipline-bridging theatre -- and has had the kind of success with it -- that even the city’s two far-larger LORT theatres have been obliged to marvel at."
Read the rest of the playbill here.
"Cleveland Public Theatre has long been a place of artistic collaboration that earns the right to use the word public in its name," writes Brown. "The cutting-edge theatre has led the metamorphosis of a rough inner-city neighborhood, where once crack dens and motorcycle bars set the tone, into a burgeoning and lively arts district populated with some of Cleveland’s best restaurants and nightclubs."
Of Bobgan, Brown writes, "He turned CPT’s fiscal and creative situation around, despite all the financial risks of doing theatre in a slow economy, not by pulling back but by programming even more theatre, and a riskier kind of theatre to boot. With a relatively modest $1.2 million annual operating budget, CPT does the kind of nontraditional, discipline-bridging theatre -- and has had the kind of success with it -- that even the city’s two far-larger LORT theatres have been obliged to marvel at."
Read the rest of the playbill here.
Drawn by a craft beer scene that he considers to be among the top five in the Midwest, Cleveland native Paul Benner has moved back to town to open the Cleveland Brew Shop. His aim is to help customers make craft beer and premium wine at home.
"When I brewed my first beer, I knew that one way or another I'd do something with this," says Benner, who graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a degree in Entrepreneurship. "I tagged Cleveland as a market in need of a shop."
The Cleveland Brew Shop will be located at 2681 West 14th Street in Tremont. The 1,200-square-foot storefront has new hardwood floors and plenty of natural light. In addition to selling ingredients and equipment, Benner plans to offer classes in homebrewing.
Although the shop does not currently have a license that allows consumption or sale of alcohol, tastings will be offered through a partnership with Bac, a restaurant that is located next door. A three-hour homebrewing class will cost about $10.
Benner says that he plans to host a soft opening for the shop around November 1st. His goal is to have the shop fully functional before the end of the year.
Source: A. Paul Benner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"When I brewed my first beer, I knew that one way or another I'd do something with this," says Benner, who graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a degree in Entrepreneurship. "I tagged Cleveland as a market in need of a shop."
The Cleveland Brew Shop will be located at 2681 West 14th Street in Tremont. The 1,200-square-foot storefront has new hardwood floors and plenty of natural light. In addition to selling ingredients and equipment, Benner plans to offer classes in homebrewing.
Although the shop does not currently have a license that allows consumption or sale of alcohol, tastings will be offered through a partnership with Bac, a restaurant that is located next door. A three-hour homebrewing class will cost about $10.
Benner says that he plans to host a soft opening for the shop around November 1st. His goal is to have the shop fully functional before the end of the year.
Source: A. Paul Benner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
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