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OnShift has found its groove. The Cleveland company continues to build success as a software developer for the senior living market.
“We specialize in healthcare organizations who want to manage their staffing and labor costs,” says CEO Mark Woodka.
Tapping into the senior living market happened by accident for the company, which was founded in 2007.
“Our founder (Gene Groys) was building a communications platform and was hosting a dinner party when an administrator of the nursing home expressed an interest in it,” says Woodka.
OnShift launched their first product in 2009 and has been building momentum ever since. “Our business is growing,” says Woodka. “The market we sell to is under-served. Historically, our customers haven’t had the technology to manage their staffs. We were in the right place and the right time.”
OnShift had 175 customers by the end of 2010, and expects to grow to 600 by the end of this year. They just hired four people to their 32-person staff, still have six open positions in a range of fields, and expect to grow to 55 to 60 total by the end of 2012.
“We’re growing like gangbusters here,” says Woodka. “And we’re an incredibly fun place to work.”
Source: Mark Woodka
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We specialize in healthcare organizations who want to manage their staffing and labor costs,” says CEO Mark Woodka.
Tapping into the senior living market happened by accident for the company, which was founded in 2007.
“Our founder (Gene Groys) was building a communications platform and was hosting a dinner party when an administrator of the nursing home expressed an interest in it,” says Woodka.
OnShift launched their first product in 2009 and has been building momentum ever since. “Our business is growing,” says Woodka. “The market we sell to is under-served. Historically, our customers haven’t had the technology to manage their staffs. We were in the right place and the right time.”
OnShift had 175 customers by the end of 2010, and expects to grow to 600 by the end of this year. They just hired four people to their 32-person staff, still have six open positions in a range of fields, and expect to grow to 55 to 60 total by the end of 2012.
“We’re growing like gangbusters here,” says Woodka. “And we’re an incredibly fun place to work.”
Source: Mark Woodka
Writer: Karin Connelly
Four Northeast Ohio organizations are one group of just 20 national winners of the Obama administration's $37 million Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, a multi-agency competition to support the advancement of high-growth industry clusters across the country.
NorTech, JumpStart, MAGNET and Lorain County Community College came together to cooperatively apply for the $2 million grant that will help create jobs in the region. The program, the Northeast Ohio Speed-To-Market Accelerator (STMA), is designed to accelerate the speed-to-market for near-production or pilot-production prototypes in the advanced energy and flexible electronics industry clusters in Northeast Ohio.
The fact that the groups collaborated on the project is no surprise.
“There’s a history of organization in this region -- we work together collaboratively all the time,” says Cathy Belk, chief relationship officer with JumpStart. “The fact that we already knew each other made it easy to identify the needs and work together on the proposal.”
Each organization will assist in its area of expertise, from company advising to workforce development. The STMA consists of three components, explains Byron Clayton, vice president of NorTech. “The first step is holding outreach workshops to let companies know the service areas we are targeting. The second step is one-on-one counseling and a path-to-market analysis. The third step is to deliver the services.”
Aside from offering expertise and guidance, the four groups plan to speed up the jobs creation process within new companies. “We are asking what can we do to help you to speed this process up,” says Clayton. “We’re working together as a region, as a network of nationally-recognized organizations.”
Sources: Cathy Belk, Byron Clayton
Writer: Karin Connelly
NorTech, JumpStart, MAGNET and Lorain County Community College came together to cooperatively apply for the $2 million grant that will help create jobs in the region. The program, the Northeast Ohio Speed-To-Market Accelerator (STMA), is designed to accelerate the speed-to-market for near-production or pilot-production prototypes in the advanced energy and flexible electronics industry clusters in Northeast Ohio.
The fact that the groups collaborated on the project is no surprise.
“There’s a history of organization in this region -- we work together collaboratively all the time,” says Cathy Belk, chief relationship officer with JumpStart. “The fact that we already knew each other made it easy to identify the needs and work together on the proposal.”
Each organization will assist in its area of expertise, from company advising to workforce development. The STMA consists of three components, explains Byron Clayton, vice president of NorTech. “The first step is holding outreach workshops to let companies know the service areas we are targeting. The second step is one-on-one counseling and a path-to-market analysis. The third step is to deliver the services.”
Aside from offering expertise and guidance, the four groups plan to speed up the jobs creation process within new companies. “We are asking what can we do to help you to speed this process up,” says Clayton. “We’re working together as a region, as a network of nationally-recognized organizations.”
Sources: Cathy Belk, Byron Clayton
Writer: Karin Connelly
Last month, crowds poured into the third annual F*SHO, an exhibit that showcased locally made contemporary furniture. The goal of the Midtown event was to promote what is widely being described as a burgeoning local industry. This year's F*SHO was twice the size of last year's. If you didn't make it, check out Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski's visual tour.
In Cleveland, some wide-eyed literary activists are launching a new form of creative writing workshops. Not only will these programs measurably improve the writing and verbal skills of the students who enroll, they are inspiring youth to discover worlds beyond their own. In turn, these programs very well might be providing the keys to future success.
This week marks the first anniversary for Fresh Water. It feels like just yesterday that we sat down to map out what the first few weeks and months of our new publication would look like. From the start, Fresh Water wanted to highlight the game changers in our city who are striving to make Cleveland a better place to live, work and play. We feel we are doing that.
The typical Cleveland bus shelter is a drab glass-and-metal box whose primary purpose is keep the wind, snow, rain and salt off riders. They are not exactly known for their aesthetic appeal.
Yet two new shelters installed by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) on Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights take a more creative, sustainable approach. The solar-powered shelters light up in various colors at night, contain larger, more comfortable benches, and feature dividers for individual seats.
The new shelters were installed by GCRTA this month using a $100,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration. They are located at Mayfield and Coventry Roads and Mayfield and Warrensville Center Roads. The project was completed in partnership with the City of Cleveland Heights.
"The solar bus stops are a very exciting project for Cleveland Heights that ties in to our commitment to ‘go green’ and support sustainability projects,” said Cleveland Heights Mayor Edward Kelley in a press release. “This partnership with RTA is a great visual way to promote solar energy.”
RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese stated that the project is evidence of RTA's commitment to sustainability. “Using public transit has always been great for the environment," he said. "Now, we have re-committed all of RTA to be more sustainable."
The shelters are powered by a rooftop solar-powered battery system. The exterior lights turn different colors at night, while the interior lights are motion-sensitive and turn on only when a customer is in the shelter.
The shelters were designed by Solar Impact, a local renewable energy company that is based in Shaker Heights. GCRTA developed the bus shelters as part of its sustainability initiative and Transit Waiting Environment program, an effort to improve its bus shelters so that they are more comfortable for users.
Source: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet two new shelters installed by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) on Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights take a more creative, sustainable approach. The solar-powered shelters light up in various colors at night, contain larger, more comfortable benches, and feature dividers for individual seats.
The new shelters were installed by GCRTA this month using a $100,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration. They are located at Mayfield and Coventry Roads and Mayfield and Warrensville Center Roads. The project was completed in partnership with the City of Cleveland Heights.
"The solar bus stops are a very exciting project for Cleveland Heights that ties in to our commitment to ‘go green’ and support sustainability projects,” said Cleveland Heights Mayor Edward Kelley in a press release. “This partnership with RTA is a great visual way to promote solar energy.”
RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese stated that the project is evidence of RTA's commitment to sustainability. “Using public transit has always been great for the environment," he said. "Now, we have re-committed all of RTA to be more sustainable."
The shelters are powered by a rooftop solar-powered battery system. The exterior lights turn different colors at night, while the interior lights are motion-sensitive and turn on only when a customer is in the shelter.
The shelters were designed by Solar Impact, a local renewable energy company that is based in Shaker Heights. GCRTA developed the bus shelters as part of its sustainability initiative and Transit Waiting Environment program, an effort to improve its bus shelters so that they are more comfortable for users.
Source: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The 22-unit Sylvia apartment building has been an eyesore ever since it became vacant two years ago. When its owner died unexpectedly, leaving nobody to care for the property, Detroit Shoreway neighbors watched as the vacant building, which is nestled mid-block on Franklin Boulevard, fell into disrepair.
Beginning this fall, however, nearby homeowners should have something to celebrate: The Sylvia is slated to receive a $3 million makeover that will preserve this historic structure while adding new neighbors to this well-kept block.
The Sylvia, which features a brick facade, hardwood floors, built-in kitchen display cases, and Tudor archways and doorways, will be reduced to an 18-unit, mixed income building following a complete renovation by the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO).
Jenny Spencer, Project Manager with DSCDO, says the Sylvia is part of a neighborhood-wide revitalization trend spurred by the nonprofit's work to preserve its mixed-income character while adding new development. In the past several decades, DSCDO has purchased and renovated 13 historic properties.
"By acquiring, stabilizing and rehabbing multi-family buildings, we've been able to eliminate a lot of our slum and absentee landlord problem," says Spencer. "We've also provided safe, decent, affordable housing and preserved our housing stock."
DSCDO plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, October 6th. The renovation is being funded with Neighborhood Stabilization Fund dollars through the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation and the City of Cleveland, historic tax credits from Huntington National Bank and a bridge loan from the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing. Enterprise Community Partners and Village Capital Corporation provided predevelopment financing.
Source: Jenny Spencer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Beginning this fall, however, nearby homeowners should have something to celebrate: The Sylvia is slated to receive a $3 million makeover that will preserve this historic structure while adding new neighbors to this well-kept block.
The Sylvia, which features a brick facade, hardwood floors, built-in kitchen display cases, and Tudor archways and doorways, will be reduced to an 18-unit, mixed income building following a complete renovation by the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO).
Jenny Spencer, Project Manager with DSCDO, says the Sylvia is part of a neighborhood-wide revitalization trend spurred by the nonprofit's work to preserve its mixed-income character while adding new development. In the past several decades, DSCDO has purchased and renovated 13 historic properties.
"By acquiring, stabilizing and rehabbing multi-family buildings, we've been able to eliminate a lot of our slum and absentee landlord problem," says Spencer. "We've also provided safe, decent, affordable housing and preserved our housing stock."
DSCDO plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, October 6th. The renovation is being funded with Neighborhood Stabilization Fund dollars through the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation and the City of Cleveland, historic tax credits from Huntington National Bank and a bridge loan from the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing. Enterprise Community Partners and Village Capital Corporation provided predevelopment financing.
Source: Jenny Spencer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Historic Haunts Walking Tour, an event now in its fifth year, provides family-friendly Halloween treks through the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. Local residents sporting top hats and toting lanterns lead audiences along historic West Clinton and Franklin Boulevards. They stop at porches to watch costumed actors bring to life tales of murder, love and mayhem from the neighborhood's storied past.
Yet last year, the event did more than just entertain. It also led Cleveland couple Tim Brown and Andy O'Conke straight to the doorstep of their dream home.
"I looked up and saw a two-story house with a pillared porch," recalls Brown of the West Clinton colonial that he purchased earlier this year. "I thought: 'Three minutes from work, a small yard for the dog... This is the home for me!'"
Brown and O'Conke moved into their new home in mid-August -- just in time for this year's Historic Haunts. The couple's broad, welcoming porch has now been incorporated into the walking tour, and they're looking forward to the event.
In addition to the home's many green features, which were added during a top-to-bottom renovation by the Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), Brown and O'Conke were drawn to Detroit Shoreway by its welcoming, hyper-social residents.
"This is unbelievable neighborhood," says O'Conke. "As soon as we'd moved in, we met more neighbors than we had ever known at any other place we lived."
The home was renovated as part of the Opportunity Homes program, a targeted effort by the nonprofit Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI) and CHN to bring renovated, energy-efficient homes to six Cleveland neighborhoods.
(The tours take place October 7 and 8.)
Source: Judith Allen, Andy O'Conke, Tim Brown
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet last year, the event did more than just entertain. It also led Cleveland couple Tim Brown and Andy O'Conke straight to the doorstep of their dream home.
"I looked up and saw a two-story house with a pillared porch," recalls Brown of the West Clinton colonial that he purchased earlier this year. "I thought: 'Three minutes from work, a small yard for the dog... This is the home for me!'"
Brown and O'Conke moved into their new home in mid-August -- just in time for this year's Historic Haunts. The couple's broad, welcoming porch has now been incorporated into the walking tour, and they're looking forward to the event.
In addition to the home's many green features, which were added during a top-to-bottom renovation by the Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), Brown and O'Conke were drawn to Detroit Shoreway by its welcoming, hyper-social residents.
"This is unbelievable neighborhood," says O'Conke. "As soon as we'd moved in, we met more neighbors than we had ever known at any other place we lived."
The home was renovated as part of the Opportunity Homes program, a targeted effort by the nonprofit Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI) and CHN to bring renovated, energy-efficient homes to six Cleveland neighborhoods.
(The tours take place October 7 and 8.)
Source: Judith Allen, Andy O'Conke, Tim Brown
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Thanks to the volunteers at this year's Cleveland GiveCamp, there is now a downloadable app for local foods information in Northeast Ohio. The free app brings together information on community gardens, orchards, farms, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, U-pick locations, and farmers markets and stands into a single, easy-to-browse format.
Nicole Wright of the Ohio State University Extension Urban Agriculture Program says the Harvest NEO app is available on iTunes and will soon be available to Android users, too.
"It's a simple tool that brings together information on different types of local food locations," she says. "It generates a map based on your current location when it opens, and you can search either using the map or by an alphabetical listing."
The OSU Extension submitted an application for the Harvest NEO app to Cleveland GiveCamp earlier this year. The annual weekend event, whose tag line is "geeks in the home of rock and roll coding for charity," is part of a national effort to connect technology professionals with the needs of local nonprofits.
This year, Cleveland GiveCamp was held on July 29th at the offices of LeanDog and Arras, technology and marketing companies that are investing over $500,000 to renovate the former Hornblower's floating barge into state-of-the-art offices.
Wright says that OSU Extension will soon export a local foods map to its website so that the information is available in one place for web users, too. The nonprofit is also committed to improving the Harvest NEO app's functionality over time. Ideas for improvement include adding the ability to search by category.
"Hopefully, it is a tool that can help people become more involved and engaged with local foods, either by growing it or purchasing it," says Wright.
Source: Nicole Wright
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Nicole Wright of the Ohio State University Extension Urban Agriculture Program says the Harvest NEO app is available on iTunes and will soon be available to Android users, too.
"It's a simple tool that brings together information on different types of local food locations," she says. "It generates a map based on your current location when it opens, and you can search either using the map or by an alphabetical listing."
The OSU Extension submitted an application for the Harvest NEO app to Cleveland GiveCamp earlier this year. The annual weekend event, whose tag line is "geeks in the home of rock and roll coding for charity," is part of a national effort to connect technology professionals with the needs of local nonprofits.
This year, Cleveland GiveCamp was held on July 29th at the offices of LeanDog and Arras, technology and marketing companies that are investing over $500,000 to renovate the former Hornblower's floating barge into state-of-the-art offices.
Wright says that OSU Extension will soon export a local foods map to its website so that the information is available in one place for web users, too. The nonprofit is also committed to improving the Harvest NEO app's functionality over time. Ideas for improvement include adding the ability to search by category.
"Hopefully, it is a tool that can help people become more involved and engaged with local foods, either by growing it or purchasing it," says Wright.
Source: Nicole Wright
Writer: Lee Chilcote
in preparation for sale, contents of pnc smarthome up for bid
For the past four months, visitors to the PNC SmartHome exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History enjoyed a prototype of an ultra energy-efficient abode that stays comfy year-round without need of a furnace. In Cleveland.
In preparation for the home's move and eventual sale, many of the interior artwork and furnishings -- much of it sustainably produced -- will be offered for sale to the public. Designed by Cleveland-based Doty & Miller Architects, the house was as attractive inside and out as it is green.
Items include work by artists such as Susie Frazier, Judith Brandon, Nicole McGee, Liz Maugans and Charlotte Lees.
The sale will be help Sunday, October 9, noon to 4 p.m.
For a more info, including a list of items up for sale, visit here.
In preparation for the home's move and eventual sale, many of the interior artwork and furnishings -- much of it sustainably produced -- will be offered for sale to the public. Designed by Cleveland-based Doty & Miller Architects, the house was as attractive inside and out as it is green.
Items include work by artists such as Susie Frazier, Judith Brandon, Nicole McGee, Liz Maugans and Charlotte Lees.
The sale will be help Sunday, October 9, noon to 4 p.m.
For a more info, including a list of items up for sale, visit here.
cleveland's chris hodgson classy to the very end, says usa today
Each week for the past two months, Cleveland food truck fans -- and even those who aren't -- ardently followed Chris Hodgson on the Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race." During the show, the local chef competed against other national food truck operators for the grand prize of $100,000.
Hodgson, as we all know by now, made it all the way to the final episode. His truck, Hodge Podge, as we also know by now, was bested by Lime Truck.
In this item on the USA Today blog Pop Candy, writer Whitney Matheson says that she was particularly moved by Hodgson's class up to and including the very end.
"I thought it was particularly moving when chef Chris Hodge (sic) noted that, because of the competition,'Me and my sister got closer, me and my girlfriend got closer -- (and that's) the greatest win of my life.'"
Read it all here.
Hodgson, as we all know by now, made it all the way to the final episode. His truck, Hodge Podge, as we also know by now, was bested by Lime Truck.
In this item on the USA Today blog Pop Candy, writer Whitney Matheson says that she was particularly moved by Hodgson's class up to and including the very end.
"I thought it was particularly moving when chef Chris Hodge (sic) noted that, because of the competition,'Me and my sister got closer, me and my girlfriend got closer -- (and that's) the greatest win of my life.'"
Read it all here.
rust belt edging out sun belt in recovery, says ny times
"Unemployment in the South is now higher than it is in the Northeast and the Midwest, which include Rust Belt states that were struggling even before the recession," announces a recent article in the New York Times.
While unemployment figures are high nationwide, the finding is surprising given the fact that the South entered the recession with the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. It now struggles with some of the highest rates according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Highlighting the fact that regions are recovering at different speeds, the Rust Belt is outpacing the Sun Belt in reducing joblessness.
Whether or not the trend is going to continue is unknown, of course.
“Because the recovery is so painfully slow, people may begin to think of the trends established during the recovery as normal,” Howard Wial, a Brookings fellow is quoted in the article. “Will people think of Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona as more or less permanently depressed? Think of the Great Lakes as being a renaissance region? I don’t know. It’s possible.”
Read the rest here.
While unemployment figures are high nationwide, the finding is surprising given the fact that the South entered the recession with the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. It now struggles with some of the highest rates according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Highlighting the fact that regions are recovering at different speeds, the Rust Belt is outpacing the Sun Belt in reducing joblessness.
Whether or not the trend is going to continue is unknown, of course.
“Because the recovery is so painfully slow, people may begin to think of the trends established during the recovery as normal,” Howard Wial, a Brookings fellow is quoted in the article. “Will people think of Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona as more or less permanently depressed? Think of the Great Lakes as being a renaissance region? I don’t know. It’s possible.”
Read the rest here.
china-based investment of $100m will go to american and cleveland biomeds
A new partnership between a leading China-based biomedical development company and the Cleveland Bio Fund (CbF) will result in a $100 million fund to invest in U.S companies, including those in Cleveland. The Cleveland Bio Fund will help identify and invest in small- to mid-size medical device companies looking to enter the Chinese market.
“[Cleveland Bio Fund] will provide both capital and know-how for device companies looking to expand their products into China. It is a unique boutique style investment strategy needed for that market,” explains Eddy Zai, CEO of CbF
Executives are traveling to Cleveland this week to meet local officials, tour the Health Tech Corridor, and meet with companies that could take advantage of this unique business model.
Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson welcomes the investment in Cleveland from China.
"Investments in the City of Cleveland are good, whether they are made locally or by foreign investors. We welcome the opportunity to partner with the Cleveland Bio Fund as it will better connect Cleveland to the global economy," said Mayor Frank Jackson.
Read the rest here.
“[Cleveland Bio Fund] will provide both capital and know-how for device companies looking to expand their products into China. It is a unique boutique style investment strategy needed for that market,” explains Eddy Zai, CEO of CbF
Executives are traveling to Cleveland this week to meet local officials, tour the Health Tech Corridor, and meet with companies that could take advantage of this unique business model.
Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson welcomes the investment in Cleveland from China.
"Investments in the City of Cleveland are good, whether they are made locally or by foreign investors. We welcome the opportunity to partner with the Cleveland Bio Fund as it will better connect Cleveland to the global economy," said Mayor Frank Jackson.
Read the rest here.
Aeroscena is tapping into the world of aromatherapy with Ascents -- little sachets of essential oils that creators say not only smell nice, but help with everything from weight loss and insomnia to energy and relaxation. Aeroscena CEO Mark Kohoot says the idea was inspired by the 18th and 19th century trend of women wearing their own personal scents around their necks.
“Ascents are an innovative way to experience aromatherapy in a portable diffuser,” explains Shannon Gibb, product manager. “They are all natural, made with essential oils."
There are five different scents, each of which comes in a little packet. Unseal the packet and inhale the scent up to 500 times. The five signature blends are: Sleep, Energize, Calm, Focus, and Curb for weight loss.
Founded a little over a year ago, Aeroscena employees telecommuted from home until June of this year, when the company opened offices in the Leader Building downtown. Ana Sorel was just hired as marketing manager and Aaron Cornell was brought on as the new CFO. Gibb says the next step is to build a solid sales rep staff.
Ascents are available on the company’s website, at Nature’s Bin in Lakewood and at 360-5 Wellness Store at the Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic also gives Ascents to participants in their online sleep program, Go! to Sleep.
Source: Shannon Gibb
Writer: Karin Connelly
“Ascents are an innovative way to experience aromatherapy in a portable diffuser,” explains Shannon Gibb, product manager. “They are all natural, made with essential oils."
There are five different scents, each of which comes in a little packet. Unseal the packet and inhale the scent up to 500 times. The five signature blends are: Sleep, Energize, Calm, Focus, and Curb for weight loss.
Founded a little over a year ago, Aeroscena employees telecommuted from home until June of this year, when the company opened offices in the Leader Building downtown. Ana Sorel was just hired as marketing manager and Aaron Cornell was brought on as the new CFO. Gibb says the next step is to build a solid sales rep staff.
Ascents are available on the company’s website, at Nature’s Bin in Lakewood and at 360-5 Wellness Store at the Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic also gives Ascents to participants in their online sleep program, Go! to Sleep.
Source: Shannon Gibb
Writer: Karin Connelly
JumpStart will celebrate the region’s entrepreneurs at the Northeast Ohio Entrepreneur Expo and JumpStart Community Meeting on Tuesday, October 25 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. The event will feature high-growth entrepreneurs, student entrepreneurs and investors.
Organizers have signed up 20 entrepreneurs to exhibit their companies, and expect almost 80 by the time of the event. Three hundred people have already signed up to attend the event.
Entrepreneurs attracted $237 million in angel and investor capital to the area in 2010 and created or retained more than 8,500 jobs since 2005. Officials at JumpStart think those numbers are reason to celebrate and continue to encourage people to follow their ideas and dreams.
“We believe entrepreneurship is the key to creating jobs in the community,” says JumpStart director of communications Samantha Fryberger. “By having people involved in one place at one time creates a sort of synergistic celebration of what’s been done and what’s coming ahead.”
New this year is an educational component to the expo, focused on three main areas: capital, talent and public relations. Community leaders will speak on these three areas of entrepreneurship to help advise participants in how to raise capital in both traditional and non-traditional ways, how to attract good talent on a budget, and the importance of good PR to promote a business on a budget.
Student entrepreneurs will also get a chance to showcase their ideas, network and get feedback on things like elevator speeches and developing their ideas.
The expo is free to the public. Exhibitor booths are $85.
Source: Samantha Fryberger
Writer: Karin Connelly
Organizers have signed up 20 entrepreneurs to exhibit their companies, and expect almost 80 by the time of the event. Three hundred people have already signed up to attend the event.
Entrepreneurs attracted $237 million in angel and investor capital to the area in 2010 and created or retained more than 8,500 jobs since 2005. Officials at JumpStart think those numbers are reason to celebrate and continue to encourage people to follow their ideas and dreams.
“We believe entrepreneurship is the key to creating jobs in the community,” says JumpStart director of communications Samantha Fryberger. “By having people involved in one place at one time creates a sort of synergistic celebration of what’s been done and what’s coming ahead.”
New this year is an educational component to the expo, focused on three main areas: capital, talent and public relations. Community leaders will speak on these three areas of entrepreneurship to help advise participants in how to raise capital in both traditional and non-traditional ways, how to attract good talent on a budget, and the importance of good PR to promote a business on a budget.
Student entrepreneurs will also get a chance to showcase their ideas, network and get feedback on things like elevator speeches and developing their ideas.
The expo is free to the public. Exhibitor booths are $85.
Source: Samantha Fryberger
Writer: Karin Connelly
Ryan Clark and Nathan Lambert know how to sell advertising. They also figured out a way to help libraries offset printing costs. The co-founders of Knowta, a Shaker LaunchHouse portfolio company, have created a unique print ad system that runs ads at the bottom of a page that users print out at the library.
The concept is brilliantly simple: Users elect to receive the advertising in exchange for free or discounted printing. Instead of receiving documents on typical 8.5" x 11" paper, they are printed on 8.5" x 14" paper, with the bottom three inches featuring a perforated section of full-color ads. Advertisers are able to tailor or change their ads at will to fit the time of day, content or location of the user’s document.
“Libraries are really challenged by economic models,” says Lambert. “Knowta meets those challenges with sustainable printing.” A portion of the revenue collected from the ads goes back to the library to offset printing costs and other expenses. Lambert and Clark have already secured contracts with local merchants around the Case campus.
Knowta will launch its product in CWRU’s Kelvin Smith Library in October, followed by a launch in the Cuyahoga County Public Library system later this fall. While Lambert and Clark plan to expand in Northeast Ohio, they also have plans to sell their product outside of the region.
“As we grow we’ll be growing within the region with additional locations within the Cuyahoga County Library system and the higher education market within Northeast Ohio, with a few target markets outside Northeast Ohio,” says Clark.
The company has one full-time employee, with plans to hire regional sales reps as they continue to expand.
Source: Ryan Clark and Nathan Lambert
Writer: Karin Connelly
The concept is brilliantly simple: Users elect to receive the advertising in exchange for free or discounted printing. Instead of receiving documents on typical 8.5" x 11" paper, they are printed on 8.5" x 14" paper, with the bottom three inches featuring a perforated section of full-color ads. Advertisers are able to tailor or change their ads at will to fit the time of day, content or location of the user’s document.
“Libraries are really challenged by economic models,” says Lambert. “Knowta meets those challenges with sustainable printing.” A portion of the revenue collected from the ads goes back to the library to offset printing costs and other expenses. Lambert and Clark have already secured contracts with local merchants around the Case campus.
Knowta will launch its product in CWRU’s Kelvin Smith Library in October, followed by a launch in the Cuyahoga County Public Library system later this fall. While Lambert and Clark plan to expand in Northeast Ohio, they also have plans to sell their product outside of the region.
“As we grow we’ll be growing within the region with additional locations within the Cuyahoga County Library system and the higher education market within Northeast Ohio, with a few target markets outside Northeast Ohio,” says Clark.
The company has one full-time employee, with plans to hire regional sales reps as they continue to expand.
Source: Ryan Clark and Nathan Lambert
Writer: Karin Connelly
CEOs for Cities, a global nonprofit network of urban leaders focused on making American cities more successful, has opened an office in Cleveland. Lee Fisher, former Ohio Lt. Governor, Ohio Attorney General, and director of the Ohio Department of Development, was named president and CEO of the organization earlier this year and insisted his offices be in Cleveland.
“I told them I was a lifelong Ohioan and did not want to move out of Ohio,” Fisher says. The Cleveland office is the first new office CEOs for Cities has opened in 10 years. The organization has offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., with partners in 15 cities.
CEOs for Cities brings civic leaders from around the country together to come up with solutions to struggling economies and helps cities like Cleveland thrive.
“We’re a national network of urban leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors to develop best practices,” explains Fisher. “We want to bring university and college presidents, business leaders, mayors and city councils together to discuss how to make cities more vibrant, sustainable and attractive.”
Based in Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs, Fisher felt it was the best location to keep his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the city. “I wanted to be somewhere where I can be around smart, urban thinkers like [Levin dean] Ned Hill. I wanted to be in an exciting atmosphere.”
One of Fisher’s goals is to create a cluster partnership between Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown in which city leaders will come together to share innovative best practices. The cluster group will share their thoughts with other city leaders in the CEOs for Cities partnership and, in turn, will gather information from other regional leaders.
Source: Lee Fisher
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I told them I was a lifelong Ohioan and did not want to move out of Ohio,” Fisher says. The Cleveland office is the first new office CEOs for Cities has opened in 10 years. The organization has offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., with partners in 15 cities.
CEOs for Cities brings civic leaders from around the country together to come up with solutions to struggling economies and helps cities like Cleveland thrive.
“We’re a national network of urban leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors to develop best practices,” explains Fisher. “We want to bring university and college presidents, business leaders, mayors and city councils together to discuss how to make cities more vibrant, sustainable and attractive.”
Based in Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs, Fisher felt it was the best location to keep his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the city. “I wanted to be somewhere where I can be around smart, urban thinkers like [Levin dean] Ned Hill. I wanted to be in an exciting atmosphere.”
One of Fisher’s goals is to create a cluster partnership between Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown in which city leaders will come together to share innovative best practices. The cluster group will share their thoughts with other city leaders in the CEOs for Cities partnership and, in turn, will gather information from other regional leaders.
Source: Lee Fisher
Writer: Karin Connelly
Bizdom U, a business accelerator that trains, mentors and funds innovative, growth-oriented startup companies, kicks off its inaugural class in less than two weeks. Based on a similar program in Detroit that was launched three years ago by Quicken Loans owner Dan Gilbert, Bizdom U hopes to kindle a new wave of entrepreneurial spirit in Cleveland.
Despite dire news to the contrary, the indie bookstore is not dead -- especially in Cleveland, one of the most literate cities in the nation. But that doesn't mean booksellers can coast on sales of Woolf, Pynchon and Roth. More than simply literary vending machines, the best indie bookstores have learned to adapt by offering poetry readings, book signings, live music, and even glasses of Australian chardonnay.
There's no quibbling that Dan Moulthrop is one of the "smartest guys in the room." What many of us don't know is that he was also a high school English teacher. Unfortunately for his students, he couldn't afford to continue teaching them. His experiences led him to pen a book titled "Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers." That book was the impetus for the documentary "American Teacher," which follows the careers of four young teachers.