Shaker Heights
The Foundation Center launched Grant Space to aggregate its most popular content in one easy-to-navigate location and be responsive to its audience. The website features video chats with grant makers and a calendar of trainings. It also allows visitors to quickly interact with Foundation Center staff.
Now the Center has launched Grant Space Mobile, a new version geared towards mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Foundation Center Cleveland Director Cynthia Bailie says the website, which she developed and is now being used across the country, is one more way the Foundation Center is innovating to serve its customer base. The site is helping grant seekers to become more savvy about using technology to do good in their communities, she says.
"The world has increasingly gone to mobile devices, and we wanted to give our audience what they need in a user-friendly way," says Bailie.
Despite the at-your-fingertips information that is now available online, visits to the Foundation Center Cleveland, which is located in the Hanna Building at PlayhouseSquare, have not declined. Bailie believes that this is because the Center's online presence and physical location actually complement each other.
"We decided to put everything online and offer high-touch in-person services; we've found it has increased our visibility and people still come in," she says.
Making technology more accessible to grant seekers helps them to access funding more easily, identify new sources, strategize ideas and solicit a national and even international audience of grant makers, Bailie says. Recently, the Foundation Center Cleveland hosted a "Good Gone Mobile" networking and information night. The event highlighted two mobile trends, giving and advocacy, and allowed attendees to network with each other and learn from others in the field.
"There's a greater appetite for experimentation with new technologies. We've created a gateway that allows people to quickly tap in and get what they need."
Source: Cynthia Bailie
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now the Center has launched Grant Space Mobile, a new version geared towards mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Foundation Center Cleveland Director Cynthia Bailie says the website, which she developed and is now being used across the country, is one more way the Foundation Center is innovating to serve its customer base. The site is helping grant seekers to become more savvy about using technology to do good in their communities, she says.
"The world has increasingly gone to mobile devices, and we wanted to give our audience what they need in a user-friendly way," says Bailie.
Despite the at-your-fingertips information that is now available online, visits to the Foundation Center Cleveland, which is located in the Hanna Building at PlayhouseSquare, have not declined. Bailie believes that this is because the Center's online presence and physical location actually complement each other.
"We decided to put everything online and offer high-touch in-person services; we've found it has increased our visibility and people still come in," she says.
Making technology more accessible to grant seekers helps them to access funding more easily, identify new sources, strategize ideas and solicit a national and even international audience of grant makers, Bailie says. Recently, the Foundation Center Cleveland hosted a "Good Gone Mobile" networking and information night. The event highlighted two mobile trends, giving and advocacy, and allowed attendees to network with each other and learn from others in the field.
"There's a greater appetite for experimentation with new technologies. We've created a gateway that allows people to quickly tap in and get what they need."
Source: Cynthia Bailie
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Cleveland Colectivo, a grassroots giving circle whose members provide grants to innovative, community-minded ideas, attracted 27 entrepreneurs and a crowd of nearly 100 people to its recent "Pitch for Change" event at Shaker Launchhouse.
Following the spirited two-minute presentations -- which grew more creative as the night wore on -- attendees voted on their favorite projects. The winner, Have You Met Cleveland?, took home the coveted door prize -- over $400 in cash.
Each presentation was met with rousing applause from the enthusiastic crowd, and attendees spent time after the pitches networking and creating new connections.
The next step in the Colectivo's selection process is for its members to interview the top 11 vote-getters. Details will soon be announced on the Colectivo website.
Here is a sampling of the top projects of the night:
Have You Met Cleveland? is a grassroots initiative that will use the tools of appreciative inquiry to engage young people in the community.
Improv-ing Cleveland is a small concert series that would present top musical acts in vacant storefronts in Slavic Village.
The Cleveland Hostel is a soon-to-be-completed contemporary hostel on West 25th Street, just south of Lorain Avenue.
Music in the Park is a project to organize crowd-pleasing concerts in Edgewater Park this summer.
Lakewood Alive Revolving Loan Paint Program aims to create a fund to help low-income Lakewood residents repaint their homes.
Source: Cleveland Colectivo
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Following the spirited two-minute presentations -- which grew more creative as the night wore on -- attendees voted on their favorite projects. The winner, Have You Met Cleveland?, took home the coveted door prize -- over $400 in cash.
Each presentation was met with rousing applause from the enthusiastic crowd, and attendees spent time after the pitches networking and creating new connections.
The next step in the Colectivo's selection process is for its members to interview the top 11 vote-getters. Details will soon be announced on the Colectivo website.
Here is a sampling of the top projects of the night:
Have You Met Cleveland? is a grassroots initiative that will use the tools of appreciative inquiry to engage young people in the community.
Improv-ing Cleveland is a small concert series that would present top musical acts in vacant storefronts in Slavic Village.
The Cleveland Hostel is a soon-to-be-completed contemporary hostel on West 25th Street, just south of Lorain Avenue.
Music in the Park is a project to organize crowd-pleasing concerts in Edgewater Park this summer.
Lakewood Alive Revolving Loan Paint Program aims to create a fund to help low-income Lakewood residents repaint their homes.
Source: Cleveland Colectivo
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium, a major public initiative to help move Northeast Ohio towards a more sustainable, resilient future, will launch a public engagement process in the next few months. Young professionals are among the first constituencies being targeted in this effort to create a sustainability plan for the region.
"We're looking at how we are using land through the lens of sustainability," explains Jeff Anderle, Communications and Engagement Manager for the NEOSCC, which received a $4.25 million grant from the Obama administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities initiative and launched in January 2011. "We want to make Northeast Ohio more resilient to change, help our governments to be more collaborative and provide the tools for communities to engage in more sustainable planning."
The NEOSCC has five different work study areas: economic development, environment, communities, connections, and quality, connected places. Consortium members include city governments, planning agencies and other public entities throughout the 12-county planning area. According to Anderle, NEOSCC's members are working together because they realize it is in their self-interest to help ensure that the region's resources are used more sustainably.
"We're starting to see collaboration happening in government because resources are getting tight, and moving forward, we believe collaboration will become essential," he says. "People are waking up and coming to the table."
Over the next few months, the NEOSCC will publish an existing conditions report and begin public engagement. "We're partnering with the Civic Commons," says Anderle. "We want to empower people to become a part of the process."
Source: Jeff Anderle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We're looking at how we are using land through the lens of sustainability," explains Jeff Anderle, Communications and Engagement Manager for the NEOSCC, which received a $4.25 million grant from the Obama administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities initiative and launched in January 2011. "We want to make Northeast Ohio more resilient to change, help our governments to be more collaborative and provide the tools for communities to engage in more sustainable planning."
The NEOSCC has five different work study areas: economic development, environment, communities, connections, and quality, connected places. Consortium members include city governments, planning agencies and other public entities throughout the 12-county planning area. According to Anderle, NEOSCC's members are working together because they realize it is in their self-interest to help ensure that the region's resources are used more sustainably.
"We're starting to see collaboration happening in government because resources are getting tight, and moving forward, we believe collaboration will become essential," he says. "People are waking up and coming to the table."
Over the next few months, the NEOSCC will publish an existing conditions report and begin public engagement. "We're partnering with the Civic Commons," says Anderle. "We want to empower people to become a part of the process."
Source: Jeff Anderle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Shaker Launchhouse co-founder/marketing Dar Caldwell describes the business accelerator as a "thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem." That ecosystem will welcome 10 new inhabitants this coming fall thanks to funding from Ohio's New Entrepreneurs (ONE) Fund.
The $200,000 grant will be "a welcome addition here, allowing us to ramp up even more," Caldwell says. Launchhouse already provides dozens of member companies with all sorts of support, from office space to branding to patenting. Not to mention free coffee and wifi.
The ONE Fund grant will allow Launchhouse to seek additional tech start-ups from around Ohio, surrounding states and Chicago. Caldwell says the search won't focus on any particular industry; high growth potential is the key. He expects that Launchhouse will make a formal announcement of the search in April, but notes that the center -- at 3558 Lee Road in Shaker Heights -- has received a steady stream of applications since opening last spring.
Launchhouse's members are nothing if not diverse. Current portfolio members include freshbag, an online produce-shopping and delivery service founded by a Case Western medical student and some friends; Cell-A-Spot, which developed a system allowing cell phone users to cut their monthly bills by accepting targeted ads; and Railroad Empire, an online game for Facebook.
Operated by Ohio's Third Frontier initiative, the ONE Fund is a “mentorship-driven program [that] focuses on the professional development of young entrepreneurs with the necessary ambition to commercialize new technologies.” In addition to Launchhouse, the fund recently awarded grants to similar programs in Cincinnati and Columbus.
Source: Dar Caldwell
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The $200,000 grant will be "a welcome addition here, allowing us to ramp up even more," Caldwell says. Launchhouse already provides dozens of member companies with all sorts of support, from office space to branding to patenting. Not to mention free coffee and wifi.
The ONE Fund grant will allow Launchhouse to seek additional tech start-ups from around Ohio, surrounding states and Chicago. Caldwell says the search won't focus on any particular industry; high growth potential is the key. He expects that Launchhouse will make a formal announcement of the search in April, but notes that the center -- at 3558 Lee Road in Shaker Heights -- has received a steady stream of applications since opening last spring.
Launchhouse's members are nothing if not diverse. Current portfolio members include freshbag, an online produce-shopping and delivery service founded by a Case Western medical student and some friends; Cell-A-Spot, which developed a system allowing cell phone users to cut their monthly bills by accepting targeted ads; and Railroad Empire, an online game for Facebook.
Operated by Ohio's Third Frontier initiative, the ONE Fund is a “mentorship-driven program [that] focuses on the professional development of young entrepreneurs with the necessary ambition to commercialize new technologies.” In addition to Launchhouse, the fund recently awarded grants to similar programs in Cincinnati and Columbus.
Source: Dar Caldwell
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
When asked if she has a dream project she'd like to fund, Cleveland Carbon Fund Fellow Joanne Neuberger rattles off the top of her list. "I'd love to see a project that capitalizes on the 'Year of Local Food' and helps ramp up Cleveland's local food system while reducing our carbon footprint," she says.
These are the kinds of big ideas which organizers of the Fund hope to spur through their grant making, which supports carbon reduction projects with community benefits. The Carbon Fund recently announced that is it seeking applications for projects up to $10,000. The deadline is March 16th.
The Cleveland Carbon Fund was created in 2009 by the City of Cleveland, Green City Blue Lake Institute at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Gund Foundation, Cleveland Foundation and Cleveland Clinic. Its goal, as Neuberger puts it, is to "think globally, green locally." While there are plenty of other carbon funds, ours is the first community-based, open-access fund in the U.S.
The Carbon Fund has supported two past projects whose goal was to install 10,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs in the Slavic Village and Detroit Shoreway neighborhoods of Cleveland (organizers installed nearly 5,000 in the end).
As the Carbon Fund continues to grow, Neuberger says that its leaders will seek additional donations from individuals and businesses. She hopes it will become a popular way to reduce our region's carbon footprint and support local initiatives.
Source: Joanne Neuberger
Writer: Lee Chilcote
These are the kinds of big ideas which organizers of the Fund hope to spur through their grant making, which supports carbon reduction projects with community benefits. The Carbon Fund recently announced that is it seeking applications for projects up to $10,000. The deadline is March 16th.
The Cleveland Carbon Fund was created in 2009 by the City of Cleveland, Green City Blue Lake Institute at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Gund Foundation, Cleveland Foundation and Cleveland Clinic. Its goal, as Neuberger puts it, is to "think globally, green locally." While there are plenty of other carbon funds, ours is the first community-based, open-access fund in the U.S.
The Carbon Fund has supported two past projects whose goal was to install 10,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs in the Slavic Village and Detroit Shoreway neighborhoods of Cleveland (organizers installed nearly 5,000 in the end).
As the Carbon Fund continues to grow, Neuberger says that its leaders will seek additional donations from individuals and businesses. She hopes it will become a popular way to reduce our region's carbon footprint and support local initiatives.
Source: Joanne Neuberger
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Major corporations have long conducted sophisticated research to figure out what kind of consumer you are. Now, a new initiative that is being launched by two young city residents aims to find out what kind of Clevelander you are -- and use the results to engage citizens and drive policy change in the region.
By surveying residents' attitudes towards living in Northeast Ohio, as well as our preferences for urban amenities, the creators of the Clevelander Report hope to place useful information in the hands of policymakers shaping our region's future.
"For all of the studies that have been done on our city, very few of them focus on citizens," explains Hallie Bram, a Detroit Shoreway resident who co-founded the Cleveland Report with Eric Kogelschatz. "Our goal is to create the most comprehensive study of Clevelanders that's ever been completed. We want to use that information to bridge the gap between organizations, government and citizens, and help our policymakers to make informed decisions."
The Clevelander Report surveys residents on such topics as whether or not they are natives, boomerangs, expatriates or have relocated from another city; where they currently live; which cultural institutions and businesses they have visited; their level of interest in urban living; and their attitudes towards the city.
Bram says that the survey has been well-received so far, garnering over 500 responses since it launched one week ago. She and Kogelschatz plan to continue the Clevelander Report through the summer, and then compile an Executive Summary that can be provided to residents as well as policy makers.
Bram and Kogelschatz are the founders of TEDxCLE, a popular annual event that features curated talks by some of Northeast Ohio's biggest thinkers. This year's event will take place at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Friday, April 20th.
Take the survey here.
Source: Hallie Bram
Writer: Lee Chilcote
By surveying residents' attitudes towards living in Northeast Ohio, as well as our preferences for urban amenities, the creators of the Clevelander Report hope to place useful information in the hands of policymakers shaping our region's future.
"For all of the studies that have been done on our city, very few of them focus on citizens," explains Hallie Bram, a Detroit Shoreway resident who co-founded the Cleveland Report with Eric Kogelschatz. "Our goal is to create the most comprehensive study of Clevelanders that's ever been completed. We want to use that information to bridge the gap between organizations, government and citizens, and help our policymakers to make informed decisions."
The Clevelander Report surveys residents on such topics as whether or not they are natives, boomerangs, expatriates or have relocated from another city; where they currently live; which cultural institutions and businesses they have visited; their level of interest in urban living; and their attitudes towards the city.
Bram says that the survey has been well-received so far, garnering over 500 responses since it launched one week ago. She and Kogelschatz plan to continue the Clevelander Report through the summer, and then compile an Executive Summary that can be provided to residents as well as policy makers.
Bram and Kogelschatz are the founders of TEDxCLE, a popular annual event that features curated talks by some of Northeast Ohio's biggest thinkers. This year's event will take place at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Friday, April 20th.
Take the survey here.
Source: Hallie Bram
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Metheny Weir, a home remodeling business which was originally launched out of a Shaker Heights basement, recently expanded to a spacious storefront on Larchmere. The growth spurt is the result of the company inking last year a deal to become Cleveland's only licensed retailer of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a hot new product that's generating a buzz in the interior design world.
Metheny Weir co-owner Sue Weir says that the innovative product allows home remodelers to paint furniture and other surfaces without cleaning, sanding or priming -- you just put your brush in the can and start painting.
"Our customers like it because they don't have to move their armoire out of the living room to paint it," says Weir, who co-founded the company with her friend, Kim Metheny. "It's not a big production to change the look of their furniture."
Chalk Paint is low in volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and considered green. Weir says that she recently sold $700 of the new product in a single week.
The paint has also attracted new business for Metheny Weir, which specializes in custom painted finishes and has become known for stylish makeovers of older homes and furniture. "We're redoing a kitchen for someone that fell in love with the Annie Sloan product but didn't want to do the work herself," says Weir.
Weir and Metheny are hosting workshops out of their Larchmere storefront to educate homeowners on how to use the paint. The uptick in interest in home remodeling is partially due to the stalled housing market, Weir says, a trend that has spurred many homeowners to reinvest in their homes and furnishings.
In the next several months, Weir and Metheny will also travel to Chicago and New Orleans to meet Sloan in person and to participate in product demonstrations.
Source: Sue Weir
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Metheny Weir co-owner Sue Weir says that the innovative product allows home remodelers to paint furniture and other surfaces without cleaning, sanding or priming -- you just put your brush in the can and start painting.
"Our customers like it because they don't have to move their armoire out of the living room to paint it," says Weir, who co-founded the company with her friend, Kim Metheny. "It's not a big production to change the look of their furniture."
Chalk Paint is low in volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and considered green. Weir says that she recently sold $700 of the new product in a single week.
The paint has also attracted new business for Metheny Weir, which specializes in custom painted finishes and has become known for stylish makeovers of older homes and furniture. "We're redoing a kitchen for someone that fell in love with the Annie Sloan product but didn't want to do the work herself," says Weir.
Weir and Metheny are hosting workshops out of their Larchmere storefront to educate homeowners on how to use the paint. The uptick in interest in home remodeling is partially due to the stalled housing market, Weir says, a trend that has spurred many homeowners to reinvest in their homes and furnishings.
In the next several months, Weir and Metheny will also travel to Chicago and New Orleans to meet Sloan in person and to participate in product demonstrations.
Source: Sue Weir
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has seen increases in bus and transit ridership for nine months straight, and the number of riders on the Red Line in January was the highest since 1988.
Yet this month, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a surface transportation bill known as H.R. 7 that would eliminate dedicated federal funds for public transit across the country.
RTA is advocating against the cuts by working with Representative Steven LaTourette and other members of Congress to promote an amendment that would restore federally guaranteed funding.
"If you leave it up to chance that public transit gets funded, that's a big chance to take," says Mary McCahon, RTA's Media Relations Manager. The change would require agencies to lobby for federal funding each year, she says. "We provide 200,000 rides per day, and federal funding is our third biggest revenue source."
McCahon says that while the bill has been tabled, it is scheduled to come back to the floor of the House of Representatives for further discussion this week.
RTA's increased ridership is due in part to higher gas prices and ongoing Innerbelt construction, McCahon says. Improved marketing efforts, partnerships with businesses and the popularity of the Health Line are also factors.
For more information about H.R. 7 and the ongoing federal transportation bill debate, visit the RTA newsroom or American Public Transit Association website.
Source: Mary McCahon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet this month, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a surface transportation bill known as H.R. 7 that would eliminate dedicated federal funds for public transit across the country.
RTA is advocating against the cuts by working with Representative Steven LaTourette and other members of Congress to promote an amendment that would restore federally guaranteed funding.
"If you leave it up to chance that public transit gets funded, that's a big chance to take," says Mary McCahon, RTA's Media Relations Manager. The change would require agencies to lobby for federal funding each year, she says. "We provide 200,000 rides per day, and federal funding is our third biggest revenue source."
McCahon says that while the bill has been tabled, it is scheduled to come back to the floor of the House of Representatives for further discussion this week.
RTA's increased ridership is due in part to higher gas prices and ongoing Innerbelt construction, McCahon says. Improved marketing efforts, partnerships with businesses and the popularity of the Health Line are also factors.
For more information about H.R. 7 and the ongoing federal transportation bill debate, visit the RTA newsroom or American Public Transit Association website.
Source: Mary McCahon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Nearly 60 percent of newly-created jobs require a postsecondary degree, yet only six percent of Cleveland residents hold an associate's degree and just eight percent hold a bachelor's degree.
This stark statistic is one of the driving forces behind the fledgling Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, an unprecedented collaboration among 15 colleges and universities, 25 nonprofit organizations, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga County. This new effort seeks to boost the number of college graduates in Northeast Ohio.
"Every day, there are 3,000 jobs that the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Summa Health Center can't fill," explains Lee Friedman, CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, a member organization of the Compact. "If you can't increase educational attainment, then you can't fill jobs. At some point, if these organizations can't find talent, then they can't grow."
While this lofty goal is hardly unusual or unique, what makes the Compact stand out is its regional approach towards addressing the higher education gap. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is increasingly touting the benefits of addressing such problems on a regional level. Cuyahoga County has not historically been involved in education, yet Executive Ed Fitzgerald has joined the Compact. Until now, the colleges and universities involved in the Compact also have not worked together to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem.
"It truly takes a village to help students get to school and graduate from school," says Friedman. "Many of the young people we're helping are first generation college students who don't have anyone to help them get on that path. The commitment of these university presidents is truly best in class."
The goal of the Higher Education Compact is to ensure that students are ready for, have access to and graduate from college. To achieve this goal, leaders will create student-focused action plans, educate the community on why college is important, help students become college ready, link them with scholarship and financial aid opportunities and create a College Success Dashboard that measures results.
Source: Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, Lee Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This stark statistic is one of the driving forces behind the fledgling Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, an unprecedented collaboration among 15 colleges and universities, 25 nonprofit organizations, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga County. This new effort seeks to boost the number of college graduates in Northeast Ohio.
"Every day, there are 3,000 jobs that the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Summa Health Center can't fill," explains Lee Friedman, CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, a member organization of the Compact. "If you can't increase educational attainment, then you can't fill jobs. At some point, if these organizations can't find talent, then they can't grow."
While this lofty goal is hardly unusual or unique, what makes the Compact stand out is its regional approach towards addressing the higher education gap. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is increasingly touting the benefits of addressing such problems on a regional level. Cuyahoga County has not historically been involved in education, yet Executive Ed Fitzgerald has joined the Compact. Until now, the colleges and universities involved in the Compact also have not worked together to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem.
"It truly takes a village to help students get to school and graduate from school," says Friedman. "Many of the young people we're helping are first generation college students who don't have anyone to help them get on that path. The commitment of these university presidents is truly best in class."
The goal of the Higher Education Compact is to ensure that students are ready for, have access to and graduate from college. To achieve this goal, leaders will create student-focused action plans, educate the community on why college is important, help students become college ready, link them with scholarship and financial aid opportunities and create a College Success Dashboard that measures results.
Source: Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, Lee Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A final, critical piece of funding has now fallen into place for the City of Shaker Heights' long-awaited Van Aken District plan. The city recently announced that it had been awarded $4.4 million from the Ohio Department of Public Works (ODPW). That, on top of $14 million the city already has assembled, will allow Shaker to proceed with Phase I late next year.
Phase I of the project will reconfigure the confusing, much-maligned junction of Van Aken, Warrensville and Chagrin roads into a traditional, four-way intersection. The road reconfiguration is just the first step in a larger plan to redevelop this prominent space as a vibrant, mixed-use downtown for the city.
"This vision was shaped by residents," says Joyce Braverman, Planning Director for the City of Shaker Heights. "One of our planning meetings was held during a snowstorm, and we had 120 people show up. They didn't just sit and listen, they sat at tables and helped us to design what the streets would look like."
In addition to the ODPW award, Phase I is being funded by $2.3 million from the City of Shaker Heights, $4 million from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), $7 million from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, a $500,000 federal appropriation, $500,000 from the Federal Highway Administration and $500,000 from the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works. In addition to the reconfiguration, there will also be improvements to transit access, pedestrian facilities and streetscapes, including tree planting. Prominent, new crosswalks will improve the pedestrian experience while reducing wait times and making the district easier and safer to navigate.
As Phase I is being completed, the city will continue to move forward on later phases of the plan, including working with RTA to extend the Blue Line rapid transit and seeking a master developer for parcels of land owned by the city and private developers. Shaker Heights ultimately envisions a mixed-use district comprised of 500 new housing units, 160,000 square feet of new retail space and 250,000 square feet of office space and community green space.
Source: Joyce Braverman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Phase I of the project will reconfigure the confusing, much-maligned junction of Van Aken, Warrensville and Chagrin roads into a traditional, four-way intersection. The road reconfiguration is just the first step in a larger plan to redevelop this prominent space as a vibrant, mixed-use downtown for the city.
"This vision was shaped by residents," says Joyce Braverman, Planning Director for the City of Shaker Heights. "One of our planning meetings was held during a snowstorm, and we had 120 people show up. They didn't just sit and listen, they sat at tables and helped us to design what the streets would look like."
In addition to the ODPW award, Phase I is being funded by $2.3 million from the City of Shaker Heights, $4 million from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), $7 million from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, a $500,000 federal appropriation, $500,000 from the Federal Highway Administration and $500,000 from the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works. In addition to the reconfiguration, there will also be improvements to transit access, pedestrian facilities and streetscapes, including tree planting. Prominent, new crosswalks will improve the pedestrian experience while reducing wait times and making the district easier and safer to navigate.
As Phase I is being completed, the city will continue to move forward on later phases of the plan, including working with RTA to extend the Blue Line rapid transit and seeking a master developer for parcels of land owned by the city and private developers. Shaker Heights ultimately envisions a mixed-use district comprised of 500 new housing units, 160,000 square feet of new retail space and 250,000 square feet of office space and community green space.
Source: Joyce Braverman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
As the number of local bike commuters continues to increase, so too does the number of savvy entrepreneurs who serve and service them. In recent years, a mini boom of bike-based businesses has developed across Northeast Ohio, including frame builders, messenger bag makers, rickshaw drivers and an indoor bike park that attracts visitors from throughout the Midwest.
The newly minted nonprofit Bike Cleveland will bring together Northeast Ohio cyclists through cycling events, educational programming and advocacy work, says Jacob Van Sickle, the group's new Executive Director. The group also will provide area cyclists with a unified voice in transportation planning across the region.
Over the course of the next year, Bike Cleveland plans to focus on prioritizing bike investments in the West Shoreway project, collaborating with the City of Cleveland to update and prioritize its Bikeway Master Plan, creating fun biking events and advocating for cyclist-friendly policies throughout the region.
One of the group's first advocacy projects will be to rally against HR 7, the transportation bill that has been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives. That bill would eliminate dedicated funding for transportation, cut funding that helps to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and shortchange funding for repairing existing roads and bridges and improving roadways for cyclists.
For several years, Cleveland's cycling community has been fragmented among different organizations. The launch of Bike Cleveland last summer and now the hiring of Van Sickle unites cyclists under a common banner for the first time.
Van Sickle says Cleveland's energized cycling community has a lot ot be proud of. The 2010 American Community Survey shows that .8 percent of Clevelanders now use a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation to work -- a figure well above the national average of .53 percent. This is a 280-percent increase over one decade, giving Cleveland the highest 10-year increase in the country.
“I am looking forward to working with current and future Bike Cleveland members, and the greater cycling community, to continue to grow the cycling movement in Greater Cleveland," said Van Sickle in a press release.
Source: Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Over the course of the next year, Bike Cleveland plans to focus on prioritizing bike investments in the West Shoreway project, collaborating with the City of Cleveland to update and prioritize its Bikeway Master Plan, creating fun biking events and advocating for cyclist-friendly policies throughout the region.
One of the group's first advocacy projects will be to rally against HR 7, the transportation bill that has been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives. That bill would eliminate dedicated funding for transportation, cut funding that helps to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and shortchange funding for repairing existing roads and bridges and improving roadways for cyclists.
For several years, Cleveland's cycling community has been fragmented among different organizations. The launch of Bike Cleveland last summer and now the hiring of Van Sickle unites cyclists under a common banner for the first time.
Van Sickle says Cleveland's energized cycling community has a lot ot be proud of. The 2010 American Community Survey shows that .8 percent of Clevelanders now use a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation to work -- a figure well above the national average of .53 percent. This is a 280-percent increase over one decade, giving Cleveland the highest 10-year increase in the country.
“I am looking forward to working with current and future Bike Cleveland members, and the greater cycling community, to continue to grow the cycling movement in Greater Cleveland," said Van Sickle in a press release.
Source: Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The success of the Cleveland Colectivo over the past seven years has exceeded the wildest dreams of its members, an ambitious group that aims to improve the city's neighborhoods by funding grassroots projects and social entrepreneurs. Formed in 2004 by a group of friends who decided to pool their money and give it away, the Colectivo has now granted over $80,000 to community projects in Greater Cleveland.
This month, the group will host a night of grassroots networking and idea-sharing entitled "Pitch for Change." The event will take place on Thursday, February 23 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Shaker Launch House. At the forum, participants will be allowed two minutes to pitch their innovative idea or project for creating change in Cleveland. Attendees will vote on the best presentation, and the winner will receive the donations collected at the door as well as an invitation to join Round 2 of Colectivo's grant process.
Some of the previously funded projects include A Piece of Cleveland (an urban deconstruction business), Plenty Underfoot (an arts startup that transforms discarded items into jewelry, centerpieces and other artistic objects), and Prince of Peace Computer Literacy (an effort to provide computer literacy programming to underserved city residents).
For a group that started off with only a few meager checks (and chutzpah), one might say that this tiny grassroots group is making a big impact. Over time, they've witnessed their grant making model spread to other groups, too.
To sign up as a participant in Pitch for Change, visit the Colectivo website.
Source: Cleveland Colectivo
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This month, the group will host a night of grassroots networking and idea-sharing entitled "Pitch for Change." The event will take place on Thursday, February 23 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Shaker Launch House. At the forum, participants will be allowed two minutes to pitch their innovative idea or project for creating change in Cleveland. Attendees will vote on the best presentation, and the winner will receive the donations collected at the door as well as an invitation to join Round 2 of Colectivo's grant process.
Some of the previously funded projects include A Piece of Cleveland (an urban deconstruction business), Plenty Underfoot (an arts startup that transforms discarded items into jewelry, centerpieces and other artistic objects), and Prince of Peace Computer Literacy (an effort to provide computer literacy programming to underserved city residents).
For a group that started off with only a few meager checks (and chutzpah), one might say that this tiny grassroots group is making a big impact. Over time, they've witnessed their grant making model spread to other groups, too.
To sign up as a participant in Pitch for Change, visit the Colectivo website.
Source: Cleveland Colectivo
Writer: Lee Chilcote
'fun size' filmed in and around cleveland set for release
The movie "Fun Size," directed by Josh Schwartz and staring Victoria Justice, Johnny Knoxville, and Chelsea Handler, is set to release on October 12, 2012.
Filmed on location at Boulevard Elementary School, Coventry Food Mart, and the Coventry Road Business District in Shaker Heights, this film about a teen girl who loses her little brother on Halloween and her desperate attempt to track him down is reminiscent of John Hughes-style hits according to The New York Times.
While the rest of Cleveland waits on the May 4, 2012 release date of the highly anticipated and action-packed “The Avengers,” filmed downtown last summer, Cleveland continues to be in the national spotlight for additional movies.
Read the full New York Times story here.
Filmed on location at Boulevard Elementary School, Coventry Food Mart, and the Coventry Road Business District in Shaker Heights, this film about a teen girl who loses her little brother on Halloween and her desperate attempt to track him down is reminiscent of John Hughes-style hits according to The New York Times.
While the rest of Cleveland waits on the May 4, 2012 release date of the highly anticipated and action-packed “The Avengers,” filmed downtown last summer, Cleveland continues to be in the national spotlight for additional movies.
Read the full New York Times story here.
LifeServe Innovations, which is developing a percutaneous tracheostomy introducer dilator, recently
received $75,000 from the Lorain Innovation Fund. The device allows medical personnel to place a tracheotomy tube with greater ease and with fewer procedural complications than existing systems.
Co-founders Zach Bloom and Rick Arlow first came up with the idea as a class assignment while attending Lehigh University. “We were looking for problems to solve in emergency or critical care,” recalls Bloom. “We ultimately developed a safer and much more user-friendly approach.”
While they each went on to graduate school, they took their intellectual property and decided to bring their device to market. LifeServe Innovations was born in 2009. Bloom and Arlow chose Cleveland for its balance of medical and entrepreneurial support. “Cleveland is an entrepreneurial community and a medical community,” Bloom says.
The process of developing the dilator was one of trial and error. “It’s the nature of any startup -- the product you ultimately come up with is never the original,” says Bloom. “We kept designing products for surgical airways until we found something that met the need.”
LifeServe will use the grant money to manufacture and test their dilator. “We hope to have the product cleared for market by the end of second quarter,” says Bloom. While the company has volunteers helping them, Bloom hopes to hire two to three people in the near future. “As the growth begins to come and we see success in our investment, we want to bring income to Cleveland.”
Source: Zach Bloom
Writer: Karin Connelly
received $75,000 from the Lorain Innovation Fund. The device allows medical personnel to place a tracheotomy tube with greater ease and with fewer procedural complications than existing systems.
Co-founders Zach Bloom and Rick Arlow first came up with the idea as a class assignment while attending Lehigh University. “We were looking for problems to solve in emergency or critical care,” recalls Bloom. “We ultimately developed a safer and much more user-friendly approach.”
While they each went on to graduate school, they took their intellectual property and decided to bring their device to market. LifeServe Innovations was born in 2009. Bloom and Arlow chose Cleveland for its balance of medical and entrepreneurial support. “Cleveland is an entrepreneurial community and a medical community,” Bloom says.
The process of developing the dilator was one of trial and error. “It’s the nature of any startup -- the product you ultimately come up with is never the original,” says Bloom. “We kept designing products for surgical airways until we found something that met the need.”
LifeServe will use the grant money to manufacture and test their dilator. “We hope to have the product cleared for market by the end of second quarter,” says Bloom. While the company has volunteers helping them, Bloom hopes to hire two to three people in the near future. “As the growth begins to come and we see success in our investment, we want to bring income to Cleveland.”
Source: Zach Bloom
Writer: Karin Connelly
Inefficient, drafty homes in Cleveland not only are an impediment to attracting savvy urban homebuyers, they're also a harsh economic reality for those who must swallow high utility bills. Despite the daunting prospect of renovating an old home, there are simple, cost-effective ways to save energy -- and money -- that don't involve notching the thermostat down another degree or donning Eskimo-like clothing.
That's the impetus behind Cleveland Energy $aver, a new program just launched by the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), LAND Studio and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program aims to make 100 homes in Cleveland energy-efficient by fall of this year.
Homeowners who enroll in this program can obtain a complete energy audit for a mere $50, a tidy sum that likely amounts to a fraction of their monthly heating bill. After the audit has been completed, owners will work with program staff to develop a scope of work, seek low-interest financing if needed, and hire a contractor. When the job is completed, professionals will help evaluate the work to make sure it's been done properly. As an enticement, owners will save 20 percent off the top, and another 20 percent when the work is complete.
“Cleveland Energy $aver will provide homeowners with tools they need to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes,” says Marcia Nolan, Executive Director of Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH). “It will also help Cleveland to become more sustainable and competitive to future residents.”
Source: Marcia Nolan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's the impetus behind Cleveland Energy $aver, a new program just launched by the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), LAND Studio and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program aims to make 100 homes in Cleveland energy-efficient by fall of this year.
Homeowners who enroll in this program can obtain a complete energy audit for a mere $50, a tidy sum that likely amounts to a fraction of their monthly heating bill. After the audit has been completed, owners will work with program staff to develop a scope of work, seek low-interest financing if needed, and hire a contractor. When the job is completed, professionals will help evaluate the work to make sure it's been done properly. As an enticement, owners will save 20 percent off the top, and another 20 percent when the work is complete.
“Cleveland Energy $aver will provide homeowners with tools they need to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes,” says Marcia Nolan, Executive Director of Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH). “It will also help Cleveland to become more sustainable and competitive to future residents.”
Source: Marcia Nolan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Shaker LaunchHouse, the pre-seed investment fund and business accelerator, is hosting a gala on Saturday, February 18 at the Cleveland Skating Club to raise awareness of the more than 200 entrepreneurial activities hosted by LaunchHouse each year.
“All of the stuff that we do, a lot of the costs are incurred by LaunchHouse,” explains founder and managing partner Todd Goldstein. “So we decided to put on the gala to raise awareness.” Events include Whiteboard Wednesdays, Job Hunters Coffee and Donuts, and regular seminars and lectures.
In addition to the programming LaunchHouse has created more than 20 paid college internships in the past two years.
Organizers hope to raise $50,000 at the gala to help meet their goal of $250,000 this year. “Any money raised from the gala is used to support entrepreneurial activities,” says Goldstein. “None of it will be used for salaries.”
The event is sponsored by the Shaker Heights Development Corporation and included dinner, dancing and silent auction. The band Shout will play, which Goldstein describes as “one of the hottest bands in Northeast Ohio.” Auction items include lighting from Kichler Lighting, a vault tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, dinner at Maxi’s in Little Italy, and a gift certificate to Paysage.
Tickets are $125 per person or $1,000 for a table. Contact LaunchHouse for an invitation.
Source: Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karin Connelly
“All of the stuff that we do, a lot of the costs are incurred by LaunchHouse,” explains founder and managing partner Todd Goldstein. “So we decided to put on the gala to raise awareness.” Events include Whiteboard Wednesdays, Job Hunters Coffee and Donuts, and regular seminars and lectures.
In addition to the programming LaunchHouse has created more than 20 paid college internships in the past two years.
Organizers hope to raise $50,000 at the gala to help meet their goal of $250,000 this year. “Any money raised from the gala is used to support entrepreneurial activities,” says Goldstein. “None of it will be used for salaries.”
The event is sponsored by the Shaker Heights Development Corporation and included dinner, dancing and silent auction. The band Shout will play, which Goldstein describes as “one of the hottest bands in Northeast Ohio.” Auction items include lighting from Kichler Lighting, a vault tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, dinner at Maxi’s in Little Italy, and a gift certificate to Paysage.
Tickets are $125 per person or $1,000 for a table. Contact LaunchHouse for an invitation.
Source: Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karin Connelly
Bad Girl Ventures, a micro-finance organization focused on educating and financing women-owned startup companies, graduated its first Cleveland class on January 3 and announced the winner of a $25,000 low interest loan. Out of 70 applicants, 10 start-up companies participated in an eight-week program to learn the ins and outs of successfully running a business.
Kimberly McCune Gibson and Ann Marie Larrance of Grass Roots LLC, the parent company for ReHive Ale, The 1815 House, and Hungry Bee Catering won the grand prize. Three other prizes were awarded. The Business of Good foundation awarded a $1,000 grant to Michael's Mobile Oil, and the City of Cleveland gave two $1,000 grants to The Brunch Project and Tonja's Tranquility Inn.
Of Gibson and Larrance, Candace Klein, Bad Girl Ventures founder and CEO says, “These women have the biggest fire in the belly that I’ve seen. It was a very close vote, but I haven’t seen two people who work harder ever.”
About 150 people came to the graduation event, which was held at Rosetta in Cleveland. Food Network filmed the event because Gibson and Larrance are also participating in a reality show for the network. “It was great coverage,” Klein says.
Bad Girl Ventures has educated more than 250 business owners in Cleveland and Cincinnati and funded 24 companies with $650,000. Klein is now accepting applications for spring classes in Cleveland.
Source: Candace Klein
Writer: Karin Connelly
Kimberly McCune Gibson and Ann Marie Larrance of Grass Roots LLC, the parent company for ReHive Ale, The 1815 House, and Hungry Bee Catering won the grand prize. Three other prizes were awarded. The Business of Good foundation awarded a $1,000 grant to Michael's Mobile Oil, and the City of Cleveland gave two $1,000 grants to The Brunch Project and Tonja's Tranquility Inn.
Of Gibson and Larrance, Candace Klein, Bad Girl Ventures founder and CEO says, “These women have the biggest fire in the belly that I’ve seen. It was a very close vote, but I haven’t seen two people who work harder ever.”
About 150 people came to the graduation event, which was held at Rosetta in Cleveland. Food Network filmed the event because Gibson and Larrance are also participating in a reality show for the network. “It was great coverage,” Klein says.
Bad Girl Ventures has educated more than 250 business owners in Cleveland and Cincinnati and funded 24 companies with $650,000. Klein is now accepting applications for spring classes in Cleveland.
Source: Candace Klein
Writer: Karin Connelly
While we pride ourselves here at Fresh Water in having crisp, professional prose, the truth is, without art, a feature is just font on a page. Pictures tell a thousand words, we're told, but the best ones simply leave us speechless. Every masthead and feature image since we launched this pub over a year ago has been shot by Fresh Water shooter Bob Perkoski. Here is a collection of some of his finest work.