Several Cleveland-based funding organizations have gotten together and pooled their money to help small businesses that otherwise would not have access to the capital they need to grow.

Under the Economic Community Development Institute (EDCI), which officially announced the launch of its Cleveland office on July 17, the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Huntington Bank, U.S. Small Business Administration, Commission on Economic Inclusion, The Business of Good Foundation, and the Cleveland Foundation have committed $4.6 million in resources.
 
Micro-loans will account for $4 million of the fund while the remaining $600,000 will provide training and technical assistance for Cleveland small businesses. A 2011 study by Friedman Associates, a national firm specializing in microfinance, estimated a need of $38 million for loans under $50,000 in Cuyahoga County, with the greatest gap among minority-owned businesses.
 
“Neighborhood businesses who would not otherwise have access to capital will benefit from these loans,” says Daniel P. Walsh, Huntington northeast Ohio president. “These loans really stabilize neighborhoods with the capital to achieve the American dream. It will reinvigorate those neighborhoods that need reinvestment.”
 
The average loan is between $15,000 and $20,000. Eight area businesses have already benefited from loans through the program, totaling $163,000. ECDI started a similar program in Columbus in 2004 and has made $11.4 million in loans to 700 small businesses, creating or retaining 1,955 jobs.
 
The majority of businesses who will benefit from the loans are five employees or fewer, explains Bob Eckardt, executive vice president of the Cleveland Foundation. “There’s a pretty significant gap in this community and this will support a wide range of businesses,” he says. “We’re trying to do a big-picture thing. It’s important to support the entrepreneurs by getting them the funding they need to grow big or hire employees.”

 
Source: Daniel P. Walsh, Bob Eckardt
Writer: Karin Connelly

What if we viewed Cleveland as a startup? "The ingredients for a successful startup and a successful city are remarkably similar," argues tech blogger Jon Bischke. You need to build stuff that people want. You need to attract talent. And you need capital to get your fledgling ideas to a point of sustainability.

On the heels of two successful biomedical job fairs, Global Cleveland, in partnership with NEOSA, will host a week-long online IT job fair August 20 to 24.
 
The demand for tech people is high. In a recent survey of area technology companies, 82 percent have current job openings and 73 percent expect to hire additional staff this year. The job fair is designed attract qualified technology professionals from not only Cleveland, but across the country.
 
“We are targeting 30 to 35 employers to each post a few jobs openings,” says Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “It’s great visibility in a short period of time.”
 
Officials at Global Cleveland have found the online jobs fairs to be an effective way to recruit. The biomedical jobs fairs in March and June attracted more than 9,000 people to the site, with nearly 1,800 applications filed.
 
The event is free for job seekers. Employers have two options: For $275 they can post up to three jobs and have unlimited internship postings on the Cleveland Recruiting Company, a private LinkedIn group of 1,200. For $525 employers receive additional access to Global Cleveland’s job search databases.
 
“In the world of recruiting, it’s a very inexpensive way to get the word out,” says Miller. “Every employer we have talked to has told us about the need for talented employees. It’s difficult to find the IT talent they need.”
 
If the IT job fair is successful, Miller says they probably will hold another one in a couple of months.

 
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly

Despite support through entrepreneurial assistance programs, area minority business owners say they still experience barriers -- some subtle, others not -- in their goal to contribute to the local business community. Finding success, many explain, is ultimately up to them.

Believe to Achieve, a program that teaches young people kindness, caring and respect as a means of achieving lifelong success, this year helped dozens of at-risk girls graduate from Collinwood High School.

Now the leaders of Project Love, the nonprofit that is spearheading the program, are planning to expand Believe to Achieve to 12 schools across the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD). They are currently seeking funding for that initiative.

"l ascribe our success to a very simple formula, and the formula is love," says Stuart Muszynski, President and CEO of the Project Love Remember the Children Foundation. "When people love themselves and understand what they stand for, then they understand the social and emotional part of being successful."

Seventy one girls entered the four-year trial program in 2008, and 51 of them recently received diplomas. Along the way, they were buttressed with constant mentoring, a character-building curriculum, summer jobs and 24/7 support.

Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, also praised the program. "The successes we are celebrating at Collinwood show the power of collaborative investment in the social and emotional learning needs of our students," he said in a news release.


Source: Stuart Muszynski, Eric Gordon
Writer: Lee Chilcote

In this Fresh Water video, John Copic, a Collinwood native and publisher of the Collinwood Observer, takes viewers on a walking tour of his neighborhood. Stops along the way include Raddell's butcher shop, Chili Peppers Mexican Grill, Star Pop, Beachland Ballroom, Blue Arrow Records and Boutique, and the Slovenian Workmen's Home.

A partnership between Cleveland State University and the Northeast Ohio Medical University hopes to reach students as early as middle school and inspire them to consider a career in medicine.

Now, a recently awarded $500,000 grant from the Mt. Sinai Foundation will help to support a crucial piece of this program -- a mentoring program to ensure the success of students being trained as primary care physicians.

The three-year grant will focus on linking students with educators, clinicians and community champions in the neighborhoods where the students will be placed. The new urban-focused medical school, which will begin enrolling its first students in fall of 2013, aims to place students in neighborhoods throughout Cleveland.

Each year, up to 35 qualified NEOMED students will be eligible for full tuition scholarships if they agree to work in Cleveland for five years after receiving their medical degrees. One of the main purposes of the program is to train primary care physicians to serve in urban areas. Many city neighborhoods are currently underserved, and demand is expected to increase in coming years.


Source: Cleveland State University
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Jim Russell, a geographer studying modern migration patterns, writes frequently on the topic of "Rust Belt Chic." The phrase, which refers to the increasing appeal of Rust Belt cities, has been popping up like mad in the national media. Recently, Russell put boots on the ground in C-Town.

The Famicos Foundation, a nonprofit community development group serving Glenville and Hough, recently completed a green renovation of the historic Doan School building into affordable apartments.

According to the Famicos Foundation website, "Originally constructed in 1904 and expanded in 1906 and 1950, Doan School, located at 1350 East 105th Street, is a national landmark that fell victim to the foreclosure epidemic.  The structure was designed by Frank Barnum, a prominent Cleveland architect who designed many early twentieth-century public schools.  In 1985 the building was converted to 45 units of low-income senior housing; in 2008 it became vacant and boarded."

Last year, Famicos began the $7.4 million renovation of Doan Classroom using low-interest deferred Neighborhood Stabilization Program loans provided by the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. 

Famicos also contributed its own tax credit equity to the deal. This equity was provided by the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing through syndication of federal Historic Tax Credits as well as Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

The Doan Classroom Apartments project not only demonstrates the principles of historic renovation, but also shows that they can be married with green building.

"This was a large school building that was not built for residential use, yet we were able to renovate it so that it meets Enterprise Green Community standards," says Chuck Ackerman, Associate Director of the Famicos Foundation.


Source: Chuck Ackerman
Writer: Lee Chilcote

If there's one thing we Clevelanders can count on, it's that when the weather heats up, so too does the festival schedule. Summers here are filled with all matter of artsy, edgy and just-plain-fun festivals. Here is a visual tour of some of the best in town, including Parade the Circle, Cleveland Asian Fest, Hessler Street Fair, Gay Pride, the Feast, and more.

Before a packed house at Severance Hall, Cleveland Foundation President Ronn Richard touted the city's accomplishments in becoming a hub of innovation and taking bold steps to address big problems at the foundation's annual meeting this Tuesday.

Waxing poetic on the gilded stage for a moment, Richard harkened back to the foundation's early days in the 1910's as a time of tremendous innovation in Cleveland. "I still wonder if the past might be prologue," he mused, noting that the foundation's centennial is just two years away. "Can we envision the spirit of a second renaissance in Cleveland?"

Richard also posed a challenge to civic leaders to remain focused on true economic development and social change within the city. "Physical development, as wonderful as it is, must be coupled with investment in people and placemaking," he said, noting that the building spree of the 1990s was too focused on bricks and mortar projects. "We need to invest in connecting communities."

Among the foundation's projects, Richard touted the Cleveland schools plan that recently passed the state legislature, ongoing investments in high quality urban education, economic development programs such as the HealthTech Corridor and the Evergreen Cooperatives, and programs to connect new audiences to the arts.

Richard also told the audience that later this year the Cleveland Foundation will unveil a new microlending program for entrepreneurs seeking loans under $50,000 to help spur job creation and assist the creation of startups.


Source: Ronn Richard
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Chloe Hopson knows firsthand the disparity between urban and suburban arts education programs. Having grown up on South Moreland on the edge of Shaker Heights and Cleveland, she flourished in the arts-rich Shaker Heights school system while many of her Cleveland friends lacked similar opportunities.

That's why Hopson founded the Passport Project 14 years ago. She wanted to provide arts programs to youth living in the Buckeye, Larchmere and Shaker Square neighborhoods, and expose them to different cultures across the globe. "We help kids in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to build literacy skills, and we also help them see that there's a whole world out there," she says.

Now this "local girl with a global perspective," as she calls herself, is working with other arts organizations, residents and businesses in the community to launch Shaker Square Arts. The new organization will offer a range of free programming and classes and will use the historic Shaker Square shopping plaza as its home base.

"We're looking to create a more vibrant neighborhood and one where we get to know each other," says Hopson, who now lives in the Larchmere neighborhood and operates the Passport Project in a storefront at Buckeye and East 128th Street. "We hope to bring people together across perceived lines of difference."

Some of the programs include West African dance and percussion classes, capoeira classes, storytelling workshops and "Drinks and Doodles." This "happy hour with a twist" will invite attendees to draw on a napkin and enter their creation into a contest to win a $25 gift certificate from a local Shaker Square merchant.

Some of the partners involved in Shaker Square Arts include the Passport Project, Lake Erie Artists, City Dance, the Coral Company and area artists and residents. The free classes are supported by a grant from Neighborhood Connections.

A Drinks and Doodles happy hour will take place on Thursday, June 21st from 5-7 pm at Dewey's Coffee Shop. A free West African percussion and dance class will be held this Saturday, June 23rd from 12:30-2 pm right before Larchmere Porchfest.


Source: Chloe Hopson
Writer: Lee Chilcote

When the McDonald’s on Sloane Avenue in Lakewood closes this fall, it will be replaced by a considerably healthier happy meal option. The natural foods store Nature’s Bin will purchase the building and expand its catering operations there, hiring up to six new workers.

These new employees will be placed at Nature’s Bin through its owner, Cornucopis Inc., a nonprofit that prepares disabled individuals for the workforce by giving them real world experiences where they can interact with customers. 

“This is an exciting time as we add additional space to expand our training program capacity, food services and catering,” stated Scott Duennes, Executive Director of Cornucopia/Nature’s Bin, in a news release. “It has always been part of our long-term vision to stay and grow in our local community.”

“Cornucopia provides a unique program that offers vocational training in a real-world environment,” said Terry Ryan, Superintendent of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD). “CCBDD supports this endeavor and is excited about the prospect of the expansion of services to a greater number of individuals with disabilities.”

Nature’s Bin, a locally-owned Lakewood mainstay since 1975, faces intense competition from Earth Fare in Fairview Park and Heinen’s in Rocky River. A recent announcement that Whole Foods plans to open a store in Rocky River in 2014 will add to the surfeit of natural food options available on the west side.

The 8,000-square-foot store is smaller than its competitors, yet benefits from its loyal customer base and those who support its mission of training disabled adults. Nature’s Bin also offers a range of specialty products like gluten-free bread.

The Mcdonald’s in Lakewood  is relocating to the site of the former Detroit Theatre, a historic building that was torn down -- over the protests of many Lakewood residents -- to accommodate a new building for the fast food venue.

 
Source: Nature’s Bin
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Global Cleveland will host a job coaching event on Saturday, June 23 to help people find a job in Northeast Ohio. Job coaches will be available by appointment to review resumes, provide job search resources or simply serve as a personal connection to Cleveland.
 
“It’s always been a part of our program,” says Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “We have HR professionals who help newcomers with their job search. But this is the first time we’re doing it as an event.”
 
Global Cleveland has partnered with the Society for Human Resource Management Cleveland to provide job coaching. “We have a crew of 60 volunteer coaches signed up,” says Miller. “We are delighted about that partnership and how these HR professionals have participated in our program.”
 
Nearly 100 people have asked for job coaching assistance since February. Miller says participants usually have one of three questions: How do I find a job, what are the communities in Cleveland, and how do I start a business in Cleveland.
 
“We try to build a personal relationship,” says Miller. “The very first thing we do is shake their hand, look at them eyeball to eyeball and say, ‘You’ve come to the right place.’ We’re trying to get the word out that jobs are available in Cleveland and it’s a wonderful place.”
 
Appointments will be scheduled every 30 minutes beginning at 10 a.m. The last appointment will be scheduled for 1:30 p.m. All appointments must be scheduled and confirmed by Thursday, June 21. Contact Joel Matos at joel@globalcleveland.org or by calling (216) 472-3282.

 
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly

Born David Harrill in Mayfield Heights, "Dee Jay Doc" relocated with his wife to the Glenville neighborhood. By helping area youth write and record music, Doc is able to merge his professional talents with his passion to cultivate a better future for the children. Now, giving back to his community and city is his living.

Santina Protopapa is a self-professed high school "band nerd" who learned about hip hop while organizing a Rock Hall conference, then used it as a launching bad to start her own arts nonprofit.

Ten years later, the Progressive Arts Alliance (PAA) serves more than 1,000 students across Northeast Ohio every week through hip hop arts education.

"Our students have really grown to be leaders through hip hop," says Protopapa, a percussionist and DJ who teaches rap, hip hop, dance, film and animation. "Teachers are excited because they have no way to present this stuff in a meaningful way to their kids. They tell us, 'We could never have done this without you.'"

Last month, the PA All-Stars, a group of five high school and college students who write and perform their own original hip hop tunes, had a chance to perform on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The event was part of a program called "What's Going on Now" which celebrated the 40th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's famous album. The PA All-Stars also ended up on PBS News Hour.

"It was really cool to have the opportunity to present their work to a larger audience," says Protopapa. "Normally our shows are attended by parents."

On August 11th, PAA will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an event called Ten Years of Rhapsody at the House of Blues in Cleveland. The fundraiser will feature a tribute to Cleveland break dancing legends Project Five featuring Councilman Matt Zone, the Corporate Cleveland's Best Dance Crew crew competition, live dance performances and hands-on art experiences for people of all ages.


Source: Santina Protopapa
Writer: Lee Chilcote

During Langston Hughes' heyday, African American theatre was "booming, expressive, avante garde and politically punching," says Anthony Elfonzia Nickerson-El of Project1Voice, a national group that aims to spark renewed interest in black theatre. "Hughes and his contemporaries were the conscience of the community."

Fast forward 80 years. Historically African American theatres continue to play an important role in exposing young people in urban areas to the arts and nourishing the much-needed attributes of creativity, critical thinking and self-confidence. Yet they also face new economic challenges in the wake of the Great Recession.

"During this time of reduced funding for the arts, African American theatres have been hit hard financially," says Nickerson-El. "These theatres offer arts and music programs that may not be in the schools anymore. They play a significant role in the development of young people and introduce the community to the arts."

Cleveland is fortunate to be home to Karamu House, the oldest African American theatre in the U.S. Many of Langston Hughes' plays premiered at the theatre.

To help raise money for African American theatres, Project1Voice sponsors a fundraiser called "1 Voice, 1 Play, 1 Day." A stage reading of James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" will take place on Monday, June 18th at 7 pm to benefit Rainey Institute Children's Theatre. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online.


Source: Anthony Elfonzia Nickerson-El
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Nine northeast Ohio minority companies were recognized on May 22 at the JumpStart offices as inaugural members of the Charter One Launch100 Leadership Circle. The Circle recognizes diverse entrepreneurs committed to turning their business ideas into some of the region’s most impactful minority-owned or led companies. 
 
“It was a really wonderful event,” says Gloria Ware, JumpStart senior advisor. “It was a really good example of companies that are willing to grow jobs and keep moving forward.”
 
Minorities account for 40 percent of the entrepreneurial community, yet many of the companies have only one or two employees. These nine companies are on track to have an average of 50 employees in the next three to five years.
 
“We would like to highlight these entrepreneurs who are mentors or role models to other minority entrepreneurs in the community,” says Ware.  “Entrepreneurs in general can feel very overwhelmed and alone in their business. I think this was a good event for them to move forward.”
 
The nine companies are: Algae Producers of America, CFRC Water & Energy Solutions; MET Innovations; OPTIMA Lender Services; Queen Ann Inc.; RKN Corporation; Simply Southern Sides; Wellness Integrated Network; and Zuga Medical.
 
Ware says the event was also beneficial for the Charter One bankers in attendance. “They got to hear some of the entrepreneur’s struggles,” she says. “It was a win-win for everyone.”
 

Source: Gloria Ware
Writer: Karin Connelly

The term "Rust Belt Chic" has been bandied about in urban journalism circles for over a decade. But lately, the connotation and import of that catchy phrase seem to be taking on a welcome new identity. A book in progress from Cleveland-based writers aims to take ownership of the phrase and help define what it truly means to live in a recovering Rust Belt city.

Cleveland's original artisan bakery, Lucy's Sweet Surrender, has finished its move from Buckeye Road to a larger, better situated space in the former Chandler and Rudd building in Shaker Heights.

The new, 3,500-square-foot space features a small retail storefront that opens up to a bakery where visitors can watch the scratch baking process. The traditional Hungarian bakery, a dying breed that once thrived in Cleveland neighborhoods, intends to ramp up its retail business. It will also continue to pop up at area farmers markets, make deliveries in Cleveland and ship orders by mail. 

Owner Michael Feigenbaum says Lucy's is busy at its new, well-trafficked location. "This week, we'll be at four farmers markets and we're already well into wedding cake season," he says. "The growth of new, artisan bakeries in Cleveland has helped us by raising the bar on what our customers are looking for."

Feigenbaum is already dreaming of Phase II of his expansion plans, which may include re-launching a prepared foods business, creating a small cafe, or partnering with other vendors. The Chandler and Rudd building has an additional 3,500 square feet that offer a blank canvas for the owner's next creation.

The long-awaited reconfiguration of the Warrensville/Van Aken/Chagrin intersection will only help him by creating a more vibrant urban district that can compete with Legacy Village and other lifestyle malls, says Feigenbaum.


Source: Michael Feigenbaum
Writer: Lee Chilcote