blogs

Old Economy-New Economy & Innovation in CLEVELAND

Submitted by John Colm on Wed, 02/08/2006 - 21:48.

MIND (Manufacturing Innovation for the Next Decade)  

MIND is a unique project developed by WIRE-Net, a private, non-profit economic development organization in Cleveland, aimed at helping leaders of existing manufacturing businesses learn about and implement Total Innovation:  product, people and process improvement.  The need for manufacturing innovation is clear.   The leaps companies make through innovation improve profitability, fortify the local economy, and energize future growth.  MIND I began the journey with an emphasis on product and market innovation.   Phase II of the exclusive MIND experience began in September 2005 with new topics and issues guided by members of the group.  Key elements include:

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Monitoring Sustainability in Cleveland

Submitted by Kevin Cronin on Mon, 02/06/2006 - 09:21.

Cleveland City Council recently hosted hearings on sustainability programs of the City. an effort to take a long-term look at city acitivities and their cost and impact.  I was pleased to attend, but I have to confess to being less enthused than other comments I've read.  The content of the hearing, the report of the "sustainability initiatives" by Cleveland Sustainability Manager Andrew Watterson and the overall value and importance of sustainability initiatives by ECOCity's David Beach, was absolutely terrific.  Mr. Watterson has done a great job to engage offices to embrace initiatives and really move forward.  David Beach framed the overall issues effectively and clarified the importance of sustainability for the overall health and progress of the region.  Sadly, however, I thought the demonstration of value was largely one way and several Members of Council demonstrated only moderate familiarity, appreciation and understanding of the issues.

 

Learning from the Irish Miracle

Submitted by Ed Morrison on Sun, 02/05/2006 - 14:57.

Wisconsin is learning the lessons of the Irish Miracle. Simple enough: education, innovation, collaboriation. We know the path ahead. But somehow, we are not executing very well, according to this insightful commentary. Read more.

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Getting Results: Positive Deviance, Networking Hubs and Action Projects

Submitted by Betsey Merkel on Sat, 02/04/2006 - 15:22.

Date: Wednesday, February 8

Thoughts on Consumer Advocacy and Business Accountability: Creating Win-WIn Outcomes

Submitted by Sudhir Kade on Thu, 02/02/2006 - 14:39.

So often economic development focuses on job creation, new venture creation, and the connection of resources to opportunity.  While these are all important drivers of economic growth, we must also consider the impacts of sound ethical consumer and business practices.  On the consumer side, customers of businesses need to understand the terms of business transactions and employ sound money managment techiques to ensure transactions are conducted resource efficiently.  This enables consumers to save more, and in time not only enhance quality of life but  accumulate  savings which eventually have greater economic impact and contribution - allowing the consumer to spend more, generate greater tax revenue for all levels of government, inspire diverse investments or even new business ventures.

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Call for Artist Nominations January 31 – March 15

Submitted by Susan Miller on Thu, 02/02/2006 - 09:17.

Cleveland, OH January 25, 2006  – The Cleveland Arts Prize invites all art lovers in Northeast Ohio to nominate outstanding creative artists for the upcoming 2006 awards. Candidates can be nominated on-line at www.clevelandartsprize.org from January 31 through March 15.

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Great Music

Submitted by peter holmes on Thu, 02/02/2006 - 07:36.

Zsolt Bognar was at once extraordinary and authentic in his performance Wednesday night of Tchaikovsky's 2nd Piano Concerto at Kulas Hall, on the Cleveland  Institute of Music campus.  Bognar, a student of Sergei Babayan, was passionate in his interpretation of the rarely heard concerto in G Major.  His keyboard fingering provided an awesome display of his growing physical and mental virtuosity. 

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Collaborative Behaviors can strengthen NEO film industry

Submitted by Betsey Merkel on Thu, 02/02/2006 - 00:05.

Networked Creative Industries Build Innovating Regions

Alex Michaels (Prelude2Cinema) lead our forum this evening begining with a call to action: we can benefit by working together to strengthen our NEO film industry. Alex suggested we place renewed value on some important behaviors: the value of being adaptable, having a clear vision that is inclusive of others and sharing resources with others so everyone can benefit. The Knight film incubator initiative will be a co-operative effort everyone will benefit from.

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RTA gets a trip planner

Submitted by Susan Miller on Wed, 02/01/2006 - 23:37.

Ohmigod! Taking public transit just got easier. Visit the RTA website http://www.gcrta.org

Political Bribery is Not “Business As Usual”

Submitted by Kevin Cronin on Wed, 02/01/2006 - 23:20.

Ohio Congressman Bob Ney is certainly entitled to have the facts proved before he’s considered guilty, but it’s a disservice to voters to claim the charges against him are “just politics” or “the way things work in DC.”  By asserting that these allegations are “the way things get done,” supporters drag politics and government lower and give disgusted voters more reasons to give up on government.  To really understand the accusations and why the allegations are more than routine, readers need to understand the nature of the charges and the facts at hand.

Ohio : Respite for the Working Poor

Submitted by DerekArnold on Wed, 02/01/2006 - 00:52.

I was reading a series on the working poor from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (you know, Cleveland had two newspapers once--Seattle has the Times and the P-I--but I digress) and I thought of a way to (1) jumpstart Ohio's economy and (2) bring bright, motivated people to Ohio. 

How about this:

WIND TOWER GONE - AN UPDATE

Submitted by Jeff Buster@rea... on Sun, 01/29/2006 - 23:52.

When I drove by the back of the Science Center on January 24th, the three steel turbine tower sections were gone.  Just the brown lawn - dead where the tower had been stored.

 

I assume the tower had been craned onto a low bed and taken to a welding shop where it would be set up in a straight line on a series of   rollers and welded back together AND radiographed. 

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Midtown Wednesdays: Change Brings Opportunity for Film Industry

Submitted by Betsey Merkel on Sun, 01/29/2006 - 09:42.

Date: Wednesday, February 1

Time: 5:00 P.M. to 6:45 P.M.

Place: Myers University, Chester Campus

Nortech connects to New Mexico

Submitted by Ed Morrison on Sat, 01/28/2006 - 09:06.

Nortech gets a star in my book for forging a new collaboration between our Nano-Network and an affiliate organization in New Mexico. Read more. Learn more about the partner here.

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The imperative to build an innovation economy

Submitted by Ed Morrison on Sat, 01/28/2006 - 08:58.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has released a new report on the impact of global competitiion on our cities. The picture is mixed, with the biggest challenges facing the Midwest. Read more.

As the article notes: "[D]eclines in manufacturing due in part to outsourcing will contribute to a softening of the nation's overall output, with blows to cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh."

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BREWER VS PD- DIFF VIEW

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Thu, 01/26/2006 - 11:54.

   

           

      I sat for lunch at the table with Mayor Brewer of East Cleveland last Tuesday at NeoExcellence Roundtable.  I had read the PD’s review of the events surrounding Mayor Brewer’s anxiousness to get physically into the City Hall. The PD article left a very negative image.  Listening in person to Mayor Brewer left a positive image. Here’s one reason Mayor Brewer recalled for us at lunch:

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Big lessons from a small chamber

Submitted by Ed Morrison on Thu, 01/26/2006 - 09:05.

Civic leaders in Gladwin County, MI are pulling together the threads of an economic development for the firtst time.

The local chamber has been the epicenter for these efforts. From the looks of this article, the chamber has managed an inclusive process. It's a lesson that some chamber executives in much larger organizations here in NEO can learn.

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BURN THE BREAK WATER

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Mon, 01/23/2006 - 21:50.
 

BURN CLEVELAND'S BREAKWATER

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A - Z MATTRESSES

Submitted by Jeff Buster@rea... on Sun, 01/22/2006 - 17:59.
 

 Two years ago our gas clothes drier lost the bearings in several of its plastic drum support rollers - we needed another drier!  We could go out to the malls or in to Cleveland. 

 

Midtown Wednesdays: Citizen Journalism Accelerates New Networks

Submitted by Betsey Merkel on Sun, 01/22/2006 - 09:36.

01-29-06: Notes from this session can be downloaded (see below)

Note the listing of the Intelligent Communities

Submitted by Ed Morrison on Sat, 01/21/2006 - 10:24.

Here's an interesting article on the growth of the Internet. Read more.

Note the listing of the top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2006.

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Entrepreneurs for Sustainability

Submitted by Ed Morrison on Sat, 01/21/2006 - 10:21.

Georgia is trying to move to the front edge of sustainable business development with events like Sustainable Businesss Day. Learn more.

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Gaining scale through networks

Submitted by Ed Morrison on Sat, 01/21/2006 - 08:42.

First Curve thinking leads you to strategies that achieve scale through consolidation and merger. (One problem with this approach: as an Indiana business executive told me this week, "I have never seen a company 'cost cut' its way to greatness.")

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Sustainability: Trust and Open Economic Networks

Submitted by Betsey Merkel on Thu, 01/19/2006 - 07:30.

Midtown Wednesday Notes: Jack Ricchiuto, NEO leader in appreciative leadership, has created a new way to think about building strategic networks.

Open economic networks accelerate information to build transparent environments. Jack talks about the importance of introductions to building networks within communities. Rich relationships build trust and levels of sustainable open networks.

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LET'S CREDIT ARTISTS

Submitted by Jeff Buster@rea... on Tue, 01/17/2006 - 23:48.

 

The Detroit Superior Veterans Bridge in Cleveland has had a facelift recently with the addition of  “public art” objects – including this complicated heliotropic photovoltaic powered “sunflower” by Don Harvey - but the artists don’t have their names anywhere in sight  along the sidewalk across the bridge.  That’s an oversight which needs correcting. 

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