Huge news in Rhode Island today - "Jury holds 3 ex-makers of lead paint liable" - will have major impacts in Cleveland. Cleveland is one year into a major regional initiative to eradicate lead poisoning in Greater Cleveland, where elevated blood level rates are some of the highest in the country, and it is very important that the paint companies are part of the solutions being developed. Rhode Island is where the battle against lead poisoning has proceeded the furthest in court, and now a jury has ruled against three paint companies, including our home-town Sherwin-Williams. Imagine some possible next steps... lead goes the way of asbestos and the old paint companies go bankrupt, and so goes away Sherwin-Williams and all its jobs in the region, with the assets going to our next Mittal... yet the bankruptcy settlement and asset sales help pay to eradicate lead poisoning here so our next generations are not mentally impaired and are able to contribute to the economy. What do the people of NEO rally around - saving jobs or saving minds... I can see the fanatical lines being drawn now. Is that the best we can do? Or can lead be viewed as a new frontier for open, responsible collaboration across our community (as is already happening in Greater Cleveland) AND with one of the biggest players on the industry - our own Sherwin-Williams - allowing us to respond here to our dirty laundry being aired in the RI courts, and in the process making Sherwin-Williams a stronger corporate citizen, in a safer, healthier, smarter community more worth living in. Read the complete story, from the Providence Journal.

"Film" is an important factor in the NEO economy, with many talented "film" professionals involved here in management, production, creative and other roles, creating $ millions in spending and wealth and making NEO a more interesting and fulfilling place to grow up and live. But, what is film, and what matters? Read on below:

Join us today for Midtown Wednesdays to learn about Cleveland's rich history and bright future supporting African American culture.  
Date: February 22 

A community of interest focused on developing an African American Cultural Center and driving innovation in the sharing of understanding and strengthening of African American and all culture in Northeast Ohio.

Participate in a public meeting where the community and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will debate the merits of ODOT's plans to alter exisiting freeway access within the Innerbelt Trench, including the planned elimination of Carnegie and Prospect Avenues.  

Location

Betsey,

It didn't dawn on me until after I had finished commenting regarding the network map that I had blown the main point.

The reason names are critical in a network map is because trust cannot be anonymous. 

"building trust" - we hear it at all the meetings, we hear it from Jack, from Valdis, from Norm, from Ed, from Tom, from George, from Berlin, from William - but you can't build trust with anonymity.  We need names and faces - lots of them - like in high school - to connect to and listen too.   Then trust will come.

Here is yet another version of the Midtown Innovation Map. Colors have been added for a visually interesting affect.

Software designer, Valdis Krebs, likens these portraits of communities to works of art. Snapshots of social relationships.

In 1915 a pair of Oberlin graduates, Russell and Rowena Woodham Jelliffe, established a place where people of different races, creeds and religions could seek cultural excellence together. The location later became known as Karamu House. Join us to celebrate Cleveland's rich history of African American institutions continuing to strengthen culture and history.

Be a part of envisioning a new African American Cultural Center and brainstorming new ways of sharing knowledge and resources for a dynamic entrepreneurial place in NEO.

Thank you for the comments and insights. All maps should be considered open community contributions and resources. We can post Maps with Names every week. Let us know what would be most valuable to you. If you have questions, contact myself (betseymerkel [at] aol [dot] com) or Dennis Coughlin (denniscoughlin [at] i-open [dot] org) for a copy.

 When is the last time you saw a job application like this?

 

CAREER POSITION  

 CONSTRUCTION LABORER

We are an

Unequal Opportunity Employer

 

The Studio Incubator is not the entire piece of the puzzle needed for a Film Industry here, but it is a start. First we have to recognize the Industry is not here, and then we move forward with the potential. So here, I will chart the progress of the Studio Incubator.

Click on the link below to take a look at the Midtown Innovation Map so far. Different weeks are represented by different colored nodes. Here is the color code: New Names added Forum 01.11.06 = maroon; New Names added Forum 01.25.06 = green; New Names added Forum 02-08-06 = blue.

Green Chemistry Institute leader's talk launches 2006 series

More and more chemists are "going green"—thinking about the environment when they design new molecules, compounds and products. Paul Anastas, director of the American Chemical Society's Green Chemistry Institute, will give the first of a series of talks on this theme when he leads off the Frontiers in Chemistry Colloquium at Case Western Reserve University on Thursday, February 23, at 4:30 p.m. in the Goodyear Lecture Hall of the Agnar Pytte Science Center on Adelbert Road. This free, public event, sponsored by the Case chemistry department and Engelhard, is geared toward a general audience interested in learning how chemists are working for a safer environment.

Location

I hope you will join me on February 24th @ 8:00am for the region's leading
Private Equity Investment Summit. The event will take place at the
beautiful, new Corporate College facility on Richmond Road (see attachment).

Location

To begin, this week's session includes several updates and quick takes of information.

Rich Brhel, Dir. of Library, Myers University, reminds us of Myers' historical place in Cleveland history since 1848. Rich continues and provides a quick clip about the Ohio Memory Project a cool repository of Cleveland history.

"Computer games have now been with us for over 30 years. The Atari 2600 is nearly 25 years old. Civilization is now nearly 10 years old. Yet, many Americans fail to recognize these complex achievements as more than fads or child's play. Ask most people what they think about video games, and many will respond that they're a waste of time..."

 

What does it take to build tomorrow's innovation zone?

An environment with diversity, creativity and endless opportunities to participate in new business mediums.

JumpStart Breakfast --> Friday, February 24th - Legal Essentials for
Start-Ups and Pitfalls to Avoid!  

This session highlights the key legal issues faced by every early-stage

Location

Cleveland's WIRE-Net is one of five programs cited in this national report on innovative city partnerships. The report came out this week. The report is available here. The press release is available here.

 

 

Hitting stride with "are you depressed yet" and concluding with something like "thirty years from now, today's 20-&-30-somethings will look back on their generation as the one that saved the American Dream or lived through its demise", Director of Economic Opportunity Program at Demos and author of "Strapped, Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" Tamara Draut gave an audience of 20- and 30-Somethings and others lots to think and talk about at a very interesting and refreshing forum at Cleveland State.

STRAPPED:

Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead

Location

June Holley was leading this week's forum. June is a nationally recognized researcher and practitioner in identifying, leading and coaching innovation networks.

Our first question from June: What would you like to see happen in Cleveland?

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.