REALNEO has become as big as Northeast Ohio - here's a current overview

Over the past few months, REALNEO has grown from a proof
of concept, that Northeast Ohioans could embrace social networking, to become a
network of over 50 unique social networks impacting the entire region. In the
process, the REALNEO concept has been embraced by all community leaders
familiar with this initiative, recognizing dialogue and inclusion is critical
to the economic development of this region. Such proactive and responsive
leaders are now driving REALNEO development forward by forming more social
networks, called "Community Of Interest Links" (COILs), which are all
rooted at http://realneo.us [1]. Read on for a
brief overview of the COILS under development, both private and public, with
links to each. For more information on any of these COILs, contact Norm Roulet
at norm [at] icearth [dot] com.

Much of the economic development excitement in NEO comes
from initiatives of/at Case University and their Weatherhead School of
Management’s Center for Regional Economic Issues (REI) - their content and
collaborative environment is initially rooted at http://realneo.us/node/204 [2] and is now being
centralized at http://rei-org.bryght.net/ [3]
- REALNEO is the dialogue and inclusion component of REI's Open Source Economic
Development framework, explained in content posted at http://realneo.us/node/575 [4]

Case is not the only University in the region driving our
economic development - a Universities Collaborative has formed to bring
together all area higher learning institutions to have the optimal impact on
area economic development that they are able - a collaborative virtual
community for that initiative is rooted with REALinks at http://unicollab-com.bryght.net/ [5]

A very exciting initiative, on which Case and Cleveland
State have taken a lead, is leveraging the considerable resources of Northeast
Ohio to transform East Cleveland from a struggling city back into the
remarkable community it has been over time. This effort is called East
Cleveland 2010 and one next step is using REALinks capabilities to develop a
world class city eGovernment presence to transform relations between
government, residents and businesses - they do not currently have an Internet
presence – this will rapidly change at http://eastcleveland-org.bryght.net/ [6]
- more on the early East Cleveland project planning is found at http://realneo.us/node/318 [7] - more on eGovernment
is found at http://realneo.us/node/603 [8]
and more broadly in the category http://realneo.us/taxonomy/term/99 [9]

In further support of East Cleveland and other struggling
communities of this region, an REI orchestrated team is leading a revolutionary
initiative called ECHO – “Extending Community Home Online� – which is
attracting corporate supporters like GE and Sherwin Williams, and media interest
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Channel 5, with the intention to help process
computers donated from major area businesses and distribute them at little or
no cost to every resident of the regional community who is in financial need,
and to provide lowest possible cost internet access to city government,
institutions, homes and businesses - starting in East Cleveland. The site where
the overall project is developing is in deployment at http://echolink-org.bryght.net/ [10] - a
COIL for this effort for East Cleveland is starting at http://echoeastcleveland-org.bryght.net [11]
- there is also a site being developed to consider this issue – bridging the
digital divide – for all of Ohio – to deploy at http://echohio-org.bryght.net/ [12] - more
on related East Cleveland planning is found at http://realneo.us/taxonomy/term/44 [13]

In response to the interest of leading NEO entrepreneur,
arts supporter and philanthropist Peter Lewis to provide significant high level
support of powerful transformation of this region, and his desire that
community leaders of very level work together to develop sophisticated, high
level vision for Peter to support, we have launched an open planning
collaboration call Dear Peter - available on the internet to Peter and everyone
else interested in the future of this region - posting as a COIL at http://dearpeter-org.bryght.net [14] -
initial input to Peter is posted at http://realneo.us/node/269 [15]

To focus such Open Source Economic Development thinking on
how to establish University Circle as the recognized global cultural and wisdom
powerhouse it has historically been, we’re developing the NEO-Circle “Turning
Point� COIL – in honor of NEO son just passed, the famed architect Philip
Johnson - http://neocircle-org.bryght.net/ [16]
- early thinking on this opportunity is posted at http://realneo.us/node/668 [17]

As part of this Neo-University-Circle revisioning, an area
urban planning designer is developing a fantastic “new urbanist� vision for our
urban landscape… “neomainstreet" at http://neomainstreet-com.bryght.net/ [18]

To further the understanding and impact of the value of the
region's arts and creative culture, area leaders are collaborating through REI
and now are deploying a REALinks community at http://neoarts-org.bryght.net [19] -
related insight is found at http://realneo.us/node/221 [20]
and more arts content is at http://realneo.us/taxonomy/term/20 [21]

To establish the arts as a commercial economic engine of the
region, and enable area artists to prosper, REALinks are being deployed to
reestablish the legendary “May Show� as a virtual visual arts community,
developing http://mayshow-org.bryght.net/ [22]
- related planning content is found at http://realneo.us/taxonomy/term/21 [23]

Also in the arts space, we’re exploring making NEO the
world’s aerosol art capital – at http://neograffiti-org.bryght.net/ [24]
- see planning thoughts at http://realneo.us/node/569 [25]

To demonstrate the broad transformational value of REALinks
across traditional bounds of this community, we’re working with the legendary
Cleveland City Club to envision more valuable outcomes for this great
organization – starting to brainstorm at http://neocityclub-org.bryght.net/ [26]
- for now, related content is largely still posted to REALNEO at http://www.realneo.us/node/360 [27]

As a further demonstration of regional leadership
collaboration, we're using REALinks to share vision within and from the Greater
Cleveland Partnership, we’ve just activated http://gcp-org.bryght.net [28]
- this is private for initial
development.

In the realization NEO will not thrive as an economic
island, and that our prosperity is dependent on global resources and business
development, and so broaden the value NEO derives from innovation networks and
brainpower from near and far, we’ve launched http://neointernational-org.bryght.net/ [29]
- see related posting on this, from an REI session, at http://www.realneo.us/node/258 [30] - more
insight posted at http://realneo.us/node/257 [31]
- it is important to realize through “localization� the language used for
REALinks sites can be changed to meet the needs of international visitors.

An example of where REALinks combines with these
globalization efforts, especially to enable effective technology transfer with
Russia, we’re developing a private NEO-Russia economic development virtual
community at http://realneorussia-com.bryght.net/ [32]

To further help Case and all in NEO become the world leaders
leveraging the value and power of this region and the world's intellectual
property, we are working with on http://neoip-org.bryght.net/ [33]

[33]

In exploration of a distinct understanding of contitive learning, which is an area of interest in many aspects of economic development, we've established a REALinks site called http://neocognition-org.bryght.net/ [34] - early thought development on this initiative is found at http://realneo.us/node/731 [35]

Also in the interest of leveraging regional intellectual
property associated with Case, a REALinks site has been established for
Weatherhead School of Management alumni interested in eBusiness, with a COIL
about to grow at http://neoebusiness-org.bryght.net/ [36]

Consulting studies have defined a number of industry
"clusters" considered to be economic strengths of our region - an
early adopter industry “cluster� identified and proactive in the region has
been the supply chain and logistics economy – SCALE – which is about to develop
http://realscale-com.bryght.net [37],
leveraging concepts first managed on REALNEO at http://www.realneo.us/node/177 [38]

A lesser understood "cluster" is forming to
develop all regional efforts to enhance awareness of the importance of
sustainable energy practices, and the economic development opportunity that
offers, and there is soon to be a support COIL called http://neoenergy-org.bryght.net [39] -
more on developing our economy around sustainability is found at http://realneo.us/node/267 [40]

A segment of this cluster receiving great attention was
surfaced during recent REI and state wide conferences, for developing a wind
power industry here, and we launched http://realneowind.contenthosting.org/node [41]
to support this initiative - related content is found at http://www.realneo.us/node/122 [42]

http://neobiofuel-org.bryght.net [43]
is a COIL dedicated to developing a NEO Biofuels industry – an initiative
launched by Phil Lane at REI – still to be populated - relocation of community
initiated here: http://realneo.us/node/666 [44]

[44]

As NEO leaders have increasingly expanded understanding of the importance of sustainability in all aspects of economic development, a COIL promoting his interest is being launched at
http://neosustainability-org.bryght.net/ [45]Â - early related content is posted to REALNEO at http://realneo.us/node/267 [46]

An area of sustainable development of great interest in this region is the Doan Brook Watershed - we're supporting this interest at http://doanbrook-org.bryght.net [47] - early explorations at REALNEO are posted at http://realneo.us/taxonomy/term/101 [48]

Another "cluster" strength in NEO is manufacturing, and an initiative called RAMTEC is exploring developing a Regional Automated Manufacturing Technology and Education Center [49] - the COIL supporting that will launch at
http://ramtech-org.bryght.net/ [50]

Of interest to all people of Northeast Ohio and the
world, http://neochildhood-org.bryght.net/ [51]
is a fast developing community of the 100s of organizations and all people in
this region and beyond interested in optimizing early childhood development
with a focus on economic development benefits – launched by Roberta Waxman-Lenz
with REI – see origins at http://realneo.us/node/684 [52]
and http://realneo.us/node/720 [53]

NEO Childhood is now being developed further, rooted in
the original site and including seven sub-“COILs� – Community Of Interest Links
– which are just now going into early development:

http://neochildhoodresearcher-org.bryght.net/ [54]

http://neochildhoodeducator-org.bryght.net/ [55]

http://neochildhoodprovider-org.bryght.net/ [56]

http://neochildhoodpolicy-org.bryght.net/ [57]

http://neochildhoodfunder-org.bryght.net/ [58]

http://neochildhoodemployer-org.bryght.net/ [59]

http://neochildhoodparent-org.bryght.net/ [60]

Of further child development related interest, http://neobean-org.bryght.net/ [61], the
Northeast Ohio Breastfeeding Education and Advocacy Network, was launched by
Weatherhead School of Management Assistant Professor Piderit – this COIL has an
RSS feed into NEO Childhood.

http://neobirthnetwork-org.bryght.net [62]
– network for mothers to find information, resources and support for healthy
pregnancy and birth – still to be populated - launched for some University
Hospitals nurses as regional chapter of national initiative seen here: http://www.birthnetwork.org/ [63]

Part of the NEO Childhood initiative team is the Hanna
Perkins Center, which is in the process of deploying REALinks capabilities at http://hannaperkins-org.bryght.net/ [64]
- this site is private

A similar effort is just getting underway for the
innovative Intergenerational School, the most effective charter school in Ohio,
which was developed and founded by Case Professor Whitehouse and his wife –
site developing – not yet populated at http://intergenschool-org.bryght.net/ [65]

For the Epilepsy Association, we are just getting
underway with http://epilepsyinfo-org.bryght.net/ [66]

[66]

Another healthcare interest in Northeast Ohio is Situational Affective Disorder - SAD - and "blues" common in our climate and northern location - to explore this concern we're launching http://realsad-org.bryght.net [67]

Also of interest for good mental health, we're working on a COIL supporting the work of the Society for Prevention of Violence, now in provate development at http://realSPV-org.bryght.net [68]

As a more individual application of the REALinks tools, a NEO sustainability consultant is using REALinks
capabilities to develop a private community around her interests, at http://integralsustainability-org.bryght.net/ [69]

NEO entrepreneur and REALNEO advisor Bill Vasu is
experimenting with REALinks to support the vision of his enterprise –
CyberAccess – at http://cyberacc-com.bryght.net/ [70]

For a Case Ph.D. candidate to structure her dissertation,
we are setting up http://evelynkiefer-com.bryght.net/ [71]

Many entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in NEO are
interested to use the REALinks resources to compile business plans and related
resources for “ideation� – assessing opportunities, developing capabilities,
and nurturing new enterprises – this is being percolated at http://realideation-com.bryght.net/ [72]

To further expand impact of REALNEO, we are forming a think-tank
in physical and virtual space, rooted at http://topsoil-org.bryght.net/ [73] -
extensive related planning postings are found at http://realneo.us/node/564 [74]

[74]

Other COILs are added daily and updates will post to
REALNEO, with links to the complete community sites as developed.