Crains Cleveland Business - Brandon Glenn
February 2, 2006
CLEVELAND, Ohio A local entrepreneur has started a new web site aimed at Northeast Ohio's black and Latino professional communities.
'It's very difficult for a minority professional to flourish in what exists here currently,' said Terry Travis, founder of Cleveland365.com. 'We're targeting a community that's underserved.'
Mr. Travis said he has poured about $60,000 thus far into developing the site, with $17,000 coming from a grant from the Cleveland Foundation's Civic Innovation Lab. Mr. Travis said he provided the rest of the money himself.
While almost anyone can put up a site on the web, Mr. Travis' ability to lure big-name advertisers could help him establish some credibility. A recent visit to the site showed ads from American Express and computer maker Compaq, in addition to local advertisers including Keller Williams Realty and West Side Automotive Group.
The idea for the site grew out of an events list that Mr. Travis and some friends began compiling and e-mailing out about five years ago. Cleveland365 still features event listings, but also has news and a business directory. Further, Mr. Travis plans to offer home buying workshops, business and technology workshops and professional development seminars.
'Terry is very innovative in the way he's trying to get this web site off the ground with a small amount of money,' said Jennifer Thomas, director of the Civic Innovation Lab.
Ms. Thomas cited Mr. Travis' efforts to promote the site through speaking engagements, parties and collaborations with various local groups as examples of his resourcefulness.
One of Mr. Travis' goals is 'to foster minority entrepreneurship by increasing the focus on success stories,' he said.
Cleveland365 may have received a boost when it was chosen by city of Cleveland officials to participate in the city's so-called 'eTech Hatchery.' Under the plan, every six months a different tech-related company would move into a bathroom-less, all-glass former ticket kiosk in Playhouse Square. The idea is to raise public awareness of the city's tech sector.
'It'll provide lots of visibility' to the company, Mr. Travis said.
Cleveland365 expects to move in to the space in September as the kiosk's second tenant, he sa <BACK TO NEWS AND EVENTS |