Civic Innovation Lab

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

What is Economic Development? A sustainable increase in living standards. Lab champions have made an impact by improving downtown vibrancy and helping to build new industries in Greater Cleveland.
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SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

What is Social Entrepreneurship? Using entrepreneurial principals to create social change and recognizing a social return Investment. Lab champions have changed local social behavior in education, volunteerism, and alternative fuel consumption.
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FUNDED IDEAS

BackTalk Magazine
Black Singles Network
Center for Health and Disease Management
Cleveland Brain Gain
Cleveland City Living
Cleveland Design District
The Cleveland Rowing Foundation
Cleveland365.com
City Wheels
CityProwl Cleveland
Cool Cleveland
East College Street Accelerator Project
The Entrepreneurs EDGE
Entrepreneurship Preparatory School
Exhibit: Cleveland
Full Circle Fuels
Hands On Northeast Ohio
Homelessness Education Campaign
iGuiders
Kalliope Stage
Microsystems Academy
NEOBio
Northeast Ohio Videogame Initiative
Plexus
PolicyBridge
Popup Cleveland
Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park
Red Dot Project
Sankore Vanguard
The Seed Factory
Society of Urban Professionals (SOUP)
Sustainable Community Housing Assistance
TUBA Group
Walk and Roll Cleveland
Women's Leadership Initiative
Velodrome

WE ARE LOOKING FOR CHAMPIONS...

A Champion is any individual who has an idea and the desire, energy and willingness to make that idea a reality for Greater Cleveland.

Champions are dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable about their idea. Just as important, Champions are willing to take risks, including financial, career, and reputation risk.

There is no one background, education or experience that makes someone a Champion, but rather intangible qualities such as motivation, ingenuity, thoughtfulness and willingness to work hard are what make a Champion.

Innovative & creative ideas are experimental, thoughtful and risk-tolerant – and don’t duplicate what already exists. An innovative & creative idea brings a fresh approach and presents a new way of operating.


HAVE A GREAT IDEA?

HOW DO I QUALIFY> SIGN UP FOR STRATEGY SESSION>


30 GREAT IDEAS CHANGING CLEVELAND

BackTalk Magazine
BackTalk Magazine's Champion, Erin Johnson, wanted to connect Cleveland teens, by engaging them in issues they care about...

Black Singles Network
Black Singles Network Champion, Keshia Johnson, wanted to give African-American singles a venue to come together...

Center For Health And Disease Management
HDM Champions, Terry Murphy & Jack Kleinhenz, forsee patients having an ability to play an active role in their health over their lifetime...


Cleveland Brain Gain
Cleveland Brain Gain Champion, Madeleine Bruml, hopes to keep high school students in the region and/or encourage them to return after college...


Cleveland City Living
Cleveland City Living Champion, Scott Phillips, wanted to let youngprofessionals know about all of the great "living" opportunities in downtown Cleveland...

Cleveland Design District
District of Design Champion, Dan Cuffaro, wanted to
showcase the design product offerings of regional consumer product companies...


The Cleveland Rowing Foundation
Cleveland Rowing Foundation Champion, Mark Silverstein, im


Cleveland365.com

Cleveland365.com Champion, Terry Travis, wanted to connect Cleveland's minority community to local resources 365 days a year...

City Wheels
City Wheels Champion, Ryan McKenzie, hopes to improve the quality of life in Greater Cleveland...


CityProwl Cleveland
CityProwl Cleveland Champion, Jennifer Coleman, wanted Clevelanders to hear compelling and fascinating stories about Cleveland, told by Clevelanders...


Cool Cleveland
CoolCleveland Champion, Thomas Mulready, wanted to engage and inspire the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio community to participate in "cool" Cleveland events...


East College Street Accelerator Project
East College Street Accelerator Project Champion, Josh Rosen, had 12,000 square feet of vacant retail space that he wanted to fill with entrepreneurs providing them with technology, marketing, and business-development experience...


The Entrepreneurs EDGE
The Entrepreneurs EDGE Champion, Kirk Neiswander, wanted to help entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio to grow the value of their companies..


Entrepreneurship Preparatory School
Entrepreneurship Preparatory School Champion, John Zitzner, wanted to build a school curruiculum teaching entrepreneurship and life skills to inner city youth...


Exhibit: Cleveland
Exhibit: Cleveland Champion, Kate O'Neil, wanted to bring local artwork to vacant, Cleveland storefront...


Full Circle Fuels
Hands On Northeast Ohio
Hands on Northeast Ohio Champion, Jeff Griffiths, wanted to provide young professionals in Cleveland with specific, exciting, volunteer opportunities...


Hands On Northeast Ohio
Hands on Northeast Ohio Champion, Jeff Griffiths, wanted to provide young professionals in Cleveland with specific, exciting, volunteer opportunities...


Homelessness Education Campaign
Homelessness Education Campaign will atempt to reduce aggressive panhandling by redirecting resources from paper cups to well-managed resources...


iGuiders
iGuiders will provide an online business mentor that offers tactical business guidance for emerging entrepreneurs and small business owners in Greater Cleveland...


Kalliope Stage
Kalliope Stage Champions, John Paul Boukis & Paul Gurgol wanted to promote the art of the American musical and present intimate music performances...

Microsystems Academy
Microsystems Academy Champion, Colin Drummond, wanted to provide Clevelanders with hands-on experience in micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) and Nanotechnology...


National Society of Black Engineers Jr. (NSBE Jr.)
NSBE Jr. introduces African-American high school students from the Cleveland region to various engineering disciplines by pairing them with African-American engineers...

NEOBio
NEOBio Champion, Steve Goldberg, is dedicated to the clustering and growth of the bioscience industry in Northeast Ohio...



Northeast Ohio Videogame Initiative
NEO Videogame Initiative Champion, Daniel Carl, wanted to promote the interactive entertainment industry in Greater Cleveland...


Plexus
Plexus Champion, Eric Lutzo, wants to make Cleveland's corporations more inclusive to the LGBT community...


PolicyBridge
Policy Bridge Champion, Randell McShepard, envisioned a public policy institute, researching, analyzing and strategically responding to issues impacting the African-American community...


Pop Up City
Pop Up City temporarily occupies vacant building and land with short-term, high impact events, such as outdoor markets, temporary restaurants and shops, concerts and sports...


Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park
Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park is over 80,000 square feet of industrial space that holds an array of ramps, turns, tracks...


Red Dot Project
Red Dot Project Champion, Joan Perch, wanted to connect local artists to the business community...


Sankore Vanguard
Sankore Vanguard Champion, Dr. Jomo Mutegi, wanted to prepare African-American men for leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics...


The Seed Factory
The Seed Factory's Champion, Melissa Williams, decided to fill neighborhood service voids by working with property owners to rent out their vacantspaces to entrepreneurs...


Society Of Urban Professionals (SOUP)
Society of Urban Professionals Champions, Donna Dabbs & Alton Tinker, wanted to create an on-going forum, whereby emerging, minority leaders could network in a professional environment...

Sustainable Community Housing Assistance
Sustainable Community Housing Assistance (SCHA) will provide community residents with housing down payment assistance, through a sustainable investment vehicle...

 

TUBA Group
TUBA Group Champion, Chris Carter, a high school junior at Max Hayes High School, wanted to help MEMS companies offer MEMS equipment to entrepreneurs...


Velodrome

The Velodrome, when complete, will be an indoor arena including a bike park with outdoor track, Cyclocross trails, BMX trails and Safety


Walk And Roll Cleveland
Walk and Roll Cleveland Champion, Lois Moss, wanted Clevelanders and visitors to enjoy the beauty of MLK Boulevard on Cleveland's east side...

Women's Leadership Initiative
Women's Leadership Initiative Champion, Barbara Danforth, hopes to assist women in effectively advancing their careers, through workshops and individual coaching.














 

 

 

 

 

 


Jennifer Thomas, Director
jthomas@civicinnovationlab.org

Nichelle McCall, Program Coordinator
nmccall@civicinnovationlab.org