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

 Newsletter | June 2008

Civic Innovation Lab grants $60,000 to new projects

Initiatives target talent attraction and high school athletes

 

The Civic Innovation Lab, which provides grants and mentorship to individuals with ideas for improving Greater Cleveland, recently awarded grants to two entrepreneurs.

 

 

Shannon Davis, $30,000.
BeyondMotherhood.com

BeyondMotherhood.com is a niche job board that connects employers with educated, experienced, stay-at-home moms looking for flexible or part-time work opportunities. This initiative addresses the attraction and retention of an "untapped" highly educated workforce in northeast Ohio.Davis will be assisted by Lab mentors Ron Copfer, president, Copfer & Associates, Inc., and Paula Grooms, owner of Creative MarCom Solutions.

 

David Gilbert, $30,000, World School Games
This project will provide an Olympic-style athletic and cultural
event for students enrolled in secondary schools around the world.Cleveland will host the first event and serve as the operating center for future global events. The goal is to establish Cleveland as a leader in sports-related economic activity. Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of the Cleveland Sports Commission, will be assisted by Lab mentors Jon Adams, president of Noom Enterprises, and Lee Friedman, president and chief executive officer of Cleveland Leadership Center.

 

Jennifer Thomas, the Lab's director, said these new initiatives are examples of how the Lab supports entrepreneurs at different levels.

 

"Shannon is on the cusp of a budding business, targeting an untapped market that has huge national potential," Thomas said, "while David is seasoned in attracting sports events and understands the industry. Both targeted the Lab because of its ability to take risks on unproven ideas.

 

"BeyondMotherhood will add a new dimension to attraction of talent, and World School Games will attempt to capitalize on a growing industry inCleveland."

 

 


Jennifer Thomas, Director
jthomas@civicinnovationlab.org

Nichelle McCall, Program Coordinator
nmccall@civicinnovationlab.org