cincinnati/southwest ohio : Featured Stories

Paul Havasi of Cleveland gets a lot of stares from fellow drivers on his way to work. His three-wheeled electric NmG is a rare sight. But laugh all you want; his choice of transport is the way of the future, according to the many businesses and researchers in Ohio developing technology and products for hybrid and electric cars.

As president of TechSolve, Gary Conley knows what it takes to go from concept to commerce. His organization -- part of the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a national network of affiliated manufacturing extension centers and field offices serving small manufacturers -- is also one of Ohio's seven Edison Technology Centers. Lately, Conley has been incubating an idea for improving the exchange of a wide array of valuable information to help manufacturers throughout Ohio. It's OMNI: the Ohio Manufacturing Network of Innovation. hiVelocity caught up with Conley to ask him about the concept.

Melvin Gravely II sits at the intersection of race and business -- an important place to be as the nation's minority populations rise within a rapidly changing economy. Founder of an engineering firm, author of seven books and a sought-after keynote speaker, Gravely is managing director of the Cincinnati-based Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, which works to bridge the gaps in reasoning that hinder minority entrepreneurship and community access to talent. hiVelocity asked Gravely about his work.

Thousands of Ohioans are flocking to the farm, the farmers market and to restaurants to support locally grown produce. It's a bona fide movement, taking place all over the state � where a local farmer is just around the corner.

Hollywood may still have the name recognition for moviemaking, but some unlikely locations far from the glitter of the iconic California town are becoming the top choices for film producers to create their craft, and leaders in Ohio are positioning our state to tap into this latest evolution in the film industry.

Thanks to work done by folks like Richard Florida and Rebecca Ryan, cities are more aware than ever that the key to economic prosperity lies in attracting and retaining young professionals. Not only that, by reading their books � The Rise of the Creative Class and Live First, Work Second, respectively � we can pinpoint the factors that go into a young person's choice of city. All across Ohio, highly motivated organizations are relying on that data in an attempt to meet the needs of those coveted YPs, or young professionals.

The Indian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky  is neither an ethnic organization nor a social group, President Rayan Coutinho says. Rather, it's an organization "to create a forum and resource pool for Indian and American businesses and professionals." hiVelocity recently asked Coutinho about the new organization and its goals.

Israel boasts the highest number of start-ups per capita in the world. Ohio wants to be a second home to some of these businesses as they build their worldwide markets. Thanks to the aggressive efforts of business developers across the state, Ohio has become one of the most successful states in attracting investment from Israeli companies.