Entrepreneurship : Featured Stories

Steve Case recently came to Cleveland to address entrepreneurial leaders from across the country who had gathered for the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds conference. After praising Ohio's innovation economy, he said that the key to creating more jobs in the U.S. is to support entrepreneurs and high-growth companies and argued policy leaders need to do more to spur innovation.

It's never been easier to validate an idea and launch a new company. Yet access to capital remains a critical issue for entrepreneurs. The upcoming National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Conference, to be held in Cleveland from October 15th-17th, will bring together a community of aspiring entrepeneurs and investors to explore ways to advance innovation capital.

Ohio's alternative energy industry is thriving. According to the nonprofit Jumpstart Inc., Ohio ranks # 1 in the nation for renewable and advanced energy, bringing in more renewable energy facility projects than any other state. Yet for Ohio to keep its edge, leaders say, state and federal officials must work together to support the growth of this vital market.

On the heels of London's breathtaking Olympic Games comes the Elevator Pitch Olympics. Startup companies will soon have the chance to pitch their ideas to venture capitalists for about as long as it takes to ride an elevator to the 50th floor. That's just one of the events at the upcoming Great Lakes Venture Fair, which takes place October 15th-17th in Cleveland.

“By 2015, more people will access the web from their smartphone than from their desktops and laptops,” says EXP president Barb Cagely. In Northeast Ohio, numerous app developers are ahead of the curve, dreaming up mobile apps that do everything from enriching your tourism experience to ensuring that workers in the field have all the resources they need.

What if we viewed Ohio cities as startups? "The ingredients for a successful startup and a successful city are remarkably similar," argues tech blogger Jon Bischke. You need to build stuff that people want. You need to attract talent. And you need capital to get your fledgling ideas to a point of sustainability.

Victoria Tifft contracted malaria three times during her stint in the Peace Corps, learning firsthand how illnesses can devastate the lives of people in Third World Countries. Once back in the U.S., she was inspired to create Clinical Research Management, a company that conducts clinical research services and now has 350 employees worldwide. Tifft was recently named U.S. Small Business Person of the Year.