Cleveland : Featured Stories

Accelerate (v.): 1) To increase the speed of, or 2) To cause to occur sooner than expected. In physics classes, students learn how velocity can change rapidly. Ohio's high tech leaders are applying the same principles to help accelerate the pace at which businesses are created. The spread of business accelerators statewide is helping bright, young entrepreneurs grow successful businesses with the aid of resources and mentoring.

The prevailing impression of regionalism that has been bandied about Northeast Ohio for the better part of a decade is all wrong, says a collaborative group of area nonprofits. While the consolidation of countless municipalities is useful, it is not intrinsically regionalism. True regionalism, they argue, is defined by economic activity -- not political boundaries.

Ohio has been pushing to be a leader in business, technology and environmentalism, from innovative restaurants looking to go green with their recycling of food and waste, to state bills that help entrepreneurs and sustainability groups. Managing Editor Steph Greegor takes a look back at 2011 and the stories that were important to Ohio and hiVelocity readers.

Did you know you could buy Jedi lightsaber candlesticks from an Ohio business? Or maybe a specialty healthy cooking vaccum seal item? Holiday shopping this year can be buy local, buy green and buy great with these sure to please Ohio holiday items.

As the economic malaise enters its umpteenth year, many creative folks are using it as an opportunity to grab a little slice of the artisan marketplace. With or without day jobs, a new breed of craftspeople are cultivating home-grown companies by doing what they love. Some are eager to branch out, while others are just tickled to have a creative outlet.

While U.S. job growth overall may be stuck in neutral, IT professionals should be chomping at the bit. Experts say technology occupations will be at the leading edge of job growth for at least a decade. And three of the hottest cities for IT jobs right now are here in Ohio.

A new report by the Brookings Institute says Ohio has done pretty well when it comes to creating "green jobs." The report, "Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment," by the institute's Metropolitan Policy Program, found that one-fourth of Ohio's green jobs are in manufacturing, with Akron, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton leading the state. hiVelocity spoke with Metropolitan Policy Program Senior Research Analyst Jonathan Rothwell about the report and what it means for Ohio and the nation.