Pleasant Ridge / Kennedy Heights : Innovation + Startup News

Today, Detroit-based Digerati launches its Intern in Ohio program to the public, which is sponsored by the University of Toledo. Like eHarmony, the program uses an advanced matching algorithm to match students with internship opportunities.
 
Intern in Ohio is free to both students who are looking for internships and businesses who want to post internships. To register, students and employers visit Intern in Ohio’s website to sign up and create a profile or post internship opportunities. Students fill out a short questionnaire about their preferences, and employers share information about the position. The system then identifies the top seven matches for each student, as well as for each position. When the match is made, both the student and employer are notified, and they must show interest before any contact information is shared.
 
“We encourage diverse companies—large and small, for-profit and nonprofit, government and corporate,” says Wendy Pittman, director of Digerati’s Classroom to Career. “It’s a great chance for employers to broadcast their company and internship program across the state and reach a larger pool of applicants.”
 
Only companies in Ohio can post opportunities to the Intern in Ohio website, but all types of internships are welcome. There are posts for marketing, engineering and social media, among others, says Pittman.
 
The program is open to all students who live in Ohio, whether they’re in-state or out-of-state students. Research shows that not only do internships often lead employment offers after graduation, but that students are more likely to remain in an area where they held and internship.
 
“This is the first replication of the Classroom to Career technology from Michigan to Ohio,” says Pittman. “Experiential learning is a game-changer; and we’re looking forward to working with smaller communities to make a difference.”
 
In 2011, Digerati launched its Intern in Michigan program, which has resulted in more than 127,000 matches and introductions between students and employers. Over 1,000 Michigan businesses have posted 4,824 internship opportunities, and 1,049 colleges and universities in the state use the site.
 
Full disclosure: Soapbox’s parent company, IMG, supplies content to Intern in Ohio on a contractual basis.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
Follow Caitlin on Twitter

Going on maternity leave changed Gail Yisreal’s life in more ways than having a new baby to take care of.
 
When she returned to work, Yisreal says she learned her position was no longer there, so she began to look for a different job.

As wife and mother to a blended family of nine children, she might bake up to 11 birthday cakes in a year. But she hadn’t considered turning her knack for kneading dough into earning dough until she baked a wedding cake for a couple from her family’s place of worship. Not only did they like the cake, they suggested she start selling them.
 
Listening to her fans, Yisreal founded A “Mother’s Touch” Cakes with the nurturing tagline, “Making fresh homemade cakes when you don’t have the time.” Celebrating her two-year anniversary as a registered business in August 2012, A “Mother’s Touch” features signature and custom made flavors of fresh, savory gourmet, organic and vegan cakes and cupcakes that are good—and good for you.
 
“I didn’t know anything about decorating, so I took a class to learn more decorating skills," Yisreal says. "And I was shocked to find out that 95 percent of the cakes you buy are box cakes—because everybody wants the decoration. I started doing some research about the trans-fats and artificial ingredients, and I vowed that everything I baked would always be natural and from scratch.”  
 
After working as a waitress for two years and in management at Starbucks for six years, Yisreal developed a love for coffee. She jokes that most ex-Starbucks managers feel they know enough about coffee to create their own line, which she actually did for A “Mother’s Touch.”
 
Having tried organic coffees with weak flavor profiles, she researched and found Dean’s Beans, a fair-trade pioneer that allowed her to design her own custom blends. Her signature A “Mother’s Touch” blend is made with Mexican and Indonesian beans and pairs with her carrot cake as an after-dinner coffee.
 
“I’m really proud of my coffee and the fact that it really was custom blended for what I wanted to complement my desserts,” Yisreal says. And, true to her mission to serve natural, sustainable goods, she says that her blends are 100 percent organic, fair-trade certified and are shade grown.
 
Being on the scene without a storefront hasn’t stopped Yisreal. Instead, she’s building her brand as the “cupcake lady” who networks everywhere and invites people to taste samples of her creations. Yisreal also tapped into hidden markets by hosting deals through social media.
 
“I did a Living Social promotion last year, which was huge,” Yisreal says. “That first day, I think I got 1,500 hits on my website, and probably about 85 deals, which I thought was really good for people who didn’t know who I was.”
 
And even though she sells more cakes today, the ease of transporting cupcakes built her clientele.
 
“When I first came out, because of my financial situation, literally, cupcakes were paying my rent,” she says. After she and her husband separated, she remembers what it was like to go from making an annual salary of $60,000 to less than $20,000 a year. But she doesn’t do it all alone.
 
“I have three almost-teenage girls; 12, soon to be 15 and 17, so they are my preppers,” Yisreal explains. “It’s hilarious because we’ll be in the kitchen and everybody has their big bonnets on, and they’re scraping carrots, mashing fruit, lining the liners. I have a girlfriend who I’ll sometimes sub-contract out to do deliveries. And if it’s a huge event—like for the Autism Foundation, I had to knock out 40 dozen cupcakes—I have two sisters, and at the time I had just split up with my husband so we were in literally an 800-square-foot apartment. The kitchen was all of maybe 150-square-feet, we put out six-foot tables and we were like an assembly line! It was hilarious, but we got it done. It was like an I Love Lucy episode!”
 
By Mildred Fallen

In a fun take on the Flash Mob public performance phenomenon, groups of friends and strangers are Cash Mobbing local businesses. Instead of meeting in a preplanned spot to dance and/or sing for unknowing crowds in Flash Mob fashion, a Cash Mob (with the OK of the owner) targets local shops, mobbing them with $10 and $20 bills in a fast-paced shopping spree.

A New York blogger and engineer organized the first Cash Mob in 2011. The socially organized events made their way to Cincinnati – via Cleveland – this year. The first mob came together in Norwood; the neighborhoods of Deer Park and Silverton followed, and the first Cincy Cash Mob event is set for May 25, from 6 until 8 p.m. at Park + Vine in Over-the-Rhine.

Alice Rericha, a stay-at-home mom and serial community volunteer, organized the Norwood Cash Mob after hearing about one in Cleveland. She started Facebook and Twitter pages for the Norwood group and began inviting family and friends to join.

"It's a coming together of citizens who want to say, 'We support small businesses. We all come together at the same small, locally owned business and spend our money and time there,' " explains Rericha, who also lives in Norwood.

The first Norwood Cash Mob was at Murray Brothers Old Time Store; an "After Mob" event was held at Quatman Cafe. Since the group has held three other Cash Mob and After Mob events at local restaurants. Once the word got out, the other groups sprang up, Rericha says. Mobbers are asked to spend at least $20.

The first business was a little surprised when Rericha called to explain the Cash Mob, but once the customers showed up, things went just fine. Some owners have even suggested other businesses to contact, Rericha says.

"When you explain what it is, you see when they start to understand and their eyes light up. They always say, 'This sounds good,' " she says.

Rericha says Cash Mobs are a great way to support businesses owners, forge friendships and to highlight local businesses.

"I moved here in 2007, and have met so many people," she says. "In my planning, I've found so many businesses that I just didn't even see before. Now I know the owners and have relationships with them. When you buy from a small business, you are supporting a neighbor."

Written by Feoshia Henderson
Follow Feoshia on Twitter.

Tom Hagerty has spent much of his professional life in the advertising business.  And while the means of delivering effective advertising continues to evolve, the crux of a good campaign remains the same: creativity and innovation.

Today, companies increasingly are turning to the digital world to capture buyers' attention. But Hagerty, a Pleasant Ridge ad consultant, saw an opportunity by using the same technology to link smaller ad agencies or individuals to companies looking for a great advertising campaign.

"In the ad business, the Web had been nothing more than a revenue source. The technology itself has not been used to create additional opportunities," Hagerty said.

That's why he created AdRogues.com, a site that links creative types like writers, graphic designers and producers with advertisers. The site launched in BETA in November.

Hagerty, AdRogues founder and CEO, sees the site as a way for smaller agencies and creative individuals can gain access to more marketplace opportunities.

"They are people who have big ideas, but no access to brands because they're not big enough to capture brands," Hagerty said. "That doesn't mean they don't have good, creative ideas or don't know how to deal with strategy. It simply means they don't have access."

Here's how AdRogues works. Those on the creative side can purchase a membership to AdRogues, the fees range from free to 59.95 a month depending on the level of service and use on which a member decides. Members can then post ideas and pitches through the site in a secure manner which only they and advertisers can access.

"They're actually pitching their ideas, from briefs to full commercials. It's unrestricted by length or language," Hagerty said.

Advertisers, who can sign up for free, can peruse the ideas. If they see a concept or pitch they like, they can get in touch with the creator and pay them for their work. AdRogues is then paid a commission.

"They shop for the concept they want, and the characteristics they are looking for. They can also create a relationship with the creative by looking at other work after the initial purchase is made," Hagerty said.

The site has built-in protection of ideas. Only subscriber advertisers can view them, and the site has strict condition of use terms, an intellectual property protection statement and an FBI-type warning prior to each viewing and posting session. AdRogues also applies watermarks and bars downloading or emailing postings before a sale. The site also tracks URLs.

Hagerty says the site has already gotten some positive feedback, and more than 100 members have signed up. Forty percent of site traffic is outside the U.S. and the AdRogues has been viewed in 39 countries.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Tom Hagerty, founder and CEO AdRogues.com

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

A survey co-sponsored by BlackBook EMG and Cincinnati USA Chamber's HYPE is looking for young professionals to share their work and community life experiences to gauge the risk of the region losing young talent.

The 25-question survey, located here, takes about 10 minutes to finish. It's geared toward anyone who lives in the metro Cincinnati area and is employed. The results will be unveiled at the HYPE talent symposium Oct. 19. The symposium's theme is "Ignite the Fire! Leverage Cincinnati's strengths as part of your recruitment and retention strategies."

BlackBook, whose Compass technology matches employee performance with local events, venues and businesses, has a 2,000-person response goal for the survey. So far, just under 1,000 people have responded, said Carla Messer, Blackbook's senior vice president of operations. To encourage responses, participants can enter to win one of three iPads. Survey results are kept confidential.

The survey asks questions related to the concept of "community embeddedness" or the experiences, people and places outside of work that keep a person in a particular area.

"The survey asks how an employee fits into culture of an organization, and also how people are connected to other people and places where they live. At the workplace you're made to feel like it would be a great sacrifice to leave, but from a community standpoint often things outside the workplace that keep people retained in the organization aren't considered. Things, if you left behind, like a country club, church or neighbors would feel like a big sacrifice to leave," Messer said.

The survey is an effort to drill down into how or even if workers have those outside connections. Under the theory of community embeddedness, the more satisfying community links a person has, the less likely they are to leave a current city or place of employment.

"Companies spend a lot of time and money trying to explain why people leave. We are trying to evaluate why people stay, and create those connections and experiences that get people to stay," Messer said.

The survey is open until Oct. 1.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Carla Messer, Blackbook senior vice president of operations

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

The blogging community knows every woman restaurant critic Heather Willard best as The Food Hussy. But when she's not talking about her latest eating adventure in Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky, she's working as an experienced internet and advertising professional.

At least she was working until two weeks ago when she was laid off, another casualty of the struggling economy. But Willard didn't fret long, and just last week launched Food Speaks.  

Food Speaks is a consulting company geared toward independently owned small- to medium-sized restaurants. The company will work with eateries on three fronts, Willard, of Pleasant Ridge, said.

"I look at 'their voice' how they present themselves, their service, food prices and the entire experience of dining. Then I look at the 'people's voice,' what people are saying about them on sites like Twitter or Facebook and other social media. I also look at their Web site to make sure that its user friendly and can show up higher in search engine results," Willard said.

She'd been developing the idea for a few months and has consulted with Café Bella in Mason, but decided to launch the company after losing her job.

"I've worked for entrepreneurs all of my life. I know restaurants around here need help, and I think I can help them. I look at a lot of their web sites and they're terrible. I want to call them up and say, 'If you do these five things it will be better,'" she said.

Willard, a University of Iowa grad, has more than 15 years experience working with local businesses to build and improve their internet presence. She also has radio and television production advertising experience.  The Food Hussy is a top-rated Cincinnati blog on the UrbanSpoon.com, a nationwide network of restaurant reviews and blogs.

Web and social media is a game changer for restaurants, and can offer smaller ones a competitive advantage if used effectively, Willard said. One the other hand, a few negative online reviews can hurt businesses if not handled properly or ignored, she said.

"In the old days the only voices were newspaper food critics, and they would review the bigger restaurants maybe once a year. Today everyone with a Twitter or Facebook account is a critic. If they have 500 friends and they have a bad experience at a restaurant everyone sees it," she said. "Most restaurants are in a vacuum and aren't listening to their audience. If they don't listen to their customers they won't have a business."

Willard said she'll continue to blog, but will not review places that she takes on as clients.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Heather Willard, founder Food Speaks and The Food Hussy

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox 

Thousands of low-income Cincinnati Public Schools students should get a better shot at getting to college with a $2.4 million federal grant to a Cincinnati partnership led by the University of Cincinnati. The grant, expected to be for a total of six years, will be matched in value of services contributed by the partnership, called GEARUP SCORES, led by UC and Cincinnati Public Schools.

GEARUP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, and it emphasizes increasing the number of disadvantaged students prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. The grant is the highest ever awarded to the partnership since it was first funded in 1999.
 
The partnership will support sixth-and-seventh-grade students in 31 Cincinnati Public Schools and follow them through their high-school graduation. For the first time, this new funding will also track the success of GEARUP students as they enter their first year of college, trade school or other postsecondary  education.

A total of 4,000 students will be linked through the program over the six-year period, supported by academic and enrichment programs, advising and mentoring to increase student achievement. The program also educates students and their families about higher education options, about dual-enrollment programs in  which students earn high-school and college credit, and about the financial resources to get to college.

Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Dawn Fuller, UC

In the midst of a nationwide housing crisis, Money magazine came up with a list of the six “best places to buy a home these days,” and put Cincinnati on it. Money said its list is of “the six cities where home prices are likely to rise the most - or fall the least - in the next 12 months.” Of Cincinnati, the magazine said, “The city's manufacturing-heavy economy should benefit from the falling dollar. Commercial building is up, and high-end developments are moving in.”

Home prices have indeed been relatively stable in Greater Cincinnati compared to other metropolitan markets. A 20-city housing study recently reported by the S&P Case Schiller Group found that the average home-selling price in Cincinnati fell 2.5 percent from October 2006 to October 2007, compared to an average drop of 6.1 percent in the 20 cities surveyed.

Money's ranking "is great news considering the national trends," said Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. "The ranking confirms the strength of our housing market."

Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Money magazine

One day after he proposed a plan to create 80,000 jobs in Ohio, Gov. Ted Strickland went on the road to visit three growing small businesses in the Hamilton County Business Center, an incubator for entrepreneurial ventures.

His visit to Cincinnati highlighted the role of the Hamilton County Development Co., a non-profit organization that owns the incubator, in fostering job growth. Strickland met with Jacobs Automation, which designs machines meant to reduce costs for the packaging industry; with Emersion Design, an architecture, engineering, planning and design firm that has grown from four partners to a team of 13; and with Private Health News, which offers print and electronic marketing materials and information to the health care industry and has seen revenue grow 65 percent in the last 12 months.

“It’s gratifying that the governor recognizes the importance of small business in the future economic prosperity of the state,” said David Main, president of the Hamilton County Development Co.

Source: David Main, Hamilton County Development Co.
Writer: David Holthaus