Soapbox

Chatfield College, a small, liberal arts college with locations in Over-the-Rhine and in Brown County, has grown more than 70 percent over last fall.

The private, Catholic college offers two-year degrees in business, early childhood education, human services, and liberal arts.  Students can also complete a third year of study toward a bachelor's degree at another Ohio college.
 
The college, which offers classes in a building at Findlay Market, has an open enrollment and is geared toward non- traditional, urban living students - many of which are single mothers. Today the school has 188 students at its OTR campus and 161 at its St. Martin campus in northern Brown County.

To accommodate the increase the school has added extra fall classes and recruited additional faculty.

"Right now, Chatfield is the fastest growing college in the tri-state," says Curt Cotter, college Director of Admissions.  "People are coming back to school because of the economy, and nearly all colleges nationwide are seeing an increase as a result.  But, more and more people are choosing Chatfield because they want an education that includes values and ethics, and encourages a love of learning.  They want a liberal arts education."

Chatfield is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago.

The college also recently hired its first ever social media and special events coordinator, Britney Grimmelsman, who recently graduated from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism with a focus in Public Relations. Grimmelsman's responsibilities include managing Chatfield's social media campaign, planning, marketing and managing college events in addition to more traditional work including press release writing and pitching.

Chatfield College is on Facebook and is working on a You Tube channel.

"With the growing trend of social media changing the way public relations works, having a strong online presence is essential," says Pam Spencer, Director of Marketing Communications.  "We are excited to have Britney's social media experience on the Chatfield team."

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Britney Grimmelsman, Chatfield College communications

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

Local entrepreneur and Cincinnati nightlife promoter Sean Herron knows a potential business idea when he sees it. His latest is CollabTees.com, a virtual t-shirt shop where musicians can have a high quality t-shirt designed, printed, distributed and sold. The site launched just two weeks ago.

Herron, a Hip Hop fan, got the idea after going to some local shows he'd helped promote, and noted there was a dearth of fan merchandise there.

"There'd be 1,600 people there and no one out front selling merchandise," said Herron, who lives in Highland Heights.

That was in sharp contrast to some rock shows he attended where someone was always selling band-related shirts and other trinkets.

It doesn't take a lot of time and money to get t-shirts printed but it does take a buy-in and some focus to get them sold. That's where CollabTees comes in as a partner with someone with a t-shirt idea. The site is geared toward DJs and artists, but you can log on and for $50 can submit an idea through the web site including sketches. Herron works with local designer Nicholas Earl who will turn the submitted idea into a t-shirt design.  Earl also designs flyers for Herron's show promotions.

Once the design is nailed down it goes to the t-shirt shop (Herron is working with Southpaw Prints in Over-the-Rhine).  Once the client sells 10 shirts, CollabTees will ship the shirts, send you a free shirt, and host your design on their site. Then every time your shirt sells, you earn $5 per shirt. The more people you direct to the site who buy, the more you earn.

"Once they sell the first 10 shirts, the site becomes active and alive. If a DJ travels a lot, they can hand out a card and direct them to the site," Herron said. "And after that 11th shirt the individual starts to make money."

Herron said the site is getting about 2,000 view per day, and he's getting calls from people in California and Miami who are interested in the concept. Like his nightclub promotions, buzz is building through word of mouth.

"In the new age of Internet social networking, I don't pay radio or print advertisers. We use a lot of the buzz marketing aspects. We get lot of people who like the idea talking about it. … Now is the time when if you have connections, that those can really start paying off," he said.

If the concept proves successful, he'd eventually like to devote fan pages to artists and DJs that would delve deeper into their work offer them an online publicity house.

In addition to promoting and marking local shows for area bars and nightclubs, Herron has also recently launched My All Card, a membership card that offers discounts at more than 600 local food, health, entertainment, beauty and other business.  

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Sean Herron, founder CollabTees.com

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

With two big economic development announcements last week, Uptown and downtown Cincinnati ties are growing closer than ever.

The first announcement was the long awaited news that Cincinnati was awarded $25 million in federal dollars for the first phase of the city's planned streetcar project. The first phase will connect the Banks to Over-the-Rhine, with future plans taking it Uptown into Clifton, the University of Cincinnati and beyond.

Then second announcement was from the state on Friday when Gov. Ted Strickland came to Cincinnati to announce the city would be the state's Hub of Innovation and Opportunity in Consumer Marketing.

The designation brings together the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, the University of Cincinnati and brand powerhouses Procter & Gamble, Kroger and Macy's to promote entrepreneurship and commercialization in the consumer products arena. Hub partners will be supported by Cincinnati brand building organizations including LPK, Bridge Worldwide, Dunnhumby USA and Nielsen/Buzzmetrics.

"This will position Cincinnati (nationwide and worldwide) as a place to launch great brands," Strickland said at the announcement. "The consumer marketing industry has had a home in Cincinnati for generations, and that has happened because of the innovation of companies and the visionary leaders of Cincinnati."

Along with that designation came a $250,000 state grant that will fund a hub director and an incubator that will assist startups and create new business and jobs in the consumer marketing industry, local economic development officials said at the announcement at the LPK brand company HQ in downtown Cincinnati.

Both the streetcar and the innovation hub were goals contained in the Agenda 360 strategic growth and action plan for Greater Cincinnati.

These particular parts of the plan have special meaning for the Uptown and downtown centers and will go a long way to strengthen the urban core and retaining and attracting young talent.

Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls called the announcements transformative.

"This will reinforce the creativity and synergy of both areas. This is an investment in attracting and keeping the very pool of talent the every city in the country is competing for," she said.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Sources: LPK press conference

Ignite Cincinnati is back for a third time at the Know Theater in Over-the-Rhine. Fourteen speakers will be chosen to speak on any topic at this five-minute, fast-paced pitch event. The presentations are backed by 20 slides that auto advanced after 15 seconds.

Ignite Cincinnati is just one Ignite event across the country and globe. There are Ignite communities in New Orleans, New York City, Cambridge, Denver, Detroit, and dozens of others.  The concept was created in Seattle by local entrepreneurs.

Ignite is about ideas and often, but not always, the speakers are entrepreneurs. Among past speakers are Dave Menninger who spoke about hackerspaces and Cincinnati's new hackerspace Hive13. Another speaker Brian Clifford talked about managing and using social media sites more effectively in business and personal situations. Others have talked about topics as diverse as making artisan bread, to form-based code to pros and cons of electronic medical records mandates.

The event in the past has gotten attention from a variety of local media outlets and some of the individual speakers have been featured in news articles, including in Soapbox, and on television.

The next event is June 30, starting at 6 p.m. Seven speakers will be chosen by online voting, and seven will be chosen by Ignite's board of advisors. Interested in speaking? Submit a topic here. Sign up to attend the event here. Following the speakers, there will be a couple of hours to talk and follow up on the ideas.

Ignite founder and Blackbook EMG founder and CEO Chris Ostoich said the board looks for passion, wit and smarts when choosing a speaker.

"We are looking for people who are heartfelt and have something to say that people will really get behind," Ostoich said. "Ignite is about learning, sharing and about being inspired by other people."

For example Rick Payne was chosen to speak on some of the pitfalls of electronic medical records in doctor's offices that he experienced during his leukemia treatment. Though Payne believes in the potential of better treatment through high tech medical records, he saw in current reality the technology often hindered the work of doctors and nurses who weren't comfortable with it. Payne ended his talk asking the audience to donate bone marrow.

"He turned that into a plea to save people's lives. We knew that Rick had a very strong conviction," Ostoich said.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Chris Ostoich Founder and CEO of Blackbook EMG

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

A new website, mywashingtonpark.org, will ask Cincinnatians what kind of events or programs they would like to see in Washington Park once the estimated $46 million renovation there is complete.

The Emanuel Community Center partnered with The Creative Department, an Over-the-Rhine based advertising firm, that donated its services to create the website. Residents can go to the site and post their ideas or vote on existing ones. As the information is gathered, it will be sent to major stakeholders like the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) or the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to help guide future programming or infrastructure in and around the park, Emanuel's executive director Karyl Cunningham said.

"We want to leverage all the investments of brick and mortar that have been done in Over-the-Rhine," Cunningham said. "Because at the end of the day community is really about people, and engaging those people once an investment is made." 

As Over-the-Rhine has changed over the last 100 years, the Emanuel Community Center has changed with it, Cunningham said. Begun as a German boarding house in 1871, the center now provides programming that ranges from yoga and photography classes to early childhood education. And as a new socioeconomic group moves into the neighborhood, the ECC wants to promote programming that engages both the new and old residents to build a cohesive, diverse community.

"We are really not doing anything too different than what the organization did 100 years ago, and that is to create opportunities to bring people together despite their socioeconomic background," Cunningham said.

By gathering ideas from both those demographics, as well as other Cincinnati residents, Cunningham hopes that the site can help the park be a successful anchor for the community.

Some of the ideas already posted there include a dog park meet and greet, a sustainable organic community garden, a series of jazz concerts and a "Taste of OTR" festival featuring food from Over-the-Rhine.

She hopes that events in the park will not only engage neighborhood residents, but also draw people down from the suburbs. Whether its with jazz concerts, picnics, or art shows, she said she wants the website to be an evolving reservoir of ideas that can help guide future decisions in and around the beautiful park.

Writer: Henry Sweets

Most people know the foodie mantra "Eat locally. Think globally." Eat Local for the Globe, a fundraiser dinner at Rookwood Pottery on June 10, does just that. But the globe that benefits from this event is Cincinnati's Globe Building, once the most elegant building in Findlay Market Square. The Corporation for Findlay Market is putting on this catchily-named fundraiser to promote locally-sourced food and to fund big plans for the Globe.

After renovations, The Corporation for Findlay Market plans to move its offices to the Globe, and open a restaurant on the first floor.

"Findlay Market hosts more prepared-food vendors now than ever before, and many people are coming to the Market to eat, but we lack a permanent restaurant" said Karen Kahle, The Corporation for Findlay Market's Resource Development Director.  Kahle looks forward to a stronger presence on the Market's historic site, and elegant dining that supports locally-produced fare.

Admission is $45, and is limited to 100 guests. "Eat Local for the Globe is a chance to have fun in a great space, at a great price point," said Kahle. "Fresh, locally-produced food just tastes better."

Eat Local for the Globe is a follow-up to 2009's Lunch on the Land, where guests dined alfresco at Indian Hill's Turner Farm. Kahle described Lunch on the Land as a success, showcasing the area's natural beauty while promoting local eating and benefiting the Findlay Market Fund. But she and the rest of the team at The Corporation for Findlay Market wanted a different ambience for this year's event.

They considered an underground dinner in a rough, urban space before opting for Rookwood's new headquarters on Race Street. Eat Local for the Globe starts with a tour of the Globe Building at 5:30; pre-dinner begins at 6:30 at Rookwood. A five-course meal is paired with wines from Harmony Hill,  Kinkead Ridge, and Equus Run. Live music from The Sidecars, a cash bar, and Taste of Belgium waffles round out the evening.

Event chefs are Luke Radkey, Jody Miller - and an undiscovered local star according to event organizers. The winner of a recipe contest will have a local-ingredient appetizer made into an amuse-bouche, or light pre-meal bite, by the event chefs.

Find ELFTG's Facebook page wall  here.

Writer: Elena Stevenson
Source: Karen Kahle, Resource Development Director, The Corporation for Findlay Market

A record number of businesses and organizations will set up shop at Marvin's Organic Gardens in Lebanon for the third annual thinkGreen event April 24.

thinkGreen commemorates Earth Day, and showcases environmentally friendly companies across Greater Cincinnati. This year more than 40 vendors and 1,000 people are expected to attend thinkGreen, from noon to six p.m. rain or shine. The event is free.

"We wanted to create a fun, educational way to give Cincinnati residents more information on living green," Marvin Duren, owner of Marvin's Organic Gardens said. "We want to keep it simple. A small adjustment to your routine can make a difference; it becomes more tangible when people can actually see it. We all know we should be doing our part. This event is a great way to find out what options are best for you."

Marvin's Organic Gardens is a full-service nursery, landscape design company, and retail and garden center. Founded in 1999, the business was USDA Certified Organic in 2003.

The vendors will run the gamut, from food and retail to consulting and services. thinkGreen is sponsored by Whole Foods Mason and CincyChic. Loveland vegetarian restaurant Veg Head and Milford's Sugar Cupcakery will be there, as will non-profits Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, Sierra Club: Miami Group and Hamilton County Fair Go Green. Retailers Park + Vine, an Over-The-Rhine green general store and The Soapbox Soap Co. in Lebanon will also be there.

"We are thrilled to have doubled the number of participants from last year for our annual thinkGREEN event. I believe this shows us the growing interest among our community, which is exactly what we need. The more people we can educate, the more changes we can make and the better we can care for our families, neighborhoods and our Earth," Duren.

A series of lectures will be ongoing throughout the afternoon including "Living Green, Living Well: Top Ways to Green your Home & Lifestyle by Ellen Hall of Green Irene, and "Tips to Avoid Injury & Next Day Soreness" by Stacy Walters with Fit to Garden.

For the kids, there will be a petting zoo with baby animals from Sunrock Farms in Northern Kentucky, face painting from Face Painting By Tuesday and a special hands-on activity presented by Granny's Garden School. Kids activities are from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Find a full schedule here.

But you might want to get their early. The first 100 attendees will get eco friendly swag bags.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Marvin Duren, owner of Marvin's Organic Gardens

You can follow Feoshia on twitter here.

Cincinnati stands apart from many of the country's urban areas with Findlay Market, a place where people who live in the core can easily walk to get fresh food, including an abundance of fruit and vegetables.

But Cincinnati is not alone in the dearth of spots available for permanent urban agriculture, but a Fort Thomas husband and wife are working to change that by creating a non-profit that will amongst other things set aside inner city land for food production.

The idea builds on the current work of Memorial Inc., which operates the Over-The-Rhine  Eco-Garden in partnership with the Civic Garden Center. Memorial Inc. also a non-profit pays local youth a stipend to tend the garden, and sell the produce at Findlay Market. Proceeds go back into the garden and to the youth.  The Civic Garden Center leases the land, which recently has been threatened by development.

That's among reasons that Luke Ebner, who works for Memorial Inc., along with his wife Angela, are working to create Permaganic, Co. a non-profit that will raise funds to provide a permanent location for the Eco- Garden and other potential Urban Farmers.

"What's happens in an urban farming program is sometimes a piece of property is on a-one year lease, the property gets fixed up and then the owner is able to attract investors and sell it," Ebner said.

Under Ebner's plan the land would be owned by Permaganic, Co. and offer educational and entrepreneurial opportunities to youth, he said. 

"What Permaganic, Co. is trying to do is provide an on-going opportunity for people who want to get into growing and producing food," he said. "We will show them how we grow and let them experience it for themselves."

Ebner is still in the early stages of forming Permaganic, Co. it is registered in Ohio and is awaiting its federal 501(c)3.

Long-term Permaganic, Co. could serve as a place that could hold land in trust strictly for farming and food foresting, Ebner said.

He would like to see Cincinnati as home to a program similar to The Intervale Center in Burlington VT. Intervale is a non-profit that has managed and preserved more than 350 acres of land for over 30 years.  They support viable farms and increase access to local fresh food and agricultural education.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Luke Ebner, livegreenplanet.com

Local attorney Candace Klein got the idea for micro-lender Bad Girl Ventures from her day-to-day interactions with entrepreneurs who've recently found it nearly impossible to finance their ideas.

"I spend a lot of time in my profession with entrepreneurs, and at a series of meetings I was talking to people who couldn't get traditional bank loans. Some of them said 'I'm just going to use my credit cards.' That was scary to me," she said.

That's when the Over-the-Rhine resident decided to make a change. She's just launched Bad Girl Ventures, which aims to provide funding for Cincinnati women-owned start ups. The idea is just getting off the ground and was first pitched publically at Ignite Cincinnati, a fast-paced, five-minute pitch event.

"It's really difficult for women-owned startups right now. And Cincinnati is really a philanthropic area. Personally, I've given to so many charities, political causes and organizations.  I thought, 'If there was a way I could give just a portion of that to a startup company that would create jobs, I would,'" Klein said. "I think we're really missing the boat on supporting women-owned startups."

Bad Girl Ventures will be based on the micro-financing model of international organizations like Kiva,  where small loans from individuals are bundled together. Klein is kick starting Bad Girl with a 30-person meeting of invited potential financers and entrepreneurs March 19th downtown at Ingredients restaurant.

Klein plans to finance the first start up this summer at the $25,000 level through a  competitive process. Five chosen startups will undergo a six-week entrepreneur competition, where their ideas will be voted on online by friends and family. They'll vote by pledging investment dollars. The entrepreneur who gets the most votes will have their idea funded by Bad Girl. Another round of financing will follow every six weeks or so.

Bad Girl Ventures will be housed in the OTR Revitalization Corporation housed at the OTR Chamber.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Candace Klein, Bad Girl Ventures Founder

Matt Madison launched Madisono's, Cincinnati's first gelato company, in 2006. And now the entrepreneur has plans to open a gelato "dipping stand" at Madison's, his parents' Findlay Market store.

The name "Madisono" reflects the spirit of the product - an authentic Italian frozen dessert with Madison's earthy commitment to quality. The "earth" came naturally for Madison, working on Madisons Ridgeview Farm with his parents, Bryan and Carolyn, in Adams County. The certified-organic facility specialized in exotic mushrooms, which opened doors for Matt in Cincinnati's culinary community. For five years, Madison and his wife, Margot, lived at Ridgeview Farm. But raising a family brought them back to city life.

Gelato originally drew Matt in during a stint at a specialty food store his parents owned in Glendale. 

"Cincinnati has a strong ice cream tradition, of which I've always been a big fan. But I wanted to bring a frozen dessert concept that had lower butterfat than the super-premium ice creams." In 2006, Matt launched Madisono's Gelato; a year later, he closed the specialty-food store to focus on frozen confections.

Madison is proud of the artisan-style gelatos and sorbets he produces. "I love the ability to constantly be creative, and do something, flavor-wise, that wasn't already being done." The company’s offerings include black raspberry, lemon basil, and dark chocolate orange. Madison makes all bases from scratch and freezes the gelatos and sorbets in small batches.

Madisono's maximizes distribution opportunities by selling under three labels: Madisono's Gelato;  Sustain Brand, which specializes in distribution of locally-produced foods; and La Vida Italiana, the private label of the Dayton, Ohio-based Dorothy Lane Markets chain. "It’s a win-win," says Madison of his partnerships. "I don't lose my brand identity, but I get to be part of a larger brand concept."

Two employees staff the Glendale production facility and make deliveries to an expanding list of local restaurants, caterers, and vendors. Madison plans to hire one more for his latest venture, the dipping stand at Findlay Market, that will open in April.  

Rapid business growth and family life have packed the carton of Madison’s life to the brim. But he's enjoying the growth of a unique Cincinnati brand, and credits the relationships he built in his family's farm and store. "I've had a great education."

Writer: Elena Stevenson
Source: Matt Madison, owner, Madisono’s Gelato

Know Theatre was packed with a standing room only crowd last week, all waiting to see a different kind of performer - the entrepreneur -  at the first Ignite Cincinnati.

Ignite Cincinnati is a fast-paced idea presentation event where 14 people have five minutes each to talk about any topic they want. The presentations are backed by 20 slides that auto advanced after 15 seconds.

"We tried to talk about innovative things sometimes fun, sometimes educational," said co- organizer Chris Ostoich Founder and CEO of Blackbook EMG. He organized Ignite along with Blackbook CTO Joe Pantuso.

The speakers were chosen through online voting. The top vote getters got to speak - you can take a look at the speakers from the Jan. 20 event at the Ignite Cincinnati web page where videos and photos are being rolled out this week.

Ignite Cincinnati is just one Ignite event across the country and globe. There are Ignite communities in New Orleans, New York City, Cambridge, Denver, Detroit, and dozens of others.  The concept was created in Seattle by local entrepreneurs.

Ignite offers people from varied backgrounds a place to share and perhaps find support for their ideas.

"The IT Martini's and Public Relation Societies of America are great and I'm glad we have them. But more often than not people are networking inside of their own network. This is a chance for all kinds of different people to come together. We had a 22-year-old college grad who'd just started his own company, and a 78-year-old retiree and his wife. People of every color and every background were there," Ostoich said.

The first Ignite Cincinnati won't be the last; a series is scheduled for the year. The next one is set for March 3, at Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine. VIP tickets are $10, include two drink tickets and guarantee your spot at the event. Regular tickets are free but do not guarantee a spot if the event exceeds capacity. 

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Chris Ostoich Founder and CEO of Blackbook EMG

In the business world, "green" is the buzzword all around. But how many of these 'green' companies and retailers promote their brands, events and products on signs and materials that can clog landfills for decades?

A Cincinnati company, Worldwide Graphics and Sign offers a new line of earth friendly signage to help companies take that extra step in going green.

With its WorldGreen line, Worldwide Graphics is expanding its offerings for large and small companies. The line includes foamcore, indoor and outdoor boards, photo paper, flat sheet and roll products and more.

Worldwide Graphics developed WorldGreen along with experienced manufacturers. Some products are biodegradable and breakdown in landfills in three to six years (compared to tens or hundreds for much signage), some are products that are recyclable. Many are both.

"The look the same, they act the same (as traditional signage). The only difference is when it goes to a landfill," company owner Christian Bebee said.

The products are as high quality as traditional signage, and last nearly as long until exposed to a landfill environment. The biodegradable signage leaves behind a harmless biomass after it breaks down. Recyclable materials are made without harsh chemicals, wax or PVC coating.

"Traditionally in our world of graphics and signage, there really have never been green options until recently," Beebe said.

Formerly known as The Cincinnati Sign Company, the growing Over-the-Rhine company specializes in full digital printing onto everything from small outdoor banners to giant interior walls, and everything in between.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Christian Beebe, worldwide graphics owner

Working for yourself means you're the boss, and have no one looking over your shoulder.

It's one of the best things about running your own business. It's also one of the worst. Freelancing, independent contracting or consulting can be very rewarding, but also can be lonely or even boring, especially if you work solo in your home. And while office mates can sometimes cause distractions, those same people can help you get through a grueling day.

That's among the many reasons a group of Cincinnati young professionals recently launched Cincinnati Coworks, a community co-working concept where individual professionals can "get the job done" in a shared space once a week.

Cincinnati Coworks had its official launch Sept. 29, with a small group of workers, said co-founder Gerard Sychay, a Zipscene web developer. He got the idea after visiting Columbus, which has several co-working spaces, where entrepreneurs and techies, writers, attorneys and small business owners meet up.

"The concept is more than just renting an office space, it's a community hub for workers," said Sychay, who developed the idea along with Bill Barnett, the founder of  BudgetSketch.com.

Cincinnati Coworks happens every Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at  Venue222, 222 East 14th St, in Over-The-Rhine. The cost to work there - $10 - covers the use of the work space, snacks and amenities, including WiFi, and a separate room for private phone calls.

Cincinnati Cowork's ultimate goal is to have about 15 regulars, enough to lease a regular space where people could come every day, Sychay said. Future plans also include organizing networking and other events which would add value to an independent worker's business.

Cincinnati Coworks is gauging interest in the concept, possible future location, cost and amenities with an online survey. Click here and weigh in.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Gerard Sychay, co founder Cincinnati Coworks

Leapfrog Interactive, an interactive brand marketing company with offices in Louisville and Boston, has purchased Cincinnati’s Metaphor Studio.

"By infusing metaphor’s expertise and process, we’ll give our clients new ways of looking at their customers in the digital space and show them how to use that knowledge to cut through the clutter and engage directly with the consumer,” said Leapfrog’s CEO Daniel Knapp.

Metaphor has been in Over-The-Rhine since 1997; as Leapfrog it will continue to operate out of its 538 Reading Road office.

“A combination of strategic vision and roll-up-your sleeves doing is what every client wants,” said Suzanne Beane, Metaphor’s SVP/Chief Strategy Officer who will direct Leapfrog’s Cincinnati office. “We feel that this acquisition will increase our capacity to do just that on a daily basis.”

Metaphor Studio specializes in building brand communities through a proprietary process,  Community Experience Development, founded on “technology, brand strategy and inclusion.” The company’s previous clients include Fifth Third Bank, WellPoint, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the University of Cincinnati and 3CDC.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of the LeapFrog team,” said Metaphor founder Ran Mullins. “Both companies have years of experience with interactive. Our intent is for Metaphor’s brand performance background to enhance what LFI already does.”

Mullins will remain with the company.

LeapFrog Interactive was established 1999 in Louisville, and now employs 75. It’s been named one of the country’s fastest growing companies by Inc. Magazine three years in a row

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Leapfrog Interactive

Cincinnati city officials, along with the local African American Chamber and other prominent organizations, have announced more than $200 million in contracts open to small and minority businesses, in part to boost the percentage of minority-owned companies that do work with the city.

The city unveiled more than 700 contract opportunities recently during a meeting hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky African American Chamber and the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati.

"The City has provided a list of immediate, short and long term projects that include a broad range of trades and industries such as professional services, supplies, equipment installation, and construction. These contracts are sized to allow greater participation from smaller companies and can encourage collaborative efforts with other business owners," says Rea Waldon, Senior Vice President of Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship at the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati.

The contract opportunities are part of the Small Business Enterprise program and are open to any small business with a fixed office in Hamilton County. Find out more about those opportunities here.

The city's announcement followed a revamping of the program, with input from the African-American, Hispanic and Regional chamber, minority business owners and others.

"We are making progress toward our goal of having more city contracts accessible for qualified SBE business owners. The City promised a full scope of business opportunities that are sized to minority and small business owners' capacity giving them the best opportunity to compete for City contracts," said African American Chamber President Sean Rugless. 

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: The African-American Chamber of Commerce