From digital pros to sleep-deprived StartUp Bus riders, Cincinnatians at SXSW Interactive staked a claim at the country's premier showcase of new ideas and cool technologies destined to shape the way we live, work and play. Soapbox gives you exclusive insights from five attendees about what it was like to live the SXSW Interactive experience.
Rodney D'Souza is building a hive in Northern Kentucky. His new INKUbator at Northern Kentucky University is designed to help students turn their ideas into feasible business proposals and prepare them for the competitive world of startup accelerators. He explains his brainchild to Soapbox's Elissa Yancey.
Four University of Cincinnati students won the bronze at the Acara Challenge in Minnesota on Feb. 3, advancing the team to the final round in India this summer. They were awarded two paid scholarships, as well as up to $1,000 in matching funds to attend the final round. The four students, all enrolled in a multidisciplinary course at UC, proposed the “Renew Trash Compactor,” a new product and service that reduces trash, increases recycling, improves sanitation and generates income for the Padli Gujar village in India. Read the full story of their journey to the finals here.
As he steps in to the newly created role of general manager of The Brandery in OTR, Mike Bott, at just 30, is ready to give ambitious startups the tools they need to survive, and thrive, in Cincinnati.
Whether she’s helping design Cincinnati’s newest riverfront park or transforming hospitals by blending graphic and industrial design with architecture, Kelly Kolar revels in integrating her passions to create massive, holistic change.
He's been a stockbroker and lived in a flop house, but the most audacious experiences for University Hospital's chief psychiatric resident stem from his life as Johnny Walker, a punk blues rock guitarist who has toured with the White Stripes and the MC5. His newest gig? Helping build an artists' collective in an old Masonic Lodge in Dayton, Kentucky.
Soapbox proffers a '12 things to watch' list for 2012. Read and weigh in on what we did, and did not, include.
Northside born-and-raised Kate Riddle finally has a room of her own. Actually, she has a whole building full of rooms. The owner/operator of the newly launched Tantrum on Hamilton Avenue didn’t just open her first business late last year, she bought the building to house it. Buying the whole building, the savvy seller noted, seemed the best path to sustainability in “retail tetris” of her home hood. “I am buying myself a career,” says Riddle, 31. Located next door to Sidewinder, Tantrum occupies the space that had a brief life as Vick’s Flea Mart. Before that, it was Bughouse Video, and prior to that, Ali’s Boutique. Riddle, who worked at Ali’s, wanted to create a space where neighborhood residents could shop, whether they needed a quick cool gift or a treat for themselves. “We’re a little bit punk rock; we are a little bit country granola,” Riddle says. She sells patchwork hand-made Fair Trade children’s clothing and vegan body care alongside eco-friendly Engage Green bags made from recycled plastic. Since her focus is on families, she stocks a few toys, too—German Haba toys, both because of their quality and because she could tie it back to her own family and donate five percent of their sales to the Fairview German Language School, where her daughter attends. The shop’s name, though, had another inspiration: her 3-year-old son with business and life partner Joe Wenker. Both the toddler and Riddle’s daughter can often be found in the store’s main room or in a not-so-secret playroom in the back. Riddle, who is also a body artist, plans to offer henna body painting in the space when the weather warms. She’ll also start stocking kilts soon, and encourages shoppers to check back regularly for new gift ideas and products in a range of prices. “We are going to be here for a while,” she says. “I have a lot more fun and funky stuff planned.” Tantrum is located at 4183 Hamilton Ave. Hours are Sun-Mon noon-5 p.m., Tues-Sat 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information, email haveatantrum@gmail.com. By Elissa Yancey Follow Elissa on Twitter
As we end 2011 and look forward to an exciting and progressive 2012 in Cincinnati, everyone here at Soapbox wishes you and yours a wonderful, peaceful and safe holiday season. We'll be back in January to share the next big things coming to town, but in the meantime, browse through a collection of our favorite stories of 2011 in Development News, Innovation and Job News and For Good.
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