Evan Wallis, Author at Soapbox

Evan Wallis's Latest Articles

Branding ‘Vikings’ land in OTR

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June 12, 2012

The Vikings are coming to OTR, and you'd better get ready. Jason Snell and Mike Gibboney, two veterans of the branding and marketing world, are opening up a storefront office for their "creative house", We Have Become Vikings, on 1417 Vine Street. Until now, Gibboney and Snell have been working remotely on both national and local products, but decided it was time to build more of a presence in Cincinnati. Snell, a former employee at Lightborne and Possible Worldwide, decided he wanted to stick around Cincinnati and build his own company. In 2007, when his focus on clients in New York, Austin, Los Angeles and Portland, almost led Snell to skip town and set up shop elsewhere. But friends and family anchored him in Cincinnati. Gibboney left his job as a higher-education administrator last year to pursue a career in advertising; he freelanced for Empower MediaMarketing and started conversations with Snell about working together. The first large project the two worked on was a campaign from Cincinnati to Austin for South By Southwest. They called it "Down." WHBV worked with Landor to create a day party full of Cincinnati bands, and even drove a flatbed truck into downtown Austin from which they gave away 100 guitars.. "We just wanted to make a big splash," Snell says. "After that went well, we decided it was time to open up a storefront." But what about that name? We Have Become Vikings doesn't exactly roll off the tongue easily. Snell says it was inspired by small ad firms in New York with eye-catching names--and the ubiquitous nature of advertising. "As a society, branding and advertising has kind of taken over the world, just like Vikings," Snell says. "It's come into everyone's life, whether you like it or not. [The name] also makes for some badass graphics." Just take a look at the faceless Viking decal on both the storefront windows. The duo's website lists six areas of expertise, ranging from animation to branding, but Snell says he wants to be known as a full-service branding agency. "With branding, you can really make someone and their company realize their full potential," Snell says. "We can help people portray exactly what they want to be." By Evan Wallis

ThisIsOTR Instagrams Over-the-Rhine

By Evan Wallis

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Arts + Culture

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June 5, 2012

"What's it really like?" That single question sparked a new photo-streaming website, ThisisOtr.com. The site automatically aggregates photos from Instagram if they are tagged with the hashtag #ThisIsOtr. The simple website was brought to life by two Urban Sites employees, Mia Carruthers and Michael Chewning. Carruthers, an OTR resident, says she was tired of answering questions from people who hadn't visited the neighborhood recently. "I wanted a way to show people that don't live here and maybe don't know what is going on in OTR right now what this place really is," Carruthers says. "You can say it to anyone, but until they see it from people who enjoy OTR, they're not going to get it." With that in mind, the two asked a friend if making the website was possible. Soon after, it was up and running. After posting the website on their Facebook pages, it quickly gained traction on social media. After launching last week, the website already has dozens of photos of the buildings, people and art in Over-the-Rhine. Urban Sites manages properties for more than 500 residents and will be opening up 23 new apartments on Walnut Street in the coming months. Chewning says they also thought of making the website as a way to give all of Urban Sites' residents a way to connect. With it already in the public domain, though, it can connect the entire community. "We've seen pictures from a lot of people we didn't even know lived in OTR," Carruthers says. "Now I want to meet them all. I think it will be a great way for people to network, and it really showed us that there are people who feel the same way we do about OTR and want others to see that, too." By Evan Wallis (Follow him on Twitter)

Synthesis Architecture builds new projects on old foundations

By Evan Wallis

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Architecture + Design

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June 5, 2012

Step into the 450-square-foot office of Synthesis Architects and you will immediately see some Cincinnati history, in the form dozens of rolled up blueprints. The blueprints are those of Carl Strauss, a Cincinnati-based architect who become known for his modern residential designs. Alexander Christoforidis, who worked under Strauss for five years, formed Synthesis after Strauss retired in 2001. "I committed to staying in Cincinnati, and I had a great opportunity to create my own firm," Christoforidis says. Christoforidis and his partner, Nodas Papadimas, along with two employees, renovated their office, the same Mt. Adams office Strauss occupied, and are in the process of launching a new website. Synthesis works mostly on residential design, as well as Byzantine-style churches. Christoforidis had a specialty in Byzantine church design and began to search for work from local churches. After finding new clients and doubling business each of the first two years, Synthesis was off the ground and has continued to design churches, as well as more than 100 private residences. In 2005, Christoforidis was hired by the University of Cincinnati and helped develop the Master of Architecture and Urban Planning program, which was the first Masters course at UC with a mandatory co-op. Two students who took the course, and then co-opped for Christoforidis are now full-time employees at Synthesis. Steve Stidham and Trang Vo have had big roles in the formation of the company, Christoforidis says. Christoforidis and Papadimas are both Greek and named the business Synthesis because of the Greek roots of the word and its meaning. "We try to blend the environment around a project with out experience and the needs of the client," Christoforidis says. "The word [Synthesis] really describes how we work and the work we produce. We try to take everything we can into account." Papadimas says he begins every project with sketches, but by the end of the design process, there are complete 3D renderings of the project so both clients and builders can envision the end product. "Just like our office blends the old work of Strauss and our new renovations," Papadimas says. "Our work does the same. We always blend the old with the new." By Evan Wallis

Gateway College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter wins national awards

By Evan Wallis

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Diversity

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June 5, 2012

In the school's first appearance at the Phi Theta Kappa regional awards, Gateway Community and Technical College brought home top national honors. Gateway’s Beta Pi Tau chapter received the Distinguished Chapter award, Honors in Action award, and College Project award along with various chapter development awards. Bobbie Stubbeman of Walton, Gateway chapter president, won the Distinguished Chapter Officer award for the Kentucky region. The chapter also earned one of only four nationally awarded Honors Case Study Challenges. This was the first time a Kentucky region chapter earned one of these awards. The Honors Case Study Challenge was awarded for the chapter's case study on The Effects of Information and Perceptions on US-Mexican Foreign Policy. "This project really gave our students a way to go beyond what they were learning in class," says Jessica Glover, the Gateway graduate who started the chapter in 2008. Phi Theta Kappa was formed in 1918 as a way to recognize and encourage students at two-year colleges. Since her graduation, Glover has been employed by Gateway as a student affairs assistant and is the Phi Theta Kappa advisor. Since founded, more than 600 students have accepted membership and the chapter now has between 25 and 30 active officers and members. Beyond education, Beta Pi Tau also works to serve as ambassadors to fellow students, which won them the College Project Award. Members also participate in fundraisers for various causes. The most recent fundraiser was the Kenton County Relay For Life, which raised more than $1,000 for the American Cancer Society and brought more than 50 students and faculty members out to walk from 6 pm until 6am. "One of the biggest benefits we see is that when people are more engaged in projects outside of class is the increased graduation rate," says Margaret Thomson, director of marketing and public relations for Gateway. "Being a part of Phi Theta Kappa gives is important to give students scholarly and relevant ways to grow." Do Good: Give: to Gateway and help with everything from scholarships to building funds. Become: a member of your Phi Theta Kappa Chapter.

Local chef fuses food and art

By Evan Wallis

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Arts + Culture

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May 22, 2012

Frances Kroner knows food. She's been working in restaurants since she was 14. While running Picnic and Pantry and revamping the Northside Farmers' Market, Kroner has also been building her in-house dinner party business, Feast. The idea is simple. Come into someone's home, use their kitchen and create an unforgettable themed meal. Through ideas like "Adventures in Food Cartography" and "Eat My Song," Kroner comes up with ideas that allow her to orchestrate a dining experience from start to finish. "It's any chefs dream to hear someone say, 'I hated beets until tonight." Kroner says. "Feast was born out the idea that if you tailor not only the food, but the environment, too, you have a lot more to work with and create a memorable experience." Before starting at Picnic and Pantry two years ago, Kroner had created nearly 50 Feasts in people's homes. They became less frequent after working at Picnic and Pantry. People began to ask her when she was going to begin doing more Feasts, so she began to rethink her strategy. After being recommended by a previous SpringBoard graduate, Kroner looked to ArtWork's entrepreneurial classes for a new business plan. "I went to culinary not business school," says Kroner. "It just became apparent that this was the perfect time to relaunch Feast." Now, Kroner will be trying to do one of her own Feasts each month in a business or a friend's home as well as going into clients homes' for private dinner parties. Since graduating from the most recent SpringBoard course, Kroner, also a new mother, has created one Feast each week. Kroner tries to include some sort of performance art in each Feast. A recent meal included a juggler, and "Edible Music Theory" allowed local musician Peter Adams to work with Kroner to create a menu that helped further define 12 elements of music theory -- guests were given a description of the element, then played examples as they tasted each course. "I want to keep looking for new ways to fuse food and art," Kroner says. By Evan Wallis

Cincy Coworks brings indie workers together

By Evan Wallis

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Architecture + Design

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May 22, 2012

American entrepreneurial activity in 2009 was at it's highest point in 14 years, according to an article in The Atlantic. Freelance job postings have risen dramatically as well. Despite the value of independence in work, one simple loss for freelancers and one-person businesses is a byproduct of their careers: the lack workplace camaraderie. Bill Barnett and Gerard Sychay both had this problem. The pair of web developers were tired of working from home and not having anyone to talk to to or go take a break and get lunch with. With this in mind, set out to make Cincy Coworks. It started as a once-a-week meet up in Over-the-Rhine and brought together nearly 20 people to work together for the day. After a few months of successful meet-ups, Cincy Coworks moved into its own space in June 2010 with six people committing to sharing the space. After outgrowing the small space, Cincy Coworks moved to its present location in Walnut Hills in April 2011. Presently, five people, including developers and writers, share the space, which allows for part and full-time rentals. Cincy Coworks even offers student rates of only $25 per month. "Cincy Coworks is about bringing people of different disciplines together," says co-founder Sychay. "We like all things creative. Bringing all these people together can help us to raise the city's profile." He sees strength in the diversity of talents in both the community workspace and in events Cincy Coworks sponsors, such as Queen City Merge, which took place last week. QC Merge worked to bring people of all different web expertises together. "No one ever hangs out together across their lines of designs or developers," Sychay says. "As a developer myself, I have so many moments where I think how much easier something would be if I had a designer right next to me. If you bring all these people together, I think businesses will start to come together." Sychay poses the most important question Cincinnati needs to face now as this: If New York is the financial capital of the country, Austin is the musical capital, and Los Angeles is the entertainment capital, what is Cincinnati? By Evan Wallis

Reser Bicycle pedals across the river

By Evan Wallis

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Development News

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May 22, 2012

As Bike Month concludes, Reser Bicycle expands its bicycle knowledge and advocacy into the heart of Over the Rhine. Opening in the first week of June, the second Reser location will be at 1419 Vine St. Reser has been located on Monmouth Street in Newport since owner Jason Reser opened up shop in 2000. Reser has always focused on advocating for a more bike-friendly city; he serves on the board of Queen City Bike. After partnering with new co-owner Bryan Horton, the pair decided an expansion was necessary, and OTR was the prime spot. "We have a lot of customers from the downtown area, so it seemed like the best place to expand," Horton says. "The support from the neighborhood has been incredible. We had a booth at the OTR 5k Summer Celebration and got a lot of positive feedback. We're excited to open up." The 1,000-square-foot OTR store won't be a simple extension of the Newport location. It will have a heavier focus on commuter and used bikes for the urban environment of OTR. About a quarter of the space will be dedicated to selling used bikes, which will vary from road to mountain to commuter bikes based on availability. The shop will also house a large selection of Public Brand bicycles, a simple, everyday bicycle. There will also be cross-merchandising so customers know what sort of products the Newport Reser has available. "We want to give people the kind of bikes they want to ride around the city," Horton says. Beyond bringing bicycles, Horton also hopes the bicycle shop will add to the sense of community on Vine Street. "Not only will it help more people get encouraged to get on their bicycle," Horton says, "I think it sends a positive message that businesses besides restaurants are going to invest in the city. We even have plans down the road to continue to grow." By Evan Wallis

Keystone Community Garden supplies food kitchens

By Evan Wallis

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For Good

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May 22, 2012

Every Earth Day for the past fives years, Neyer Properties has held events or educational seminars to promote sustainable lifestyles, but last year company employees decided they needed to give back to the community. So, they built the one-acre Keystone Community Garden outside their office in Evanston. According to Neyer Properties, a development company that builds or redevelops only LEED-certified projects, community involvement is a big part of sustainability. That's why they used the land they had available as the garden site and recruited company volunteers to maintain it. The garden now supplies OTR and Walnut Hills Kitchens and Pantry with produce. While many food pantries and soup kitchens are forced to shut down in the summer months because of lack of air conditioning, the OTR kitchen has been serving meals through the heat since 1976. Now serving more than 4,000 meals per week, the OTR kitchen gets a much needed produce delivery of peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers and squash after 50 volunteers to tend the garden through the summer. “We rarely receive fresh produce to prepare for our meals or to distribute to our guests in their groceries,” says Patricia Wakim, executive director of the OTR and Walnut Hills Kitchens and Pantry. “We are absolutely thrilled to be the recipient of the produce from the Keystone Community Garden again this year.” This is the second year that the OTR and Walnut Hills kitchen will receive the produce from Keystone Community Garden. Volunteers log more than 50,000 volunteer hours each year in the effort that is almost entirely sustained through private monetary donations and donations from local grocery stores and restaurants. "It's just the right thing to do," says Karman Stahl, director of asset management for Neyer Properties. "Doing something for those that have less is just something that is necessary to our company." Do Good: Volunteer: at any of the soup kitche's locations. Donate: and help keep Cincinnati's oldest soup kitchen well-stocked. Take a look: at the wish list and see if you have any items you can donate. By Evan Wallis

Metro creates greener bus fleet

By Evan Wallis

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Environment + Sustainability

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May 15, 2012

This week, Metro introduces five new buses to its fleet. These buses employ a new technology named "mini-hybrid." The buses aren't smaller, nor are they hybrid, but they do get almost the same MPG as hybrids, as well as cost $240,000 less than a hybrid bus. The technology was developed by Engineered Machined Products and uses an electrically powered cooling fan, which would normally be powered hydraulically and take horsepower from the engine. The mini-hybrid buses still run on diesel fuel, but get gas mileage closely comparable to that of a hybrid. "It's basically like running the air-conditioner in your car without using the power it takes from the engine," says Daron Brown, quality assurance manager for Metro. Metro is one of the first transit agencies in the country to obtain a Clean Fuels Grant, which is normally given for the purchase of hybrid buses, for the mini-hybrid technology. Brown put together a report suggesting that the new technology will give a six to seven percent increase on fuel economy compared to traditional diesel buses, while hybrid buses get about 10 percent better MPG. The Federal Transit Authority requires that buses must have at least a 12-year life before being replaced and Metro now has 70 at the 12-year mark. With a total fleet of 345 buses, Metro looks to replace 30 buses per year and has 40 more mini-hybrid buses joining the fleet in coming months. The money saved by purchasing mini-hybrid buses will allow Metro to replace more old buses and create a greener fleet. "From now on, all of the buses we purchase will have this technology," Brown says. "We try to get 30 to 35 new buses each year. If we get funding that says we must purchase a hybrid bus, obviously we will, but the mini-hybrid buses give us a cheaper option to replace buses with a more environmentally friendly option." By Evan Wallis (Follow him on Twitter)

Core Clay shapes business in Walnut Hills

By Evan Wallis

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Architecture + Design

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May 15, 2012

Laura Davis may run the only business in town that can claim it sells dust. Core Clay opened on Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills in June 2005 to provide a live-work space for Davis and her boyfriend, Justin Poole. Since then, it has continued to grow into a successful business. The original idea was to sell pottery supplies and products and have a space to teach classes. Since she worked in such a large space, friends started asking Davis if they could rent studio space, which eventually led into the transformation of the basement into a collective studio. Today, it normally houses 25 artists who rent space on a month-to-month basis. In addition, Core Clay has employed an artist-in-residence since 2009 and offers both beginner and advanced level classes. Core Clay also creates clay on-site. In a further effort to expand, Davis enrolled in ArtWork's SpringBoard class. While the business has been growing, Davis says she enrolled to get more business know-how. Current plans are to improve signage, expand marketing and build a bigger in-store product line. "You can sit and ask a lawyer questions for two hours," Davis says. "That alone is worth the cost of the class." Davis and Poole settled on Walnut Hills after searching in Florence, Camp Washington and beyond, and have since seen the neighborhood change around them. "Our building was a source of crime in the neighborhood," Davis says. "We have made changes and taken the grates off the windows. We want the neighborhood to know we are friendly in here." After cleaning up the Core Clay building, Davis found that another vacant building next door had become a source of trouble in the neighborhood and decided to purchase the building out of foreclosure. In 2010, the building was opened as a intentional community of live-work spaces for artists. Some parts of the building are still being renovated, but once finished, it will house nine units. By Evan Wallis (Follow him on Twitter)