Rick Bird

Rick Bird's Latest Articles

Xavier’s MedCon Brings Global Medical Device Ideas Here

By Rick Bird

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Higher Education

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May 3, 2010

Medical device makers from all over the world are coming to an all-star event this month at Xavier University. "MedCon 2010: A Global Conference for Medical Device Makers" will host over 70 companies who will get a rare chance to meet face-to-face with U.S. and international officials who regulate and approve their products for market. The first time gathering of these innovative thinkers and the government regulators who keep them in business puts Xavier University on the biotech resource map.  

Cincinnati Illustrated

By Rick Bird

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Architecture + Design

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February 2, 2010

The names of Cincinnatians  C.F. Payne, Loren Long or Robert McGinnis may not be instantly reconizable to most people. But the three are rock stars of the illustration world. It goes deeper. Turns out our region has a plethora of first-class illustrators and graphic artists who choose to call Cincinnati home. Their work is not always well-known in town, even in local business and marketing circles.

Esprit de Corps

By Rick Bird

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Talent

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September 15, 2009

Out of work and making and making a difference. That’s what some unemployed and retired business people are doing, getting involved with one of the region’s most unique business service organziations - a nonprofit that uses local executive talent to help other nonprofits. And there are plenty that could use the help with over 10,731 501(c) organizations in the region.

Breaking the Coffee Chain

By Rick Bird

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Entrepreneurship

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August 25, 2009

It would seem the coffee shop business is nearly recession-proof. At least that's what Tony Tausch is finding as the owner of three Cincinnati Coffee Emporium shops and a growing wholesale business for his own roasted coffee beans. Taush is beating the recession one cup at a time while giving the big chain roasters a lesson in coffee craftmanship.

The Little Blues Festival that Could

By Rick Bird

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Arts + Culture

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August 4, 2009

The Cincinnati volunteer spirit is alive and well as witnessed by this weekend’s 17th Cincy Blues Fest - the city’s largest nonprofit, all-volunteer run musical event of the year. Hundreds of volunteers turn out because--like Jake and Elwood from the Blues Brothers—they are on a “mission from God;” A mission to spread the word about America’s true indigenous roots music.

Exporting the Cincinnati Blues Sound

By Rick Bird

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Arts + Culture

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February 3, 2009

Three Cincinnati area blues musicians will be taking some ivory to Memphis this week. The "home of the blues" will hear a uniquely Cincinnati sound - rollicking, bawdy blues piano. It is a bit of a coincidence, but all three area entries this year at the prestigious International Blues Challenge are piano players. All three are also veteran performers, who stand a good chance to go far in the competition, as they carry on a remarkable Cincinnati piano blues tradition.

The return of Midpoint!

By Rick Bird

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General

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September 23, 2008

All downtown is a stage this year for organizers of the Midpoint Music Festival expanding the six-year-old indie band bacchanalia into several central downtown venues in addition to maintaining its Over- the-Rhine base. It amounts to one of the Midwest’s largest three-day showcases for alternative and indie rock in a walkable, urban environment that will highlight downtown Cincinnati venues, not to mention over 185 original music acts.

A vinyl daze is returning

By Rick Bird

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General

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June 17, 2008

The vinyl record is making a comeback, fueled by the MP3 generation re-discovering the classic LP. That’s good news for the neighborhood record store, like Everybody’s Records in Pleasant Ridge celebrating its 30th anniversary this month.

New Cincinnati music venue sets tone for next wave of live concert experience

By Rick Bird

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Architecture + Design

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May 20, 2008

With the music world getting more fragmented and niche-oriented, fewer groups are capabale of selling out the big arenas. The mid-size venue is becoming where the action is. Enter the 4,100 National City Pavilion at Riverbend, which could energize the local concert scene filling a void in the market for a unique theater-amphitheater hybrid venue.

Rockers who run

By Rick Bird

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General

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April 29, 2008

Some rockers in the Cincinnati area are truly born to run, countering the popular image of the slacker musician. At least three well-known Cincinnati musicians will run the Flying Pig Marathon Sunday saying the running-rocker culture is a a lot more helpful for the creative process than a bottle of Wild Turkey.