Diversity

Transplants Breathe New Life Into Cincinnati

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April 13, 2010

People move to Cincinnati for the cost of living and the family-friendly atmosphere, right? While our cozy neighborhoods and steady real estate market continue to rate high marks nationally, that's the old story about what's bringing transplants to Cincinnati. Forward-thinking companies with an international presence are drawing in many of Cincinnati's newest residents who can't stop talking about Fountain Square, our extensive park system, the Symphony, hot independent restaurants and more once they get here. Hailing from Minnesota, Los Angeles, Florida, and even Kenya, Soapbox takes a look at four recent transplants and finds out what attracted them to their newly adopted city.

Latest in Diversity

Civil Rights Game big for Cincinnati

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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April 13, 2010

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker is excited about the return of MLB's Civil Rights Game to Cincinnati for the second consecutive year, and sees the weekend of events as a positive thing for a city with a rich Civil Rights history. MLB Commissioner walked away from last year's Civil Rights Game impressed with Cincinnati's ability to host marque events and decided to send the game back to Cincinnati in 2010, and vowed to get an All-Star Game back to the Queen City. Read full article here.

The Voice of Your Customer blazes a new trail in niche market research

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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April 13, 2010

For Crystal Kendrick, market research means a lot more than making a buck. Her firm, The Voice of Your Customer, uses a variety of strategies to pinpoint the needs and buying habits of niche markets. By giving a voice to the less-heard consumer groups, Kendrick is making a difference she's proud of. "It's the voice of the unheard," says Kendrick. "And it's not always racial minorities or poverty groups. We also deal with the wealthiest, most exclusive customer. They're just a population not involved in traditional markets." The Voice of Your Customer finds the needs and desires of specific demographic groups through secret shopping, surveys, and focus groups. The firm also empowers organizations to reach these markets through training seminars and media campaigns. Government contracts are a vital business base for The Voice of Your Customer. A series of projects for the State of Ohio promoted healthy lifestyles among rural populations in Appalachian counties. VOYC also teamed with a federal consumer protection agency to bust a calling card scam. They hired residents of seven foreign countries to test calling cards, proving they didn't include the number of minutes advertised. The findings from this study were used in court proceedings against the fraudulent card sellers.Kendrick was born in Cincinnati, but grew up in suburban Philadelphia. She moved back here in 1993 for grad school at NKU. In 2005, Kendrick began secret shopping and handling media work for nonprofits while working days in the corporate world. In 2007, the business reached a tipping point of growth, and Kendrick made a "leap of faith" by making The Voice of Your Customer a full-time endeavor. The Voice of Your Customer's Walnut Hills office is in a federally-qualified HUB Zone. Kendrick has secured a variety of certifications for VOYC, including Minority Business Enterprise, Women's Business Enterprise, and EDGE (Encouraging Diversity, Growth, and Equity). "Being a member of an underserved community gives me perspective on how to reach those communities," says Kendrick. VOYC's volunteer involvement includes work with the Cincinnati Herald, The Links, Delta Sigma Theta, and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.In a strategic location like Greater Cincinnati, Kendrick sees the circle of her influence expanding. Adding two more employees to her staff of five is a key goal for 2010. "Cincinnati is so affordable, and with so many companies headquartered here, there are so many opportunities in the business-to-business environment," she says.Writer: Elena StevensonSource: Crystal L. Kendrick, President, The Voice of Your Customer

Local business leaders launch Indian American Chamber of Commerce

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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April 6, 2010

The Indian community is becoming a growing part of Cincinnati, and of the local business community. As the Southeast Asian country continues to increase in wealth and influence, more Americans are looking to do business with Indian companies.Those are just a couple of reasons a group of local professionals are launching the Indian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The organization will host a membership kickoff event May 5, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Elements Conference Centre, 11974 Lebanon Road in Sharonville.Currently there are 2,500 Indian families living in Greater Cincinnati, according to Indian Chamber board members. That's a small, but growing and influential group, said president Rayan Coutinho, an attorney at Wood and Lamping who is originally from Bombay."Nationally, more than 60 percent of Indians have a bachelors degree, and more than 40 percent have a master's or doctorate degree," said Coutinho. In addition Indian workers and entrepreneurs in America have a significant presence in the medical, hotel/hospitality and high tech fields, he added.The Chamber 's aim is to bring together Indian-born and ethnic Indian Americans, as well as any Americans in Cincinnati who'd like to network and create business opportunities with the Indian community, Coutinho said."We're not limiting the membership; of course it is focused on Indian business. But we think what is good for Cincinnati is good for the local Indian business community. The Hispanic Chamber does a fantastic job of that and we hope to emulate that," Coutinho said.The new Chamber also aims to be the starting point for Indian companies that want to do business with Cincinnati or vice versa."We're trying to provide a one-stop shop for information. For instance, there is an Indian company that wants to set up a software company in Cincinnati, we would give them the information to get started," he said.The Indian Chamber has a seven-member board representing various business sectors and regions of India. It will be housed at D.A.G. Construction in Winton Place, where Chamber Board member Lindsay Wilhelm works as Marketing Director.The Chamber plans to launch its web page sometime this week.Writer: Feoshia Henderson Sources: Indian Chamber of Commerce board members Rayan Coutinho and Lindsay Wilhelm You can follow Feoshia on twitter here.

Hispanic 100 Initiative helps Latino professionals branch out

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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March 30, 2010

The Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA is looking for a few good men and women - a hundred, in fact. HCCUSA's Hispanics for Community Engagement, also known as the Hispanic 100 Initiative, will identify, guide, and mentor a hundred Hispanic businesspeople, positioning them for leadership in greater Cincinnati organizations.Alfonso Cornejo, president of the Hispanic Chamber, described his vision for the Hispanic 100. "We want to enroll fifty women, and fifty men - half from Fortune 500 companies, and half from small businesses." He plans to divide this mix into affinity groups based on common interests, such as sports or the arts. When organizations from around Cincinnati call the Hispanic Chamber in need of volunteers, Cornejo and his staff will have teams ready to go. If an organization is looking for Hispanic representation on their board, the Chamber can easily recommend a talented leader. The Hispanic 100 will also sponsor group outings to build community and increase visibility of Latinos at local events. Observing that many Spanish-speaking countries lack a strong system of nonprofits, Cornejo hopes to build up volunteer work as a new tradition for Hispanic Americans. After emigrating from Mexico, he came to Cincinnati through employment at P&G. He's spent the last nine years operating his own consulting firm, specializing in human resources and Latin American business. The Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA was founded fourteen years ago; its mission is to promote the creation and growth of Hispanic companies. It's the largest Hispanic chamber in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Cornejo has served as Board President for the last seven years; his enthusiasm for the growth of the Hispanic Chamber is contagious. "We're making Cincinnati a more welcoming city for immigrants," said Cornejo. "We can show the world how beautiful this city is." Writer: Elena StevensonSource: Alfonso Cornejo, Board President, Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA

It’s No Secret: Cincinnati’s Underground Ideas Come to Light

By Jeremy Mosher

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Arts + Culture

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March 23, 2010

Two entrepreneurs, Chris Ostoich and Joe Pantuso, have been convening local talent to share their Cincinnati secrets and big ideas with the rest of the world. Whether through installments 1 & 2 of Ignite Cincinnati, or with their web based Secret Cincinnati campaign, they've hit a nerve with creatives in the city and inspired a new culture of ideas. Soapbox hung out during the Secret Cincinnati 72 hour weekend kick off in March to learn more about the people behind the project, and the ideas they're germinating.

Soapdish: Neighborhood Gem in North Avondale

By Casey Coston

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Architecture + Design

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March 16, 2010

Soapdish columnist Casey Coston finds a gem of a Cincinnati neighborhood in his own backyard. Coston says North Avondale not only contains century old magnificient architecture, but is one of the more diverse neighborhoods in the Queen City and home to nationally recognized educational opportunities for young families. But don't just take his word for it - this historic neighborhood is also home to a cluster of creative and business types who make Cincinnati go.

Changing the Cincinnati Conversation through Art

By Michael Kearns

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Arts + Culture

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March 16, 2010

How would you change the conversation about Cincinnati? One artist, Ethan Philbrick, uses his artistic training and a novel project involving local high school students to make us think differently.

Innovation’s the word at South Ohio Society of Women Engineers Conference

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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March 16, 2010

Innovation, and how to cultivate and creatively use it, will be the topic of conversation at the South Ohio Society of Women Engineers Spring conference."The world is changing fast. Consumers want more from companies, but want to spend less. It's through innovation that we can provide superior products to consumers," explained Margaret Adriatico, South Ohio SWE social chair. "Innovation is about changing and improving lives by bringing new and better things to consumers."The third annual spring conference is quickly becoming SWE's signature event. Last year it attracted 100 attendees from Greater Cincinnati and Dayton. This year's goal is to bring in 150. This year's keynote speaker is Brett Bonner, Kroger's resident chief of R&D. He'll speak on why innovation is imperative to a successful business. Doug Brownstone, of Eureka Ranch, and Jim Sinclair and Tom Hortel of Zenovate will also present."We'll be talking about the difference between breakthrough innovations and step change innovations. We can go along step by step in innovation, but what most companies are looking for is breakthrough. So we'll talk about what kind of culture you need, and the kind of people that it takes to cultivate those breakthrough innovation," Adriatico said.The conference is eligible for continuing education credits, and will include a course outline and certificate of completion. It starts at 8 a.m. at Cincinnati Marriott North, 6189 Muhlhauser Rd, in West Chester. The cost is $75 for SWE members, $100 for non-members and $55 for students. It's open to both men and women and to non-engineers.You can register here for the conference before April 1. Afterward, registrations will incur a $20 surcharge.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Margaret Adriatico, South Ohio SWE social chair

Cincinnati Wine Entrepreneur Finds Inspiration In Heritage

By Sean Rhiney

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Arts + Culture

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March 9, 2010

Heritage Link Brands is the largest importer of wines from South Africa - and has distinguished itself as an importer of the only black owned family vineyards from that region. The idea for this blend of unique wine offerings and socially conscious importing came from a pair of Procter & Gamble marketing professionals, Selena and Khary Cuffe, who have taken the global lessons learned from their time at P&G to start a business that makes a difference.