Entrepreneurship

Cincinnati Museum of Advertising could take root in OTR

Pete Blackshaw, excecutive vice president for Nielsen Online Digital Services has a dream of creating a museum in Over-the-Rhine that would preserve the history of Cincinnati’s role in the development of the advertising industry. Still in the planning stage, the proposed Cincinnati Museum of Advertising would feature the contributions of such industry leaders as Procter & Gamble Co., Crosley Corp., U.S. Playing Card Co. and Kenner Products. Click here to read the full here. Writer: Jeff Syroney Source: Business Courier

CinciMedia, 3D tech, and the Pride of Cincinnati

What do Lithuania, a local university, and a poorly thrown Frisbee have in common? Find out what Karl Treier had in mind as he took the reins of CinciMedia, and as CEO, relocated its headquarters here.

Port’s Robb honored for minority enterprise advocacy

Deborah Robb, director of economic inclusion for the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, has received the Advocate of the Year award from the South Central Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council (SCOMSDC).Selected by the SCOMSDC Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee, Advocate of the Year winners are recognized for their voluntary efforts to advance minority businesses and to support and motivate their colleagues and minority business enterprises to participate in the SCOMSDC. "We selected Deborah as our Advocate of the Year due to her tireless efforts at the Port Authority, where she works diligently to get minority business enterprises significantly involved in all Port projects, as well as non-Port projects, throughout the region," says Jenéa Norris Allen, president of the SCOMSDC.In addition to her work at the Port, Robb chairs the SCOMSDC Cincinnati Local Advisory Committee and serves on the Certification Committee.She also co-chaired the 2008 Construction Summit, led the Corporation Minority Business Enterprise Forum, and served on the SCOMSDC Gala Committee."I am honored to have been selected as the first recipient of SCOMSDC's Advocate of Year award," says Robb.  "I feel privileged to have been given this recognition, and I will continue to collaborate with the SCOMSDC to foster and grow minority business enterprises (MBEs) in Greater Cincinnati."Founded in 1999, SCOMSDC assists in developing mutually beneficial relationships between its over 140 corporate members and 400 certified MBEs from offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton.This is the first year the council has given the award.Writer: Kevin LeMasterSource: Anne Schmidlin, Vehr Communications Photography provided by Vehr Communications

Beehive’s handcrafted products ‘sexy, stylish, and sustainable’

An Atlanta-based retailer has brought the "buy local" concept of handmade products from local designers to Pleasant Ridge.Beehive Co-op, founded in 2004 by Petra Geiger, showcases "sexy, stylish, and sustainable" clothing, jewelry, and accessories made by local design talent from its space at 6099 Montgomery Road.While designing her own line of handbags, Geiger noticed a lack of available outlets where independent designers could display and market their creations."I started Beehive because as a designer, I was frustrated at the lack of viable retail opportunities for my work, and met a lot of other designers who felt the same way," she says.  "I wanted to create a beautiful, modern, dynamic retail space for their handcrafted pieces, and in the process give the community a desirable alternative to mass-produced goods."The store rents space to local designers, who pay a low monthly rent in return for dedicated boutique space.Each cooperative member also must work four hours per week in the boutique, keeping overhead low and giving aspiring entrepreneurs experience in growing their businesses."A lot of artists want to take their business to the next level, and sharing space with other artists who are entrepreneurial is great for knowledge sharing," Geiger says.Additionally, Beehive presents a socially conscious shopping option."When you buy a handmade pendant or ceramic piece at Beehive, you get a chance to learn about the artist and form a connection that is personal and meaningful," Geiger says.  "You also know that your dollars are supporting independent artists and the local economy.  It's a totally different experience from the big box stores."Geiger opened her second store in New York last summer; the Cincinnati store is her third.Writer: Kevin LeMasterSource: Kate Powell, Beehive Co-op Cincinnati Illustrations courtesy Beehive Co-op website

Plugging into social media across Cincinnati

Keeping up with the Macintoshes - as well as the news, trends, latest celebrity gossip or whatever else you might be into, is a lot easier than it used to be thanks to the virtual explosion of the new social media landscape. But staying ahead of the pack, as new technology is created faster than we can invent uses for it, proves to be little challenge for some Cincinnatians.

Japanese businesses and communities thrive in Northern Kentucky

Japan is the largest source of foreign direct investment in greater Cincinnati.  However, it’s not all business.  There is a thriving Japanese community that has grown up around the Toyota-centric northern Kentucky economic base, which has forged strong cultural ties between the Bluegrass State and the Land of the Rising Sun.

Growing industry sectors springing up all over Northern Kentucky

As the U.S. continues to venture down a path of economic uncertainty, Northern Kentucky sees an opportunity in expanding its Tech Sector through a combination of resources, funding and a healthy dose of entrepreneurship.

How green jobs are taking root in Cincinnati

With the volatility of energy prices, the sagging economy and the continued loss of manufacturing jobs across the Midwest, the environmentally conscious or modern “Green” phenomena is set to become more than a marketing tag or a trend for the Cincinnati region.

Mayor Mallory’s YP Kitchen Cabinet honored at 2008 Summit