Page 786 – Soapbox

MidPoint Midway inspires creative, ‘inside the box’ ideas

By Newsroom

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August 23, 2011

After hearing stories of renegade box truck art exhibits in other cities, some with stripper poles inside of U-Hauls, the staff at ArtWorks decided to try making the concept their own. "Midpoint seemed like the perfect place to try it for the first time," says Tamara Harkavy, executive director of ArtWorks. "There are a lot of people in the city for the festival, and it's a good way to connect the festival to the streets." Harkavy talked with MidPoint host John Fox of CityBeat and they decided to launch box truck exhibits at this year's MidPoint Music Festival, christening it MidPoint Midway. The Midway, situated on 12th Street between Vine and Walnut Streets, aims for an immersive street festival feel, complete with beer and food vendors, stages and the box truck exhibits. ArtWorks put out a call to local creatives to propose interactive installations that could fit in the back of box trucks. Sarah Corlett took charge of the submission gathering and artist wrangling. Corlett, also the SpringBoard coordinator at ArtWorks, sees her new challenge as a natural fit. "SpringBoard already has a entrepreneurial and artistic spirit, which is exactly what we needed," says Harkavay. Within days, Corlett created guidelines and contacted several artists around the city. "The only guidelines we really had were no alcohol and no open flames," Corlett says. "It has to be an art installation, but also be experiential, and fit inside the truck, of course." Corlett reached out to parProjects, a two-man artist group. Jonathan Sears and Chris Hoeting have created galleries in shipping containers and Uhaul trucks, so they welcomed the opportunity. "We are excited about the chance to do something in a mobile space again," says Sears. "We are creating a two-hole mini-golf course in our truck." Sears and Hoeting came upon the idea as a play on words relating to their business name. Preliminary renderings show water hazards, ramps and pipes. One hole features a ramp that exits and re-enters the truck. "If we create an experience that people will have a conversation about, I definitely think that is worthwhile," says Sears. parProject's goal to incite conversation reflects the central point behind the MidPoint Midway. "There are going to be some great surprises at Midway," says Harkavay. "We really want to give people an experience they will remember." Do Good: Volunteer. Contact Sarah Corlett about volunteering at MidPoint Midway. Attend. On Oct. 22, parProjects is hosting the Factory Square Fine Arts Festival. Donate. ArtWorks is always accepting donations to support its programs and services. By Evan Wallis

GiveCamp aids nonprofits’ tech needs

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Diversity

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August 23, 2011

Organizers of the second annual Southwest Ohio GiveCamp plan a slight expansion over last year's event where more than 100 volunteers met for a weekend to tackle area non-profit tech needs."We hope to have more people involved this year," says co-organizer Ryan Cromwell, a Dayton area software developer. "We also extended our nonprofit registration until the end of the month, and we are hoping to get 11 or 12 nonprofits involved. We had 10 last year."The Southwest Ohio Give camp is part of GiveCamp.org, a national volunteer initiative of technology professionals founded in 2007. Since its beginnings, GiveCamp has donated more than $1 million in services to more than 150 charities and other nonprofits nationwide.Volunteers last year created websites from scratch, rebranded organizations, set up email networks and created an online auction site."We did just about anything you can think of," Cromwell says. Last year's nonprofits and volunteers came from Northern Kentucky, Greater Cincinnati, Dayton and Oxford. Participating nonprofits included Civic Garden Center, Diabetes Dayton, Hamilton Living Water Ministry and Seton Family Center.Southwest Ohio GiveCamp is in the process of selecting this year's nonprofits, which have until Aug. 30 to submit proposals for consideration. The GiveCamp is looking for projects that can be completed within a weekend. Nonprofits and volunteers can register here.This year's GiveCamp will be Oct. 21-23 at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.By Feoshia HendersonYou can follow Feoshia on Twitter @feoshiawrites

Cincinnati second test market for Stampt

By Soapbox

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Entrepreneurship

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August 23, 2011

Frequent patrons of popular downtown locations like Iris Book Café and sustainable retailer Park+Vine may be spending less time rummaging through their wallets at the checkout counter. That's because these retailers, along with a small but growing list of Cincinnati merchants, now offer iPhone-based loyalty cards through Stampt, a young startup with deep roots in Cincinnati.Stampt takes the long-time staple of coffeehouses and small shops, the frequent buyer card, and merges it with mobile technology. Stampt co-founder and president Trey Kelly says the application's ability to precisely track loyalty card use for merchants and its ability to help consumers find and patronize Stampt merchants in their immediate vicinity take the app far beyond the typical "buy 10, get the 11th free" loyalty stamp cards merchants have used for years."Merchants in Cincinnati can benefit from customer interactions and insights that were never before available," he says. "They can finally know the effect of their loyalty programs and can interact with their customers.""All of these georeference apps are so useful for small business districts," says Stampt Cincinnati sales representative David White, noting that he's focused so far on neighborhoods with walkable retail centers, such as Over-the-Rhine and Northside.Although Stampt is based in San Francisco, co-founders Brian Kelly and Trey Kelly hail from Cincinnati. White (Brian Kelly's brother-in-law) says there was little doubt of location when the company went looking for a second test market to complement its research in San Francisco."They thought Cincinnati would be perfect," White says. "It gives you two completely different markets."So far, he notes, about 10 Cincinnati merchants are using Stampt. The app is gaining footholds in other cities where its founders have connections, and White says he's optimistic it will take off as word about it spreads. It's a free service for both consumers and merchants, after all, and heavy frequent shoppers only have so much room in their wallets and purses for loyalty cards."I think once merchants see the press, and the people coming in and asking for the product, it will turn on for them," White says.

Innovative Card Solutions promotes digital commerce

By Soapbox

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Entrepreneurship

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August 23, 2011

After 20 years of operating their own marketing agency with big-time clients including Cincinnati Bell, Kroger and Toyota, Cincinnati brothers Wade and Wyatt Goins are now making digital transactions easier for those without bank accounts. Twin brothers and the youngest in a family of nine from Greenhills, the Goins co-founded Innovative Card Solutions. With a $250,000 investment from local seed-stage investor CincyTech as well as local investors Ed Rigaud and Dave Dougherty, ICS is primed to make moves in the financial world. "About 70 million people in the U.S. do not use banks," says Wyatt Goins, chief operating officer, who has led the business development and operations since the company's inception. "Innovative Card Solutions was founded to help those people make safe, convenient purchases." ICS provides prepaid debit-based payment programs for niche target groups. Right now, the company is working exclusively with two markets: corporations that want to provide incentives and direct payment to employees without checking accounts and universities that want to help students manage money and access tuition refunds. By forming strategic relationships with MasterCard, FIS and Bankcorp, ICS's debit cards can be used anywhere that a debit MasterCard is accepted. The partnership with MasterCard also provides card holders with discounts at more than 235,000 retail stores nationwide. This fall, Florida Memorial University and the University of Evansville will distribute ICS MasterCards to their 2,200 and 2,900 students, respectively. Parents and students will be able to load money onto their cards as needed and also have the ability to budget and track their spending online. Also available online are 23 customizable training modules with topics ranging from monthly budgeting to managing college loans. "Our product allows universities to provide their students with custom-branded debit cards that serve as an alternative to traditional credit cards and cash-checking services that can often land young people in hot water financially," says Wade Goins, chief marketing officer. "We provide students and parents the peace of mind that they won't be able to overdraw their account, incur costly fees or have to worry about going into debt on top of already mounting student loans." ICS is also providing prepaid debit cards to Urbana University, Trine University and Wilmington College this fall, as well as a variety of staffing firms and payroll companies, to provide direct payment and money management options for their employees. By offering innovative products, leading-edge customizable designs and programs that reduce costs and teach financial literacy, ICS provides benefits to people of all levels of financial stability. "We invested in ICS at a good time," says Rahul Bawa, CincyTech CTO in residence. "The company has already passed some of the barriers to entry in this market, has great business partners in place, has worked out the regulatory issues, and has a strong technology platform." By Sarah Blazak for CincyTech

Resource: Morning Mentoring at HCBC

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Entrepreneurship

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August 23, 2011

Resource: Morning Mentoring at HCBC Need a mentor for your startup? Help is on the way. Morning Mentoring is an entrepreneurial coaching program that leverages the Queen City Angels, C-Cap, the Hamilton County Business Center and local professional advisors for the benefit of Greater Cincinnati's entrepreneurs. Each month, Morning Mentoring accepts four companies to participate in this networking and mentoring session. The format of the event allows each of the selected companies to make up to a five-minute overview presentation about their company. The angels and professional advisors then have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions about the company's market, product or service, business model, stage of development and management team. After all the presentations are completed, companies have the opportunity to have one-on-one 45-minute mentoring sessions with a participating angel from the Queen City Angels and a knowledgeable business service professional. Each company rotates to visit with two local angel investors from the Queen City Angels. Morning Mentoring is an opportunity to present, network and receive excellent feedback and is open to those seeking equity investment as well as entrepreneurs just looking for a place to get good free advice. Entrepreneurs are also welcome to come watch the company presentations and network. To apply for one of the four monthly spots, fill out a simple online form. Upcoming Morning Mentoring dates in 2011: • August 26 • September 23 • November 4 • December 1 (Thursday)

Profile: Alex Frommeyer of Inven

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General

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August 23, 2011

Founder Profile: Alex Frommeyer of INVEN LLC How did you come to be an entrepreneur? I have always been very independent. As soon as I began interning while an engineering student, I realized that I wanted to be in the driver's seat of a business, not somewhere in the back row. Why did you start your business? My co-founders, Dan Dykes and Alex Curry, and I were working in healthcare/medical devices and saw a disparity in the technology available in medicine versus the tech used by dentists and oral care professionals. Our mission continues to focus on bringing innovative products and technology to oral care. What resources here did you take advantage of and how did they help? Being a Kentucky company, we have leaned heavily on the Innovation and Commercialization Center (ICC) to help guide our initial business development. The 2010 Cincinnati Innovates contest was a catalyst for us, as we won the Northern Kentucky Commercialization Award and gained incredible exposure for our company. Where did you find your first employee? Interestingly, my partners and I are all from Northern Kentucky though we did not find one another until we started our engineering program. In fact, Alex Curry and I lived right next to each other in our dorm as freshman. Can you share a funny or amazing entrepreneurial experience with our readers? Our company won a new high-tech business award earlier this year and we were to be recognized as part of a breakfast event. The venue for the event was right next door to medical device business that our company did some consulting work with, so I thought nothing of it to park in one of their reserved spaces as we always did on visits to them. Unfortunately, the building owner was on alert that morning because of the event next door and towed all unauthorized vehicles from the lot. We came out two hours later with award in hand…and no ride home. What inspires you? My partners. We had no idea what we were getting into when we started our business, but they have continued to make the sacrifices necessary to have great success. It is very difficult to find two brilliant young engineers willing to forgo other opportunities and pursue a new business venture; especially when they also happen to be two of your best friends. I am a lucky guy. What companies or founders do you admire and why? In my mind, few well-known entrepreneurs have ridden the roller coaster like Steve Jobs. Apple is a tech leader today, but has gone through some tumultuous times. Jobs was voted out of the company he started by his own Board, only to get bought back in with an incredible twist of fate. Couple that with some major health issues, and Steve deserves every entrepreneur's respect for his sheer guts, creativity, and commitment to clearly doing something he loves — no matter if you own a Mac or not!

Event: Cincinnati Innovates Awards August 25th

By Newsroom

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General

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August 23, 2011

Cincinnati Innovates Awards This Thursday The third annual Cincinnati Innovates Awards Celebration takes place this Thursday at NKU. The competition, which awards more than $100,000 in grants to entrepreneurs each year, will honor 12 startup companies for their innovations. More than 200 local entrepreneurs and inventors entered the competition. The competition was open to anyone with an idea or an invention who has a connection to the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky MSA. "The purpose of Cincinnati Innovates is to identify high-potential entrepreneurs and technologies and connect them with more than 50 local resources for entrepreneurs," says Elizabeth Edwards, former venture capital investor and founder of Metro Innovation, a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship. The competition was produced by Metro Innovation, with partners Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm and public-private venture capital firm CincyTech. Winners of the previous two competitions have gone on to raise more than $3 million in follow-on financing and include growing companies like Gamma Dynamics, VenueAgent, and VenturePax. New winners will be announced at the awards celebration and 12 startups will have the opportunity to give two-minute elevator pitches at the event. "This is the first time where we've had the winners actually pitch their ideas to the crowd. Some of these technologies are truly impressive, and I'm looking forward to seeing them present," says CincyTech President Bob Coy. The event will be hosted by Northern Kentucky University's Entrepreneurship Institute on Thursday, Aug. 25 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. "The new Student Union Ballroom is a fabulous venue for an event like this. We're looking forward to showing off the recent changes to campus," says Director John Clarkin. "We were very impressed by the applicants this year," says Bill Scheyer of Vision 2015, one of the major award sponsors of the competition. Tickets are available at http://cincinnatiinnovates.com/pages/events Over $100,000 in awards will be presented, including: CincyTech Commercialization Awards: $25,000, $25,000 and $10,000 (sponsored by CincyTech) Taft Patent Awards: $10,000 and $5,000 (applied toward patent applications and prosecution, sponsored by Taft Stettinius & Hollister)LPK Design & Branding Award: $10,000 (sponsored by LPK) Round Pixel Web Development Award: $10,000 (applied toward web application, sponsored by Round Pixel Studio & Bare Knuckles Marketing) Northern Kentucky Vision 2015 Award: $5,000 (sponsored by Vision 2015) 7/79 Video Award: $5,000 (sponsored by 7/79) Northern Kentucky ezone Award: $2,500 (sponsored by the NKY ezone) Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens Get Started Award: $2,500 (applied toward business accounting and advisory, sponsored by Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens) HYPE Community Choice Award: $2,000 (sponsored by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's HYPE program) GCVA Partner Participation Award: $1,000 (sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association) 2011 Enquirer Media Investor of the Year The Greater Cincinnati Venture Association will honor one of its own active angel and venture investors for outstanding service to the venture community.

Profile: Jason Heikenfeld of Gamma Dynamics

By Newsroom

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General

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August 23, 2011

Founder Profile: Jason Heikenfeld of Gamma Dynamics How did you come to be an entrepreneur? As a grad student in engineering I was always very applied in my research. My research was successful enough that my Ph.D. advisor at the time (Andrew Steckl) and I started a company right after my graduation. Now I am a professor at UC, where I am involved in novel device technologies, with focus on industry-partnered research and new entrepreneurial ventures. Why did you start your business? There are many reasons to start a business. For me it is about the potential for local job growth and the chance to introduce disruptive technologies that beat out the new technologies in development by the electronics giants like the Samsung's of the world. I guess I am a big fan of the 'underdog' startup that takes on the world (foolishly, or not). How did you come up with the idea? Through partnership with industry (Sun Chemical, here in Cincinnati) and PolymerVision (The Netherlands). We did NOT start out with the invention, rather, we started by all parties defining the problem and the opportunity. About one year of discussion with industry experts led to my invention of the electrofluidic display. Where did you find your first employee? People at UC were after me to get involved with a second startup for some time, but I would not do it until I felt I had a good jockey (team) to run the horse (the company), since I love my day job as a professor. I was lucky to be in constant communication with two display industry experts/veterans, John Rudolph (Corning/3M) and Ken Dean (Motorola), and then in 2009 the timing was right for the both of them. What resources here did you take advantage of and how did they help? The University of Cincinnati has been a terrific supporter of Entrepreneurship, IP development, R&D and Tech Transfer. Budgets are tight, and UC IP and commercialization office is running on a budget which is far lower than what it should be, but they have an incredibly dedicated and hard-working set of folks doing everything they can to support entrepreneurial efforts at UC.

P&G touches millions with philanthropy

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Cincy In The News

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August 23, 2011

Procter and Gamble, one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world, claims that well over 22 million Pakistanis have benefited from its corporate social responsibility initiatives over the course of the two decades the firm has had a presence in Pakistan.Read the full story here.

2012 Creative Writing Doctoral Programs: The Top Fifteen

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Cincy In The News

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August 23, 2011

The University of Cincinnati ranks eighth among creative writing doctoral programs in the country.Read the full story here.