Well, welcome to the halfway point of 2008.  That went quick, didn’t it?  What started out as a slow month, ended on a high note with lots of positive announcements throughout the region.  We’ve summarized a nice selection after the break.

June also saw one of the blogs we follow “going dark”, as they say.  Chris Varley’s Tech Futures blog, which grew out of a NorTech study around technology-based economic development, signed off this month with the following note:

The TechFutures site will remain up for some time to come, but this will be the last blog post in this forum.  As NorTech adapts to the changes around it, new priorities are emerging and new initiatives are being launched.  We invite you to revisit the stories and history of this project here on this site, but even more than that we encourage you to get and stay involved in the new projects NorTech and other economic development groups in the region pursue in the months and years to come.

Continued

With nighttime lows that have dipped into the 30’s recently, it’s hard to believe we are making the turn into Summer, but here we are in June already.  The temperatures are quickly on the rise (if only the Indian’s bats were heating up as well), and the Summer Solstice is only a couple weeks away.

Lot’s of good economic development news hit in May.  Selfishly, we here at NEOinc are most proud of Mike LeHere’s award by the National Business Incubation Association as the top incubator innovator of 2008.  Mike is the CEO of the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA) and the innovation was the Global Technology Commercialization Initiative in conjunction with the City of Akron.  Three links to separate articles are in the list below, but since we write this blog, we’re linking here too.  Follow this link to read our original article on Mike. 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s May recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.   Continued

What were you doing 25 years ago?  Our guess is probably not what you are doing now.  There might even be some people reading this post that weren’t even born yet.

The year was 1983 and the Akron-Summit Industrial Incubator, now known as the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA), was created.  Created to be a safe haven for entrepreneurs, it was the first of it’s kind in Ohio and one of only a handful in the entire country.

Mike LeHere was employee #1, hired to manage the incubator.  It is a position he holds to this day.

After 25 years of pioneering work helping countless entrepreneurs, Mike and the AGBA is receiving some extremely notable recognition for their high quality program.  Continued

Much of NEOinc’s management is in San Antonio this week at the National Business Incubation Association’s Spring conference.  In our absence, we leave you with April’s recap of positive regional change, and look forward to publishing next week. 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s April recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.   Continued

The Akron Global Business Incubator (AGBA) recently acquired two new tenants:

• MAR Systems has a proprietary process using recycled materials to remove heavy metals from water and gas
• InSeT Systems uses inertial guidance technology to track personnel in underground mines - a mandate now required by federal law

AGBA is also playing a key role in the City of Akron competing as a finalist in the All American City competition. The city of Akron selected three of its programs as the basis for its application, and the Technology Initiative of the Akron Global Business Accelerator was one of those elements. Mike LeHere, AGBA CEO, will be representing the Accelerator in early June when the City makes its formal presentation to the review committee.  NEOinc wishes Mike and The City of Akron the best of luck!

We’ve written before on the Youngstown Business Incubator’s star tenant Turning Technologies.  They are a great example of the kind of companies NEOinc is nurturing throughout the region - high growth, scalable technology companies. They have received the coveted 4 Star Quality Award from PC Magazine. Inc. Magazine ranked them the fastest growing software company in the country last year, and that they topped the most recent Weatherhead 100 list.

But do you really know what they do?

You will now thanks to ABC News which recently featured the firm on their very popular Ahead of the Curve series.

Take a look here:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4593319

NEOinc has published the second of our “Real World” guides, this one on financing your business start-up.  With practical advice on the three main sources of capital, and guidance on when you should use each, any entrepreneur with questions in this area should reference our write-up.

No overview, however detailed, can address every situation or answer every question.  If you are a technology-oriented start-up in Northeast Ohio and would like personal help working through your financing options, please contact your nearest NEOinc location for further assistance.

Ah, Spring.  The daffodils are pushing their way out of the dirt, the forecast shows nothing but 50’s and our Tribe opened with a win.  What’s not to like? 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s March recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day in our region.   Continued

If so, MAGNET has loan funding that helps entrepreneurs or small businesses bring their ideas to reality.

MAGNET administers the New Product Development and Entrepreneurship Program, Product Innovation Loan Fund on behalf of the Cuyahoga County Department of Development.  In the last three years, the fund has provided over $3 million for new product development in Northeast Ohio and additional funds are now available. Continued

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s February recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day in our region.   Continued