Dayton : Featured Stories

Two new hackerspaces have just joined a host of shops across the state. hiVelocity took a peek inside these quirky garage shops and found everything we didn't expect, from kettles of brewing beer to pinball machines. But nothing was more inviting than the hackers themselves.

As the nation searches for clean energy sources that depend less on fossil fuels and more on advanced and alternative energy, Ohio is steadily becoming an epicenter for cutting edge fuel cell technology.

From bio-based milk cartons to asphalt, the Ohio Bioproducts Innovation Center at the Ohio State University has helped companies across the state to develop products from bio-based materials. Now the Center is playing a role in its biggest project yet, a $300M biorefinery that could power over 30,000 homes.

Angel investors play a key role in providing funding and technical assistance to startup companies once funds from friends, families and founders have been exhausted and before venture capital becomes a real option. Across Ohio, increasingly vibrant networks of angel investors are closing the gap, thus facilitating the growth of some of the state's most successful new companies.

Steve Case recently came to Cleveland to address entrepreneurial leaders from across the country who had gathered for the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds conference. After praising Ohio's innovation economy, he said that the key to creating more jobs in the U.S. is to support entrepreneurs and high-growth companies and argued policy leaders need to do more to spur innovation.

It's never been easier to validate an idea and launch a new company. Yet access to capital remains a critical issue for entrepreneurs. The upcoming National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Conference, to be held in Cleveland from October 15th-17th, will bring together a community of aspiring entrepeneurs and investors to explore ways to advance innovation capital.

The communities competing for the $1 million Talent Dividend Prize have a modest goal: boosting the number of college degrees in their city by one percentage point. If every participating city meets that goal, it could raise national earnings by a stunning $124 billion.

One of the most widely read Fresh Water Cleveland  features was a story on Ohio's burgeoning craft distillery trend. But it wasn't all good news: As it stood at the time of publication, only one permit was allowed in each of Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton counties. What's more, those few permit holders could distill but not sell their wares on-site. A new law eliminates the restrictions on the number of permits while enabling holders to sell their products directly to consumers.