Cincinnati : Innovation + Job News

Fueled by a US EPA grant, University of Cincinnati faculty and students are leading an effort to transform cooking grease into biodiesel on a regional scale.

This project is a collaboration among UC, the Cincinnati Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and Bluegrass Biodiesel of Falmouth, Ky. The partners will test three methods to extract oil from the grease, including one the University is planning to patent.

Longer term plans are that this oil could be used in a biodiesel mixture to power diesel equipment and vehicles.

Grease hauling is an industry vital to restaurants, which pay haulers to dispose of used cooking grease. But the grease has to disposed of, usually in landfills.

"MSD receives grease from haulers," says project leader Mingming Lu, UC associate professor of Environmental Engineering. "The grease -- a mix of solid and liquid -- are from restaurant grease traps. MSD also has grease from the waste water it receives. The two kinds of grease are mixed, skimmed and condensed. This is called trap grease. It's stored in a pond and then sent to a landfill."

The EPA awarded the biodiesel effort an $87,000 grant during the the 8th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in May. The project was chosen from among 300 presented by college and university innovators across the country.

Up to seven UC students will be involved in the effort, Lu says. It's set to start in September and should last two years. It will include pilot demonstrations and a 100-gallon pilot treatment facility in collaboration with MSD.

"This is technology verification. We will try several technologies and see which one is the most effective for MSD," Lu says.

By Feoshia Henderson
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Online contests allow businesses and brands to find new customers, increase awareness and engage with followers through social media.

"This is a really a fast-growing space used to create media exposure to engagement," says Cincinnati entrepreneur Elizabeth Edwards, founder of the Cincinnati Innovates business competition.

But paying someone to create a custom contest can get pricey, and there's not much guarantee you'll get the results you want. So Edwards launched a new web product, CrowdSpark, designed to make contest creation more effective and accessible for businesses on tight budgets.

"A custom-designed platform and a management platform could cost $15,000 to create," she says. "Instead of paying a web developer to create a contest, for as little as $250 you could create your own."

Developers can also use CrowdSpark so that they can spend less time on code, and more time on creating a great contest, Edwards adds.

"We make it easy and economical to create and run those contests," she says.

Edwards is using CrowdSpark, now in Beta, to run the ongoing Cincinnati Innovates Contest, which wraps up July 15.

"I've learned a lot in the last four years of running Cincinnati Innovates, which has become of the most successful regional online contests in the world," she says. "But one of the things I learned not to do is spend a lot of money to get the results you want."

CrowdSpark offers social media plug-ins, analytics, contest entry forms, custom legal rules, tech support and options to create a custom domain and accept paid entries. There will also be a best practices guide focusing on creating and managing contests.

It costs between $250 and $2,000 to start using CrowdSpark, depending on the options it includes. Hosting fees range from $100 to $200 each month the contest runs.

By Feoshia Henderson
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Games are serious business for Cincinnati-based GamiGen, a startup founded on gaming-inspired 3D training software designed for the health, oil and gas, mining, academic, manufacturing and public safety industries.

"What we do is take gaming engine technology to create training simulation technology and make efficient safe, cost-effective training programs," says company founder Brett Canter. "That is our goal: we want to simulate complex or dangerous simulations,"

The company, previously known as 7 Moose Games, is developing "games" to help companies train large groups of employees. One of the first is a fire extinguisher training simulation that users manipulate online.

"We give them the task of putting out virtual fires," Canter says. "They have to use a sweeping motion to spray and point the extinguisher in the right place," giving employees a more real-life experience than watching a video or just examining a fire extinguisher.

This form of training can be less expensive and more detailed than traditional employee training sessions, Canter says. Companies with between 5,000 and 10,000 employees can benefit from this type of training technology, he says.

"Our main customers are companies that maintain OSHA compliancy, and have the need for some kind of recurring training," Canter says.

The company plan to make its games compatible with motion sensor gaming systems like the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox Kinnect.


Source: Brett Canter
Writer: Feoshia Henderson

More than 50 Ohio companies have received export assistance from the Ohio Department of Development’s International Market Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE) program.
 
“The Office of Business Assistance leads the initiative to strengthen Ohio’s exporting economy and advance its leadership position in the global marketplace,” says Assistant Deputy Chief of Export Assistance, Wesley Aubihl. “Specifically, export assistance strives to increase international sales of Ohio-made goods and services, creating more and better jobs for Ohioans.”
 
Designed to increase exports and create jobs, IMAGE helps companies promote their products and services in new international markets. Best of all, IMAGE will reimburse companies a maximum of $6,000 or 50 percent on qualifying expenditures up to $12,000 for activities associated with new international marketing initiatives, such as trade shows and foreign marketing material translation.
 
Airstream Inc., developers of lightweight travel trailers in Jackson Center, is just one example of a company that has taken off (no pun intended) thanks to assistance from IMAGE grant funds. Explains Aubihl, “[The funds] offset the costs of participating in a State of Ohio-Council of Great Lakes Governors trade mission to Brazil. The trade mission enabled Airstream to meet potential key customers in the Brazilian market.”

Justin Humphreys, Vice President of Sales at Airstream, has credited the Ohio Department of Development with playing a special role in their ability to meet with key players in Brazil to assess the potential of doing business abroad.
 
Aubihl is hopeful a slew of Ohio businesses will follow in Airstream’s footsteps and experience similar international success. “Since the program began in January, the Ohio Department of Development has awarded 15 trade mission stipends, supported 37 international trade shows, 10 U.S. Commercial Service projects, 20 translations of websites or printed materials, and three export education activities,” he explains. “The participating companies have reported more than $5 million in actual export sales, with additional sales expected over the next 12 months."


Source: Wesley Aubihl
Writer: Joe Baur

Polymers are big business in Ohio. According to Wayne Earley, CEO of PolymerOhio,  “Ohio is definitely a leader in the production and use of polymers.” According to its website, PolymerOhio is an Ohio Edison Technology Center focused on “enhancing the Ohio polymer industry company's global competitiveness and growth.”

Earley’s comments came on the eve of the two-day Ohio Polymer Summit, which was held June 6-7 in Columbus and attended by more than 150 people from throughout Ohio. This was the Ninth Annual Biennial Ohio Polymer Summit.

A presentation on innovation engineering leadership was one of the summit highlights, according to Earley. There was also a segment on shale gas and its impact on Ohio’s polymer industry. “Shale gas is very significant to our industry here in Ohio by lowering energy costs and also lowering the cost of basic polymer materials,” he explains.

Another important session was the introduction of the new computational methods program. “Small- and medium-size companies can’t afford to acquire the software needed for such things as mold design and extruder simulation,” Earley says. “With the assistance of a federal grant, Polymer Ohio is now making these tools available to smaller companies.” 

The polymer industry is Ohio’s largest manufacturing industry, he states. “More than 130,000 people are employed in Ohio’s polymer industry. It’s a growing industry here.

There’s high growth in several specific segments, including conductive and electronic polymer materials, polymer nanocomposites, biomaterials and feed stocks and recyclable polymers.”

Earley points out that polymers aren’t just plastic. “They’re also in adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and composites of other materials.”

He says that Ohio is the world leader in compounding of polymers – combining different materials to achieve a set of specifications. PolyOne in Avon Lake is the state’s largest compounder, according to Earley. “They’re successful because they have the technology and the capabilities to develop materials and compounds that are specific to certain important applications. They’re also very innovative,” he adds.

Source:  Wayne Earley, PolymerOhio, Inc.
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

Developers at Gaslight Software have done what many just daydream of doing. The young software development company was forged by freelancers, many of whom left corporate life.

"We were independent contractors. Most of us met at what's now called Cincinnati Agile Roundtable," says Gaslight developer Doug Alcorn. "After a few years, we decided we could do better if we worked together instead of on our own. We have no titles, no boss. This is 100 percent team-driven."

A dozen developers work in Gaslight's Blue Ash office, helping clients develop mobile- and web-based applications that improve efficiencies and promote business growth.

Gaslight works with growing companies and startups across the country. Among applications they've developed are Tweethopper, which allows you to manage multiple Twitter accounts; WebPulp.tv, a video podcast that explores the inner workings of scaling a web ap; and Vendor Wizard, which securely automates the tracking and management of vendor relationships and documents.

"We want to make an impact, and work to benefit our clients in tangible ways. We want to feel we're part of their team in developing software and not just a vendor," says developer Peter Kananen.

Gaslight works to cultivate a culture of community and teamwork that carries into the wider Cincinnati tech community. The company participates in a number of local developers' groups, including Cincinnati Ruby Brigade and Cincinnati Lean Startup Circle. They're also the lead organizer of the first Queen City Merge web conference May 10 and 11.

"There's a lot of talk about brain drain in the city. It's a constant battle. We want to highlight tech in this city, get people together and have them look around to see what's going on around them," Alcorn says.

By Feoshia Henderson
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In a city that's home to branding, retail and consumer powerhouses like Procter & Gamble, Macy's Inc., LPK and Nielsen, it's natural that Cincinnati Innovates would add a consumer products category to the annual invention competition.

"Being such a cool consumer marking town, we have a ton of consumer product ideas. We want to help people with ideas get their product on the shelf," says Cincinnati Innovates founder Elizabeth Edwards.

Edwards, CEO of Metro Innovation, launched Cincinnati Innovates in 2009 to spur investment in innovative products and services across Greater Cincinnati. Since its founding, several similar contests have sprung up across the region to drive dollars to ideas.

Cincinnati Innovates competitors this year will vie for $100,000 in cash prizes and awards. This year's contest runs until July 15, with a $1,000 early bird prize up for grabs May 30. To enter to contest, go the the Cincinnati Innovates website. Winners will be announced Aug. 16 at Northern Kentucky University.

Cincinnati Innovates entries have been heavy on software, medical and web-based ideas, but the contest always saw a fair share of consumer products. By creating a new category for these products alone, Cincinnati Innovates' partners hope to better nurture those ideas.

CPG Strategies will award $25,000 in services to a consumer product seeking retail distribution. In addition, a new class will be added to Cincinnati Innovates' annual lineup of complementing entrepreneurship courses. The course will be based on the book CPG 101: Strategies to Get Your Consumer Product to Market, by CPG founder David Towner.

Since 2009, Cincinnati Innovates winners have earned $250,000, and have leveraged an additional $5 million in investments.

Other prizes include:

• A $2,000 HYPE Community Choice Award
• Two commercialization awards of $25,000 and $10,000 from CincyTech
• $10,000 in branding and design services from LPK
• A $5,000 video production award from 7/79

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By Feoshia Henderson
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University of Cincinnati research has led to cutting-edge software that will monitor wind turbine health, allowing the machines to work as efficiently as possible.

Students and faculty at UC's Center for Intelligence Maintenance Systems are testing an early version of the software, based on real-world data from commercial wind farms near Shanghai, China, and in Taiwan and North America.

The software is potentially groundbreaking because most wind turbine performance figures are based on computer models. Since the technology is so new, there is still much unknown about the real-life, long-term performance life and maintenance needs of these high-priced energy generators.

"This is a very closed community. It's tough to get them to open up. We were very lucky to get the (real-world) wind data," says UC doctoral student Edzel Lapira, who co-authored "Wind Turbine Performance Assessment using Multi-regime Modeling Approach." His paper, which was recently published in the Journal of Renewable Energy, analyzed two years’ of operating and environmental data from commercial wind turbines, as well as information on the maintenance software.

This data in essence drives the software, which has several aims, according to UC:

• To predict maintenance needs so a wind turbine experiences near-zero downtime for repairs.
• To aid just-in-time maintenance functions and delivery of needed parts.
• To decrease spare-parts inventory.
• To ultimately predict and foster needed redesigns for wind turbines and their parts.

The team behind the research includes engineering master’s student Dustin Brisset, engineering doctoral students Hossein Davari and David Siegel, and Ohio Eminent Scholar Ohio in Advanced Manufacturing Jay Lee, professor of engineering.

The group continues working on the software, while seeking a wider community of wind farms to test, Lapira says.

"Prediction, that is the overall goal," Lapira says. "Eventually the software will predict that there is a fault, where it is and what part would be needed to fix it. Right now (turbine) manufactures will look at a large number of systems and if they see something wrong, call the operator who will look into it. It's still manual and takes expert knowledge. We are trying to automate that expert knowledge."


Source: Edzel Lapira
Writer: Feoshia Henderson

Pat Valente, executive director of  the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition, is convinced that fuel cells are the future of energy. The OFCC is a group of industry, academic and government leaders who seek to propel Ohio into a global leadership position in fuel cell technology.
 
Ohio has a competitive advantage in fuel cell technology, says Valente. “We have the supply chain (components), a skilled workforce, and ongoing research on college campuses and in business. We like to say that every fuel cell manufactured in the U.S. has an Ohio component.”
 
Valente touts the clean energy of hydrogen fuel cells. “The only emission that comes out of the tailpipe is water vapor,” he says, referring to the use of fuel cells in vehicles.
 
But fuel cells aren’t just for cars, trucks and buses anymore. Honda is working on an advanced fuel cell that could power a conventional household for six days. Stationary fuel cells are in the works that can power a shopping center or a small community, completely off the grid.
 
In late April, Valente was preparing for the Ohio Fuel Cell Symposium, which took place from May 1st-2nd at Lorain County Community College. “We’re expecting Honda, GM, Daimler, Hundaii, and Toyota,” among others. He thinks government needs to step up with stricter emission requirements, which would further encourage the fuel cell technology.
 
With a rising middle class in China and India, Valente believes it’s just a matter of time before the oil runs out to power all those cars. “We need wind, solar, fuel cells, a little bit of everything. “


Source: Pat Valente
Writer: Catherine Podojil

Students at 21 Ohio colleges and universities can currently seek course help through an e-Tutoring program run by the Ohio Board of Regents. Next year, new funding from the Ohio Tech Consortium, eStudent services, and the Ohio State Fund will enable every student enrolled in all 107 colleges and universities in Ohio to access this service.
 
Karen Boyd, Ohio eTutoring Coordinator, says, “There are other e-Tutoring programs in the country, but Ohio is the only statewide collaborative program.”
 
According to John Charlton, Deputy Director of Communications at the Ohio Board of Regents, “Ohio is a perfect place for such a program because of our '30-mile promise.' There’s a college within thirty miles of every citizen.”
 
E-tutoring is offered in accounting, anatomy and physiology, biology, calculus, chemistry, math, and statistics. Most students also seek guidance in writing.
 
Balee Peth studies marketing and communication at the University of Toledo. She praises the friendly and quick response of her eTutor, who helped her express herself  through her writing.
 
Kyle Steele, a biomed major at Capital University, says, “Even with a science background, it helps me to get advice [with my writing]. You submit your writing and your eTutor reviews it and sends back suggestions for improvement.”
 
ETutors need not be at the same institution as the student seeking help. For example, three students in China, who currently study online at the University of Akron, use eTutoring for their papers. Next year, two of them will spend the academic year in Akron, where they will attest to the value of the eTutoring program. They will also be able to demonstrate their ability to use technology as teachers when they return to China.


Source: Karen Boyd, John Charlton, Balee Peth, Kyle Steele
Writer: Catherine Podojil

The Hamilton County Business Center (HCBC) has partnered with the Product Development and Management Association, (PDMA), Cincinnati Chapter, for a new workshop series aimed at would-be entrepreneurs not quite sure if their ideas are ready for prime time.

This hands-on series, Commercialization Best Practices for New Business Development, helps budding entrepreneurs and innovators flesh out their ideas, and find the best ways to bring them into the marketplace.

"It's a few steps earlier than the business plan process," says HCBC director Patrick Longo. "This will help people who are thinking of getting into the marketplace. It's all about, 'How do I develop a product, and what kind of market can I serve?' "

HCBC is a local, technology-focused incubator. The Product Development and Management Association is a global professional trade association.

The five-part series starts April 13 and ends June 1. It will be held at the University of Cincinnati College of Applied Science. Sessions run from 1 to 5 p.m. and the series' cost is $199. Registration is available online.

HCBC and PDMA representatives will lead the workshops, which will include out-of-classroom work. Each session is designed to build on the one before it, Longo says.

The scheduled workshops are:

April 13 Session: Introduction to the Front End of Innovation. Introduction to the overall series design and work flow (pre-work, in-session exercises, and homework). The Stage-Gate® process will be used to outline the key elements of successful new product development. Creative problem solving will be used to ensure that the new business idea solves an important customer need in a way that maximizes economic value.

April 20 Session: Assess the Landscape. Outlines the six key focus areas required to build a compelling business case appropriate for passing the Idea Gate of the Stage-Gate® process. For each focus area, participants will assess the readiness of their business-building ideas by answering typical stage-appropriate questions. Participants will identify gaps in their own knowledge and potential killer issues/barriers in their business case and leave with an action plan to complete a landscape assessment for their own business ideas.

May 4 Session: Intellectual Property. Reviews the basic principles of intellectual property protection, addressing both patent-based and non-patent-based strategies. This session will share best practices for maximizing IP productivity and protection during Front End of Innovation (FEI). Participants will leave with an action plan to maximize the effectiveness of their interactions with legal counsel.

May 18 Session: Bringing Your Idea to Market. An overview of the end-to-end supply network required to get a
new business idea to market. Consideration of raw material sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution may uncover potential pitfalls to be addressed in the Front End. Participants will leave with an action plan to evaluate potential barriers and complete a preliminary competitive response analysis.

June 1 Session: Finance 101. Focuses on building the final business case prior to the "Money Gate," where the rate of spending (time, money and resources) increases dramatically. Participants will complete a more detailed financial analysis of their business idea (NPV, ROI, cash flow) and leave with an action plan to explore funding options and cash management resources.

By Feoshia Henderson
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A new health IT startup accelerator is taking applications for a 12-week business development program that includes $20,000 in startup funds.

The Innov8 For Health Startup accelerator is an outgrowth of Cincinnati's Innov8 For Health initiative aimed at creating jobs, attracting and retaining talent and improving health outcomes through innovation.

"This goes back to the Innov8 for health theme. We want to identify people who have ideas and support and incentivize them down the path of innovation," says initiative founder Sunnie Southern, also founder of ViableSynergy.

The accelerator will take applications until April 30. It's open to any early-stage startups grounded in health IT. Companies outside of Cincinnati must move to the city during the program. It starts June 11 with eight companies.

"The focus is on providing better health care at a lower cost. The range of solutions can be everything from making it easier to select high-quality healthcare providers to making doctor and patient interaction more efficient," Southern says.

Each company selected will receive $20,000; in return, the accelerator will own six percent of the company. Startups will also work with mentors and tackle business development aspects including sales and marketing, branding, technology and operations and navigating government regulations.

Innov8 For Health partners include GE Aviation, C-Cap, Queen City Angels and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

The Greater Cincinnati area is particularly suited for healthcare IT innovation, because many health providers here are further along in adopting paperless records and sharing secure, electronic patient information, Southern says.

"We have one of the most mature health information exchanges in the country, Health Bridge. It's really a cornerstone of what makes Cincinnati different; we have this deep expertise in sharing and exchanging data," she says.

By Feoshia Henderson
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Linkage Ventures and CincyTech have formed a unique strategic partnership to create and co-invest in startup companies whose technologies can help people as they age.

Cincinnati-based CincyTech is a public-private seed-stage investor that has invested since 2007 in 35 startup companies in IT and bioscience. Linkage Ventures is a newly created venture arm of Linkage, a Mason-based nonprofit organization whose members are senior living providers throughout the US. Linkage has hired investment banker and former technology company executive John Hopper as managing director of Linkage Ventures.

CincyTech and Linkage are partnering in order to identify, evaluate and invest in early-stage technologies that startups can take to market to benefit the aging population either directly or through care-giving organizations.

“This partnership is about promoting whole-person wellness and providing solutions that help people age successfully wherever they chose to do it,” says Scott Collins, president and CEO of Linkage Ventures.

The deal is unique in that it closely aligns the sources of “deal flow” – entrepreneurs with aging-related technology – with sources of capital that can help them grow and go to market. Linkage has 600 member communities in 39 states who are frequently approached about concepts and products that can help their 134,000 residents and 16,000 employees. With that deal flow and funds available through Linkage Ventures and CincyTech, the path for great solutions becomes easier to navigate.

Linkage also provides a rare opportunity to identify the needs of people as they age. “Our communities have built and earned a trust with this population that allows us to talk directly to them about their needs and desires,” Collins says.

This reach and relationship-building provides the ability to conduct truly transparent market research, says Mike Venerable, CincyTech’s managing director of digital, software and health tech.

“We can quickly validate the economics of a product or idea through their population,” he says.

Adds Collins: “It’s not just the investment. We’ve got the domain expertise internally, and we can do quick beta testing that marries well with the CincyTech network and expertise.”

By Sarah Blazak for CincyTech

Cincinnati State’s Workforce Development Center in Evendale has teamed with AK Steel to provide a new advanced manufacturing training program for the company's workers.

The 400-hour Electronic Repairman Training program is one of the latest the Workforce Development Center has developed in response to local employer demand. The center has developed programs for Procter & Gamble and GE, among other major Cincinnati area employers.

AK Steel is headquartered in West Chester with major operations in Middletown, Mansfield, Coshocton and Zanesville. The company is a worldwide manufacturer of steel products for the automotive, infrastructure, manufacturing, construction and electrical power markets.

This is the Workforce Development Center's first partnership with AK Steel. The training program is about three weeks in, will last 15 months and train approximately 16 workers, says Larry Cherveny, the center's Industrial Maintenance and Green Technologies business manager.

Steeped in math, controls and electricity, the program is designed to train workers in modern manufacturing. Course titles include: motor controls, industrial electronics, industrial controls and instrumentation, motion control and AC & DC drives.

The Workforce Development Center offers a variety of certifications and programs for working students as well as modifies and creates programs for employers, Cherveny says.

"Companies come and ask us to develop these very specific programs, and we're able to customize them to fit what the need is. We see it sort of as a challenge. For instance, we weren't doing the DC drives training before, and through some donations, we were about to get about $7,000 worth of training equipment," Cherveny says.

The center works to meet company and worker demand in a fast-changing economic atmosphere. Courses are held at the Evendale Center as well as on company campuses. The center has even taken training programs across the country and to Mexico, Cherveny says.

"We are flexible and change quickly," he says. "As they come to us with new needs, that tells us the direction that we need to look into."

By Feoshia Henderson
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