The Ohio Community Computing Center Network, the umbrella organization for free public computer centers and teaching centers, has provided testimony to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio stating that the SBC/AT&T Merger and the Verizon/MCI Merger are not in the best interests of the public.   The following is a summary, raising the concern that further telecom consolidation will reduce vital high-speed Internet opportunities for low-income urban and rural areas.  Today, high-speed Internet is critical for education, work and other activities of daily life.  While technological advances in more robust networks, immense Internet speed and additional services are exciting, if only a portion of spciety can participate in yet another technological evolution, Ohio will again be left struggling.  The testimony called for efforts to reduce the divide that finds low-income and rural communities with lower levels of broadband access and an end to telecom efforts to limit the rights of cities to invest in broadband services directly, on behalf of their residents.

In place of our usual Tuesday Excellence Roundtable lunch, we encourage all our friends to join us for lunch at the City Club Thursday, September 22, to experience the insight of Generation-X expert and good friend of NEO Excellence Rebecca Ryan. We have reserved space for other Roundtable friends who would like to sit together - please let me know ASAP if you will attend with us - norm [at] realinks [dot] us.

Location

This one of a kind forum will provide the community with an opportunity to learn more about each of the City of Cleveland’s mayoral candidates. The format of the evening will allow for insight into each candidate's unique style of leadership and how he or she plans to develop and nurture a relationship with Cleveland.

Location

On Monday one of fifteen Voices and Choices Leadership Workshop Forums took place (there is one planned for each of fifteen counties comprising Northeast Ohio) in Geneva, Ohio. The event was attended by over a hundred participants, many of whom hold various positions of leadership and public office in Ashtabula County. Participants congregated at roundtables, eight to ten participants to a table. The purpose of this forum was to generate dialog and insight around the concept of a regional strategy for economic transformation for Northeast Ohio – and what factors or conditions might make this vision a reality. Data was collected and transferred in real-time via electronic polling keypads and iMac laptop computers to a designated ‘theme team’, which processed the data during the conference and translated all submissions into general themes and focal points. I had the honor of serving as a facilitator at one of the tables – giving me the unique opportunity to rub elbows with city managers, media representatives and township trustees alike and hear their ‘Voices and Choices’. The Voices and Choices initiative has been supported by the Fund for our Economic Future – a funding base representing the pooled philanthropic contributions of over 70 Northeast Ohio organizations. 

In NEO today, we see a growing consciousness in the alternative energy and sustainability movement, a resounding catalyst in the digital cities OneCleveland phenomenum, and many other indicators that we are finally developing a vibrant new economy mentality.

Location

Oregon's commitment to Open Source is well demonstrated by the establishment of their Open Technology Business Center in Beaverton - we need this in NEO:

Earlier this month, REALNEO IT Analyst Derek Arnold attended the O'Reilly Open Source Convention and Drupal Conference in Portland, Oregon, and he brought back more than new code, knowledge and relationships - he brought back the State of Oregon's vision of being "an epicenter for Open Technology (Linux and Open Source-enabled hardware, software and services)". The State of NEO needs to embrace such a vision!

As is our tradition, at the NEO Excellence portal, we have posted some notes and an attendee list from the First NEO-X-NY Roundtable, in a book bound at http://neoexcellence.realinks.us/NYNY.

Our roundtables are outcome oriented, and the outcomes we pursue from the first NEO-X roundtable include developing the Community Development Venture Capital (CDVC) Fund we introduced in New York, expanding the NEO-X network in support of economic development in NEO, and assisting NEO Expatriates to return to or collaborate with NEO.

newCAT (New Collaboration in Arts and Technology) CEO William Scheele shared his vision for the future of his not-for-profit arts organization at the 08.23.05 Excellence Roundtable, including collaborating with the Ingenuity Fesitval on an innovative slate of digital arts events not to be missed - see schedule of newCAT Ingenuity events below. Bill also previewed a poster that will be sold for $5 at the Ingenuity Festival to raise funds for newCAT... shared below. See you at the Ingenuity Festival...

Around two dozen NEO arts champions came together for the 08.23.05 Excellence Roundtable, which featured overviews of current work by newCAT, CIA and CPAC, among many important regional, innovative arts initiatives.

Akron, Ohio - at the Akron-Summit County Public Library Auditorium
Rebecca Ryan will speak on her work for the Akron Chamber of Commerce

http://www.greaterakronchamber.org/ 

Location

Our community is being challenged by the migration of homegrown talent to other areas. Join area business leaders Aug. 29 as Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce launches “Brain Drain to Brain Gain,� a major economic development initiative poised at retaining and attracting young talent for the Stark County community. The Chamber has hired Rebecca Ryan, economist, futurist and president of Next Generation Consulting Inc. to lead this effort. Next Generation is a talent cooperative that helps communities uncover the “best of what is� in the community to retain and attract the brightest young talent. In-depth research is conducted to make this happen. Be a part of the solution; ensure the community’s future. Start by attending “Brain Drain to Brain Gain,� a free presentation. Light complimentary refreshments will be available.

Location

Engaging the Next Generation

Do you think all Gen X'ers are lazy apathetic slackers? Think
again...they are entrepreneurs, stay at home dads, and are making
political waves. In this session, Rebecca Ryan shares the results of
over 7,000 interviews and focus groups with the next generation: what
they think of their politicians, what they're looking for in their
communities, and how they prefer to make a difference at work and in
their neighborhoods.

Location

The 08.23.05 NEO Excellence Roundtable will feature leaders of new arts innovations and movements in NEO, including William Scheele of newCAT, the New Collaboration for Arts and Technology, who will be able to update attendees on Ingenuity Fest, with which he is affiliated - we'll invite other Ingenuity spokespersons to attend as well.

Location

The last few weeks have seen the subject of education reach front and center across Northeast Ohio. Public school funding, the end of the BBB era and the hyper-politicizing of the selection of her successor, and the realization we need progress educating the region's children are all important drivers for discussion. The NEO Excellence Roundtable has maintained an ongoing dialogue on such key issues impacting economic development in Northeast Ohio, which we will broaden beginning at the August 16th session.

Location

The August 11, 2005, NEO-X Roundtable, at the Jones Day building in New York, New York, brought together a fascinating cross section of former Clevelanders now living or working in the New York area, sharing the common bond that we all still care about NEO.

Building Innnovation and Entrepreneurship in North East Ohio

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Tuesday, August 9 I-Open forum a success!

Please mark your calendar for the August 23 forum. 

Location

This week’s I-Open Tuesday

"Workforce Development: The Critical Dimension of Economic Development"

Location

Dear Friend,

Just a quick reminder, there is an excellence roundtable today, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM, at the City Club.

Please stop by to brainstorm on the power of NEO's virtual community, which spans the world and is far underleveraged here at home. The outcome of these discussions will be plans for an excellence roundtable we shall hold in New York, NY, August 11, at Jones Day's offices there. The purpose of extending roundtables beyond Cleveland is to better connect our interests here with the more powerful networks found beyond our physical borders.

Location

A resounding theme among entrepreneurs in NEO has for a long time been "I don't get respect". Now, a new study by Stuart Mendel, Assistant Dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and Co-director of the college's Center for Non-Profit Policy and Practice, validates that "Cleveland could foster small-business growth as a way to erase the "Poorest Big City in America" distinction it earned last year".

Lead Awareness Week in Northeast Ohio kicked-off at 11 AM on July 18, 2005, with a press conference at the Zelma George Recreation Center, 3165 Martin Luther King Blvd., in the Mt. Pleasant/Kinsman area of Cleveland. City Department of Health Director Matt Carroll coordinated this informative and valuable insight-sharing session, with great support from area health professionals, community activists, Cleveland and Cuyahoga county staff, foundation workers and volunteers, all working together as the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council (GCLAC). The purpose of the conference and week is to raise public awareness for the risks of lead poisoning, and support preventative action.

The July 11, 2005, Ohio Venture Association (OVA) luncheon featured Mark Coticchia, VP for Research and Technology Management at Case University, presenting a report on the progress of his organization since he arrived in Cleveland four years ago. He demonstrated that the progress has been amazing; all performance metrics tracked are at least 100% improved since 2001.

Bill Callahan, Director of Digital Vision (a coalition of organizations in Cleveland, Ohio working to eliminate the "digital divide" in our city), has posted to his blog an analysis of the extent of the digital divide in Cleveland, and the findings are disturbing... "the percentage of Cleveland households in the sample with active Internet connections may be as low as 40%". The numbers for many sectors of our society are much lower. There is not a simple solution to this problem - not just a wi-fi mesh, or neighborhood computing centers, or school labs, or libraries - there is a need as a community to say that we are all committed to help each resident who wants to participate in the new economy to cross the digital divide, and help in every way every step of the way. Read on about the current state of the divide in Cleveland, and consider how you may make a difference:

CLEVELAND'S DIGITAL DISCONNECT: The data, provided to Digital Vision by Scarborough Research,
is from interviews with more than 300 Cleveland residents, 18 and
older, conducted in 2004-2005. While it's not a perfect random sample
of the city's adult population, Scarborough says the sample is
"stable", i.e. the margin of error is reasonable. Here are some of the
highlights:

Event:     Northeast Ohio Business Plan Challenge 2005 Networking Event
Date:     7/12/2005 - 7/12/2005
Time:     5:00:00 PM - 8:00:00 PM

Location:     Bingham Building, 1278 W. 9th Street

Location