Meet Plug And Play Founder And CEO Saeed Amidi

In October, Cleveland Clinic and JumpStart announced a partnership with Silicon Valley’s renowned Plug and Play Inc. to bring a new biotech and digital health innovation accelerator to downtown Cleveland. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Plug and Play is one of the world’s best and largest accelerator programs. As they prepare to expand to Northeast Ohio,

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KeyBank Business Boost & Build Program: Frequently Asked Questions

We are extremely excited to announce a new partnership with KeyBank Foundation. The “KeyBank Business Boost & Build Program, Powered by JumpStart” initiative is designed to stimulate economic growth and workforce development by fostering small business success in communities throughout Ohio and upstate New York. Below we have answered some of the questions you’re likely

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Why Your Neighbor’s Job Matters

The rhetoric around “job creation” has become a little tired, almost to the point where people tend to glaze over when it’s mentioned. No one disagrees that jobs are important, it’s just that other people’s jobs aren’t usually on our minds. We often have our hands full just dealing with our own jobs and how

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JumpStart CEO Ray Leach To Receive NVCA American Spirit Award

It is with great pleasure that we announce that JumpStart CEO Ray Leach will receive the American Spirit Award at the upcoming National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) Leadership Gala. The March, 8 event serves as a celebration of the venture industry and an opportunity to honor those who have made significant contributions to foster innovation,

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Five Things You Should Know About Our 2015 Economic Impact Report

Each year, Cleveland State University works with JumpStart to prepare a report tracking the yearly economic impact of companies supported by us and our many partner organizations. This year’s report, which looks back at 2015, showed that 270 companies supported by our collaborative group generated more than $1.4 billion in economic impact for the state of Ohio.

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How Rural America Is Taking Back Its Economic Future

Rural America certainly has its charms. Clean air, wide open vistas, a close knit community, less stress, greater independence and a lower cost of living just to name a few. Many are the dreams of city folk who think about a more idyllic life in the country. But not all is a Garden of Eden.

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[PODCAST] The Well-Being Of The Citizen

On Tuesday, April 19th, Citizens Bank and Growth Opportunity Partners hosted a conversation about the best ways companies can position themselves to become anchor businesses in their community. The discussion centered around Cleveland’s historical assets, how those assets have changed throughout the city’s history and how companies can use them as a key driver in business growth. Listen

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Immigration Is One Of Our Greatest Entrepreneurial Resources

In case you’ve missed the hours upon hours of new coverage, immigration reform is shaping up to be one of the most polarizing topics in the 2016 presidential race. The rhetoric these past few months has been contentious to say the least, including calls to escalate border patrols, apprehend and deport illegal immigrants, build walls along

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Stop Fighting To Attract New Businesses And Start Helping The Ones You Already Have

Economic developers have long used tax incentives to attract companies to their communities. By some estimates, 95% of U.S. municipalities use these incentives in one form or another, spending upwards of $50-80 billion annually. At that same time, mounting evidence seems to be showing these tax incentives produce only marginal results, leading to a growing

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Foundations, Teach Your Communities To Fish

We all know the proverb. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. The underlying message is clear, it’s better to teach someone to do something than to do if for them. At JumpStart, we’ve found this proverb can

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Economic Developers, Make Your First Business Visit A Great One

Let me ask you a question. Would a wise money manager invest in a company they knew nothing about? The answer, of course is no. A wise money manager would investigate the company, scrutinize the financials, probe management, explore the industry and delve into key trends. Anything less would risk giving away the client’s money.

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