News

Cleveland Innovation District Tour

September 2, 2021

Once one of the nation’s centers of urban blight, Cleveland’s Midtown District is suddenly emerging as a hub of technology, culture and innovation.  The Tour of the Cleveland Innovation District was a great way to see Cleveland’s past, present and the future – recognizing the importance of space and impact of collaborative efforts from community, philanthropic, university, and business leaders and organizations in IT, Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing and more. With the emergence of the Opportunity Corridor that connects the eastern end of I-490 to University Circle, the re-development of the Health Line along Euclid Avenue and the entrepreneurial ventures sprouting up within the district, it feels like the story of re-imagining a large organization with many moving parts. The morning looked at how players in close proximity have envisioned space, how participating organizations might tap into the energy of a grand project and connect innovators and entrepreneurs in diverse industries.

  Special thanks to:

  • Andy Jones, Chuck Mackey & Pete Cavrell from Fortress, division of MCPc, for hosting the kick-off session, helping us understand the practical and emerging cybersecurity challenges involved with AI, IIoT, etc.
  • Jeff Epstein, Rick Barga and Sophie Mueller of MidTown Cleveland for introducing us to the Cleveland Innovation District and leading us on a tour of some of the sites for Cleveland Walls! (Mural Event);
  • Jean Seneff, Cat McAllester, Victor Guinto, and Todd Smith with Case Western Reserve and Case Medical School for their introductions to Interactive Commons as well as the HoloLens and Flight Simulator Labs;
  • Lauren Hansgen, Executive Director, Dunham Tavern Museum, for helping us understand the rich history from Euclid Avenue and efforts to retain the heritage and engage the community more fully.

To participate in the InnoQuest Innovation Management program contact: Chris Keller (Chris@edgef.org or Grant Marquit (Grant@edgef.org)