Civic Innovation Lab: Meet the Champions Breakfast November 14, 2007

The breakfast is free, but you must register at [email protected] and include your name and company.

Meet Ray whose idea is an Indoor Mountain Bike Park. The park is over 80,000 square feet of industrial space that holds an array of ramps, turns, tracks, rocks, and stunts designed specifically for riding by mountain bikers. It is not only a place to challenge one's riding abilities, but it is also a place to interact, to have fun, and to learn from and along with other riders. raysmtb.com

and meet Lyn Tomaszweski whose idea is a Homeless Education Campaign to reduce aggressive panhandling by redirecting resources from paper cups to well-managed sources, including donation receptacles and a bus specifically assisting the homeless. Her campaign will collaborate with and support other organizations that assist the city's homeless. Both were awarded $30,000 to launch their ideas.

The Civic Innovation Lab, a project funded by The Cleveland Foundation, offers mentorship, training, and funding of up to $30,000 for ideas that have a measurable economic impact on the Greater Cleveland community. We classify economic development in four ways:

1) Supporting a new industry
2) Supporting entrepreneurship
3) Increasing urban vitality
4) Attraction and retention of young professionals.

Since its launch, in September 2003, the Civic Innovation Lab has received over 300 proposals, supported over 30 new economic development initiatives with grants over $750,000 and trained over 300 entrepreneurs.

Official Website: http://www.civicinnovationlab.org/