Brewed Fresh Daily

via Peter McDermott @ LocalFoodCleveland.org >

Each year SustainLane releases the “most complete report card on urban sustainability in America”, which ranks the 50 largest cities in categories like air quality, green economy, metro congestion etc.

This year Cleveland placed first in two categories: local food/agriculture and water supply.

As I see it, these are arguably the two most important categories in the entire study. Without a sustainable food and water supply, the basic functions of a city cannot be met. As the challenges we face in creating a sustainable regional economy become more pressing, it is essential that we have this basic infrastructure in place to meet the needs of our city. It’s great to see that we’re getting national recognition for all of the hard work being done by leaders in Northeast Ohio.

The report notes “12 farmers’ markets and 225 community gardens reported, serving truckloads of fresh food to its population of over 450,000. A nearly 600 percent increase in total number of farmers’ markets and a sizable increase in community gardens since 2006 explain Cleveland’s ascent in this rankings category.”

In fact, Cleveland has over 20 farmers’ markets but we’ll let that slide.

Not too long ago I was an active participant in heated conversations that went something like this:

Person 1: “There aren’t any promising new businesses in Northeast Ohio worth investing in.”

Person 2: “You’re wrong. What’s missing is smart investors willing to take a risk and smart enough to turn a good idea into a great success.”

Being a world-class flip-flopper, I’ve played the role of both Person 1 and 2 in those conversations. But I no longer have such conversations, and I believe it’s because we’ve addressed both concerns (or at least have made significant progress in addressing them).

Turning Technologies, Hyland Software, MemberHealth, NDI Medical etc. have all shown there’s lots of good ideas being turned into high-growth companies in Northeast Ohio.

And today we’re reminded again (this time by the Third Frontier program) that there’s a fair amount of capital available for entrepreneurs to pursue. Importantly, there’s now a new fund being formed to help minority entrepreneurs. Yes, more capital is needed. And so are more entrepreneurs with great ideas. But we’ve moved onto other important conversations, and for that I’m grateful.

A pessimist would see this as a threat. Laura Bennett responds to Purina entering her field:

“Its great to have such a high profile competitor bring awareness to the industry. As I say, all boats rise on that tide.”

Is it possible for an entrepreneur to be a pessimist?

Purina Care Pet Insurance launches: Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

From Gary:

Venture capitalist Jonathan Murray of Early Stage Partners described the startup process as a series of iterative experiments rather than a linear projection. Rather than writing a business plan with cash flow projections that have little or no basis in reality, Jonathan suggests a more realistic approach- a balance between objectivity and entrepreneurial zeal…

Iterative experiments | Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Had lunch yesterday with Mike and Gary of Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative. It’s always a pleasure talking to them, and their passion for what they do is contagious. If you’ve never heard about ELI, is suggest you head out to Corporate College next Friday and get a preview. Here’s a PDF for the Opportunity Found! event. Make sure you check out who the keynote speaker is. To register, call Corporate College at 216.987.3075 (use course number #54243).