ups, such as PuppyMatch LLC (Pup- pyMatchLLC.com), whose 21-year-old owner, Anthony Gasparro, will coach you on dog breed selection, then locate, pick up and deliver an appro- priate puppy for a fee not exceeding what a breeder might charge, he reports. Gasparro says. "This is a responsible way to choose a puppy." of proper resting quarters for the new family member, and Gillian McNamara, a 14-year-old Solon student, has the solution. Her Hug-A-Bed creations draw from repurposed sweaters as source ma- terial, which she crafts into snug beds for either dogs or cats. So far, she has sold about 50 beds, most priced at $18. She can be reached at Gillian.m@att.net. School student Joseph Attias, who was selling a seductive product: Jojo's Addictive Pickles. They're marinated in a trippy, tasty liquid that's sweet and spicy. He started the business as a way to raise money to fund his participation in a band trip to Spain, and he has stuck with it. His mom helped him create the secret recipe, and he's been selling the pickles at a brisk pace for nearly two years, particularly at his youth group events. Each container is priced at $6, or three for $15, and he can be found on the Jojo's Addictive Pickles Facebook page. playing around in his basement on his computer last year when he discovered thermochromic pigment on a website. After the magically have the ability to change colors when heat is applied, typically through touch. With the help of some friends, Kritzell took this concept and developed a product for the iPhone: a color-changing phone case. Thus, a business was born, logically christened with the name Chameleon Inc. orange to yellow, black to white or green to blue. Several other color combinations are available, most accessibly from the company web- site, chameleonja.com. The target demographic is that of his peers, high school and college students, with a price point starting at $5. from his post for the day in front of a booth at the annual Entrova- tionCLE, a celebration of entrepre- neurship + innovation (= entro- vation) inside Beachwood High School, April 30, 11 am 6 pm. This represents a change in time and venue, with last year's event held at the Beachwood Community Cen- ter on a Friday. It was also formerly branded as the Green Dream. sands of attendees, a host of food and other truck-based businesses, all assembled for this showcase of products and services that demon- strated entrepreneurialism. Under the direction of Greg Perry, who teaches marketing at BHS through ExcelTECC, a vocational education consortium of eight schools, his 43 senior-level students helped plan the day from inception to completion. proach to branding, says Perry, and demonstrates the students' pride in Cleveland. He also noticed a grow- ing entrepreneurial spirit among the show's student participants. to compete in a global market from anywhere with limited expenses and overhead," he reports. business and EntrovationCLE serves as its company) is advised by the city's community services director Karen Carmen. The group contributed to the day's events by discussing the $40,000 budget. Some of the money was used to train students in leadership development and to attend a professional marketing confer- ence in Orlando. Also, a donation of $3,500 was made to Youth Outdoors, a program offered for inner-city children through the Cleveland Metroparks. Some remaining money was allocated as seed funding for next year's un- dertaking. The net result of Junior Achievement's efforts was having EntrovationCLE named Compa- ny of the Year, which merited a trophy and a $1,000 prize. an inspiration for others to try," says Carmen. "Sales skills are invaluable in all walks of life." tured 50 Northeast Ohio middle school, high school and college participants from 27 schools who came stoked to sell their wares. The market was a partnership with University School's Young Entrepreneur Institute and spon- sored by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. |