On Thursday, July 26, hundreds of local entrepreneurs and creative professionals got a sneak peek inside some of the region’s most innovative companies during the New Co. Cincinnati conference presented by Cintrifuse.  Designed to be a new kind of event experience – “a mash-up of an open studio tour and a business conference, with the vibe of a music festival” – NewCo has been held in 12 cities around the world including Austin, Detroit, Boulder, Istanbul and Amsterdam to name just a few.  Participants hear the very latest ideas from the front lines of innovation, and host companies have a chance to make their best pitch to top talent. 

Wendy Lea, CEO of Cintrifuse, reached out to ArtsWave’s President and CEO Alecia Kintner early in the planning process to bring local arts organizations on board. ArtsWave and six arts organizations hosted events as part of the conference, including ArtWorks, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Elementz, and Art Academy of Cincinnati. 

Here are just a few photos and comments from those sessions shared on Twitter:



 @maggie_frye: @Elementzhiphop unleashes creative minds in urban youth. Great mission! #NewCoCincy #CincyArts

















@johnbatelle: So fun to learn basics of conducting with very funny conductor John Morris Russell of @CincinnatiPops#NewCoCincy

@aMetalCowboy: Just learned that Alexander Fleming first used penicillin while making paint he could use for his personal art @ArtsWave #NewCoCincy

@GreatPlacemaker: Arts education IS workforce development @ArtsWave #NewCoCincy

At ArtsWave, our Director of Signature Arts and Business Programs, Mike Boberg, gave a fast and fun presentation about how art and artists led to some of the most important science and technology breakthroughs of the 20th century including microsutures and penicillin. Senior Director of Communications Rebecca Bromels shared ArtsWave’s most recent research on how arts education develops skills needed for a 21st century workforce.  President and CEO Alecia Kintner talked about the relationship between arts engagement and civic engagement, and what it means for attracting and retaining talent in our region.

With a turnout of nearly 900 people for the event (more than Austin!), Cintirfuse says the event was “an absolute success.”  In the Business Courier, Wendy Lea pointed to the sessions at arts organizations as an important differentiator for our market: "The thing I’m most proud of is we integrated well into startups and the creative class like Taft Museum and ArtsWave and (the) symphony. I’m really proud of that because it shows the city well. There’s more than just work. It’s a way of being in Cincinnati, and that’s what we’re selling."

Did you attend one of the arts sessions at #NewCoCincy?   Tell us about it with #ArtsRipple.