Sparks flew as Ingenuity Cleveland concluded the end of its 20th anniversary season with its flagship event IngenuityFest. A kaleidoscope of invention, with music pulsing next to interactive exhibits, artisan vendors and towering installations, the event is a colorful and visceral experience. Over two decades, the festival has grown from a once-a-year celebration to what organizers call an “anchor institution,” credited with driving millions of dollars in economic benefit to the surrounding community and creating opportunities for local creatives. They propelled themselves forward with this year’s theme: Forging the Future, which looked ahead to the next chapter of Ingenuity’s role in the city.
For Executive Creative Director Emily Applebaum, Ingenuity’s anniversary is also a personal one. She joined the organization a decade ago, and brought with her a background in architecture and a passion for community spaces.
“When I came to Ingenuity 10 years ago, I was drawn to the bold experiment of reactivating forgotten urban spaces through art, technology and entrepreneurship,” she said. Applebaum continued to describe the work as becoming a “living case study in placemaking.”
Ingenuity has blossomed into an active anchor for creatives and community members alike, representing not just growth but a commitment to inclusive infrastructure for Cleveland’s creative economy. Recently, Ingenuity has acquired an additional 100,000 square feet of warehouse space in order to expand their capabilities, offering more room for ongoing projects and everything the future holds. Applebaum described the build-out as both a physical and philosophical one.
“We’re taking the former Osborn Manufacturing Company—a soaring industrial complex with 3-foot ceilings, 20-ton bridge cranes, loading docks, and 3-phase power—and turning it into Cleveland’s largest mixed-use creative space intentionally aimed at collaboration,” she said. “Over the next decade we’ll repair flooring, roofing, bathrooms, and access points; and carve out a combination of personal studios, shared workshops, teaching classrooms, and new public-facing areas like the First Impressions Gallery and Ingenuity STEAMshop.”
The expansion is designed to be financially sustainable, with profits generated from each one being used to underwrite the next.
Ingenuity is expanding its role in education as well, with two new classrooms for intergenerational learning. The spaces will host programs ranging from after-school robotics to family maker nights to design-thinking intensives. Ingenuity is partnering with higher education institutions, Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD), and neighborhood groups to offer what Applebaum calls “a menu of programs that blend art, science, and entrepreneurship—giving young people a tangible pathway into Cleveland’s innovation economy.”
The expansion also includes the STEAMshop, a separate, flexible space designed for hands-on learning.
“We chose the name ‘STEAMshop’ very intentionally. It’s a double-entendre that connects past, present and future,” Applebaum said. “On one hand, it nods to Cleveland’s industrial heritage. On the other hand, the STEAMshop signals our forward-looking mission—STEAM as in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math—where learning is active, interdisciplinary and future-oriented.”
This new development involves an expansion of IngenuityLabs Incubator space which currently houses 30 small businesses and creative entrepreneurs (many of them women, minority-owned, or mission-driven). Described by Applebaum as “part residency, part accelerator, and part neighborhood anchor,“ these spaces allow artists to collaborate and utilize a dedicated workspace to bring their creative businesses to life. “A costume designer can collaborate with an engineer on a kinetic sculpture; a robotics team can borrow shop equipment from a scenic artist; and everyone benefits from a culture of peer-to-peer learning,” she specified “The incubator doesn’t just provide space, it builds a bridge to paid opportunities at IngenuityFest and other regional events, turning creative practice into sustainable livelihoods.”
For two decades, Ingenuity has proven its staying power, generating about $4 million in annual economic benefit and creating a pipeline of paid work that reaches beyond its walls. Applebaum emphasizes the organization’s lasting role in Cleveland’s creative economy. They are expanding not just the grounds, but their board and staff to meet the growing needs of their programs, and support this new chapter for Ingenuity.
“In short, we’re cementing a first-of-its-kind economic model for Cleveland,” she said, “a self-sustaining creative campus where artists, entrepreneurs, and residents can co-create a more equitable and innovative city.”
