InnovationWV Inaugural Meeting Remarks
With the motto "Connect, create, and innovate - let’s move West Virginia forward,” the West Virginia Chapter of the International Association of Innovation Professionals (IAOIP) invited the innovators of the Mountain State. The inaugural meeting of the chapter took place on Tuesday, April 16, at the University of Charleston's Innovation Center. (more…)
What’s in a Logo?
Hold that thought, and let us challenge your first association - the word "logos" in Greek philosophy and theology stands for the divine reason in the cosmos. It provides order, form, and meaning. Back to your first association, though, the logo as the visual representation of an organization and the core element of the brand - doesn't it provide similar function? (more…)
Holiday Message 2018
“What we need is tolerance and brotherhood, and simple humanity.” -Senator Arlen Specter In Germany, “drinking to brotherhood” is a common ritual, during which two individuals change the personal address from the German formal “Sie” to the more familiar “Du.” With forearms hooked into each other, the two individuals bring their glass to their mouth. Afterward, they state their first name, often followed by a kiss on the cheek or ...
Out of Many, One
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” -Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus (more…)
On Aristotle and Brand Value
Reading up on Aristotle this weekend, and the Golden Mean. In business, the balance is an essential factor in economic and ethical means. I know that leagues of leadership books have been written to define the process in detail and how to create advantage from it, I want to look at the how our social expectation defines our professional ones, and how they differ. While advertising and lifestyle promote the extreme, the cutting edge, the ...
National Mentoring Month Is a Good Time to Measure the Health of Your Small Business
By Karen Friel, U.S. Small Business Administration West Virginia District Director @ www.wvnews.com Making New Year’s resolutions is a common practice for most Americans this time of year. While many resolutions typically revolve around health and fitness goals, it is equally beneficial to measure the health of your small business. January is National Mentoring Month and a good time to reap the benefits of counseling and mentoring ...
Holiday Message 2017
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, shine, shine! Another year is almost over, can you believe it? And what a year it has been: In January, we moved the office from up Joplin Park in South Charleston to the Charleston Area Alliance downtown. We traveled to a German chamber, representing the Kanawha Valley in the Rhein-Ruhr region. And we ushered the brand of an industry leader into the 21st century, redefining ...
DC Elevator Brand Launch
Last weekend, we launched the re-brand of Kentucky's prevailing independent elevator company. In 2016, DC Elevator asked us to match their visual identity to the company they had become in the course of the last 40 years. (more…)
Businessman Hopes to Share Economic Lessons from Native Germany
by JIM WORKMAN For The State Journal · July 10th, 2017 Although Jens Kiel himself was made in Germany, as the name of his business proudly states, he also has a passion for his adopted home of West Virginia. Made in Germany, Kiel’s Charleston marketing and creative strategy firm, has become involved with the Charleston Area Alliance for the past several years. The most recent effort may draw upon similar economic experiences in Kiel’s ...
Small Business Workshops Look to Be Part of West Virginia’s Solution
Jens Kiel sits at his desk in his marketing and design consulting firm, Made in Germany. Kiel said the West Virginia Small Business Development Center helped place the Charleston-based firm on a path to profitability when he started it in 2013. The WVSBDC is offering free classes Monday and Tuesday in multiple locations for startups and businesses less than one year in operation. (more…)
