Chris Horne is fairly new to the northeast Ohio area but he’s already making an imprint. A Georgian most of his life, his wife’s job at The University of Akron brought them to the Rubber City in 2013.
“We noticed the attractions, great parks, shops and restaurants, but most importantly, the people we kept meeting cared so deeply about this area we knew this would make a good fit for us,” Horne said. “We want to try to move things forward like we did in Georgia.”
And that’s how The Devil Strip launched, a publication/mobile app/website that’s dedicated to giving Akronites and other northeast Ohioans interesting things to do in the Rubber City in the music, arts and culture realm. The Devil Strip curates its listing from events calendars, Facebook events and pages, tweets and email newsletters.
“We’re interested in what makes Akron unique. Its local creatives. The artists and musicians, the nonprofits and civic organizations, the entrepreneurs and tech community, the individuals. We like the people, places and things that are moving Akron forward. Pushing the envelope, coming up with new ideas and having fun,” Horne explained.
The first issue launched in March of 2015; The fourth edition will be out on April 28 and you can grab yours at Sonnets in downtown Wadsworth.
“We want to connect people and we want to be connected to people,” Horne said. “This is the vehicle we’ve chosen for that. So, as The Devil Strip keeps growing and changing and responding to the community around us, we want to hear from you.”
The launch of The Devil Strip led to another entrepreneurial thought that will soon be reality. It’s called Unbox Akron, and its contents aren’t yet concrete. But Horne said it will be filled with Akron goodies and is dedicated to Akron’s creative community. Its beta launch is set for late summer or early fall. You can sign up on Facebook to get up-to-date-news on the box contents.
Horne said there will be tangible contents in the monthly subscription box and info on happenings in Akron.
The Knight Foundation awarded Horne a $52,000 grant to start up the monthly subscription box service that will help Akronites explore what makes the area so unique and interesting.
If you have a question or thought, email Chris: AkronDevilStrip@gmail.com. You can also follow The Devil Strip on Twitter (@akrondevilstrip) or on Facebook: facebook.com/thedevilstrip. Unbox Akron is also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnboxAkron?fref=ts.
On the Web: The Devil Strip http://www.thedevilstrip.com/home/
