Man on a mission

Chris Howse is determined to close the digital divide in Cleveland

It was Christmas Day in 1969, nestled in the living room of his East Cleveland home, an excited seven-year-old Christopher Howse received a state-of-the-art train set from his parents. They were hard workers, and the expensive gift was easily Chris’ favorite. It was fairly futuristic, with lights, sounds and steam, and he played with it all day. “I was amazed at it, watching all of these things go by, and I started wondering, how is this technology working? Today, they would call it reverse engineering, but I took this brand-new train set apart, and I was stuck with not really knowing how to put it back together. The trouble I got into after that is a whole ’nother story,” he chuckles. “But what it did, though, was launch a true fascination and interest in technology. He feels his mother is responsible for the tinkering. “She was always repairing and enhancing electronics and fixtures around our house. I admired her skills and patience! Even at an early age, I knew technology was going to change the world we live in.” It would be the gift that changed the trajectory of his life.

As Chris got older, his interest in technology never waned. When he outgrew his computer, and wanted to upgrade his fax modem from 14.4k to 56k, he discovered it would cost $400 in labor for a company to perform that service. (In the late 1990s, a fax modem was how people were able to connect their personal computers, using their land telephone lines, to the newly more widely accessible Internet.) While pondering the upgrade situation, he wondered aloud, “Well, how hard can this be?” This was before Google and YouTube, so Chris opted to save the money, and figure out how to do the job himself. Once he had that problem solved, it really opened the technology doors for him, and he started upgrading and enhancing all of his equipment. From there, he worked on his family’s equipment, and moved on to working on the equipment of his coworkers. “When you’re good and affordable the word of mouth advertising machine travels fast!” That morphed into building and supporting computer labs and outfitting other types of technology rooms, protecting systems from cyber attacks and software recommendations. “Organizations trusted me to get it done, and it included serving as a project manager working with multiple vendors. Before I knew it, even though I had a 9-to-5 job, I had amassed a customer base of about 300. One day at work, I had one of those pivotal ‘a-ha’ moments when I realized I couldn’t do my day job plus serve my clients well. I talked it over with my wife, and she supported my decision to leave the job. Thus, Howse Solutions was born in 2009.”

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” –Frederick Douglass, 1857

At the time, his client base was 90% residential and 10% small business. As he worked with more small businesses and Fortune 500 companies, he discovered that they wanted fast, reliable service, and state-of-the-art equipment. “They want their equipment painlessly and trouble-free,” he says. “Fortune 500 companies demanded that. Small business owners needed that same level of service, but knowing that they could not afford a full time IT department, I became a ‘fractional’ IT department for small business owners, at a reasonable, affordable price. It keeps them in technology without breaking the bank. So, we’ve grown based upon customer needs.” As he began to provide those services for businesses, his client base started to transition and eventually flip-flopped to where he is now, with the vast majority of his clients being small business owners in both the public and private sectors, and spanning the construction, government, healthcare, commercial, education and retail industries. The MBE-, DBE-, EDGE-, and SBE-certified firm offers technology consulting, is a supplier of hardware and software, low voltage, train the trainer services, staffing, coaching and more. Chris enjoys learning about tech innovations; is an advocate for overcoming the digital divide and bridging the accessibility gap; and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of his projects.

Chris and his team at Howse Solutions just completed a Remote Work Project for an organization of 150 people. The project's scope included a deep dive into workflows, accountability measures and flexible work schedules. Training was a huge part of this project. The use of newer technology in the purchase of computer equipment and cloud-based software applications added a benefit of cost savings and a reduction of duplicated processes. This and other similar projects highlight how Howse Solutions incorporates strategy, problem solving, and innovation to help organizations with their technology challenges.

A longtime mentor for Greater Cleveland youth, Chris is passionate about extending his knowledge to the community. “I believe that everyone should have access to, understand, and enjoy technology,” he says. As a result, Chris has cultivated business collaborations, strategic alliances, and joint ventures. “One of the ways we can empower today’s youth is to show them how to apply their skills in gaming to other areas of technology including drones, artificial intelligence, and robotics. That is one way we can invest in them.” Chris has a passion for youth mentorship, workforce development, and skills training. He recalls reading a particular book early in his career while he was a manufacturer sales representative for Northern Ohio and Michigan. The book was entitled, Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow by Marsha Sinetar, and emphasizes having passion in your work. “I left a lucrative sales career and devoted my energy into the field of information technology,” he says. “It has always been my true passion.” Steve Jobs was famous for saying that the only way to do great work is to love what you do. Passion and the willingness to learn more and hone your craft breeds an environment of “continuous improvement.”

Next on the company's radar is assisting the region and the state to integrate broadband technologies to underserved communities. Chris believes that everyone should have access to the information highway. The Covid-19 pandemic proved that lack of Internet access affects healthcare, education, housing and so many other categories. Chris has made it his company's mission to help correct this with individuals, families and businesses. “I’m doing this important work not just for my family and legacy, but for all the young boys and girls across the country opening their technology gadgets and wondering if there's room on the information highway for them. That's my WHY! That's why I do this!”

Chris has often been featured as a speaker, moderator and panelist discussing a variety of topics including entrepreneurship, small business, technology and strategic alliances. Chris was recently asked to help represent minority small businesses by serving on the board for The Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and the Council of Small Enterprises (COSE). The busy father of four also serves as a member of several professional, civic, and social organizations including The 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland. He believes that the success and failures that he’s experienced in his company is due to his unwavering faith in God and the love and support from his family and network of friends and colleagues. “It hasn’t always been easy managing a business, but it has always been worth it! Technology is meant to help our lives become better, not to hinder us. In order for this region to grow, we must have a diverse and talented workforce in our ecosystem,” he says. Christopher Howse is up for the challenge and is certainly a “man on a mission.”