Posted by rcipgh on 7:55 AM
We like to think that Pittsburgh is a growing hub for innovation and small business. Now, with events like Steve Case's Rise of the Rest Road Tour, even more people are taking notice of the city for its startups and entrepreneurs and the accelerators behind them. Mayor Peduto has focused a series of round table discussions on technology, with the most recent one focusing on how city government can help support accelerators. Below are some of the major highlights:
Infrastructure is still an issue
Leonore Blum, distinguished career professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University and founding director of Project Olympus, said it can be difficult to attract investment from the West Coast if those investors can't get here easily.
"Without daily service to the West Coast, those investors come in, harvest the companies and take them away," Blum said.
And it's not just air service that can be an issue. Mark Musolino, director of RevvOakland, said having better transportation options in the city is needed to attract and keep talent in addition to marketing Pittsburgh as a destination for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Connecting underrepresented populations to opportunities
While resources have been put in place to foster technology startups, Peduto said the city has to think about entrepreneurship beyond that scope.
"How do we make sure the person that works at Pep Boys and wants to open their own service center has the same opportunity and access as a software developer at Carnegie Mellon?" Peduto asked.
He said the goal is to create ladders of opportunity for everybody, especially in neighborhoods that have been left out of the city's redevelopment.
Bill Generett, director of Urban Innovation21, said when companies locate in a community, it spurs other economic development.
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