Last-Minute Gifts from Local Pittsburgh Businesses

Christmas is only a few days away, and you've procrastinated buying your holiday gifts. Well, luckily, there are some local goods that you can purchase for everyone on your list. Plus, not only are you supporting local businesses by holiday shopping this way, but you are also likely to find some of the most unique and creative gifts at the places below:

Priory Bakery on the North Side
You can pick up some of their gourmet desserts and treats as the perfect gift for the foodie on your list.

Here are some more ideas from Pittsburgh Buy Local:

WILDCARD - Located in the heart of Lawrenceville, is a city favorite called Wildcard. Wildcard is so much more than cards though. They also carry stationery, bags, wallets, buttons, jewelry, t-shirts, craft supplies, original art, vintage, gallery space and more!

Wildcard4209 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
(412) 224-2651

KARDS UNLIMITED – Their supply of cards IS (nearly) unlimited, but that’s not all Kards Unlimited has to offer! A great selection of toys, books, games, wrapping paper, gift bags, calendars, jewelry and so much more means that KU is your holiday one-stop shop extravanganza! Many regulars know the friendly staff by name and every customer receives the same cheerful consideration. If they can’t help you choose between the Author’s Preferred Text of American Gods and a Disappearing TARDIS mug, you can always get a gift certificate in any amount!

Kards Unlimited5522 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA
15232 (412) 622-0500

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC MARKET - Come & get it – the goodness of locally grown produce, fresh-baked goods, handmade crafts – everything’s at The Pittsburgh Public Market’s new location in The Strip. If you want fresh food and local products at reasonable prices sold in a friendly atmosphere, then you will appreciate the charm of this local market while buying directly from the person who grew the food or created the product.

Pittsburgh Public Market2401 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 281-4505

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3 Tips to Cultivate More Startups in Your City

The startup community has really boomed in Pittsburgh these last few years. With the surge of tech startups, accelerators and talented graduates from surrounding universities, Pittsburgh has been a great place to start a business. Some of the surrounding cities in the Rust Belt could become more entrepreneur-friendly too with a few tips. Nick Sinatra highlights a few of these in a recent Entrepreneur article saying,

1. Cities need to support innovation. How? 

"In order to attract entrepreneurs and businesses, it’s critical to cultivate an environment that welcomes innovation. The best formula for this is a private sector-led initiative that is supplemented with government support."

     2.   Your location matters. Why?

"To some, the typical images we associate with Rust Belt cities may look somber at first glance, but vacant industrial buildings with great bones and interesting architectural histories offer an extraordinary opportunity for restoration and rebuilding. Creating new and unique spaces that reflect the emerging community gives these cities more leverage to retain a skilled workforce, which entices employees to stick around."

"City officials can look to partner with local, entrepreneurial real estate companies to work on more outside-the-box projects."

     3.   Find your niche. What industry makes your city special?

For instance, Pittsburgh was known as the steel city. Now, it is getting noticed for its technology startups and innovations. Sinatra says,

"Clean energy, health care and consumer Internet services are just three sectors that cities can explore, but remember that pivoting is not a simple process. Elected officials must capitalize on their city’s unique existing strengths and make conscious legislative decisions to attract the industry that they're looking to build. Universities should reinforce this emphasis on a particular sector by offering relevant degrees and coursework. Publicity is also key, so that outsiders are aware of progress being made."

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Changes to Expect in Pittsburgh for 2015

Photo by daveynin

There are some exciting things planned for Pittsburgh as we approach the new year. From investors boosting more funds for area startups to improvements on waterfront trails like the Three Rivers Trail beside our offices, 2015 is looking like a prime time to be in the "Steel City". Keystone Edge compiled a list of some of the development and other projects that are planned for 2015. Here are some of the highlights: 

1. Riverfront Ventures
Investment is booming here thanks to a new Pittsburgh-based fund launched by Innovation Works. This fall, Riverfront Ventures announced it will invest $24 million in local early-stage companies. It’s common knowledge by now that Pittsburgh is home to a burgeoning tech scene supported by first-class universities, grassroots organizations and influential start-up accelerators. Recently, entrepreneurs have been moving back to Pittsburgh because, in addition to those resources, the city now has a growing pool of eager investors. To wit: In Pittsburgh, in the first nine months of 2014, the $250 million in venture capital dollars flowing to growing technology companies outstripped the annual totals for each of the past five years.

2. Waterfront Development
Point State Park and its environs across the Allegheny and Ohio rivers are now beautiful and bikable, thanks to a recent facelift. The Three Rivers Water Trail, a network of non-motorized craft access points in the Pittsburgh region, is a blessing for the ‘Burgh. And the Three Rivers Heritage Trail now extends over 24 miles along both sides of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, making it an almost complete route for cyclists, walkers, runners and, in some cases, rollerbladers.

For 2015, let’s take that bike beauty and stretch it east. Over 30 more miles of trails are planned, including continuation along the Allegheny River as part of theErie to Pittsburgh Trail Alliance. Strong bike trail connectivity would be a boon to Pittsburgh’s reputation as a place for healthy living and easy commuting.

3. Pittsburgh Bike Share
While we’re on the subject of outdoor recreation, let’s look ahead to the Pittsburgh Bike Share, set to launch in 2015 on Earth Day. Pittsburgh Bike Share plans to open with 500 bikes across 50 stations, with the goal of expanding to 1,500 bikes across 500 locations.

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Study: Young Entrepreneurs Have More Support in Pittsburgh

A new study by NerdWallet found that it is easier for young entrepreneurs to pursue and fund their business ventures in Pittsburgh than in many other US cities. In the list, Pittsburgh was listed as the 13th best region for entrepreneurs that are aged 25-34. There are a number of things that can contribute to the high ranking like access to business loans, the tech boom in the city and the numerous startup accelerators like RCI that support entrepreneurs.  The study found that:

"Broadening the gap between the cost of living and how much people earn I think in the long run will become the most important issue for everyone in the region, particularly young entrepreneurs,” he said. 

Networking, which was tied to the percentage of the population 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, and access to mentors, which was tied to the number of businesses per 100 people in a city, were also deemed critical to small business success.

“I’m coming from the Colorado [area], which has a very robust startup scene, and they’ve got nothing on Pittsburgh,” said John Mason, director of entrepreneurial studies at Duquesne University’s Palumbo Donahue School of Business.

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You Can Support Young Entrepreneurs-Here's How

The organization, Entrepreneuring Youth, fosters and supports entrepreneurship in young people by teaching them business skills that they can apply in real life. The program also connects middle and high school aged future entrepreneurs to business owners, so that they can gather insight into what it takes to run a business from the people who have actually done it.

If you are an entrepreneur, you could be a perfect mentor for a young person with the same drive. Entrepreneuring Youth is holding their 4th Annual Retail Expo at One Oxford Centre on December 13. From 11am to 2pm you can meet 30 teen entrepreneurs, take a look at the homemade products they will be selling and offer business tips and advice.

For more information, visit www.eyouthamerica.org.

Pittsburgh is Revamping Its Innovation Plan

If you didn't know about Pittsburgh's Innovation and Performance Department before, then you should get to know it now. The department was created in February and has the goal to further innovation. Its impact could change how the city operates, and technology is being viewed as one of the primary drivers behind the innovation movement.

The group's biggest project they have underway is what has been dubbed Pittsburgh's "Innovation Roadmap," which will provide a basis to guide major innovation activities over the next three years. 

Speaking Wednesday evening at anMIT Enterprise Forum hosted at Carnegie Mellon University, Lam unveiled the early work on the plan. 

What's important, she said, is that the plan go beyond the latest trends and fads to provide a proactive blueprint to drive strategies. 

Ideas for the project were generated this summer through a series of five roundtables that brought together about 120 stakeholders to discuss the strengths and weaknesses in Pittsburgh's innovation community. 

Topics included: the maker moment, clean technology, co-working and accelerators, startups and entrepreneurs and venture capital and angel investors.

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Urban Innovation Districts Are The Next Big Thing

Oftentimes, when people think of areas of innovation, places like Silicon Valley come to mind. However, some are saying that a new model for innovation is on the rise: urban innovation districts. One article in the Harvard Business Review defines urban innovation districts as, "geographic areas where leading-edge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators, and accelerators. Compact, transit-accessible, and technically-wired, innovation districts foster open collaboration, grow talent, and offer mixed-used housing, office, and retail.”

Pittsburgh has been named as one of the leading U.S. urban innovation districts. Some other insights from the article highlighted this.

Globally, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Medellin, Montreal, Seoul, Stockholm, and Toronto all contain emerging innovation districts. In the United States, the most iconic districts can be found in the downtowns and midtowns of Atlanta, Cambridge, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. In each, advanced research universities, medical complexes, and clusters of tech and creative firms are sparking business expansion as well as residential and commercial growth.

What does the rise of urban innovation districts mean?

Much of this activity reflects a fundamental rethinking by corporate management about how and where innovation happens. In turn, it is making the case that discrete urban geographies can be instrumental in strengthening the competitive advantages of specific firms and clusters.

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