Strengthen Local Business
Support entrepreneurs, small business owners, and innovation in the city.Goals
Support Local Business
Increase governmental cooperation with local businesses and promote co-working spaces.
Brand Pittsburgh as an Inclusive Innovation City
Promote Pittsburgh as an inclusive center for new and creative industries.
Connect Business to Capital
Facilitate connections between different organizations and increase access to local resources.
Support Mentoring and fellowship programs
Develop mentorship and fellowship opportunities for small-business owners, local students, and immigrants.
Action items
Complete
On-track
Upcoming
Archived
Support Local Business
Adapt Local Business Products
Create a framework or working group focused on adapting and testing local business products and services within City government.
Map Business Creation Process
Map the business creation process for the average Pittsburgh entrepreneur in order to recommend improvements and lower barriers to start a business.
Promote E-commerce Tutoring
Identify, promote and fill the gaps of local E-commerce tutoring and mentorships aimed at small business owners.
Promote Local Partnerships
Highlight unique local products and services through partnerships and awareness programs.
Advocate for Maker Community
Advocate for policies to benefit the maker community.
Streamline LaunchPGH Website
Enhance and streamline the LaunchPGH.com website, by creating a new interface, and adding maker business resources.
Create Innovation Zone
Establish an Innovation Zone to create business growth opportunities for startups.
Engage with Businesses
Engage with businesses through programs that could include mobile trucks, pop up business sites, or temporary retail kiosks for entrepreneurs to test their business concepts.
Subsidize Coworking Space Memberships
Work with local community coworking spaces to subsidize qualified applicants who would otherwise be unable to afford membership.
Brand Pittsburgh as an Inclusive Innovation City
Increase the Hiring of Immigrants
Promote best practices to increase the hiring of immigrants through the Welcoming Pittsburgh Plan.
Strengthen Economic Development
Coordinate economic development activity between the City, Allegheny County, Universities and local economic development organizations, through programs such as PowerUpPittsburgh.
Create National Network
Form a national network with other cities’ innovative leaders to help stay abreast of successful regional policies and projects.
Highlight Local Successes
Highlight the success of companies across the City in a consistent and deliberate fashion.
Create Multi-year Media Campaign
Begin a multi-year media campaign that works with community partners and promotes both their work and the Pittsburgh region.
Deepen University Partnerships
Deepen the City’s engagement with local universities to tie academic research to help develop innovative City policies.
Invite Native Pittsburghers
Invite prominent native Pittsburghers who have scattered across the globe to re-engage with the City through deliberate programs and partnerships.
Connect Business to Capital
Expand Access to Capital
Support the expansion of local resources for access to capital through Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFI) such as Bridgeway Capital and Northside Community Development Fund, and Urban Redevelopment Authority programs.
Enhance Small Business Resource Fairs
Strengthen the City’s support of business through the enhancement of the City’s Small Business Resource Fairs and LaunchPGH.com
Support Immigrant Businesses
Grow immigrant and minority businesses through the Welcoming Pittsburgh Plan.
Develop Impact Investment Tool
Create an impact investment tool such as a fund of funds to focus on inclusive innovation.
Support mentoring and fellowship programs
Support Small Business Mentorship
Support existing small-business mentorship programs to connect established companies with smaller businesses, newer businesses, or even potential clients to provide guidance when starting a new venture.
Expand Fellowship Programs
Expand local and national fellowship programs to connect businesses and government to local universities and create a pipeline for students.
Launch Leadership Mentoring Program
Launch a leadership mentor matching program for immigrant entrepreneurs and community leaders through the Welcoming Pittsburgh Initiative.
Inclusive Innovation is a joint collaboration between the City of Pittsburgh, the Department of Innovation & Performance and The Urban Redevelopment Authority. Special thanks to the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Hillman Family Foundations for their generous support to Inclusive Innovation.
© 2017 City of Pittsburgh, Department of Innovation & Performance
