Author Archives: Catherine

About Catherine

Non-native Pittsburgher who fell head-over-heels in love with the city. Loves craft beer, local restaurants, used bookstores and libraries, discovering hidden gems, and, most of all, dogs.

Startup Weekend Pittsburgh is back Nov. 20-22– get 20% off tickets!

startup-weekend-pittsburghI’ll keep this short since it’s no secret that I love Startup Weekend– if you’re interested in entrepreneurship and the tech scene at all, there’s no better way to get involved than jumping right in! Use code SWheartsPGH for 20% off.

The most recent Startup Weekend, hosted by Work Hard Pittsburgh, was a Civic-themed event held in September that focused on making impacts in our community.

We were due for a general-themed event open to all ideas, regardless of vertical or sector, so Startup Weekend Pittsburgh is coming this weekend!

For a quick recap, here’s what you can expect over the course of a Startup Weekend:

  • Pitch your brilliant idea, form a team, and work together to build something great
  • Meet some really smart, really motivated people and make valuable long-term connections
  • Learn from seasoned mentors who have built their own companies and know what it takes
  • Develop new skills and expand your talent set
  • Actually build the foundations of company. Market validation, business modeling, prototyping, development– it all happens over the course of 54 hours
  • Have all your meals covered, and plenty of celebration beer on Sunday

If you can’t make it for the whole weekend, we also have tickets for just the Friday and/or Sunday night pitches. It’s a perfect way to get a feel for what a Startup Weekend is like, without committing for the whole weekend.

Go here for more info and here for tickets. Don’t forget to use code SWheartsPGH for 20% off all tickets!

I stand with Ahmed shirt

Stand with Ahmed: A Pittsburgh-made shirt benefiting Ahmed and kids interested in STEM

Earlier this week, the country was simultaneously outraged and captivated by the story of Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old Muslim student who was arrested for bringing a clock, which educators and police thought was a bomb, to his high school in Texas.

Support for Ahmed flooded in from around the country. His 3-day suspension and arrest was not only grounded in Islamophobia, but actively discouraged the curiosity of a bright, young mind. Tech juggernauts like Facebook and Twitter invited him to tour their companies, and educational institutions like MIT, NASA, and TAMS opened their doors, with the latter offering him a one-year scholarship. Even President Obama said he should come to the White House.

One of the things that made Ahmed’s ordeal particularly heartbreaking is this memorable image of him in handcuffs, sporting a NASA T-shirt. It not only broke our collective hearts to see such a young kid visibly scared and confused, but reinforced how genuine his curious nature and interest in science is. 

In solidarity, #IStandwithAhmed took over the Internet and this response by Pittsburgh-based artist Matthew Buchholz of Alternate Histories is simply amazing.

I stand with Ahmed shirt

If you buy a shirt, you’ll directly benefit Ahmed and kids like him– all proceeds go towards a scholarship for Ahmed, plus memberships at makerspaces for other young innovators. You can also directly contribute to the I Stand with Ahmed LaunchGood campaign.

Act now though as they are only available until Thursday!

Summer Harvest: Come Support 412 Food Rescue and Help Fight Hunger in Pittsburgh

summer harvest 1

On July 25th, The Livermore will be hosting Summer Harvest, an event that celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh while raising money for an important social cause: fighting hunger in Allegheny County. All proceeds from this event will go to 412 Food Rescue, a non-profit started by Leah Lizarondo (The Brazen Kitchen) and Gisele Fetterman (The Free Store).

summer harvest 3
412 Food Rescue hopes to “rescue” every bit of food that stores can no longer use and convert them into meals for more than 175,000 “food insecure” people in Allegheny county, including over 43,000 children.

According to the Pittsburgh City Paper, this space is largely occupied by food banks that are unable to accept every donation in time to adequately provide for those in need. 412 Food Rescue’s approach quickly finds donors and brings the food directly to households in need, much like an “Uber for food-rescue.”

The co-founders of 412 Food Rescue: Gisele Fetterman (left) and Leah Lizarondo.

The co-founders of 412 Food Rescue: Gisele Fetterman (left) and Leah Lizarondo.

With the additional support of Jenny Liu, Geoff Misek, Nate Cochran, Jessie Schalles, and Shawn Rancatore, 412 Food Rescue won both the Jury Prize and the People’s Choice award at Steel City Codefest in February 2015. Currently they are actively recruiting volunteer drivers, app developers, and fundraisers to further their cause.

Summer Harvest will feature some great perks for its attendees:

Tickets are $20 ($25 after July 21st) to attend, and every cent of proceeds from this event will go directly to 412 Food Rescue. According to Lizarondo, for every ticket sold at Summer Harvest, 412 Food Rescue will be able to provide meals for a family of four for an entire week.

412 Food Rescue

Food rescued for many needy families. Photo courtesy of 412 Food Rescue.

Summer Harvest is supported largely in part by Startup Weekend Pittsburgh (@swpgh), a local group of community leaders who organize 54-hour events that teach entrepreneurship through competition. The next Startup Weekend will be a civic-themed competition on September 18-20 in Pittsburgh’s Allentown district.

Lee Ngo, Summer Harvest co-organizer and one of Startup Weekend Pittsburgh’s community leaders, says that Startup Weekend has been a core presence in Pittsburgh for over three years, cultivating a family of solutions-oriented collaborators in the community. He feels that it was time that they give something back to the city and make a real difference in the lives of Pittsburghers who struggle daily.

This is the first time that Startup Weekend Pittsburgh has ever donated to another cause in the city. Community leaders believe 412 Food Rescue is an obvious first choice, as it is introducing a substantial difference in the way our city engages intelligently with food in our community.

For more information or to purchase your tickets, go here: summerharvestpgh.eventbrite.com

Summer Harvest is also accepting sponsorships and donations for the event. Contact Lee Ngo for more information.

TEDxPittsburgh

TEDxPittsburgh is this Saturday– get 25% off tickets!

Get your tickets to TEDxPittburgh and the TEDxPittsburgh After Party. Use code “bridgespgh” for 25% off!

TEDxPittsburgh

We all know about TED talks: the moving, inspirational, educational videos that pop up in our social media feeds and emails from friends and family. They make us think, they make us laugh, and sometimes they even make us cry. Best of all, they explore, celebrate, and share the things, both good and bad, that make us human.

So wouldn’t you love to see some TED talks, in person, that focus on the amazing people and ideas of our beloved Steel City? Well here’s your chance– TEDxPittsburgh is this Saturday!

TEDxPGH 2015 Bridges

The 2015 theme is Bridges: Ideas that Connect Us, and there’s a stellar lineup this year– from Dr. Jim Withers, who was recently featured as a CNN Hero for his work bringing medical care to Pittsburgh’s homeless population through Operation Safety Net, to Gab Bonesso, who is tackling bullying in schools through song and comedy with her partner Josh Verbanets.

We know it’s Memorial Day weekend and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous but this really is an event you can’t miss.

A few other speakers include: Diane Turnshek, a local astronomer who helped bring Earth Hour to Pittsburgh; Michelle King, a passionate teacher and self-proclaimed Learning Instigator; and Andrew Butcher, co-founder of GTechStrategies, which works to improve the health of our communities.

You can learn more about all the speakers here. With such a diverse and talented bunch, there’s bound to be a talk that speaks to you, either personally or about our beloved Pittsburgh.

TEDxPGH After Party

If we still didn’t convince you to not spend the day outside, then come to the after party from 5-8pm! Check out the newest exhibits at SPACE Gallery, while enjoying a performance by Slowdanger and treats from the incredible E2, plus complimentary wine and beer.

Still can’t make it? Try to pop in on the livestream and follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #TEDxPGH. Also follow TEDxPittsburgh on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for live updates!

We hope to see you there!

Use code “bridgespgh” for 25% off tickets to:

TEDxPittburgh

TEDxPittsburgh After Party.

 

What: TEDxPittsburgh 2015 | Bridges: Ideas that Connect Us

Where: Byham Theater, 101 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

When: Saturday, May 23 from 12-5pm; afterparty to follow

Please vote for Srvd as Pittsburgh’s Hottest Startup by 6pm today!

You can skip the mumbo jumbo if you want and just vote for Srvd, an app that makes it easier to order and pay for drinks at the bar, by 6pm today.

Pittsburgh river

One of the things we love about Pittsburgh (and one of the things that actually brought some of the I heart PGH team together) is the growing, vibrant startup community. Lindsay and I actually met and worked out at Thrill Mill, one the the local incubators, and you can usually find one or both of us at a startup or entrepreneur-related networking event each week.

Tonight, Pittsburgh is hosting its regional Tech Cocktail Mixer and Startup Showcase (tickets are still available), where startups from around the city will be demoing and pitching their ideas for the chance to go to the national showcase in Las Vegas.

The startup I’m a part of, Srvd, formed over a Startup Weekend in March 2014 hoping to ease the frustration of trying to get a drink from a crowded bar, while giving real value back to bars and alcohol brands. It seems we hit a chord, because we won second place and are kicking things back into high gear again to make this a reality. You can help by voting for Srvd at Tech Cocktail’s showcase now.

I truly feel fortunate to be part of such an enthusiastic and wickedly smart team that’s always believing in and striving to achieve our vision. Plus, it’s a super fun project and it allows us to connect with incredible local businesses to help them be even more successful.

Srvd logo

I say this often, but it’s hard for me to put into words just how life-changing the startup community has been for me, both professionally and personally. In just a short time, I’ve gained not only valuable experience, an incredibly supportive network, and multiple job opportunities, but genuine friends and even family.

If you’re looking to get more involved in entrepreneurship and startups, there’s a few places to start: attend events hosted by AlphaLab and Thrill Mill, join Meetup groups, or, if you really want to dive in (and I suggest you do) attend a Startup Weekend. Or you can always shoot me an email or tweet at me.

Please vote for Srvd!