Tag Archives: USofpgh

Why We Need More Pittsburghers on the Train (and at the Table)

The MTP at the Denver, Colorado Station.

The MTP Train at the Denver, Colorado Station.

All Aboard. This post provides some background on my participation in the Millennial Trains Project and details for the MTP info session which will be held in Pittsburgh on Monday, February 1, 2016 at TechShop. Scroll to the bottom for the info session details.

This is one of my favorite topics to write (and talk about). There is so much more to share about this experience than I can pack into one blog post, each person I met, place I visited and each train car deserves their own post. So I hope this is a start to many more conversations on this topic.

Lets talk about trains, and ideas and Pittsburgh. One of the many valuable things that I have gained from the readers of this blog, was the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Millennial Trains Project in the summer of 2013. Not only was it an incredible personal experience to travel across the US on a vintage train, but it allowed me to bring many ideas back to Pittsburgh and share more of the Pittsburgh story with other leaders. And I am proud to report that we have had a Pittsburgher participate in the Millennial Trains Project each year.

What is the Millennial Trains Project?

Hard to sum up in one sentenance, MTP is a cross-country train trip, where some impressive, creative young leaders spend a week travelling across the country, with an amazing group of mentors, learning about great things happening across the US. Each passenger crowdfunds a project that they work on and research as the train moves from city to city.

A Tale of Two Patrick Dowds & The Generous Readers of IheartPGH

Outside of Grand Junction, Colorado. One of my favorite photos from the trip.

Outside of Grand Junction, Colorado. One of my favorite photos from the trip.

Years ago, I worked on political campaigns, and I had a Google alert set up for pretty much every elected official, including then city-councilman Patrick Dowd. Most of the time this Google Alert sent me links to a blog of some Canadian man named Patrick Dowd and I started deleting the emails before I read them. One night, I couldn’t sleep and was flipping through all of the emails in the not-so-important email file and I saw an article about another Patrick Dowd. Trains Patrick Dowd, had been a Fulbright Scholar in India and had participated in the Jagriti Yatra, a cross country train trip in India. Trains Patrick returned to the US and wanted to create a cross country train trip here. Even better, the first MTP journey was scheduled to stop in Pittsburgh.

I had just a few weeks to crowdfund my project to join the trip. I blogged, I emailed and I Tweeted. Thanks to the generosity of Pittsburghers from across the US, I was able to participate in the first cross-country train trip.

Not only did Pittsburgh make it possible for me to participate in this trip, but many people helped to make the Pittsburgh stop a great experience.  The passengers visited both ThrillMill and TechShop. And a huge thank you to Scott Smith from East End Brewing, who with less than 24 hours notice agreed to host all of the train passengers at the brewery for a happy hour.

Why We Need More Pittsburghers on the Train (and at the Table)

Not only was a cross country train trip via vintage rail and incredible experience, but it was an important learning experience for me that we need to make sure we have more Pittsburghers at the table telling the stories of this city to other young and not so young leaders. I wrote an essay titled “Five Things I Brought Back From My Cross Country Train Trip” that I shared with those who donated to my crowdfunding campaign.

Here are the highlights and you can read the entire essay here.

  1. Pittsburgh Needs More Third Places
  2. Innovation Beyond Startups
  3. The Value of Breaking Good Bread Together
  4. Lets Talk About Leadership Training
  5. Pittsburghers Need to Talk about Pittsburgh, Outside of Pittsburgh

I hope you will take the time to read the whole essay and I welcome your thoughts and feedback in the comments on the page.

The MTP 2016 Trip Starts in Pittsburgh

An exciting opportunity to show off our city to an incredible group of “passengers” from around the globe, in 2016 MTP will run two trips, one of which will start in Pittsburgh!

mtp-2106

MTP Pittsburgh Info Session – Monday, February 1, 2016 @ TechShop

MTP-2016I will be joining Matt Verlinich & Catherine Tsavalas who have also been passengers on the Millennial Trains Project at TechShop on Monday for an information session about the trip. Please come and learn more about how you can participate in the 2016 trip.

I am committeed to helping other Pittsburghers who want to participate crowdfund for their trips.

If you are not able to attend, but have questions, please feel free to send me an email lindsay – at -IheartPGH.com and I would be happy to help.

MTP Information Session
Monday, February 1, 2016
6:30-8:30pm
TechShop Pittsburgh, 192 Bakery Square Blvd. 15206
Please RSVP here. Facebook Event page here.

Applications are open now and close when enough people have reached their crowdfunding goal or April 15.

Arriving in Pittsburgh by Train

One of the most iconic, well at least my favorite views of Pittsburgh, is coming into the city from the airport, the view of the city unfolding as you come through the tunnel. I have on more than one occasion, driven through the tunnel and been so captivated by the lights of everything, that I immediately change course and drive to Mt. Washington to take a photo.

So, the day that the MTP train was scheduled to arrive in Pittsburgh, I set my alarm to wake up and see what the city looks like when you arrive by train. I know that I won’t often be coming into the city by rail and wanted to see what it looks like.

Here is the video of what Pittsburgh looks like when you arrive by rail.

Millennial Trains Project Update

mtp-logoTHANK YOU Pittsburgh!  A week ago I learned that there were 3 seats left on the waiting list for the Millennial Trains Project inaugural trip.  I sent an email to the IheartPGH email list asking for help to raise the $5000 needed to get a seat on the train.

I am honored to have the support of over 90 Pittsburgh lovers.  In less than 36, the Pittsburgh lovers in this city an all across the country, helped me meet the fundraising goal.

Tomorrow, yes tomorrow! I head to California and the trip starts Thursday morning.

Pittsburgh Meet-Ups from Coast to Coast

I’ve got events planned for each stop and I need your help to reach out to your fellow Pittsburghers in San Francisco, Denver, Omaha, Chicago and Pittsburgh!  I am still working on locations (ideally a Steelers bar or a business owned by a Pittsburgher) for each meetup but I’m hoping to meet with and talk to as many Pittsburghers as possible.

An Updated Map of Pittsburgh Places and Steelers Bars

You can follow the trip and help us build the biggest list of Pittsburgh places over at www.UnitedStatesofPittsburgh.com.  We’ve made some major updates and you can now browse the directory by a fancy map.   You can submit more locations to the map here.

Follow The Trip

I’ll be updating the United States of Pittsburgh Facebook page and Twitter @USofPGH along the way!

New Perk – StandUp Paddleboarding in Pittsburgh

Standup Paddleboarding in Western, PA

Standup Paddleboarding in Western, PA

I’ve got just 6 days to raise the money for a seat on the inaugural Millennial Trains trip.  What has been most incredible is the response that I have received from the Pittsburgh community.  Thanks to all of our readers who have been sharing and supporting this project.

As you can see I’ve got a ways to go to raise the rest of the $5000 for the trip.

I’ve just added a new perk to the Millennial Trains Project fundraising page – A StandUp Paddleboard tour!  Have you seen some crazy folks driving around Pittsburgh with a surfboard on their car?  Have you been wondering where you can use a surfboard on the three rivers?

Over the past two years, I’ve spent many an afternoon paddling the Allegheny River from a standup paddleboard.  And I’ve made some new paddleboard loving friends – like Ian Smith, owner of SurfSup Adventure.  Ian has generously offered to help support my project by offering a paddleboard tour as one of the perks for supporting my project.

If you contribute $80 or more to the crowd-funding page – you can join SurfSup Adventures for a standup paddleboard lesson and tour.  Once we’ve successfully reached our funding goal – we’ll pick a date/time that works for those who are interested (likely a weedkday evening or weekend morning).  Beginners welcome, no prior paddleboarding experience necessary.

Click here to make a contribution to my Millennial Trains Project and reserve a spot on this paddleboard tour.

Ian and I took some paddleboards to help Paddle Without Pollution with a river clean up

Ian and I took some paddleboards to help Paddle Without Pollution with a river clean up

About SurfSup Adventure: SurfSUP Adventures is an independently owned outfitter specializing in guided Standup Paddle Boarding excursions, eco-tours, instructional workshops, SUP yoga, and board and equipment sales in the Pittsburgh area and throughout Pennsylvania.  With SurfSUP, experiences are customized for individuals and groups of all ages, skill levels and desired locations.  Standup Paddle Boarding, also known as SUPing, offers a unique and exhilarating new way to enjoy our local waterways.  From serene lakes and gentle rivers to wild class III whitewater, SurfSUP Adventures provides an experience you will not forget.

You can learn more about the Millennial Trains Project here.

Four Awesome Pittsburgh Projects That Need Your Support

Here are three amazingly awesome crowd-funding projects by some of my favorite Pittsburghers and my current project that are looking for some crowd-funded support.  I know each of these projects creators personally and I think all of these are great projects for Pittsburgh.  Check out some of  the great thank-you perks for supporting each projects.

http://storify.com/iheartpgh/four-awesome-pittsburgh-project-to-support