Urban Innovation21

URBAN INNOVATION21 IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT BOOSTS REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH 21ST CENTURY INNOVATION-DRIVEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

PWAS:SINCE 2012, URBAN INNOVATION21 HAS RECOGNIZED THE STRONG ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT IN THE HILL DISTRICT AND HOMEWOOD COMMUNITIES BY HOSTING A SMALL BUSINESS GRANT COMPETITION. IN THE SPRING OF 2017, URBAN INNOVATION21 EXPANDED ITS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING TO THE NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY. TO DATE, $650,000 IN GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO 75 BUSINESSES IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION TO GRANTS, UI21 HAS PROVIDED THESE COMPANIES WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF BUSINESS SUPPORT TO HELP THEM GROW THEIR BUSINESSES. THE FALL 2016 GRANT COMPETITION AWARDED $120,000 IN GRANTS TO WINNERS OF THE INCLUSIVE INNOVATION COMMUNITY-BASED BUSINESS GRANT COMPETITION, AND THESE GRANTS WERE FUNDED THROUGH SUPPORT FROM THE RICHARD KING MELLON FOUNDATION AND UPMC HEALTH PLAN. AWARDS RANGED FROM $5,000 TO $10,000. SIX HILL DISTRICT BUSINESSES WON: LIVING JUICY, ANS BILLING, AND ERRANDS MADE EASY EXISTED PREVIOUSLY WHILE TDC CONTRACTING, COMMUNION LLC, AND TDS PRODUCTIONS ENTERED AS START-UP COMPANIES. NINE BUSINESSES REPRESENTED HOMEWOOD: ROLAND FORD PRODUCTIONS, THE PROFESSIONAL BARBER INSTITUTE, KNOTZLAND, STRONG'S CLEANERS, AND BIG LULU'S TRUCKING WERE PRE-EXISTING AND DRAFTING DREAMS, NATURAL CHOICE, JAZMEEN STYLE, AND LUMINARIA PRODUCTIONS (FILM PRODUCERS AND STUDIOS) WERE START-UPS. THE SPRING 2017 NORTHSIDE GRANT COMPETITION AWARDED $50,000 TO COMMUNITY BASED ENTREPRENEURS, AND THESE GRANTS WERE FUNDED THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIES AND OUR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. THERE WERE SEVEN BUSINESSES THAT WON THE NORTHSIDE GRANT COMPETITION WHERE THE AWARDS RANGED FROM $5,000 TO $10,000. ARNOLD'S TEA, MALAIKA'S LEARNING CENTER, AND ROXANNE'S CATERING WON AS EXISTING BUSINESSES; WHILE MORRIS TIRES, RESUS TECHNOLOGIES, THE PIT SHOP AND REVIVAL CHILI WON THE COMPETITION AS START-UP COMPANIES. HILL DISTRICTAS OF SEPTEMBER OF 2017, URBAN INNOVATION21 IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT 79% OF THE BUSINESSES SUPPORTED BY UI21 THROUGH ITS HILL DISTRICT GRANT COMPETITIONS ARE STILL IN BUSINESS. OF THE 28 BUSINESSES THAT UI21 HAS SUPPORTED THROUGH ITS COMMUNITY BASED GRANT COMPETITIONS, 2 COMPANIES HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS, 2 BUSINESSES ARE DORMANT, AND 2 BUSINESSES ARE ON HOLD. TWENTY-TWO OUT OF TWENTY-EIGHT (22/28) COMPANIES ARE STILL IN BUSINESS. OUR SUCCESS RATE OF 79% IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH RANGES FROM 10% TO 50%, DEPENDING ON THE SOURCE. THE INCREASE IN GROSS REVENUE FOR THE HILL DISTRICT BUSINESS GRANT COMPETITION WINNERS IS $766,903 AND THE NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED BY THESE BUSINESSES IS 27.OUR WORK IN THE HILL DISTRICT DOES NOT JUST INVOLVE PROVIDING GRANTS AND OTHER ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT TO BUSINESSES. WE HAVE USED OUR FUNDING TO LEVERAGE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES. FOR EXAMPLE, UI21 IS A KEY PARTNER IN THE GREATER HILL DISTRICT GROWTH DEVELOPMENT FUND. FOR THE 2016 GRANT CYCLE, THREE HILL DISTRICT BUSINESS WERE AWARDED A $10,000 GRANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS. THE GREATER HILL DISTRICT GROWTH DEVELOPMENT FUND HAS CONTRIBUTED TO MAJOR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL PROJECTS IN THE HILL DISTRICT SINCE 2013 THAT INCLUDE THE JERON GRAYSON COMMUNITY CENTER, HILL CDC, HILL HOUSE, AND SHOP-N-SAVE GROCERY STORE. HILL DISTRICT BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONTHROUGHOUT '15-'16, THE HILL DISTRICT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION HOSTED QUARTERLY MEETINGS IN THE HILL DISTRICT THAT WERE WELL ATTENDED AND PROVIDED INFORMATION ON BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT INCLUDED GRANTS AND CONTRACTS. CURRENTLY, THE OFFICERS SELECTED FOR THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION ARE SCHEDULING EVENTS TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY AND MEMBERS ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR YEAR. MEETING AND MIXERS WILL BE HOSTED IN THE HILL DISTRICT AS WELL AS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES I.E. NORTHSIDE, DOWNTOWN, AND OAKLAND TO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL BUSINESS TO THE HILL DISTRICT. THE GOAL IS TO EXPAND BUSINESS INTEREST AND BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS DEALS TO CREATE AWARENESS AND PROMOTE BUSINESSES STEMMING FROM THE HILL DISTRICT. IN THE FALL OF 2017, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HILL DISTRICT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION LAUNCHED "BLACK STAR SOCIETY", A PRIVATE WEALTH BUILDING INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THE PITTSBURGH REGION. HOMEWOODAS OF SEPTEMBER 2017, URBAN INNOVATION21 IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT 84% OF THE BUSINESSES SUPPORTED BY UI21 THROUGH ITS HOMEWOOD GRANT COMPETITIONS ARE STILL IN BUSINESS. OF THE 39 BUSINESSES THAT UI21 HAS SUPPORTED THROUGH ITS COMMUNITY BASED GRANT COMPETITIONS, 4 COMPANIES HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND 2 BUSINESSES ARE DORMANT. THIRTY-THREE OUT OF THIRTY-NINE (33/39) COMPANIES ARE STILL IN BUSINESS. OUR SUCCESS RATE OF 84% IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH RANGES FROM 10% TO 50%, DEPENDING ON THE SOURCE. THE INCREASE IN GROSS REVENUE FOR THE HOMEWOOD BUSINESS COMPETITION WINNERS IS $247, 322 AND THE NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED BY THESE BUSINESSES IS 14.UI21'S WORK HAS INCLUDED BUILDING A BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM IN THE HOMEWOOD COMMUNITY. UI21 DID THIS IN PART BY CREATING THE HOMEWOOD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS THE BACKBONE FOR HOMEWOOD'S BUSINESS ACTIVITY. MEMBERSHIP IS UP 20% THIS YEAR FOR THE HOMEWOOD-BRUSHTON BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (HBBA). THIS INCREASE IS DUE TO THE SUCCESSES OF THE INAUGURAL HOMEWOOD SMALL BUSINESS EXPO HELD IN JULY 2016. THE EXPO ATTRACTED 35 EXHIBITORS, 11 SPONSORS AND RAISED OVER $2,000 TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HBBA. OVER 120 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE EXPO AND THREE MAJOR NEWS OUTLETS COVERED THE EVENT (POST GAZETTE, PITTSBURGH COURIER, AND NEXT PITTSBURGH). CURRENTLY, THE 2017 HOMEWOOD SMALL BUSINESS EXPO IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18. THE HBBA HAS STRENGTHENED THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH SEVERAL KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING BRIDGEWAY CAPITAL, CCAC, AND THE URA. THE ASSOCIATION RECENTLY RECEIVED CDBG FUNDS TO EXPAND ITS BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING. THOSE FUNDS WERE USED TO HOST A WEEKLONG POP UP EVENT IN OCTOBER WITH UP TO KNOW GOOD, A CREATIVE SERVICES FIRM BASED IN PITTSBURGH. UI21 HAS BEEN WORKING TO SECURE A MEETING SPACE AT THE NEW HOMEWOOD SENIOR STATION ON HOMEWOOD AVENUE. IN SEPTEMBER 2016, THE HBBA, WITH SUPPORT FROM UI21, HOSTED THE HOMEWOOD PROGRESSIVE DINNER. THIS WAS A SOLD OUT EVENT (48 TICKETS SOLD) WHERE 35% OF ATTENDEES LIVED OUTSIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE EVENT HIGHLIGHTED SEVERAL HOMEWOOD BUSINESSES THAT WERE PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE UI21 GRANT COMPETITION INCLUDING INDULGE WITH MO, THE WHEELMILL, WINE AND WORDS PGH AND KNOTZLAND. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL, HOMEWOOD WILL BE A SPRING 2018 HOST OF NEXT 3 DAYS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEXT PITTSBURGH AND THE URA. UI21 AND CHATHAM'S WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER (CWBC) PARTNERED IN JUNE OF 2016 TO OFFER A 6-WEEK ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING PROGRAM CALLED "CONCEPT TO LAUNCH" TO WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN THE HOMEWOOD COMMUNITY. UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS COULD REQUEST FREE BUSINESS COUNSELING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ASSIST WITH STRUCTURING THEIR BUSINESSES. UI21'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CWBC WILL ASSIST REGIONAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN STARTING, GROWING AND DEVELOPING THEIR BUSINESSES IN THE REGION.NORTH SIDE IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE ENTREPRENEURS, UI21 IS A FOUNDING PARTNER IN A NEW PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS DRIVING INCLUSIVE INNOVATION AND INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGHOUT THE NORTH SIDE COMMUNITY. THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THIS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ARE FAROS DEVELOPMENT (DEVELOPER OF NOVA PLACE), URBAN INNOVATION21, BNY MELLON FOUNDATION, THE BUHL FOUNDATION, COMCAST CORPORATION, INNOVATION WORKS, AND RIVERSIDE CENTER FOR INNOVATION. ONE OF THE MAIN PROJECTS OF THIS CONSORTIUM IS A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT INCLUSIVE INNOVATION ACCELERATOR. THIS ACCELERATOR IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN JANUARY OF 2018.THE 2017 NORTH SIDE GRANT COMPETITION WAS HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RIVERSIDE CENTER FOR INNOVATION, WHERE ALL THE SESSIONS WERE HELD. WE HAD A GREAT COHORT OF ENTREPRENEURS PARTICIPATE IN THE COMPETITION. * 57 ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS OWNERS REGISTERED FOR THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION. * 33 BUSINESS OWNERS AND ENTREPRENEURS PARTICIPATED IN THE 3-WEEK BUSINESS EDUCATION WORKSHOP SERIES AND THE 1-ON-1/SMALL GROUP EVENING SESSIONS. * 27 BUSINESS PLANS PROPOSALS WERE FORMALLY SUBMITTED FOR THE GRANT COMPETITION, 18 WERE FROM THE STARTUP ENTREPRENEURS AND 9 WERE FROM THE EXISTING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. * 17 PROPOSALS WERE SELECTED AS SEMIFINALISTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE JUDGING COMMITTEE. * 7 WINNERS WERE SELECTED.

PITTSBURGH CENTRAL KEYSTONE INNOVATION ZONE:THROUGH ITS PITTSBURGH CENTRAL KEYSTONE INNOVATION ZONE (PCKIZ) PROGRAM, UI21 CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN ITS POSITION AS THE REGION'S SECOND LARGEST PROVIDER OF INCENTIVES TO INNOVATION BASED BUSINESSES. SINCE JANUARY 2016, WE HAVE ADDED 32 NEW PCKIZ COMPANIES. IN 2016, WE PROVIDED $1,156,110 IN TAX CREDIT AWARDS TO PCKIZ COMPANIES. 47 PCKIZ COMPANIES HAVE RELOCATED OR BEGAN STARTUP IN THE GREATER HILL DISTRICT/UPTOWN SINCE MAY 2013, AND 26 OF THESE COMPANIES ARE STILL ACTIVE. THE PCKIZ PROGRAM CONTINUES TO DO EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. WE ARE THE SECOND LARGEST PROVIDER OF INCENTIVES TO STARTUP HIGH GROWTH COMPANIES IN THE REGION. IN THE LAST BUDGET, THE TAX CREDIT ALLOCATION WAS REDUCED. COMPANIES THAT QUALIFY FOR THE PCKIZ TAX CREDIT WILL RECEIVE A CASH AWARD THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 80% OF TOTAL CASH AMOUNT INSTEAD OF 95%.KIVA:KIVA PITTSBURGH IS AN INITIATIVE OF KIVA, AN INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 2005 AND BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA, MANAGED LOCALLY BY UI21. KIVA PITTSBURGH BRINGS KIVA'S UNIQUE CROWDFUNDED MICRO-LOANS TO PITTSBURGH'S SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO CREDIT DUE TO THE ENTREPRENEUR'S LENGTH OF TIME IN BUSINESS, POOR OR SHORT CREDIT HISTORY, OR INNOVATIVE BUSINESS TYPE OR MODEL. AFTER SERVING AS A KIVA TRUSTEE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UI21 BECAME THE HOST ORGANIZATION FOR THE KIVA PITTSBURGH INITIATIVE. SINCE THE PARTNERSHIP BEGAN IN JULY 2016, SIXTY LOANS HAVE BEEN DISBURSED TO PITTSBURGH AREA BUSINESSES, INCLUDING THREE ENDORSED BY UI21 IN THE ORGANIZATION'S TARGET COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION, KIVA PITTSBURGH HAS PROVIDED NUMEROUS BUSINESS SEMINARS ON CROWDFUNDING AND OTHER BUSINESS TOPICS TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.

THE CITIZEN SCIENCE LAB:IN 2014, DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY AND URBAN INNOVATION21, WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM AN ANONYMOUS FOUNDATION, LAUNCHED THE CITIZEN SCIENCE LAB (CSL). THE CSL IS A 1,500 SQUARE FOOT STATE OF THE ART LABORATORY. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. ANDRE SAMUEL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CSL, THE LABORATORY QUICKLY EXCEEDED THE INITIAL GOALS SET FOR ITS PROGRAM. CSL PROGRAMING WAS LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2015 FOR GRADES 3-12. SINCE THE FIRST WEEKEND WORKSHOP IN COLLABORATION WITH THE TECHSHOP, THE CSL HAS PLANNED OVER 90 WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS. OUR PROPOSAL INITIALLY SET OUT TO SERVE 260 PARTICIPANTS IN YEAR ONE AND INCREASE THE NUMBER TO 300 STUDENTS DURING YEAR TWO AND BEYOND. THROUGH OUR PROGRAMING, WE HAVE SERVED OVER 1,500 INDIVIDUALS FROM COMMUNITIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE HILL DISTRICT, HOMEWOOD, THE NORTHSIDE, PENN HILLS, PETERS TOWNSHIP AND UPPER ST. CLAIR. WE HAVE HAD 308 OF THOSE STUDENTS RETURN FOR MORE THAN ONE SESSION, AND IN ADDITION, OVER 300 OF OUR TOTAL PARTICIPANTS WERE AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND OUR PROGRAMING. CSL IS DOING SO WELL THAT THE URBAN INNOVATION21 BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS WORKING TO LAUNCH THE CSL AS ITS OWN 501C3.

UI21 INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:DURING THE 2-YEAR GRANT SUPPORT FROM THE RICHARD KING MELLON FOUNDATION, UI21 HAS SURPASSED ITS GOAL OF PLACING 200 INTERNS WITH INNOVATION ECONOMY COMPANIES. SINCE 2015, UI21 HAS PLACED A TOTAL OF 395 INTERNS IN ALL OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS. IN THE FALL OF 2017, UI21 PROVIDED 24 PAID FALL INTERNSHIPS FOR STUDENTS FROM OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY, POINT PARK UNIVERSITY, AND CARLOW UNIVERSITY). 16 OF THESE INTERNS WERE PLACED WITH PCKIZ COMPANIES; 1 INTERN WAS PLACED WITH KIVA PITTSBURGH; 5 INTERNS WERE PLACED WITH CITIZEN SCIENCE LAB; AND 2 INTERNS WERE PLACED WITH UI21 AS SUPPORT INTERNS. 60% OF THE INTERNS ARE WOMEN AND 35% ARE UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES.