We encourage you to explore beyond this platform and engage with more minority-led organizations in Pittsburgh and beyond!

Click here to discover a series of tools designed by Pitt CEC to help you identify how to best practice community engagement as articulated by members of the Homewood community.

Click here for other community engagement resources curated Pitt CEC!

Below are some additional resources from important local community pillars working to support Black entrepreneurs.

Cocoapreneur

• Black-owned business incubator with informational directories in Pittsburgh, https://cocoapreneur.com/
• Point of contact: Khamil Bailey

“The mission of Cocoapreneur is to foster an environment of economic prosperity in order to ensure more sustainable neighborhoods for the historically African American communities and neighborhoods around Pittsburgh, PA. Through support to businesses via advertising, marketing and consulting, Cocoapreneur aims to normalize the idea of entrepreneurship. We want to make becoming a business owner a more feasible and attainable goal for African Americans in the greater Pittsburgh area.”

Blackowned.pgh

• Informative social media incubator for local Black-owned businesses founded by Pitt student Kyley Coleman https://www.instagram.com/blackowned.pgh/
• Point of contact: Kyley Coleman

“Buy Black! Support Black! Highlighting BOBs in PGH to work towards economic equity for the black community.”

Riverside Center for Innovation

• Pittsburgh small business incubator focused on building up MWDBEs. Its Diversity Business Resource Center provides “a single point of contact for minority, women, veterans and other disadvantaged business owners seeking information to start, sustain and grow their business. Our services help preventure, startup, and existing businesses acquire the tools they need to break down the barriers that may impede their growth” https://www.riversidecenterforinnovation.com/.
• Point of Contact: Adam Gerard

“Building a resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem that is closing the racial gap in Southwestern PA...RCI is the leading and most comprehensive, full service small business incubator; targeting women, minorities, veterans, LGBTQ, and other disadvantaged ventures in Southwestern Pennsylvania”

Community Forge

• An inclusive community center “dedicated to building an equitable economy for our region,” with a focus on financial wellbeing and entrepreneurial growth, https://www.forge.community/ Point of contact: Herman Johnson

“Building an equitable economy for Wilkinsburg and the Greater Pittsburgh region by creating opportunities that promote professional development, financial wellbeing, and entrepreneurial growth. We believe in participatory programming that gives voice to those we serve, breaking down silos between communities, and developing equitable pathways to economic success.”

More Useful Links

African American Chamber of Commerce of Western PA Business Institute: Assists members in business opportunities/expansion, https://www.alleghenycounty.us/equity-inclusion/index.aspx

Allegheny County Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise: https://aaccwp.com/.

Chatham Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship: University center providing opportunities for female entrepreneurs in business development, https://www.chatham.edu/cwe/.

Kiva Pittsburgh: Financial lending hub for marginalized and underrepresented business owners in Pittsburgh, https://us.kiva.org/pittsburgh/

Pittsburgh’s Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (E3) Network: Collective of “mission-aligned local entrepreneurial support organizations (ESO’s) tasked with creating a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem in the city of Pittsburgh” https://forwardcities.org/impact/stories/story/pittsburghs-equitable-entrepreneurial-ecosystem-e3-network/ Point of contact: Juan Garrett

Pittsburgh Metro Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Provides business opportunities for Hispanic entrepreneurs, https://www.pmahcc.org/

Poise Foundation: Community foundation set to empower the Black community through strategic leadership, collective giving, grantmaking, and advocacy. https://www.poisefoundation.org/ Point of contact: Mark Lewis

The Soul Pitt: Black-owned business directory for Western PA, https://thesoulpitt.com/diversitydirectory/

Springboard Enterprises: Professional development platform designed to increase access for female entrepreneurs, https://sb.co/

Urban Redevelopment Authority Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program: https://www.ura.org/pages/minority-women-owned-business-enterprise-mwbe-program-mission.