We are happy to announce that our partner program, Catapult: Startup to Storefront, was just awarded $1M by the PNC Foundation. They are ready to put those funds to good use growing minority-led businesses in the East End and across Pittsburgh!

Catapult: Startup to Storefront is a 12-month business incubation program created by the URA, Circles Greater Pittsburgh, and East Liberty Development, Inc., which aims to support new and growing minority-led businesses.

Nationally and internationally recognized, Catapult received an International Economic Development Council (IEDC) 2019 Silver Award for Equity and Inclusion.

The program’s spin-off retail space, Gallery on Penn, provides a storefront for program participants to sell their goods. Gallery on Penn: Gone Virtual is an online retail space for Gallery on Penn businesses that was created as a result of COVID-19.

Over the course of two program cycles, 27 businesses have graduated from Catapult. > Learn more about those businesses.

The PNC funds will be used to expand the program to other neighborhoods across the City.

Stay tuned for more on these funds and how they will be used.