Classes Walker-Montgomery is referring to are the 12 week Riverside Center for Innovation’s New Business New Beginnings Entrepreneurial Training on Starting Your Own Business sessions. Resource partners with the Riverside Center for Innovation were the City of McKeesport, the McKeesport Downtown Business Authority, the Mon Yough Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
Pleased with the results of the New Business-New Beginnings entrepreneurial training classes, Garrett, deputy director at Riverside Center for Innovation indicated that 19 people graduated from the program. Outlining the sessions he said the 12 week, two-days-a-week sessions were on basic, intermediate and advanced business topics resulting in a creation of a complete business plan under the New Business New Beginnings training curriculum. He said participants heard pertinent information from industry speakers: Kirk Wilson and Jonathan Kelly of Holman and James Insurance Group; Attorney Eric Davis; Ruth Byrd-Smith, Allegheny County’s Department of Minority Women Disadvantaged Business Enterprise; Benito Rivera and Kathleen Paterra of Huntingdon Bank; Ray Garofalo of Dollar Bank; Rebecca MacBlane of the Regional Development Funding Corporation; Zachary Steinmetz of Dollar Bank, Heather Murray of Advantage Credit Counseling Services; Maury Burgwin, Mon Yough Chamber of Commerce; County Councilman Robert Macey; Pete Popivchak of Wall-to-Wall Studios, McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko, City Administrator Matt Gergely and Councilwoman Walker-Montgomery. “As a bonus for completing the program, each person was awarded a one-year membership to the local Mon Yough Chamber of Commerce which will provide valuable networking to assist in the growth of the existing businesses,” said Garrett.
Garrett describes the Riverside Center for Innovation as an economic development company that helps entrepreneurs start their businesses by providing office space, consulting services, educational seminars, and various programs that help startups become established businesses.
“It was a pleasure to teach this class,” said Allen Jones, the class instructor from the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence. “Nineteen, more than half of the initial recruitment of thirty individuals that attended the kick-off workshop graduated this evening, that’s a rarity in this type of program.” He predicted that at least 8 of the participants have a likelihood of starting or expanding their businesses.
Some of the class business ideas were catering, floor care, a personal care home and an entertainment event center. The program was hosted at the Healthy Village Institute for Learning Community Center owned and operated by Keith Murphy, a class participant and McKeesport native.
The brain child of Walker-Montgomery, she said after she and Garrett met with numerous organizations to get the ball rolling, funding to the Riverside Center for Innovation to make the idea a reality came from the McKeesport Downtown Business Authority and a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credit with contributions from KU Resources, Inc. and Alco Parking.
The mission of the MDBA is to promote and advocate for existing businesses and to attract new business to the city. Walker-Montgomery serves as chairperson and businessman and city council candidate Corry Sanders is vice chairperson. Holding true to its purpose, the authority is sponsoring a Town Hall Meeting with local businesses Tuesday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m. at the McKeesport Palisades Event Center located at 100 Fifth Avenue.
Walker-Montgomery said MDBA provided the Mayor and City Council an opportunity to collaborate on such a worthwhile endeavor. “Ventures like this are important to McKeesport. It also helps paint a better picture of the City. The media portrays such a negative view of McKeesport, but we are more than what they broadcast and write about.”
A perfect example she said is how she, Garrett and Murphy, lifelong citizens worked to make the Riverside Center for Innovation’s New Business New Beginnings Entrepreneurial Training on Starting Your Own Business sessions materialize. “We have a lot of pride here. My motto is, Pride in McKeesport starts with me.”
About Post Author
