Nine years ago, Alichia Parker proclaimed that she would one day own and operate an educational center. In 2007, she established A PAR Educational, LLC with the mission to inspire and promote learning throughout the world, the belief being that the organization could make a positive difference and impact children’s lives by providing quality services and resources. Four years later, she opened Malaika Learning Center, where she has serviced over 100 youth.
Recently, her dream became closer to reality as she and six other local businesses were winners of the first Northside Inclusive Innovation Business Grant Competition administered by the Riverside Center for Innovation and Urban Innovation21. Parker, one of three recipients of a $10,000 grant, plans to utilize the funds to expand programming to provide adult training services focused on job readiness, computer literacy and communication skills.
“I am so excited,” said Parker, remembering her prediction made during a 2008 New Pittsburgh Courier interview while fulfilling an internship requirement and pursuing her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh at age 25.
“Innovation means many things,” said William Generett, president and CEO of Innovation21, mentioning that he was blown away by the winners of the competition with their amazing ideas. Roxanne Easley Wallace, owner of Roxanne’s Catering LLC and Verna Arnold, owner of Arnold’s Tea, were the other two $10,000 recipients.
The three winners were in the existing business category. Easley Wallace, operating since 2006, has plans to utilize her award funds to move her catering operations to the North Side and to secure a vehicle for deliveries.
Located in the historic Deutschtown neighborhood of the North Side for the past three years, Arnold’s Tea has grown to be one of the top “coffee houses” in Pittsburgh, serving over 80 varieties of loose leaf tea. She plans to utilize the funds to expand seating to accommodate more customers.
Marcus Jeter, CEO of Resus Technologies, James Morris, owner of Morris Tires, Jordan Robarge, owner of Revival Chili and Jo Ana Vaz, owner and operator of PIT Shop LLC, were recipients of the $5,000 grants.
In operation since June 2016, Resus Technologies is developing a MyStylist app and website that will allow customers to submit a hair appointment request to an affiliated stylist, who then meets the customer at their desired location. Jeter plans to use the funds to boost their marketing to attract new clientele. Resus Technologies is a graduate of Alpha Lab incubator.
A recipient of a business grant from OVR to purchase equipment and make renovations to his business, Morris plans to utilize the Northside Inclusive Innovation Business Grant funding to invest in marketing and branding for his year-old establishment.
Funds granted to Revival Chili, a social venture that aims to hire and entrepreneurially train ex-offenders in a tiny house-style food truck selling Robarge’s acclaimed chili, will be utilized to finance equipment and offset employee training costs. The 9-month-old business was recently featured at Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night.
Established last year, The PIT Shop LLC is a business-to-business company that provides healthy snack options and fruit delivery services to Pittsburgh-area businesses. Vaz, who has expanded by six new clients since the beginning of the year, will use the funds to secure a mini-warehouse and to finance an online marketing campaign.
Funding for the $50,000 in grants was made possible by a major grant from the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania and support from Urban Innovation21, Comcast Business, Buhl Foundation and Alloy26 emerging from the One Northside planning effort.
The Northside Inclusive Innovation Business Grant Competition is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to drive inclusive innovation and accelerate entrepreneurship on the North Side by the Buhl Foundation, Faros Properties, Comcast and Urban Innovation21. Twenty-five entrepreneurs and business owners submitted business plan proposals in the competition and attended a four-week workshop series that included coaching and one-on-one support at the Riverside Center for Innovation.
“RCI was honored to be a part of this very exciting program for (the) North Side,” said Juan Garrett, executive director of the RCI. “We look forward to working with the winners in the future, along with the other 18 participating business owners, to realize their dreams.”
Urban Innovation21 will provide each of the grant winners with a suite of services, including coaching from its Entrepreneur in Residence and access to pro bono legal support from Reed Smith, while Faros Properties, owner of Nova Place, will provide up to 20 seats in its Alloy26 co-working space free for one year.
“The businessmen and women who took part in this competition have inspiring ideas that are already benefiting the North Side community,” said Kenya Boswell, president of the BNY Mellon Foundation for Southwestern Pennsylvania. “We’re excited to see our grant support help take their business plans to the next level.”
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