URA Welcomes Catapult Minority Business Incubator to Hill District

PITTSBURGH, PA (February 24, 2021) The Catapult: Startup to Storefront Program recently launched its third cohort and first Hill District cohort. The Hill District cohort is part of the Avenues of Hope initiative.

Administered by Catapult Greater Pittsburgh (formally Circles Greater Pittsburgh), Catapult is a 12-month business incubation program which aims to support new and growing minority-led businesses in the City of Pittsburgh. Business consulting is provided by Paramount Pursuits. Funding is provided by PNC Foundation, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) and City of Pittsburgh. In August 2020, the PNC Foundation awarded $1 million to the URA for the Catapult program.

To date, $375,000 has been invested into the program: $175,000 from the URA and $200,000 of the PNC Foundation funds.

“By building wealth and entrepreneurship, we are bringing more opportunity to neighborhoods citywide, and there is no better place to go next than the Hill District. I am so grateful to all of our partners and Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle for their commitment to this effort,” Mayor William Peduto said.