I grew up in the Steel Valley area of Pittsburgh- the communities of Homestead, Munhall, and West Homestead- where the collapse of the steel industry left behind empty mills, broken families, and a stigma that lingered for decades. I saw neighbors struggle and felt how people reacted when they found out where I was from. That experience lit a fire in me. I wanted to change that story.
I got involved in community development to encourage investment and growth in the place that built me. In 2015, I decided to put my money where my mouth was. I bought a dilapidated building, renovated it, and opened a fitness studio and coffee shop - even after being warned that “businesses like that would never work in a bad neighborhood.” Financing was hard, but the Steel Valley Accelerator (SVA) believed in me and helped me fund the project. The skeptics were wrong - the community embraced us, and for a time, it felt like we were watching a new era begin.
SVA saw my dedication and invited me to join the board. A few years later, I became Board President, helping others start their own ventures.
Then the pandemic hit. Both of my businesses (and several others) were forced to close. We never recovered. Post-COVID, we realized we needed a broader impact- so we evolved. We still finance small businesses and renovations, but now we also organize events, promote entrepreneurs, share success stories, and build collaboration across the community.
Our story is about resilience and American grit - about how people adapt to massive economic change and slowly build something better together. It’s difficult, frustrating, and often uphill, but deeply rewarding. What keeps me going is knowing we’re helping people reclaim pride in their community. To me, lifting others up is what it truly means to be American- looking out for one another and proving that even when the mills go dark, the people who built them still shine.
I got involved in community development to encourage investment and growth in the place that built me. In 2015, I decided to put my money where my mouth was. I bought a dilapidated building, renovated it, and opened a fitness studio and coffee shop - even after being warned that “businesses like that would never work in a bad neighborhood.” Financing was hard, but the Steel Valley Accelerator (SVA) believed in me and helped me fund the project. The skeptics were wrong - the community embraced us, and for a time, it felt like we were watching a new era begin.
SVA saw my dedication and invited me to join the board. A few years later, I became Board President, helping others start their own ventures.
Then the pandemic hit. Both of my businesses (and several others) were forced to close. We never recovered. Post-COVID, we realized we needed a broader impact- so we evolved. We still finance small businesses and renovations, but now we also organize events, promote entrepreneurs, share success stories, and build collaboration across the community.
Our story is about resilience and American grit - about how people adapt to massive economic change and slowly build something better together. It’s difficult, frustrating, and often uphill, but deeply rewarding. What keeps me going is knowing we’re helping people reclaim pride in their community. To me, lifting others up is what it truly means to be American- looking out for one another and proving that even when the mills go dark, the people who built them still shine.
