Sponsors

The Heinz Endowments

The Heinz Endowments is based in Pittsburgh, using the region as a laboratory for the development of solutions to challenges that are national in scope. Although the majority of The Heinz Endowments’ giving is concentrated within southwestern Pennsylvania, the organization works wherever necessary, including statewide and nationally, to fulfill its mission to help the region thrive as a whole community, economically, ecologically, educationally and culturally, while advancing the state of knowledge and practice in the fields in which it works. The Heinz Endowments’ fields of emphasis include philanthropy in general and the disciplines represented by its five grantmaking programs: Arts & Culture; Children, Youth & Families; Community & Economic Development; Education; and Environment.

City of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a city in transformation. The city has overcome adversity in a big way. Its thoughtfully developed riverfronts, top­ notch health care facilities and cultural attractions, and affordable standard of living make it one of America’s “Most Livable Cities.” Pittsburgh offers a surprising and unexpected experience, with natural beauty, unique terrain, and diverse opportunities ­ all wrapped up in an approachable and unpretentious package.

GTECH

GTECH stands for Growth Through Energy and Community Health. We are a enterprising nonprofit that is dedicated to cultivating the unrealized potential of people and places to improve the economic, social and environmental health of our communities.

We believe that tangible, incremental actions beget more action. When we fuse that energy with a process that connects people to opportunity by turn problems into assets we can fuel an upward spiral of community health. This is what it means to live at the intersection of Community Development and the Green Economy, and the view is nice. We also aren’t afraid to take on new, exciting (and somewhat daunting) tasks in our city – like reclaiming over 1 million square feet of vacant land or removing 500 tons of CO2 from our air. We are always up to the challenge.

We work with our community – individuals, organizations, nonprofits, and funders – to make Pittsburgh an even more amazing city to live in.

If you have a problem that you think we could help solve or would like to learn more about our work visit our website at www.gtechstrategies.org. We’re open to your ideas and ready to answer your questions and provide the resources you need.

Create Festival

3 days. +40 events, including parties, art exhibitions, maker workshops, performances, entrepreneur education, an Innovation Salon, and the 2024 CREATEFest.

Founded on the idea that creativity and technology share the fundamental characteristic of innovation, the Create Festival serves as a collaborative hub igniting creativity and innovation, enhancing interconnectivity and providing opportunity for creative, cultural transformation.

Fourth Economy Consulting

Fourth Economy Consulting is a national economic and community development firm providing growth strategies, market analysis and community development services. Their work throughout the country is helping to define and change the way that business, nonprofits, higher education and government leaders think about their roles and their communities. Fourth Economy has assembled a team that brings experiences from the private and public sector, academia and community development to provide a holistic perspective.

LUMA Institute

LUMA Institute is a pioneering education company that equips individuals, teams and organizations to accelerate innovation. LUMA helps leading businesses, non-profits, schools, and governments around the world multiply their ability to innovate.

Based on the discipline of Human-Centered Design, the LUMA System of “Innovating for People” — recently referred to by Harvard Business Review as the “taxonomy of innovation” — has been adopted and is being used by innovators around the globe to tackle complex challenges ranging from product development to more lofty pursuits in the education, government, non-profit, and foundation sectors. Harvard Business School has begun teaching the LUMA System in its “design thinking” class, The University of Philadelphia has declared “Innovating for People” a required text for its students, and local educators are using it to teach students the essential skills of innovation. Leaders in the social and public sectors are applying the system to develop innovative solutions in service of a host of daunting challenges: eradicating poverty in local communities, reducing sexual violence on college campuses, tackling the Ebola crisis, reducing gun violence in America, and increasing national competitiveness through innovation skill-building.

LUMA believes that innovation is a growing global social and economic imperative — the next literacy of our age — and that the future of innovation is that it will be learned by and practiced by everyone.

Urban Innovation21

Urban Innovation21 is a unique public-private partnership that is supporting the growth of entrepreneurship in the Pittsburgh region’s innovation economy and connecting that growth to underserved communities and the residents that live in those communities.

We believe that a successful innovation economy can drive economic growth, but lasting regional progress only happens when all communities are connected to wealth generators.

The Forbes Funds

The Forbes Funds’ mission is building the management capacity and impact of community-based nonprofits individually and collectively.

The Sprout Fund

The Sprout Fund is Pittsburgh’s leading agency supporting innovative ideas, catalyzing community change, and making our region a better place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Sprout provides critical financial support for projects and programs in the early stages of development—when just a small amount of investment has the potential to yield big results in the community. Sprout projects create new initiatives, events, and organizations that help citizens take action on a pressing issue or enhance the cultural vitality of the Pittsburgh region. Since 2024, Sprout has supported more than 500 community projects through more than $4 million of direct investment.