Brrrr… What’s going on with that climate change?

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Dan Stiker

A re-blog from the Millvale Community Library…

Zaheen Hussain, NSR Director of Sustainability, has just published an article on the MCL Blog that speaks to the nuances between weather and climate and what that means in the context of Climate Change.

Read the full article here.

Interested in learning more? Join us at the Millvale Moose on Thursday, February 22nd at 6PM for a friendly conversation on climate change. We will walk through the latest research together to gain an understanding of why the climate is changing. Skeptical of climate change or still unsure? You’re more than welcome, as we always appreciate a healthy conversation.

Showcase Celebration highlights Ignite Northside entrepreneurs

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Dan Stiker

Pictured above: Ebony McQueen-Harris talks with Ignite Northside 2.0 participants (L-R) Erika Johnson (Beata Beatus), Anne George (iXMessage), Courtney Plaszenski (Midnight Zone Productions)

By: Alyse Horn-Pyatt, Photography by: Haggerty Media

Alloy 26 was a wire of earnest energy on November 29 during the Ignite Northside 2.0 Showcase Celebration, where participants and supporters gathered to recognize the entrepreneurial success of the program.

The common area outside Alloy 26 held a marketplace, where Igniters hosted booths to explain their business plans, and three participants were invited to compete in a pitch competition where founder of Beata Beatus Erika Johnson won $1,500 to put towards her work.

Influenced by her own experiences, Beata Beatus was created by Johnson “to encourage adolescent girls to heal and live healthy holistic lives through the creative arts, integrative health techniques, and faith-based encouragement,” according to its website. Johnson said the money received will go towards creating partnerships with a nutritionist and yoga instructor, and buying other equipment and materials to begin operating once a space has been obtained.

Courtney Plaszenski, founder of Midnight Zone Productions, and Anne George, creator of iXmessage, were the two Igniters who participated in the pitch competition with Johnson and won $500 each. Ebony McQueen-Harris, Ignite NS program manager, said she had an “Oprah moment” when she was able to reveal that all three participants would walk away with prize money.

“An Oprah moment of any kind is indescribable. This moment in particular wasn’t created alone. It involved a cast of characters and experience that pull together to make the moment happen. Those cast of characters are: first-our communities, then New Sun Rising, One Northside and Jamie and myself. Ignite Northside helped to chip away at one of small businesses oftentimes debilitating barrier; that of access to funding,” McQueen Harris said.

Wadria Taylor, founder of Style Week Pittsburgh, was one of three judges that also included Mac Howison, program officer for creative learning at The Heinz Endowments, and Ayisha Morgan-Lee, founder, CEO and artistic director of the Hill Dance Academy Theatre. Taylor said what stood out to them about Johnson’s business “was her why.”

“Hearing how passionate she was about not just [authentically raising confidence], but the population of young girls [in general] and the fact that she can relate shows a personal connection,” Taylor said.

Johnson recalled the first time she pitched her business concept to McQueen-Harris and Ignite NS Program Assistant Jamie Johnson, feeling like she had a “weird idea” that didn’t make sense, but the two helped Johnson take her plan to the next stages of development.

George, the developer of iXmessage said similarly that McQueen-Harris has a “fantastic way of pushing you and keeping you engaged.” Through workshops and one-on-one sessions, George said she is now able to adequately articulate her business and the ethicacy behind it. It also drove her to apply to the 4.0 Schools fellowship program, which is an incubator program that focuses on innovating the next generation of schools. Recently she was accepted and plans on officially releasing her app in the near future.

“It’s really empowering seeing the connection within the Northside and the cross pollination with businesses,” Taylor said. “Pittsburgh is very fragmented and sometimes that works as a disadvantage because people tend to move and make decisions in silos. It’s great to see such community engagement and such a diverse pool of businesses as well.”

Over the last year, Ignite Northside has helped start and strengthen 32 businesses, utilized four caterers and activated five spaces on the Northside including: Bistro To Go, Chateau Cafe and Cakery, Sprezzatura, Cafe on the Corner, The Pittsburgh Project, Oakglade Realty, Alloy 26, and the Carnegie Library-Woods Run.

Ignite Northside: Shira Barron of Aunt Lottie’s Closet

Posted on November 15, 2017 by Dan Stiker

Written by: Alyse Horn

After she was diagnosed with cancer last June, Shira Barron lost 35 pounds and had to rebuild her wardrobe from scratch.

During that time, Barron said it was therapeutic for her to get new clothing and it helped pull her out of the depression she was feeling, but she found that there were very few programs offering assistance to people going through the same ordeal as her.

While she was noticing the lack of support for cancer patients to “get back into their everyday lives,” Barron was also looking for a way to commemorate her Aunt Lottie who had been murdered by a family member with a mental illness and was struggling with homelessness.

“I wanted to create a legacy for her and that’s why I want to help people transition from homelessness and touch on mental illness [issues],” Barron said.

For those transitioning from homelessness, and also for cancer patients and survivors that have experienced tremendous weight loss, Barron created Aunt Lottie’s Closet. With guidance from Ignite Northside, Barron has been working on finding a location on the Northside to house her future “thrift store.”

“When I got into this program I didn’t know the first step of what to do,” Barron said. “From [creating] a business plan all the way to things I never thought I needed to focus on, like accounting and legal things, they helped me and guided me through all of that.”

Barron said the realization of how much goes into opening a store was overwhelming, but the weekly one-on-one meetings with Ignite Northside Program Manager Ebony McQueen-Harris helped her slow down and refocus.

“[Ebony] really helps guide you, and it’s not just about your business,” Barron said.

It’s also about focusing on participant’s mental wellbeing through the process of starting a business. Barron said she attended an Ignite Northside workshop in late October that had participants focus on visualizing their plans and goals. It also incorporated parts of Pittsburgh author Emily Marko’s new book “Wide Awake: A 7-Day Visual Guide to Calm the Mind + Get the Sleep You Deserve.” According to Marko’s website, the book helps readers “discover what keeps you up at night by taking the sleepless archetype quiz. Once you find out if you are a worrier, an idea maker, a to-doer, or in need of some me moments, you will be guided along a 7-day visual journey to help you get more of those precious zzz’s.”

Barron said it means a lot to her that the program not only focuses on helping entrepreneurs get their businesses started, but also the welfare of those involved. It’s a mission that she is familiar with as it’s similar to the idea behind Aunt Lottie’s Closet: helping people gain their footing while supplying them with fundamental assistance to reach their goals.

While she is still looking for a brick and mortar location, Barron has been working with The Shelter Project to pass out clothing to the homeless in West Park in Allegheny Commons. According to its website, “’Shelter’ is an acronym for Safe Housing and Employment Services Leading Towards Economic Restoration.” Barron said she hopes to continue to work with the organization in the future, but her goal right now is to obtain a space to work out of. She was offered space in East Liberty, but Barron said she would like her business to stay located on the Northside.

“The Northside is like a gem to me,” Barron said. “I’d like to help restore some of the areas in our neighborhood and utilize [vacant buildings].”

Barron is currently taking donations of clothing and accessories. For those who would like to donate or volunteer with Aunt Lottie’s Closet, emailauntlottiescloset@gmail.com or call (412) 865-6299.