Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, in partnership with Empower by GoDaddy and PNC Bank’s Center for Financial Education (CFE), piloted an alumni entrepreneurship program called Leap Ahead from June to November 2024. The program was for entrepreneurs who have graduated from Catapult’s entrepreneurship programs and were seeking additional support to take their businesses to the next level.
The six-month technical assistance program offered entrepreneurs who have been in business for three to five years training, tools, and networking opportunities to help them grow and improve their digital footprints. Twenty-five Catapult alumni participated in the pilot.
Helping Catapult Entrepreneur's Businesses
Empower by GoDaddy and PNC Bank provided customized curricula for the program. Empower By GoDaddy – GoDaddy’s global social impact program launched in 2017 – provided access to virtual content focused on building a stronger digital presence, while PNC Bank’s CFE offered monthly in-person sessions centered around business lending and growth, with topics ranging from developing a business plan to how to use business credit.
Paired together, these workshops equipped participants with intermediate-level business training to help catapult their businesses into the next stage of growth.
Support in the Early Stages is Vital
Research from Venture Forward, a GoDaddy research initiative, found that Pittsburgh stands out as one of the fastest-growing areas for microbusinesses (defined as those with a unique web domain, an active website, and fewer than 10 employees). And in Pittsburgh, many of these businesses are run by Black women, with the number of Black women entrepreneurs in Allegheny County almost doubling since 2020.
For these businesses, extra support in the early stages is vital. The research found that 59% of microbusinesses in Pittsburgh needed under $5,000 to get started yet raising that small amount of capital wasn’t easy. In fact, 24% of microbusiness owners who needed less than $1,000 found it difficult to raise the funds. Through Leap Ahead and its other programs, Catapult is working to bridge this gap. In the Leap Ahead program alone 20 of the entrepreneurs were Black women.
“Partnering locally, we can help address the lack of access to opportunity that many entrepreneurs in underserved communities face, and provide them with programming, mentoring, and skills training that uniquely meet their needs, no matter an individual’s circumstance, or zip code. It’s through programs like Leap Ahead that we can double down on our commitment to empowering entrepreneurs everywhere and uplift the voices that are shaping our local economies and communities.”
Aimed at boosting the money management skills of individuals, first-time homebuyers, and small business owners, PNC Bank’s CFE provides free financial well-being curriculum in collaboration with community-based nonprofit organizations in select cities.
“PNC’s commitment to improving outcomes for small businesses across the country is reflected in the impactful investments we continue to make with Catapult and other leading organizations that are dedicated to fostering economic growth in under-resourced neighborhoods. Together, we’re working to reduce barriers to banking, increase access to credit, and deliver capacity building opportunities to enable entrepreneurial growth in Pittsburgh’s communities.”
