A Taste of Catapult: An Evening of Culinary Bliss
September 30, 2024
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Catapult hosts a summer evening spent tasting food from some of the finest up-and-coming Black-owned culinary businesses in the city.
Who We Are
Catapult Greater Pittsburgh engages in emergency resource distribution, peer-to-peer support, wealth building, trauma-informed financial counseling, and policy advocacy to ensure systematically disenfranchised communities can meaningfully achieve economic justice and lead dignified and equitable lives.
Meet the Team
Tammy Thompson
Executive Director
Lingaire Njie
Director of Operations
Alexis Cathie
Executive Assistant and Social Media Manager
Brettney Duck
Director of Homeownership
Kevette Groomes
Compliance and Quality Assurance Specialist
Laylah Washington
Financial Education Counselor
Nia Calvert
Financial Education Counselor
Jodi Salant
Director of Development
Cinnamon Foster
Community Support Specialist
Nikkia Coates
Director of Supportive Housing
Lachelle Bell
Director of Entrepreneurship
Kayla Bowyer
Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator
Amekha Davidson
Financial Education Counselor
Gabrielle DeMarchi
Director of Equity Protection
Tanika Harris
Director of Strategic Partnerships & National Expansion
Latasia Rich
Gallery Manager
Nissa'a Stallworth
Kitchen Manager
Lakhia Rich
Junior Sales Associate
Board of Directors
Ted Melnyk
President
Ted Melnyk is Director of Operations at ELDI and joined the staff in 2012. Ted has over 30 years of experience in both the faith and nonprofit community with both youth and affordable housing programs. Ted has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Westminster College, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy & Management from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters of Arts & Religion from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Ashley Comans
Vice President
Ashley Comans recently joined APOST (Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time) as the HYPE (Hill Youth Partnership for Enrichment) Project Coordinator. Ashley brings a diverse set of skills and experience to the board. Prior to joining the team, Ashley worked at Highmark as a Sales Support Analyst in the Senior Markets department. Prior to working with Highmark, Ashley was a production specialist with WPXI-TV Pittsburgh. There, she worked with the Emmy-award-winning morning newscast in production, and carried out voice caption duties for local and national programming. Ashley is also a freelance writer and blogger. Most recently, Ashley was elected School Board Director of the Wilkinsburg School District. Ashley obtained a Bachelors of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and Communication Studies from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Scott Dillon
Treasurer
Scott Dillon is the Director of Finance and Administration for ELDI and joined the organization in 2014. He has over 40 years of accounting and finance experience for both nonprofit and for-profit entities. He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Accounting along with a minor in Economics and later earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Duquesne University, with concentrations in Accounting and Finance. He has previously served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Allegheny Valley chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Khamil Scantling
Member
Khamil Scantling is an expert in Leadership & Business Development, Public Speaking, Fundraising, Software Management, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Khamil achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Sociology and a concentration in Africana Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Khamil previously worked at BNY Mellon as a senior analyst, and is currently the CEO of Cocoapreneur PGH, LLC. Khamil founded Cocoapreneur to assist black entrepreneurs in overcoming the societal barriers to success that are unique to their experience.
Lisa Tannenbaum
Member
Lisa Tannenbaum is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the Human Resource Certification Institute and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) through the Society of Human Resource Management. Lisa is a graduate of Penn State University and has over 20 years of HR experience. She has extensive knowledge and proficiency in all areas of Talent Management including training, recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, compliance, and compensation. She has a passion for partnering with professional service firms and non-profit organizations by establishing “HR on Call” relationships where she guides clients through wide variety HR related topics and issues. When not focusing creating HR solutions for her clients, Lisa enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling with her family.
Muzz Meyers
Member
After many years as an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, Muzz Meyers spent 18 years working with underserved youth. He has worked for the East End Cooperative Ministry, Neighborhood Learning Alliance, The University of Pittsburgh Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, and primarily for Communities in Schools of Allegheny County. Through Communities in Schools he was placed at Westinghouse High School in various supportive roles with students and staff. During this time, he witnessed the daily trauma of housing insecurity. He recognized that a transient life created hardships and obstacles in the ability for students to succeed. In 2015, he decided to take his social service and entrepreneurial experience and envision a way to address these problems. Muzz founded the Day One Project - a program that offers real-life education, connection to resources, and support to empower single parent families to thrive, which is now a program of Catapult Greater Pittsburgh.
Joyce Howard
Member
Joyce Howard is a natural communicator. While her career has been diverse, the common theme is her proficiency in helping organizations and people grow. Joyce serves as the Grant Writer & Project Administrator at Innovation Works. She earned her BA in Journalism and Political Science and law degree from Duquesne University. She has worked at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The News & Observer, Apple, and most recently was the director of operations at Everyday Café. Joyce is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and also serves on Duquesne University’s Alumni Board of Governors and the newly formed Black Alumni Network.
Dr. Johnathan JeVon White
Member
Dr. Johnathan JeVon White is an accomplished educator and historian with a Ph.D. in U.S. and African American history from the University of Pittsburgh. As an Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State Greater Allegheny, he specializes in history, Black studies, and leadership development. Dr. White is a co-founder of the Study of Hip-Hop Conference and the Stewart and Jones Scholar Leadership Program. He also chairs the Racial Equity task force at PSUGA and has created impactful projects like the Black Woman Reaffirmed video series.
Dr. White's work extends beyond academia—he serves on the board of the Langston Hughes Poetry Society and has mentored young Black men through the Full Armor Institute. His upcoming album, Love Algorithms, reflects his deep commitment to social justice and community love.
Myron Terry, Ed.S.
Member
Myron Terry's real estate journey began several years ago as an investor in rental properties, both single and multi-family units in Georgia. He found helping individuals and families with their housing needs rewarding. As a result, he obtained his Pennsylvania Real Estate License in 2020, and looks forward to serving the families of Allegheny County and beyond.
For twenty years, Myron was a classroom teacher (Social Studies & Physical Education) in both California and Georgia. He has spent time at both the middle and high school levels, gaining insight and experience with students of all ages and of all ability levels.
As a Human Development and Family Studies major at Colorado State University, his primary focus was youth development. There he gained an understanding of the unique cognitive, emotional, and physical developments of individuals. His experience and skills in the areas of teaching, counseling, coaching, and mentoring have allowed him to contribute to the community at large.
Jennifer Cash Wade
Member
Jennifer Cash Wade has been the Housing Consultant for the Beltzhoover Consensus Group since 2018. Ms. Cash Wade is using her twenty-five years of experience as a Realtor and nine years of knowledge gained while working as Operations Manager in Allegheny County's Department of Real Estate to strategically plan and manage a collaborative redevelopment of Beltzhoover's housing stock beginning with the redevelopment of Beltzhoover Elementary School to The Dr. Louis A. Venson Senior Lofts, thirty-nine units of affordable housing for residents fifty-five years of age and older.
Jennifer is a Pittsburgh Land Bank Board Director and President of the Board of Hilltop Alliance, a collaborative community driven organization made up of South Pittsburgh neighborhoods. She also serves on the boards of Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group and chairs the Landmarks Community Capital Corporation, a non-profit lending subsidiary of Pittsburgh History Landmarks Foundation.
Mission Breakdown
Mission Statement
Catapult Greater Pittsburgh engages in connecting families to emergency resources, peer-to-peer support, wealth building, trauma-informed financial counseling, and policy advocacy to ensure that systematically disenfranchised communities can meaningfully achieve economic justice and lead dignified and equitable lives.
Values Statement
Pursuing economic justice one individual at a time through compassion, flexibility, innovation, dignity, and creating opportunities for personal growth in fair and equitable communities.
Who We Serve
Individuals or families who live at or below the poverty line or otherwise feel disenfranchised by a system that perpetuates economic injustice. Our participants choose programs that are the best fit for them and work with the team at Catapult Greater Pittsburgh for support and guidance throughout the experience.
Catapulting
Into the Future
History
After six wonderful years of partnership with Circles USA, Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, formerly Circles Greater Pittsburgh, launched as an independent organization on January 4th, 2021. Although the leadership, professionals, and many of the programs remain the same, our mission changed slightly from “ending generational poverty” to “economic justice opportunities for individuals seeking generational stability”. The program offerings will be more robust and more suited for the urban clientele that we serve. Additionally, this separation will allow us to move from a chapter of a national model into an independent and scalable non-profit organization.
Pittsburgh
>
1
%
Poverty
in many Pittsburgh neighborhoods
1
%
pittsburghers
live at or below the income limit for federal poverty guidelines
In many Pittsburgh neighborhoods the poverty rate is well over 30%. In total 20.3% of Pittsburghers live at or below the income limit for the Federal Poverty Guidelines, according to the 2017 U.S. Census estimates. To give you an idea of how much that is, the official poverty line for a family of four is $25,100 per year or less.
The divide between lower-income populations and the middle-to-upper income populations is growing and not just in numbers. We desire a smart, and personal solution to these problems, which is why Catapult works great in this very relational community. Here, neighborly connection and innovation are key components of what makes Pittsburgh the great place that it is.
Connect with Us
Like, follow and share with #CatapultGreaterPittsburgh
News
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Catapult Culinary graduate, Darnella Murray, has been making a name for herself throughout Pittsburgh with her festive sweet treats.
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After joining the 2024 Catapult Culinary cohort, Kesha Bennett started her catering business, Peacefulplatez, and feeding Pittsburgh’s unhoused population.
