Spring is around the corner, and in the spirit of the season, two new cohorts of entrepreneurs are ready to sow the seeds of their business growth with Catapult. That’s right, on March 4, we kicked off another round of our signature retail and culinary entrepreneurship programs: Catapult Startup to Storefront and Catapult Culinary.
A Customized Curriculum
Over the next 12 months, 18 Startup to Storefront entrepreneurs and 27 Catapult Culinary entrepreneurs will gain the tools and tailored mentorship they need to launch and strengthen their businesses. Participants will participate in monthly cohort learning sessions while receiving one-on-one mentoring, educational seminars, networking, technical assistance, and opportunities to build strategic partnerships.
Topics covered in the programs will include everything from the foundations of setting up a business to marketing and branding to the economics of inventory. Underlying all of the lessons is Catapult’s unique trauma-informed approach.
Our customized curriculum centers on the experiences and challenges of the Black community and underserved entrepreneurs. That means we help participants address common barriers to entrepreneurship such as balancing childcare responsibilities and overcoming “poverty mindsets.” This holistic lens goes beyond traditional offerings to meet entrepreneurs where they are and ensure they get the support and tools they need to thrive.
“We are extremely excited to launch the 2024 Catapult Greater Pittsburgh Entrepreneurship Cohorts! This entrepreneur group, both in retail and food-based businesses, bring a dimension of creativity and dedication that continues to confirm why it is important to invest in and believe in Black and Brown businesses in the city of Pittsburgh and beyond. We can’t wait to see what they are going to do.”
– Catapult Director of Entrepreneurship, Lachelle Bell
Catapult’s Commercial Kitchen Space
As an added bonus, Catapult Culinary entrepreneurs will be able to make use of Catapult’s commercial kitchen space offered in partnership with the Allegheny Health Network, and Startup to Storefront entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to sell their products in Gallery on Centre, Catapult’s gallery retail incubator space in the Hill District.
These unique features of the program provide entrepreneurs with a pathway to take their businesses to the next level in a low-risk environment.
We can’t wait to see how these entrepreneurs evolve! Stay tuned this year as we introduce you to some of the inspiring businesses that make up these cohorts.
