Why I Joined Prototype PGH's Board of Directors
Photo by Prototype PGH
I’m honored and thrilled to share that I’ve joined Prototype PGH’s Board of Directors!
Prototype PGH was founded in 2017 by Erin Gatz and E.Louise Larson to build gender & racial equity in tech and entrepreneurship by providing affordable access to high tech tools and equipment, offering workshops that center on the experiences of women and underestimated communities, and cultivating a professional support network.
When I moved to Pittsburgh a year and a half ago through Venture For America, I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed fresh grad, with big ideals about working at the intersection of technology and social impact and empowering entrepreneurship. These ideals were what impelled me to join Honeycomb Credit, a local crowdfunding website that helps small business owners borrow loans directly from their customers and community. While my ideals remain true, my work has provided me with greater context to the ebbs and flows of entrepreneurship.
A question that I’ve been asking myself since day one—that ultimately led me to Prototype—is: What does it take to become a successful entrepreneur, business owner, or creator?
On the surface level, you’ve got to create a great product or service that’s loved by your customers. But the standard business theory only takes you so far.
Through connecting dozens of small businesses to $1M+ in investments from their local communities, I’ve begun to realize that success is deeply interconnected with the social capital and knowledge capital of the entrepreneur: getting access to fair funding, knowing how to keep their books up to date, having enough digital literacy to build a nice website and social media presence, getting advice from fellow entrepreneurs who’ve gone through the same hurdles, knowing how to navigate city permits & regulations, just to name a few.
Yet while these levers of growth can supercharge success, the lack of these levers continues to be a huge barrier to entrepreneurship and opportunity for folks from marginalized, often historically disenfranchised communities.
To dismantle these barriers, I recognize that we’ve got to go upstream to address the underlying issues. This is where I see Prototype’s impact and potential as an agent of change in Pittsburgh. By providing access to resources, as well as access to knowledge, Prototype is able to bridge many of those barriers and give communities the tools they need to invest in themselves, whether it be through the Women’s Work incubator or the Pitt Mac makerspace.
Beyond resources, the magic of Prototype lies within its power to build community. I believe that Prototype is a vital thirdspace and proponent of spatial justice in a place like Pittsburgh. Urban theorist Edward Soja defines thirdspaces as communal spaces realized through language or education that allow marginalized communities to reclaim their identities.
I believe that empowerment is as much about equitable access to resources as it is about equitable access to community, to find friendship and acceptance from others who’ve had similar and different experiences. By creating a space where these connections can be made and celebrated, Prototype allows members of our community to acknowledge the joys and struggles of the past, tackle the present, and build upon the future lifeblood of our community.
Finally, my interest in Prototype lies in my desire to find more community in Pittsburgh as a digital media artist. At Pomona College, I immersed myself in video production and creative coding projects that centered around exploring the concept of Home, Asian American identity, and belonging across physical & virtual worlds. And while I still find joy in painting watercolors and other solo art projects, what I miss most from my collegiate learning environment is being surrounded by fellow artists, makers, and dabblers—infinitely curious about the world and ready to shake things up.
The first time that I stepped into Prototype’s co-working space, I felt that same thrill once again—the chatter and laughter of folks working on big, bright ideas together, the comforts of the zine library and the histories & stories hidden within each leaflet, and the whirls of machines that I want to try using. Through Prototype, I hope to meet more fellow creatives and builders, draw inspiration from their energy and enthusiasm, challenge my creative limits, and feel a little bit more at home in Pittsburgh.
So—why Prototype? Because I believe in giving people the tools they need to create, prototype, and transform Pittsburgh and the world that they want to live in. Because I believe in supporting people with learning new skills, exploring the depth and breadth of their own creativity, building a sustainable business, or simply finding a place where they can exist unapologetically. Because I want to take part in creating a space where all this magic happens.
Check out the upcoming workshops and events at Prototype PGH here.