Alison Alvarez’s startup BlastPoint is designed to provide companies with more affordable and accessible data tools to analyze markets and improve engagement with customers. Making that happen is her core mission. But outside of that, she has taken a leading role in providing insight and aid to the region’s broader innovation community. She’s frequently seen at startup-related events around the city and is often asked to speak at events hosted by Carnegie Mellon University’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. Alvarez isn’t just a rising founder. She’s helping others follow her path.
What has been your biggest challenge getting your startup to where it is today?
Pittsburgh is my home by choice, and I’ve received an enormous amount of support here. However, Pittsburgh is a really challenging region when it comes to raising capital. Funders want technology to be significantly advanced and ideally in-market and making money before they invest. Getting beyond that gap is keeping a lot of people out of the startup business, particularly if they don’t have connections or a complete set of skills in the founding team. Comparatively, building the technology and constantly innovating is the easy part.
How can Pittsburgh better serve its startup community?
We wouldn’t be where we are today if local businesses and nonprofits had not given us a chance. Peoples Gas and Duquesne Light Co. were both early customers. We know that we were extremely fortunate to be able to make those connections, and we would love for that kind of access to be broader in reach. There are so many companies in this town who either don’t want to work with startups or want that work to be free.
What do you hope your startup will be doing five years from now?
We’re just starting to tap into our global reach and are working to have a diverse set of customers in a broad range of industries around the world. Ultimately, I’d love to be an economic engine, both as an employer and as a software company whose products make our business customers more effective. I know that my career came from the local Pittsburgh innovation ecosystem, and I hope that even if my employees don’t stay permanently, that they leave with more skills and can contribute to building what’s next.
