If there’s one thing that motivates Kit Mueller, it’s creating opportunities for startup founders and entrepreneurs to interact and learn from one another. RustBuilt, an initiative started by Mueller in 2012, serves as a grassroots platform for founders to connect both online and in person, with events such as the RustBuilt Startup Showdown, a pitch competition for startups based throughout the nation’s Rust Belt. XchangePgh was born earlier this year out of RustBuilt and other organizations to house a series of free-to-the-public events, featuring workshops and mentorship opportunities around the concepts of strategic design, community building, customer acquisitions and awards for the innovation community.
What inspires you to assist startups and help provide resources to startup leaders?
I’m lucky that I get to wear a bunch of hats — founder, investor, advisor and community builder. And each role shows me a new perspective. Being a founder is the most humbling. Investing and advising teaches me the importance of backing dreams and helping navigate pitfalls. But building community is where the real magic happens. When we share our resources and uplift each other, we’re not just setting one startup up to thrive, but the whole ecosystem.
What is a challenge for Pittsburgh’s startup community, and how could it be addressed?
1. Our regional startup community needs to be more inclusive and accessible. 2. We’re still spending too much time, effort, resources and goodwill trying to be the next anywhere else. 3. While access to risk capital is improving, we still need more capital resources at the earliest stages. 4. We need to continue to build out our regional “bench” of experienced talent. 5. We need to foster better connections between our regional corporate community and the leading startups.
Join us at The Assembly in Bloomfield on Sept. 20 to honor our Fire Awards recipients and celebrate innovation, resilience and the spirit of entrepreneurship.
