Trever Stoll is helping to contribute to the startup ecosystem via the City of Pittsburgh’s PGH Lab program, which operates as a startup incubator under the mayoral administration. It’s an effort that aims to advance the use of tech in government and grow the region’s startup scene. To date, eight cohorts of startups have graduated from the six-month program, which allows participating companies to pilot their products through local government authorities and gain feedback and networking opportunities. As a leader within the city’s Department of Innovation & Performance, Stoll is responsible for structuring the PGH Lab program and guiding companies through it.
What is a challenge for Pittsburgh’s startup community?
One of the greatest challenges I see is space. I have seen/discovered in recent years many coworking spaces across the city, but I still have startups asking me for physical storefronts or connections to partners who can provide a “slice” of the city to test their solutions in. I think a true “Innovation District” would help these companies and the city both grow exponentially. We’re starting to see other cities across the nation create whole districts as “urban labs” built from day one with innovation, testing and development in mind. I think an Innovation District set aside for large-scale testing while also providing physical space for startups would help provide some much-needed resources for the startup community while also providing a space where the larger public can interact and learn about what innovations are happening in their own backyard.
What has you most optimistic about the region’s startups in the years to come?
Pittsburgh is growing again, and government is working hard to develop a sustainable future that’s not leaving anyone behind as we look to the future. You can look around the city skyline and can see cranes again, or people walking about on the streets, new shops, new places, and it’s almost like the air is abuzz.
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.
