Ten Creative Businesses Take Their Next Leap

The Next Leap pitch competition was held virtually on the evening of November 19th.

How 10 creative businesses in the Next Leap program are working on growth and social impact

Bridgeway Capital’s Creative Business Accelerator (CBA) and Ascender combined their business building capabilities to offer the inaugural Next Leap Program.

Ascender’s team of experts and coaches worked closely with ten creative businesses to transform growth ideas into actionable plans. The CBA will continue to help them pursue their Next Leap goals over the following six months to realize financial resilience and social impact.

“Many can learn from the rapid growth and heart these creative businesses displayed during an intense program like Next Leap,” says Nadyli Nuñez, executive director of Ascender. “We couldn’t have partnered with a better team than the CBA, and we look forward to empowering the next cohort in 2021.”

The Next Leap pitch competition was held virtually on the evening of November 19th. Participants synthesized and prioritized everything they learned over the previous six weeks into a cohesive vision for their future. The three judges included Wendy Downs of Moop, Khamil Scantling of Cocoapreneur, and George Cook of Honeycomb Credit.

Learn about the next leap each creative business will take, starting with the pitch competition's three award winners.

Next Leap Award Winners

1st Place | Otto Finn

Established by Rona Chang, OTTO FINN provides comfortable and modern clothing, fashionably functional children’s accessories, and home products for the design-conscious consumer. Rona's next leap will pursue an aggressive marketing campaign to reach online customers in national and global markets for her growing line of sustainably produced products.

2nd Place | Frank & Myrhh

Raised by parents who were themselves entrepreneurs, a few years ago Baiyinah Brookins learned to sew and began translating her love of West African fabrics into products through Frank & Myrhh, her lifestyle brand. For her next leap, Baiyinah will expand her offering of artisan-made goods to include seasonal lines for conscientious consumers and improve her online marketing and storytelling capabilities.

3rd Place | Driving While Black Records

Driving While Black Records is an independent, Pittsburgh-based record label that represents local hip-hop artists. Jordan Montgomery's next leap includes diversifying his offering with more virtual experiences, including follower subscription services, multimedia online content, and expanding their line of streetwear merchandise. Photo Credit: Drewshotya

Next Leap Creative Businesses

Read about all of the participating creative businesses profiled in NEXT Pittsburgh. Click Read More to learn about the next leap for each business and how you can support their goals by shopping for their products.

Design duo Jocelyn Avila and Rob Hackett make fine leather goods as Clark Morelia. Learn about them and all 10 of the Next Leap Creative Businesses.

NEXT Pittsburgh content sponsored by Bridgeway Capital.

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Pittsburgh, PA 15219

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