What do you see when you drive down Braddock Avenue?
On the surface, the differences between now and even five years ago are subtle. A few new businesses, a few more people, a little more traffic. But stop and take a moment to really look, to listen, and you’ll feel it.
More steps on the pavement. A rustle of coats and a rumble of cars. Smiles and handshakes. It’s a feeling of promise and possibilities. And it’s a feeling that has been growing steadily for years.
That sense of optimism is embodied in the work of Gisele Fetterman and her nonprofit, For Good PGH. One of their current initiatives is the Hollander Project. In the early 1900s, Hollander’s was a drug store on Braddock Avenue. Today, For Good PGH is converting the building into an incubator space for female entrepreneurs—and we are thrilled to support the project.
“So much talent exists in Braddock and surrounding communities, but we were missing the infrastructure and resources to launch these businesses within an established work space,” says Kristen Michaels, Co-Founder of For Good PGH. “In addition to providing office and multi-purpose space, we will also bring workshops and talks with entrepreneurs, Executive Directors, and innovators for the Hollander’s tenants, as well as the greater community at large. We seek to create an inspiring and supportive environment where women can build and grow their businesses.”
“It’s not only the space, it’s an entire support system,” Fetterman adds.
We recently met with four of the female entrepreneurs who will soon be taking up residence in the Hollander space, including Brandy Rawls. Founder of Oli’s Angels—a service that provides free, comprehensive resources and support to families before, during, and after birth—Rawls sees this collective community as one of the Hollander Project’s hallmarks.
“Being connected to other missions that have a heart for the people and a heart for this community, and bringing all of our talents together collectively,” Rawls says, “it’s everything that I’ve ever wanted.”
Mary Nesby, a notary public and member of the Homestead Council, talks about what this opportunity means to her. “I’ll be able to go into my own workspace to do my own job in Braddock, which will always be my home. Being from this town and seeing it be brought back to life and to be a part of such a great opportunity is a wonderful thing.”
This was a sentiment that the other three entrepreneurs echoed. They feel that the Hollander is a space that will enable and empower more residents in the area to move their businesses forward.
“There are so many people in the community that want to do good and when they have a place to do it, it just happens,” Michaels adds.
When one of our employees, Leslie J., heard about this project, it struck a very personal chord. “I moved to the area in the mid-90s,” she tells us, “and my dream is that my son will go to college and come back. We all want our kids and grandkids to come back,” she adds. “And if this sort of project can create jobs and opportunities for the people who live here, that’s really exciting.”
Fetterman also commented on the difference between bringing in new business and encouraging the businesses that are already here in the region. “It’s wonderful to see new businesses coming to the area,” she says, “but it’s equally important that we encourage the businesses that are already here. We just need to give them the support they need to gain momentum,” she explains, “but the talent is absolutely here.”
This is one of the reasons why the Hollander Project resonated with us. It’s providing an opportunity for the people of Braddock to take that next big step with their businesses. But it’s also bolstering the community where many of those business owners were born and raised, where they have friends and families and neighbors—a place that many of our customers and employees call home.
Another Peoples employee and lifelong Braddock resident, Desiree P., was excited to think about how this one project could fuel real change in her community. “It’s about getting things started,” she explains. “It’s about taking your hat off and taking a seat with others and focusing on even just one positive change.”
“I remember being a little girl and walking to church in Braddock,” she reminisces. “We passed a bank, Woolworth’s, the meat store, a shop that sold candy in bulk. And just like that, it was all gone.”
“But now it’s back,” she says confidently. “It’s definitely coming back.”
Take a drive down Braddock Avenue in the early morning—the billowing steam from the Edgar Thomson mill, the crisp bustle of morning traffic—and you’ll feel it for yourself. The worst chapter in the area’s history is over and done. And as long as people continue to work together with “a heart for the people and a heart for the community,” the future is full of optimism and possibilities.
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