Big Fish – Small Pond
Young Professionals can live and thrive in Pittsbugh

Pittsburgh is a city where you can be a Big Fish. Sure our pond is smaller than New York or Washington DC, but that is an asset, not a drawback of our great city. In Pittsburgh, a young professional has multiple opportunities to connect with established community stakeholders and emerging community leaders.

Never before in Pittsburgh’s history have young professionals had so many opportunities to offer opinions and see them implemented by our region’s leaders—and even become one of those leaders. Numerous organizations in our region are just waiting to help you become a Big Fish; here are a few:

• Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. – the Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) program equips emerging leaders to take civic action by strengthening leadership skills and capacities.

• Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) engages young professionals in the issues that affect attraction and retention. Through membership surveys and committee work, PUMP creates programs, supports existing programs, advocates for issues, and educates the right people on what’s best for our region.

• Pittsburgh Young Professionals (PYP) provides career-minded individuals with opportunities to develop socially, professionally, and civically.

• Urban League Young Professionals (ULYP), an auxiliary of the Urban League of Pittsburgh, is composed of young professionals who live, work and serve in the greater Pittsburgh region. This cohort is composed of local young professionals who are committed to serving the greater Pittsburgh region through social and civic engagement.

• New Pittsburgh Collaborative (NPC) is a non-partisan network of diverse and civically engaged organizations joined in a commitment to the future of the Pittsburgh region. Member groups share information and pool resources for events and initiatives to educate their members, advocate for dialogue on regional issues, influence decision makers, and encourage progress in Pittsburgh.

In addition to the organizations mentioned above, there are a number of other affinity groups including Young Preservationist Society, the Latin American Cultural Union, and the League of Young Voters that are just waiting to meet you and hear your new ideas. Pittsburgh’s size and unique, receptive community is the perfect place for any young professional to become a Big Fish – dive in, we’re waiting for you.

Editorial content provided by Kathy Risko. Kathy is a Program Manager at Leadership Pittsburgh Inc., a PUMP board member and NPC delegate. Kathy is a member of numerous other community-based organizations and is often found connecting people to one another.