From Gina Grone – Executive Director, Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce

The Northside North Shore Chamber serves the business community in and around the Northside and has been doing so since 1897. We currently have 390 member businesses, and we serve them by promoting, connecting, and supporting.

Here are some of our recent activities and updates.

Farewell message

As many of you already know, my time with the Northside Chamber is coming to an end. After six incredible years serving as the executive director, I will be leaving at the end of the month to pursue a new opportunity. (My next move and my successor will also be announced soon!)

Reflecting on the past six years, I am incredibly proud of the chamber’s accomplishments:

• Membership growth: When I began in 2018, we had 98 dues-paying members. Today, we are about to surpass 400 members, quadrupling our membership!
• Staff growth: I started as the sole staff member, and now I am fortunate to have an incredible team of two supporting the Northside business community. I am confident in departing because of the competence and passion of Patrick Bendel, our member relations manager, and Quinn Kirby, our manager of strategic initiatives. You’ve got this, team!
• Board commitment: The support of the chamber’s board is one thing that has NOT changed over the past six years. From my first day to today, their engagement and commitment have helped the chamber and me grow immensely. I will be forever grateful.
• NorthSideWorks!: Discussions about the chamber’s role in workforce development had been ongoing for years before I became the executive director. I am very proud to have transformed those conversations into NorthSideWorks! — connecting good people to good jobs.
• Networking events: While our chamber focuses on being issues-driven rather than events-driven, our networking events have grown in popularity. I am especially proud of our monthly “Coffee & Contacts” events, held at various locations around the Northside, attracting 60-80 people each month for a fun and productive morning!

With that I will say farewell, but as a Northside resident, you’ll still see me regularly at community events, coffee shops, bike trails, and more!

Members

Renewed members: The following 29 companies or organizations renewed

their investment in the past month: Aflac, Alling Agency, Bernie’s Photo Center, Breadworks, Cardello Associates, Colliers Engineering, Dirt Doctors Cleaning Services, Donatelli Granite (Rome Monument), Eugene Beck Company, Iams Consulting, Levy Restaurants, Makeshift Bikes, Manufacturers & Business Association, Moonshot Museum, Museum of Illusions Pittsburgh, NHM Magazine, On Time Delivery, Pittsburgh Pirates, The Pittsburgh Project, Pittsburgh Technology Council, Providence Connections, Rivers Casino, Siempre Algo, SSB Bank, Stephen M. Brady Funeral Home, Waltmire Pharmacy, Wesbanco, Women’s Interactive Network (WIN), and Yinz Coffee

New members: We were pleased to welcome the following seven companies or organizations as new members in the past month: City Paper, CR Advisory, McFadden’s Pittsburgh, Not Forgotten Home and Community Services, Pandora 7 Full Circle, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Ron’s Pizza Palace.

If you’d like to discuss how the chamber can benefit your business, please reach out to Patrick Bendel, Member Relations Manager, at (412) 670-9862 or patrick@northsidechamberofcommerce.com.

Networking events

The Northside Chamber has regular events that are open to the public. Whether you’re interested in networking or just want to see the event spaces, we invite you to join us!

• July 9, 8-9:30 a.m. — Coffee & Contacts (morning networking) — The Wave North Shore
• July 25, 5:30-7 p.m. — In Your Business (after-work networking) — Bistro Café & Catering

A full calendar is on the chamber’s website.

Learn more about the chamber by visiting our website (northsidechamberofcommerce.com), contacting us at (412) 231-6500 or at info@northsidechamberofcommerce.com, or stopping into our office on Middle Street in Deutschtown.