Built Environment

AlphaLab is a nationally recognized startup accelerator based in Pittsburgh, supporting early-stage companies across software, hardware, life sciences, and robotics. Founded in 2008 and powered by Innovation Works, AlphaLab provides founders with capital, mentorship, and a structured program to accelerate growth. The platform operates multiple specialized tracks, including AlphaLab (software), AlphaLab Gear (hardware), AlphaLab Health (life sciences), and Robotics Factory, offering tailored support depending on the company’s sector. AlphaLab has played a key role in building Pittsburgh into a leading innovation hub, helping startups move from idea to scalable venture.

Ashoka is one of the world’s leading organizations supporting social entrepreneurs. Founded in 1980, Ashoka pioneered the concept of social entrepreneurship and has built a global network of changemakers working to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Through its flagship Ashoka Fellows program, the organization identifies and supports high-impact entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and a powerful global network. Ashoka’s broader mission is to create a world where everyone is a changemaker, embedding social innovation across education, business, and civil society.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is the philanthropic organization of Michael Bloomberg, focused on improving lives at scale across the globe. The foundation works across more than 150 countries, supporting initiatives in public health, climate, education, government innovation, and the arts. Its approach combines data-driven decision-making with deep partnerships across governments, nonprofits, and institutions. Bloomberg Philanthropies is known for backing large-scale, measurable programs that aim to deliver systemic change and improve outcomes for millions of people worldwide.

The Kresge Foundation is a national philanthropic organization based in metro Detroit that has been promoting human progress since 1924. The foundation works to expand opportunity in America's cities through strategic grantmaking and social investing, with a focus on advancing equity and dismantling barriers to justice. Kresge deploys over $160 million annually through grants, loans, and innovative financial tools to strengthen communities. The foundation operates across multiple program areas including American Cities, Arts & Culture, Detroit, Education, Environment, Health, and Human Services. Central to their approach is diversity, equity and inclusion, which they center in all their operations and funding decisions to create more equitable opportunities in urban communities.