GIF89a Stephanie Kalina-Metzger, Author at Startup Alleghenies https://www.startupalleghenies.com/author/stephanie-kalina-metzger/ Alleghenies Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Sat, 16 Nov 2024 01:23:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cropped-startupalleghenieslogo-800w-1-32x32.png Stephanie Kalina-Metzger, Author at Startup Alleghenies https://www.startupalleghenies.com/author/stephanie-kalina-metzger/ 32 32 Curry Innovation Center at Saint Francis University fosters innovation with strategic partnerships https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/11/08/curry-innovation-center-at-saint-francis-university-fosters-innovation-with-strategic-partnerships/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=curry-innovation-center-at-saint-francis-university-fosters-innovation-with-strategic-partnerships Fri, 08 Nov 2024 19:28:06 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=13482 Saint Francis University administrators describe how a strategic partnership with Curry Supply prepares students for the modern workforce, assists in developing downtown Altoona and serves companies in the Blair County region.

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]]> Young entrepreneur pairs passions with ethically made apparel and eco-friendly products https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/11/01/young-entrepreneur-pairs-passions-with-ethically-made-apparel-and-eco-friendly-products/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=young-entrepreneur-pairs-passions-with-ethically-made-apparel-and-eco-friendly-products Fri, 01 Nov 2024 20:26:56 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=13469 This Altoona boutique shop, named Wildfire, carries women’s apparel and goods that help customers reduce their impact on the environment.

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]]> Philipsburg: The little borough that could https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/10/25/philipsburg-the-little-borough-that-could/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=philipsburg-the-little-borough-that-could Fri, 25 Oct 2024 22:01:53 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=13437 The Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation (PRC) is preserving the borough’s quality of life and peaceful small-town heritage by spearheading change and promoting community and economic development.

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]]> Meyersdale-based Action Driven Education empowers teachers to improve academic outcomes https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/10/07/meyersdale-based-action-driven-education-empowers-teachers-to-improve-academic-outcomes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=meyersdale-based-action-driven-education-empowers-teachers-to-improve-academic-outcomes Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:24:17 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=13343 Timothy Kretchman, founder and educational strategist at Action Driven Education of Meyersdale, created an AI-powered, web-based platform for solving complex educational problems, especially for those students with special needs.

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]]> How sweet it is: Gardners Candies continues to grow https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/09/30/how-sweet-it-is-gardners-candies-continues-to-grow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-sweet-it-is-gardners-candies-continues-to-grow Mon, 30 Sep 2024 13:59:18 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=13301 This 127-year-old candy business originally founded by a 16-year-old in Tyrone is now the sixth-largest producer of chocolate in the United States.

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]]> Coming home — and bringing new business — to Hollidaysburg https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/09/09/coming-home-and-bringing-new-business-to-hollidaysburg/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=coming-home-and-bringing-new-business-to-hollidaysburg Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:35:04 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=13208 By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger Madalyn Martinsen loved her hometown of Hollidaysburg, but when her sister began studying abroad, she realized that she, too, wanted to venture outside of her small town.  “I decided to save money to travel and visit her,” said Martinsen, who began working at Allegheny Creamery & Crepes, banking her checks for venturing abroad. However, what happened next set her on a path to the future.  “I learned that I loved working in a restaurant environment and serving people,” she said. “Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island is where I ultimately chose to study culinary arts.” From there, Martinsen worked in a few roles before returning to the region. The initial plan was to return with her Brazilian husband and stay in the Hollidaysburg area only temporarily — but to paraphrase the Scottish poet Robert Burns, “The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry.” When COVID hit, the couple decided to stay, renting a space at 205 Allegheny Street, and calling their new restaurant Mayfield.  “It was where Ann’s Town Dairy operated for many years and was an old, unique space for an eatery, but we soon grew out of it and moved our equipment up a block, to the Capitol Hotel at 300 Allegheny Street,” said Martinsen. The restaurant moved into the first floor of the Capitol Hotel in 2022.  “We uncovered the original floor and made changes to highlight the building’s original features like the floors, mirrors and tin ceilings,” described Martinsen. Today, the restaurant’s staff of 25 serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Pendulum Room, so named after an old grandfather clock in the building. In the basement, The Pipe Room operates similarly to how it has for the last 40-plus years.  “When we moved into The Capitol Hotel, we also agreed, as per our lease, to operate The Pipe Room, so we cleaned up and it still operates as a local dive bar, but a bit more refined these days with fun cocktails and creative pub fare,” said Martinsen. While, since opening, Martinsen admits she’s seen the challenges that many restaurants nationwide have experienced since the pandemic, such as staffing, ultimately, she’s happy she set up shop in Hollidaysburg.  “It’s been fun serving the community, which has turned into a great network of friends. One thing we’ve noticed is that people are starting to come from farther away, which is awesome,” Martinsen said, calling her foray into entrepreneurship a challenging but rewarding learning experience.

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]]> The stars aligned for The Flood City Café  https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/08/19/the-stars-aligned-for-the-flood-city-cafe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-stars-aligned-for-the-flood-city-cafe Mon, 19 Aug 2024 19:04:45 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=13137 By: Stephanie Kalina-Metzger To hear Kristy Hagan tell it, the stars aligned just so to enable her to take a brave leap into the restaurant industry and purchase The Flood City Café in Johnstown.   “I worked in the mental health industry for 20 years while working at restaurants and bars, which I loved, but I eventually wanted to be my own boss — so when I learned that The Flood City Café was up for sale, I knew it was the right time,” said Hagan, stating that the former owners used their marketing expertise to create an enticing video about the place.   “That was just one aspect that excited me, along with the fact that it was turnkey and had a well-established, great reputation,” Hagan said.  Hagan, who grew up in the Johnstown area, assumed ownership in May of 2019.   “My goal was to keep it as it was to get my footing and understand the needs of the customers,” said Hagan, who was just getting her bearings when the pandemic hit. “That was a challenge, as I was just learning how to be a boss and managing the day-in-and-day-out aspects of the business. There are so many things that go on behind the scenes that people don’t understand.”   Customers who enjoy coffee regularly return to The Flood City Café for the hand-crafted espresso drinks, along with lattes and smoothies. The super-fresh coffee is sourced from Common Place Coffee in Pittsburgh, roasted on Tuesday, delivered on Friday and served on Saturday.  Casual breakfast and lunch items are also on offer, and the café’s décor has been described as something one would see at a café in New York City, with soaring 22-foot-high ceilings and a cozy fireplace pressed into service in the winter.   One thing that makes the café particularly standout? A convenient drive-thru allows customers to order their food and drink to go. “It’s the only one in Johnstown,” points out Hagan.   Hagan said it’s been a dream to operate a business in the region.   “I grew up in Hornerstown and always loved Johnstown. I wanted to come back and be part of the revitalization,” she explained.   Now, that dream has become a reality. To learn more about Flood City Café, visit https://www.floodcitycafe.com.  Stephanie Kalina-Metzger is a freelance writer with a focus on food/drink, business, travel, entertainment, and hospitality. She can be reached at steflink01@comcast.net. 

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]]> Solving a very particular pain point for Alleghenies business owners https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2024/08/05/solving-a-very-particular-pain-point-for-alleghenies-business-owners/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=solving-a-very-particular-pain-point-for-alleghenies-business-owners Mon, 05 Aug 2024 13:46:10 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=12955 For those who need a little assistance running their businesses, but don’t want to deal with the headache of hiring an extra employee, Roz Pugh and her expert knowledge of Alleghenies entrepreneurship steps in — and her clients couldn’t be happier.

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]]> Somerset therapist returns to hometown to offer support and healing to his community: “Keeping therapy simple because life isn’t” https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2023/06/19/somerset-therapist-returns-to-hometown-to-offer-support-and-healing-to-his-community-keeping-therapy-simple-because-life-isnt/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=somerset-therapist-returns-to-hometown-to-offer-support-and-healing-to-his-community-keeping-therapy-simple-because-life-isnt Mon, 19 Jun 2023 15:55:28 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=11599 After working in Nashville and serving overseas, Roni Bhullar came back to his hometown to fill a gap in mental health services. Here’s how Uptown Works and Startup Alleghenies helped him to launch his practice in the community.

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]]> Cambria and Blair Counties soar to the top with high scores in new livability study https://www.startupalleghenies.com/2023/06/12/cambria-and-blair-counties-soar-to-the-top-with-high-scores-in-new-livability-study/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cambria-and-blair-counties-soar-to-the-top-with-high-scores-in-new-livability-study Mon, 12 Jun 2023 13:52:37 +0000 https://www.startupalleghenies.com/?p=11575 It’s no secret that Cambria and Blair counties are great places to live, work, and play, but this recent study decisively confirms what locals already know.

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