2024 was a terrific year for PUMP. Coming off the busiest year since the pandemic, things continued to pick up and we accomplished a lot.
In the spring, we released our new Strategic Roadmap. Co-created by the PUMP Board of Directors, staff, and the community, this roadmap describes our positioning and how we aim to grow into 2026 and our Thirty Year Anniversary. The straightforward message that came through the process was this: PUMP is doing the right things and it’s time to take things to the next level in the region in direct partnership with the broader community.
The team and board got straight to work on the objectives in the Roadmap. We accomplished a slew of internal and governance upgrades including our bylaws, internal tech and systems, and an increased focus on digital media.
And in short order, we announced our first new program in years: the Pittsburgh Passport. A perfect example of the kind of regional collaboration the Roadmap calls for, we took over the regional talent initiative in partnership with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. The Passport aims to engage summer interns, undergraduate and graduate students, and early career talent in the region to increase their familiarity with all that Pittsburgh has to offer in the hopes more of them will choose the region as a place to put down roots. For the past six years, the program has engaged an average of 1200 participants – 40% from diverse backgrounds and from around the world – with notable success.
Mayor Ed Gainey with Pittsburgh Pirates team member Ryan Niemeyer and PUMP Executive Director Josiah Gilliam
With the Allegheny Conference, regional universities, and corporate communities support, we hosted over a dozen Pittsburgh Passport events including the Kickoff at PNC Park in partnership with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mayor Ed Gainey was on hand to greet the interns from around the world and make the case for them to consider Pittsburgh as a place to live, work, and thrive.
PUMP’s largest program – Pittsburgh Sports League – had another incredible year and brought online new formats and locations including Greentree Sportsplex and the Backyard downtown in partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
We co-hosted six Meet and Greets with our regional non-partisan voting coalition with regional people running for office, a service project at Olympia Park in Mount Washington, and a new Upcycling Event benefiting the Free Store in Wilkinsburg in partnership with Civically, Vibrant Pittsburgh, Co-Hatch Pittsburgh, and the Hear Foundation.
Our signature events were successes once again with Kickball for a Cause raising over $7500 split between Footbridge for Families and PublicSource. And we celebrated the 26th celebration of Pittsburgh 40 Under 40 with Pittsburgh Magazine with yet another wonderful list of neighbors making a positive difference.
2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year. We have been hard at work executing against the other objectives in the Roadmap and are excited to debut new PUMP Member Benefits and plenty of exciting new opportunities on the way. To begin with, we are announcing three partnerships with Redbeard’s, ASCEND, and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust:
New 2025 PUMP Benefits. Log in as a PUMP Member to learn more.
If you are interested in taking advantage of these benefits, please become a PUMP member for only $20/year! If you’re interested in partnering on a member benefit and engaging with our audience of over 5,000 active members, please reach out to us. More announcements to come in the weeks ahead. Our sincere gratitude to the Pittsburgh community for another wonderful year. We are excited for what’s to come.