Katie Urich moved to Tarentum from the North Hills last year to expand her digital marketing studio.
The self-proclaimed “old house nerd” bought a large Victorian house in East Tarentum and has settled in well in the community, which she says supports small businesses.
A graduate of North Hills High School and Chatham University, Urich began her career with a non-profit organization in the arts community.
“The budget was small and I was kind of a one-woman marketing department, so I decided to use those skills and see if I could get it working with my own clients,” she said.
She feels she made the right decision. your business, Wild digital, focuses on social media strategies for nonprofits and small businesses, and also offers consulting. She has a growing clientele and enjoys helping them make their businesses a success.
“Social media marketing makes sense to me because I really love change and I like to learn new things. The platform changes keep it interesting,” she said. “I was drawn to Tarentum because the community seems really supportive of new things happening in the area.”
Last week, as her company celebrated its four-year anniversary, Urich learned she had earned the $10,000 grant Comcast RISE Program for minority entrepreneurs.
“It’s a big surprise, but a pretty nice birthday present,” said Urich.
Comcast announced it will award $1 million in grants to 100 small businesses in Allegheny County. Recipients include more than 9,500 entrepreneurs across the country selected through Comcast’s RISE program, which provides marketing, technology and capital.
Other recipients include Sprezzatura, a restaurant in Millvale; Kiwi speech in Oakmont; Art in Motion in Sharpsburg; and Pink’s Tiny Paws in Verona.
Jennifer Saffron, owner of Sprezzatura, said she is grateful for the grant, “which will allow our team to rise out of the grind of the restaurant industry and think ahead about how we can help solve the need for food access in to cover our community.”
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said it’s no secret the pandemic has negatively impacted small businesses.
“Thanks to these resources, we look forward to having these entrepreneurs as part of our community for years to come,” he said.
Comcast RISE stands for Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment. It was launched in 2020 in response to support for small business owners from minority groups who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. In 2021, Comcast announced an eligibility expansion allowing small women-owned businesses to apply.
“I’m still thinking about how to use the grant,” Urich said. “Looking at the list makes me feel like I’m in good company and I like that.”
Tawnya Panizzi is a Contributor to the Tribune Review. You can contact Tawnya via email at tpanizzi@triblive.com or via Twitter .
