PITTSBURGH (PTTP)— Black History Month will not be complete without highlighting black entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh, or, rather, the propellers behind some of your favorite black-owned businesses. The Greenwood Plan describes itself as an ecosystem where Black entrepreneurship and creativity can thrive through community support and office spaces like The Emerald City. They provide resources, networking events, leasing opportunities, and conferences aimed at supporting Black entrepreneurs through initiatives like Greenwood Week and co-working spaces.
The Greenwood Plan is named after the historically black, affluent neighborhood in Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with some even describing it as the “Black Wall Street” before it was destroyed in the Tulsa Race Massacre. In 2017, co-founders Khamil Bailey and Samantha Black first started the Greenwood Plan as Greenwood “weeks”, where week-long conferences hosted Black business to network and connect to other Black entrepreneurs. After 5 consecutive weeks of planning and a successful transition during the pandemic, the Greenwood Plan was initiated in 2017.
Last year, the Greenwood Plan acquired Greenwood Smithfield downtown, which hosts co-working and event spaces in downtown Pittsburgh and has leased rooms to businesses like SisterPGH and PAIR Charcuterie. The Emerald City, which inhabits the building’s second floor, precedes this acquisition, a 12,000-square-foot coworking, event, and social space underneath The Greenwood Plan dedicated to hosting and supporting black professionals through education, resources, workshops, and opportunities.
“Where business meets culture”, their slogan, embodies what this space encompasses, where business owners can talk to clients, reach out for support or legal help, or even socialize with other people who share the office space. Other goals it does achieve alongside The Greenwood Plan is giving opportunities for Black business owners to exchange information on building social capital or navigating business issues.