Unparalleled support for startups in the Alleghenies thanks to collaborative mindset

Huntingdon’s Chow Korral collaborates with Westfall Coffee based in Altoona. Photo: Chow Korral.

The entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Alleghenies is robust, with resources provided by a wide variety of organizations, plus a strong network of business owners who love to support one another’s dreams.

Here are just a few ways our local entrepreneurs are collaborating to build a strong and supportive ecosystem.

“How beautiful to come alongside others just like yourself and reach your dreams.” Kris Runk of Chow Korral is an Arizona native and a transplant to the Alleghenies. Runk has a food trailer in Huntingdon County. In that trailer, amongst her mid-west and military vibe, she supports Westfall Coffee Co. by offering freshly roasted joe from the Altoona business.

Bedford café, NextDoor, hosts “Maker in the Window” on Saturdays featuring other small businesses in the Alleghenies. “It allows customers to shop small and is a great way to share each other’s businesses on social media,” owner Haley Feaster said. “One of the featured businesses is Gracie Lou.”

“Our biggest asset is our people. Our small business owners are embraced by the community and are supported by other business owners—even the competition,” Altoona LaunchBox supported by the Hite Family Assistant Director Jessica Lattanza said.

Lighning Bug Gift Co in Hollidaysburg is a hub for over 80 independent makers. Photo: Lightning Bug Gift Co.

Lightning Bug Gifts Co. is the ultimate hub for supporting small businesses. In addition to the Pennsylvania-themed gifts and small-batch items, the shop features wares from 80 independent artists, makers and small-batch producers. 

“Our coffee blends are roasted in Altoona by Westfall Coffee Co. We work with a local ceramic artist, Lake House Pottery, located in Patton, to create handmade keystone mugs that we sell in our shop. The honey that we stock comes from Bumbleberry Farms in Somerset. We’ve worked with Johnstown makers, The Evergreens Candle Co, to create a custom candle blend for the shop.,” owner Becki Hollen said.  

“We have been in the artist and maker world for over 12 years. Part of our goal when opening the shop was to showcase the talent of folks we’ve met throughout the years but also to show what’s happening right here where we live,” she added. “Small businesses are what make communities unique, and we try to use ours to show examples of what other people are making and to promote the love for local.”

NextDoor in Bedford features small businesses each Saturday with “Maker in the Window.” Photo: NextDoor.

There are countless other examples of how the entrepreneurs in this region team up, support and come alongside each other. Supporting small businesses is vital to the ecosystem thriving in the Alleghenies. 

“Entrepreneurship can be lonely because none of your family and friends really understand what you are going through. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a community out there of other entrepreneurs who want to support each other,” Cambria County coach Blake Fleegle said. “Sometimes something as simple as a tag of a fellow small business owner can really brighten their week. Those small tokens mean the world to other entrepreneurs and can really help build the small business community.”

Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.