Britta Teller and Evan Stover

Many consumers turn to “big box” stores when purchasing hardwood flooring for their homes, but according to Britta Teller and Evan Stover, co-founders of Steller Floors, it should not even be sold in these large chain stores.

“Big box” stores do have their place in the world, but part of the problem is that it requires time, effort, and quality materials to make a solid hardwood floor that will last a lifetime, and that simply is not in line with their mission,” Teller said.

Launched in 2019 in Tyrone, Pa., Steller Floors is known for its inventive flooring products, sourced and manufactured in the USA. Their patented floor assembly system provides solid hardwood flooring in a snap-down, floating floor format that is easy to install, repair, and replace.

Steller Floors’ unique approach to flooring provided a great business idea that was easy for Startup Alleghenies and its partners to get behind.

The company has been featured in This Old House and Fine Homebuilding, among others. Want to learn more? See video installer reviews, customer reviews and photos from DIY installations, at www.stellerinnovations.com.

Vince Golden, Matthew Sinosky, and Andy Golden

Matthew Sinosky, Andy Golden, and Vince Golden are all military veterans who have transferred their leadership skills to running a successful CBD business.

All three had experienced the benefits of CBD and felt passionate about selling an affordable, locally-grown option. In May of 2019, they founded Innovative Extracts with the goal to grow their own hemp, process it, and sell the most trusted CBD product on the market. Today they grow hemp on the Golden’s organic, family farm in Portage, PA. They control the production process from beginning to end. “What makes our product special is the fact that all of our hemp is grown with organic practices and all of the CBD oil is extracted on our farm by our staff,” says Sinosky. “We have full control over the CBD that goes into our products. This allows us to produce some of the highest quality products in the industry at a very affordable price.”

Innovative Extracts currently offers a line of wholesale and retail products which includes oral extracts, creams, gummies, pet treats, and pet oral extracts. These products are being sold to holistic and natural medicine stores, chiropractors, pharmacies, through their online store, and at the farm. Learn more about Innovative Extracts at ie-cbd.com.

Ankit Patel

Ankit Patel was born and raised in Bedford, PA and always knew that he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and was waiting for the right idea to come along.

After graduating from Penn State, Patel took a job with Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati. As he walked to work one day he witnessed a cyclist and motorist avoid a collision by mere inches and wondered why there weren’t any safety devices for these types of situations. From there, the Smart Horn was born. The Smart Horn replaces a car’s current horn and provides unique safety responses based on the level of danger that sensors detect. “It helps take the aggression out of driving and communicating,” says Patel. In less dangerous situations the car horn will automatically sound at a friendlier tone and volume, and in high danger situations, it will automatically sound at the loudest volume to cut through background noise. Patel hopes that this will be a life-saving device and is currently looking to sell to auto manufacturers and aftermarket automotive retailers, dealerships, and drivers. Learn more about the Smart Horn at Meerya.com.

Timothy and April Ketchman

When teachers of students with special needs, Timothy and April Kretchman, launched Action Driven Education they had an over-arching goal to empower students to learn past their disability.

Building on personal experience in the classroom, they created Accomods™ for other teachers to meet students’ needs in less time. Accomods™ is an online, subscription-based, web-app that contains hundreds of carefully written and detailed accommodations and modifications, applicable to both special and regular education students. This innovative tool was developed to support schools, teachers, and parents, when drafting and implementing Specially Designed Instruction, a significant component of an individualized learning plan called an IEP. While other educational sources provide long lists of possible interventions, Accomods™ offer easy-to-access information that teachers can use to search and select customized accommodations and modifications tailored specifically for each student. Often, these recommendations become school-wide “best practices” for teaching and learning for all students.

In addition, Action Driven Education offers a variety of professional development activities for teachers. According to Kretchman, “Our professional development curricula always includes specific actions that teachers can use in their classrooms to improve their results.” For more information, visit actiondriveneducation.com.

Sam Thurau

Sam Thurau grew up on a 60-acre farm in Haggerty Hollow, between Pittsburgh and Erie. His father Craig Thurau had a huge woodworking shop and taught Sam how to build things.

As a teenager, Thurau became an avid drum player. And as an adult, Thurau has married both these skills to become a celebrated entrepreneur in Altoona, PA. “One day on YouTube I discovered people making drums—just guys in their shops and garages making snare drums out of solid wood. I didn’t even know this was something you could do,” says Thurau. He quickly learned how to take his passion and turn it into a viable business. He started HHG Drums, short for Haggerty Hollow Guild. The name was inspired by his childhood home and the craftsmen’s guild his father had once started in the region. HHG offers custom snare drums and drum sets that are sold all over the world. Thurau starts each drum with a careful wood selection process. He only uses the highest quality materials and sources fine domestic hardwoods, as well as exotic species from around the globe. His workshop’s high-tech tools enable him to achieve incredibly precise, flawless cylindrical drum shapes. To learn more visit HHGdrums.com.

Vinzeal Wolf

Vinzeal Wolf wasn’t born in Johnstown – he chose the city as his new hometown in 2005. After serving his tour of duty in the US Army, Wolf knew he wanted to start a business that would serve his community and help drive the economy forward.

After identifying a critical gap in the region – the lack of mass transit between Johnstown and Pittsburgh — he founded ETAL Transit Authority, a company that provides affordable and dependable black car transportation between Pittsburgh and Johnstown.

Wolf singled out SUA Coach, Jose Luis Otero and JARI as “playing a big role in my startup success.” He recounts the “many hours he and Otero spent over several weeks hammering out a successful business plan for the company.”

He is also grateful for the help he received from Director of Entrepreneurial Alchemy and Carnegie Mellon Consultant, Donald Bonk, as well as his CFO Edward McAdams. “They agreed with me on the crazy idea of funding our growth debt free and organically. History favors the bold.”

Wolf believes his military experience played a big part in the development of his company. “Not only do I credit my service for my drive, tenacity, and discipline, but it also shaped who I am today. I can truly say I possess ‘esprit de corps’. In fact, that phrase is the origin of my company’s name. ETAL Transfer Authority was born from the Latin root words ‘et. al,’ which translates, ‘and others.’ I believe there are only three roles to play in life. You lead, you follow, or you get out of the way. Hoo rah!”

Jeremy and Jennifer Shearer

Jeremy Shearer isn’t from Johnstown, but his wife, Jennifer is. The couple gained notoriety after their first entrepreneurial venture, Press Bistro, brought a new dining experience to downtown Johnstown. Today, they own Stone Bridge Brewing.

Growing up in the area, Jennifer felt the local restaurant scene had more than its fair share of sports bars. They wanted to offer a fine dining experience — American Fusion — but soon discovered they were playing an equally important role in revitalizing the city’s central business district.

The couple has since closed Press Bistro to pursue a brewery concept, also in downtown Johnstown. Stone Bridge Brewing opened in August of 2018. Stone Bridge is the first microbrewery in the Johnstown area since Johnstown Brewing Co. Restaurant and Pub shut its doors in 2008. The venue currently features a brewing center and bar with plans to have full kitchen and dining room in the fall of 2020. Their hope is that the brewery will become a destination for locals and out of town visitors alike.

For the Shearers, contributing to the community and helping to revitalize downtown is as much a goal as running a successful business. And with the demand for microbrews growing every day, another success should be on the horizon for the couple and the city they call home.

Mark Barbera

The great-grandson of an Italian cobbler who immigrated to Somerset, Mark Barbera was in the sixth grade when he began customizing shoes for himself and his friends. In high school, he taught himself the art of leather restoration.

As a college student he was looking for high quality, fashionable and affordable Chelsea boots. When he couldn’t find them, the young entrepreneur decided to make them himself. So, he launched a kickstarter campaign that generated 152% of what he needed to launch Mark Albert Boots in September 2017.

“Leather runs in my blood, and I am incredibly proud that the same craftsmanship that my own Nonno used in his shop is being passed down into every pair of Mark Albert Boots, which are made right here by 54 American workers at the Abilene Boot Company in Somerset.”

Mark Albert Boots have earned a reputation for quality, versatility and affordability. The Goodyear welt construction allows the boot to be re-soled, a rare feature in shoes today – but not for the penny-wise grandson of an artisan Italian cobbler.

In addition to Mark Albert’s website, you can shop at his new store, Mark Albert Supply in Uptown Somerset, or at select stores around the country such as Manready Mercantile, Huckberry (where you’ll find some exclusive styles), LE & Chalk, Club Never, James Dant, Ace Rivington and O.N.S. Clothing.

Sarah Vogel

Sarah Vogel is passionate about art, coffee, bringing people together and revitalizing historic downtown Altoona. The Bellwood, Pa., native managed to do it all when she pursued a dream she’s had since high school and opened her own coffee shop, The Clay Cup, in Spring 2017.

Recently, she achieved national recognition for her “hipster art.” Her glasses-wearing, watercolor animal art now appears on throw pillows for sale nationwide at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores.

When she left college, where she was studying mechanical engineering, Sarah realized entrepreneurship was her true calling. She also believed that combining coffee + art would provide a unique community building opportunity.

Before opening the Clay Cup, Sarah had a number of other entrepreneurship successes, including a photography business and co-ownership of a cleaning company. Then in 2015 she purchased Playtime Pottery, successfully quadrupling that business in record time.

About five years ago, she considered purchasing the historic downtown building where The Clay Cup is located but said at that time “there was no way for me to acquire it.” But when Penn State opened its downtown Altoona campus, and other businesses started popping up in the neighborhood, Sarah decided the timing was perfect. Her business successes, bank financing and assistance from the Altoona Blair County Development Association (www.abcdcorp.org) combined to help make her dream a reality.

Dave Luciew

Dave Luciew has an unrelenting passion for the production and delivery of the highest quality products. The Johnstown native, who combines creativity and technical expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset, has won numerous awards, and had his work featured in Animation Magazine, CG Society, 3D Artist Magazine and influential industry websites.

It wasn’t long ago that Johnstown was known for making the best steel in the world. “I want to help Johnstown become known now for making some of the very best products,” Luciew said.

Luciew currently works full time for Concurrent Technologies Corporation, developing 3D interactive products for augmented reality and virtual reality. One of the products he helped develop for CTC earned the prestigious 2008 PA Technology Product of the Year.

In his “spare time,” he runs tech startup, WRIVO, LLC that creates ground breaking products “to improve the world we live in.” Every project is evaluated from Luciew’s unique design, art and technology point of view.

“Winning at PITTchFEST gave us early validation that we were on the right track with this product, and the feedback from the judges was invaluable,” Luciew said.

Since then, Luciew has secured international patent and trademark protection, raised funds online to manufacture the initial version, as well as from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, to continue developing his product. Recently, he became an approved QVC vendor and expects to begin making appearances on the retail giant in early 2018. Off to a fast start, he’s already manufactured and shipped more than 10,000 Wristocats, and continues to work on improving the product based on feedback from early adopters. He is also working with one of the world’s leading pro game organizations to develop a high-performance version of the Wristocat.

According to Luciew, this is only the beginning for Wristocat. “This year we won’t sit back until Wristocat is everywhere,” he said.

Mike McCluskey

Mike McCluskey left his job as a lead engineer for water systems at a contracting firm in Johnstown, to make the leap into the world of the entrepreneur and launch InnoH2O Solutions in Somerset, Pa.

His only safety net – an innovative and timely idea for a water reuse system and his two buddies and fellow entrepreneurs at the firm, Daniel Lieb, engineer manager and David Berkey, production manager. All three of the partners wanted to remain in the area, and are committed to creating jobs in Somerset.

In fact, McCluskey’s stated goal is to enjoy enough immediate growth “to hire 10 to 15 people in the next couple of years.”

Jerry Hudson, portfolio manager at Ben Franklin Technology Partners agrees that entrepreneurs like McCluskey, Lieb and Berkey will generate the next wave of job creation in the region. Ben Franklin, an initiative that invests in technology-based startups and small manufacturers, provided $75,000 in funding, enabling InnoH2O to accelerate faster than they could have on their own.

InnoH2O specializes in membrane-based mechanical filtration technologies that have applications, not only for laundry or shower water reuse, but also industrial waste water mitigation and potable water production. The trio of Somerset-based entrepreneurs also does consulting in mechanical and plastics engineering.

John Russell

Serial entrepreneur John Russell enjoyed a successful career in the wireless industry in nearby Pittsburgh, but always knew that he’d be a “boomerang” and return to his hometown one day in Tyrone, PA.

Russell founded EMG Brands with a vision to revitalize the community he loves through entrepreneurship, realizing it was a “no brainer” for him to centralize key company back end resources in Tyrone.

His efforts in adaptive reuse of historic buildings also have succeeded in starting a downtown revitalization that he is convinced will help trigger ongoing reinvestment in Blair County, encouraging others to start businesses and create jobs.

Russell says his hometown makes sound business sense for entrepreneurs because of its exceptional lifestyle, the reduced cost of doing business, the connectivity and efficiency of today’s technology, the availability of a great workforce, as well as its central location, which provides easy access to New York City or Pittsburgh.

The “adventure” started in 2008 when Russell opened his first Verizon store and discovered his passion for business. Since then, he’s been involved in many successful ventures in addition to EMG Brands, including as CEO of Green Home Solutions Company and EMG Wireless, LLC, a franchisee of Wireless Zone, a Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer.

Russell also gives back to his community through charitable efforts, such as the annual Wireless Zone’s Back to School Backpack Giveaway to help kids get a great start for the school year.