11.05 Interview with Nina Barbuto & Megan Guidi
Last Saterday, we interviews two Pittsburgh natives who once worked or sturdied outside of the city and came back. From the interview, we found abundant takeaways and insight as follows.
Nina Barbuto, a founder of Assemble Pittsburgh
We interviewed Nina is the founder of a NGO, Assemble at its new place. Assemble is a community space in Pittsburgh, connecting artists, technologists, and makers with neighbors of all demographics and ages. It is a phisical platform for experiential learning, opening creative processes, and building confidence through making.
“Otherness” — Respect on both ends
She spoke about the importance of smile and saying hello to stranger in the street. It is the first step we can open up and pop a social bubble. She said we have to acknowledge the others, not to ignore or forget about them. Treating people like an human is important.
Off campus communities on campus & vise versa
She talked about Histories of projected fear — fear of the unknown and uncomfortable situations. We might need to put ourselves in that circumstance to shif perspective. For instance, we can do somthing off campus or having people outside of school on campus. Breaking one bubble would allow to permeat mutual bubble link.
Sustainable volunteerism
When told the goal and timeline for our project, she shared criticism around students projects — they are typically one-shots; they come and do something, and then leave. In this sense, making the community people trust and tell us their stories is an issue for sustainable impact. If we won’t keep being around, how they would not do so.
Exsisting opportunities & Small dents
In addition to that, half semester is not enough time build new thing. There are a number of events happening. It would be better to find something existing and figuring out how to help. Whatever we will create, it would be a kind of potal build continuing relationship. It could be a small dents such as benches, streetlights — bring something small that would make a small dent as catalyst for creating larger impact.
Megan Guidi, a strategist at Maya Design
We met Megan at a restaurant in Lawrenceville where she is living and gentrification has been rapidly happened. She grew up and lived in Pittsburgh until she entered college in Boston and came back here in 2011. She has her background in psychology and works as a stregist for human sciences at maya.
How do you transition without leaving people behind?
We started our conversation about the fast changes in Lawrencevill. She talked about mythical people who moved from Brooklyn and spend millions on a house and Out of town investors coming in and flipping buildings for investments. This has raised the price of real estate around the town and as a result display local people who cannot afford the rent. She wants conveniences to come with it but wants staid and roughed people not be pushed out or forgotten. It can be good for all of us. It doesn’t have to be one way or one persons want.
Special Interest Group / Structured networking
We told her our interest in new comers and asked her about how to make a new relationship. She usually meet folks in more of a structured way based on network she already has. She is utilizing and expanding through that. Newcomers without that ground might need to make more of an effort. She however suggested that there are a number of special interest groups around Pittsburgh and we might be able to make use of those opportunities as entry points.
Changing / Technology / Reticent
When asked three words about Pittsburgh, she stated changing; technology; lack of confidence. As we had talked and seen, it is ovious that Pittsburgh is going through huge changes physically and socioeconomically . Technology has been always the core issue for this city from steel industry height of tech at the time all the way to now. She feels the city, the dewellers are somewhat reticent on these changes.
Unique events / Gem of PGH
- Anthrocon Furries festival every year
- Sports are a cultural institution
- P4 conference — heinz endowment; porch crawls where you can go door to door. Help people connect as people
- Water is one of the good resourses; Kayaking and being able to see the city from the water
