Have You Met…Erica Friedman, UpPrize and Corporate Programs Coordinator
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Erie, PA — 2 hours north of here. I attended Pitt’s graduate schools of social work and public health in 2013, which brought me to Pittsburgh.
Q: How did you hear about Innovation Works?
A: I heard about IW when I returned back to Pittsburgh in December 2018. I was looking for a job in the innovation space and I came across IW on a job search website.
Q: What drew you to work here?
A: I got bit by the start-up bug when I was living in D.C. I attended a TechStars start-up weekend for social impact and fell in love with the dynamic and agile aspects of the start-up ecosystem. When I saw the UpPrize Coordinator position posted online, I was excited that it was both start-up and social impact.
Q: Let’s say I’m an entrepreneur in Southwestern Pennsylvania, what can I ask for your help on?
A: Because I have two separate roles at IW, I’m able to help in two different capacities. The first is as the UpPrize coordinator, I can talk through your idea and help you identify whether you are a good fit for the Challenge. The application is open now! It’s a great opportunity for social impact entrepreneurs. Secondly, as the Corporate Innovation Coordinator, we’re always looking to engage start-ups who are interested in participating in some of our corporate events.
Q: “Social impact” is a phrase that’s thrown around a lot in the social entrepreneurship world — how do you define it?
A: In my mind, social impact is innovation that addresses our community’s biggest challenges. I think the question we should be asking ourselves in the social impact space is: “how does this technology improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable community members?” For example, 2018 UpPrize Second Place Winner, C.C. Busy (and IW portfolio company) seeks to help childcare providers by streamlining their documentation process using voice assistance technology.
Q: What technology/industry are you most excited about and why?
A: Life Sciences, but not deep science, rather how life sciences tech can impact social determinants of health. How do we better connect people to resources? How do we ensure people can access the services they need? How do we continue to push the ball forward, so that people live longer and healthier lives?
Q: Step back to Erica at age 18, what line of work had you envisioned for yourself? How closely aligned is your current work to that vision?
A: I’ve always been interested in social impact work. When I was in college, I did a lot of work in the prison system and ultimately went to school for social work. My whole career has been dedicated to serving vulnerable populations. I think technology can be a powerful force for good for all communities and can lift up under-represented people.
Q: What issues that face our region are you most passionate or fired-up about?
A: I think the environmental situation facing this city is one of our most pressing issues. We all have to drink the water and breathe the air. Right now, Pittsburgh is not doing a good job of ensuring safe environmental conditions for its citizens and our children.
Q: Tell us about your volunteer work with the American Heart Association.
A: I’m on the Young Professional Board of the AHA. I’m currently helping to organize the ‘Fashion with Compassion’ event on August 22, 2019. The event raises money for the AHA’s outreach efforts by pairing local fashion designers with survivors of heart disease. It’s a great opportunity for me to stay connected with the public health community, which is close to my heart.
Q: What does an average Saturday look like for you?
A: I like to spend as much time as possible outdoors, so on most Saturdays you’ll find me hiking and camping with my little dog, Lovett.
Q: When asked for a ‘fun fact’ about yourself, what’s your go-to?
A: My go-to fun fact is that I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 6. I’ve been a vegetarian since a friend explained to me that the chickens at the Erie petting zoo were the same as chicken nuggets at McDonalds. I was really upset about it and all these years later, I’m still a vegetarian.
