What Paramount Pursuits does

Paramount Pursuits is a privately held economic development consulting firm founded in 2016 and headquartered in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, that delivers business incubation, coaching, and workspace services to entrepreneurs, small business owners, and nonprofit organizations across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. The firm operates through five core program brands — Ascend (personalized coaching for established entrepreneurs), Thrive (12-month business incubation with mentorship and digital skills training), Launch (1-2 day foundational workshop), Open for Business (free expert assistance for Allegheny County small businesses and nonprofits), and Pathways (guided journey for aspiring entrepreneurs) — supplemented by coworking and private office space rentals at five physical locations.

The firm's business model is a hybrid of grant-funded program delivery, fee-based coaching subscriptions, and workspace rental recurring revenue. Core funding partners include Shell LiveWire (Beaver County), Allegheny County (Open for Business), and the City of Erie (Thrive in Erie), which underwrite free or subsidized cohorts. Fee-based revenue is generated through Ascend personalized coaching and workspace subscriptions priced at $700-$1,200/month for private offices plus coworking memberships. Technology infrastructure is built on commodity SaaS — HubSpot for scheduling, BigMarker for webinars, Canva for marketing materials — with no proprietary platform or AI components.

The firm is led by co-founders Marcos Digliodo (CEO) and Trish Digliodo (President), supported by a team of approximately 8 named professionals across operations, project management, and marketing. Paramount Pursuits holds NMSDC Certified Minority Owned Business status (2024) and won the International Economic Development Council Silver Excellence Award for its Catapult Program. Since 2016, the firm has assisted over 800 businesses ranging from startups to businesses generating $8M annually. The firm is currently expanding its geographic footprint into West Palm Beach, FL, and developing an Online Learning platform as its first asynchronous digital product.

Name

Paramount Pursuits

Legal name

Paramount Pursuits, LLC

Website

https://paramountpursuits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paramount Pursuits is a privately held economic development consulting firm that delivers business coaching, incubation programs, and coworking workspace to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida, funded by a mix of government/corporate grants, coaching fees, and workspace rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting and Entrepreneur Coaching Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Business coaching programs
• Economic development consulting
• Entrepreneur education services
• Small business incubation
• Coworking office space

Headquarters

HQ city

Pausa

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Business Coaching Programs: Fee-based business coaching programs (Ascend, Thrive) providing personalized mentorship, business education, strategic planning, and growth acceleration services with monthly virtual coaching sessions.
2. Workspace Rental: Revenue from private office space rentals ($700-$1,200/month for 250-700 sq ft) and coworking memberships offering flexible desk options and day passes. Includes access to meeting rooms, business address services, and networking events.
3. Economic Development Consulting: Turn-key business coaching programs and resources delivered in partnership with economic development organizations, foundations, and corporations. Programs are customizable and scalable for communities of all sizes and budgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Paramount Pursuits is an economic development consulting firm that delivers business incubation and entrepreneur coaching programs (Ascend, Thrive, Launch, Open for Business, Pathways, Shell LiveWire Pennsylvania) alongside physical coworking and private office rentals across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. Services include one-on-one mentorship, 12-month cohort-based coaching, business strategy and digital skills education, plus turn-key consulting for government, foundation, and corporate partners funding community revitalization.

Product overview

Paramount Pursuits is an economic development consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of business incubation and coaching programs since 2016. The core offering consists of five interconnected programs: Ascend (personalized coaching for established entrepreneurs), Thrive (12-month incubation with mentorship and digital skills), Launch (foundational workshop), Open for Business (free expert assistance), and Pathways (guided journey for aspiring entrepreneurs). Supporting infrastructure includes private office and coworking workspace solutions. The programs are available through multiple regional variants including Shell LiveWire Pennsylvania, Thrive in Erie, Thrive in Highlands County, and Pathways in West Palm Beach, with future digital learning products under development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thrive: A 12-month business incubation program with personalized mentoring, monthly cohort sessions, and digital skills coaching.
• Launch
• Open for Business
• Ascend
• Pathways
• Shell LiveWire Pennsylvania
• The Bridge Center
• Seeds for Growth

Products and services

• Ascend Personalized business coaching program providing one-on-one mentorship, strategic planning, and comprehensive business education for established entrepreneurs seeking to scale operations.
• Thrive 12-month business incubation program with personalized mentoring sessions twice monthly, monthly cohort networking, and digital skills coaching for entrepreneurs and small business owners; offered in regional variants including Thrive in Erie and Thrive in Highlands County.
• Launch One-to-two-day educational workshop covering entrepreneurship foundations, business canvas creation, and essential knowledge for starting an entrepreneurial journey.
• Open for Business Free comprehensive program providing expert-based assistance including accounting, credit counseling, legal services, marketing, and business strategy for small businesses and nonprofits in Allegheny County.
• Pathways Step-by-step guided program helping aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into thriving businesses through business assessment, Launch training, and Thrive mentorship.
• Shell LiveWire Pennsylvania Free 12-month business accelerator program funded by Shell LiveWire for entrepreneurs in Beaver County, PA, offering expert coaching, digital skills training, networking events, and peer learning for cohorts of up to 15 participants.
• Private Office Space Fully furnished private office spaces ranging from 250 to 700 sq ft with 24/7 secure access, high-speed internet, professional business address, mail handling, printer/scanner/fax, kitchenette, and meeting room access.
• Coworking Space Flexible shared workspace with open design, dedicated desks, private offices, and meeting rooms for entrepreneurs and small business owners; includes 24/7 access, high-speed internet, kitchenette, mailing address, and community networking events.
• Economic Development Consulting Turn-key business coaching programs and resources delivered in partnership with economic development organizations, foundations, and corporations, customizable and scalable for communities of all sizes and budgets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of small businesses that receive mentoring survive for five years or more, compared to 30% without mentoring
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shell LiveWire PennsylvaniacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFree business accelerator program funded by Shell LiveWire for entrepreneurs in Beaver County, PA. Cohorts of up to 15 participants receive 12-month program with expert coaching, hands-on training, digital skills, networking events, and peer learning.
• City of EriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to deliver Thrive in Erie, a 12-month business growth program for entrepreneurs in Erie, PA. City funding and support for local economic development through entrepreneurship.
• The Bridge Center - Tech and Entrepreneurship CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for tech and entrepreneurship programming, featured as a workspace option and program pathway for entrepreneurs seeking technology-focused support.
• Trellis LegalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal services consultant partner for Open for Business program, providing entity formation, contract review, operating agreements, and commercial lease assistance.
• USA Credit BuildersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCredit counseling consultant partner for Open for Business program, providing personal credit and business credit guidance to entrepreneurs.
• Revox MediaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMarketing consultant partner for Open for Business program, providing marketing plans, graphic design, digital marketing and social media strategy services.
• ACED (Allegheny County Economic Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership collaboration on Open for Business program to deliver free small business assistance in Allegheny County communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Accion: Accion is a nonprofit small business lender and advisor providing capital, coaching, and connections to underserved small business owners. It is comparable as a parallel, mission-aligned provider of small business support services to the same entrepreneur demographic Paramount serves.
• Main Street America: Main Street America is a national nonprofit that supports commercial district revitalization through training, funding, and networking. Paramount's Main Street revitalization and economic development consulting work sits in the same ecosystem and frequently draws on the same municipal partnerships.

Direct peers

• Start Small Think Big: Start Small Think Big is a nonprofit that provides pro bono business consulting, marketing, and legal services to low-income and minority entrepreneurs. It is directly comparable to the Open for Business program model of bundling expert advisors around underserved small business owners.
• SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit network providing free business mentoring, workshops, and education to small business owners and entrepreneurs across the U.S. It is the most direct functional peer to Paramount's Ascend, Thrive, Launch, and Open for Business programs, both in target customer and in service mix.
• MicroMentor (by Mercy Corps): MicroMentor is a free online platform that pairs entrepreneurs with volunteer business mentors, with a strong focus on minority and underserved founders. Its online, scalable mentorship model is directly comparable to the digital direction Paramount Pursuits is pursuing with its planned Online Learning platform.
• America's SBDC: The American SBDC network is a federally and state-funded system delivering no-cost business consulting and training to small businesses. It directly competes with Paramount's funded coaching programs in PA, OH, and FL and shares the same entrepreneurial customer segment.
• EforAll: EforAll runs multi-month business accelerator and pitch competition programs for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, with a focus on underserved founders. Its cohort-based, mentorship-driven accelerator structure closely mirrors Paramount's Thrive and Ascend offerings.
• FastTrac (Kauffman Foundation): FastTrac is a long-standing entrepreneurship education curriculum developed by the Kauffman Foundation, offering structured programs for aspiring and growing entrepreneurs. It is comparable to Paramount's Launch and Pathways curricula in purpose and learner audience.

Broad incumbents

• Industrious: Industrious is a premium flexible office and coworking operator. It is comparable to the workspace side of Paramount's business (private offices, meeting rooms, day passes) but at a larger, more enterprise-oriented scale and without the integrated coaching programs.
• WeWork: WeWork is a large, multi-location coworking and private office provider. While it does not offer coaching, its workspace offering directly overlaps with Paramount's coworking and private office rentals in Ambridge, Erie, Columbus, Steubenville, and Miami Dade.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@paramountpursuits
• Facebookfacebook.com/paramountpursuits
• Xx.com/Paramount_Coop

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paramount Pursuits