What Community Forge does

Community Forge is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community hub operated by its parent organization Locally Grown, housed in the rehabilitated 1906 Johnston Elementary School at 1256 Franklin Ave, Wilkinsburg, PA. Founded in 2017 by eight co-founders and opened in January 2018, it runs four integrated program lines: BootUp PGH (youth technology education, grades 3–12, covering 3D design, graphic design, video editing, and AI & coding), Economic Mobility (workforce development, resource coordination, legal navigation), CURE Violence East (public-health violence prevention operating across Wilkinsburg, Homewood, Penn Hills, and East Hills), and a cultural programming stream anchored by monthly Open Mic Nights, Forge Fest, and the PhaseFocus audio/video studio. The organization also functions as a multi-tenant coworking facility with Hub memberships, Full Room dedicated offices, meeting-room rentals, and event space, alongside a roster of anchor tenants including Xpogo, Treelady Studios, Bricolage Production Company, and others.

Revenue derives from a hybrid of recurring coworking subscriptions ($100/month Hub; from $1,200/month Full Room), transactional income from event space rentals and ticketed events, and donations plus foundation grants — the latter being the principal capital engine, with the Henry L. Hillman Foundation and state funding via Senator Jay Costa underwriting a 10,000 sqft cultural arts venue (The Forge Theater with a 130-seat theater, lounge, community room, and cafe) slated for groundbreaking in January 2025. Pricing is distributed across many small accounts rather than concentrated enterprise contracts.

Technology is operational rather than productized: facility management, program delivery, Mailchimp newsletter, Eventbrite ticketing, and the PhaseFocus studio (green screen, 4K streaming, music and podcast production for four participants) constitute the technical surface. The organization is in an active capital and programmatic expansion phase, with the upcoming 2025–2026 venue activation, the flagship Bricolage Production relocation partnership, and the Forging Futures robotics/manufacturing workforce program representing the most material forward moves.

Name

Community Forge

Legal name

Locally Grown

Website

https://forge.community

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Forge is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community hub in Wilkinsburg, PA operating coworking, youth tech education (BootUp PGH), workforce development (Economic Mobility), violence prevention (CURE Violence East), and cultural programming from a former elementary school, with a new cultural arts venue under development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Center Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Community coworking spaces
• Nonprofit community center
• Youth technology education
• Workforce development programs
• Violence prevention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Revenue: Co-working memberships (Hub) at $100/month and full room office spaces starting at $1,200/month, with add-ons including printing services and mailbox services.
2. Event Space Rental: Rental of meeting rooms, event spaces, and the facility for community events, with 50% discount for members.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations through PayPal, mailed checks to Locally Grown (501(c)3 parent organization), and annual fundraiser events. Funds support free community programming, infrastructure improvements, and program operations.
4. Event Tickets: Ticket sales for special events including fundraiser benefit concerts with tiered pricing ($50 entry, $120 All-In tickets with open bar).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Community Forge operates a multi-purpose community center in a repurposed historic school building in Wilkinsburg, PA, offering affordable co-working memberships, dedicated office spaces, meeting and event room rentals, and the PhaseFocus audio/video studio. The organization runs three core community programs: BootUp PGH (youth technology education), Economic Mobility (workforce development and resource coordination), and CURE Violence East (violence prevention). It also hosts cultural programming such as monthly Open Mic Nights and the annual Forge Fest.

Product overview

Community Forge is a community center and business support organization operating from a renovated former Johnston Elementary School in Wilkinsburg, PA. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including BootUp PGH (technology education for youth), Economic Mobility (workforce development and social services), and CURE Violence East (violence prevention). Physical offerings include co-working memberships (Hub and Full Room), meeting spaces, and the PhaseFocus audio/video studio. A major expansion is underway with The Forge Theater, a 130-seat venue with cafe and community spaces funded by the Hillman Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BootUp PGH: Community-based technology education and empowerment program serving youth in grades 3-12, offering courses in 3D Design, Graphic Design, Video Editing, and AI & Coding.
• Economic Mobility
• CURE Violence East

Products and services

• Hub Membership Monthly co-working membership for individuals, remote workers, students, and entrepreneurs providing WiFi access, 50% off meeting space rental, $10/month printing services, and $100/year mailbox services for $100/month.
• Full Room Office Dedicated office space in a former classroom (~900 sq ft) for businesses and community organizations, starting at $1,200/month, including free mailing address, flexible building access, and 50% off event space rental.
• Meeting Room Rentals Pay-as-you-go rentals of Seminar Room, Collaboration Room, and Huddle Rooms for meetings and events, with 50% discount for members.
• PhaseFocus Studio State-of-the-art audio/video studio featuring full green screen, professional lighting, 4K direct streaming feeds, streaming hardware, a music studio, and podcast setup for 4 participants, available to artists, performers, and content creators.
• BootUp PGH Community-based technology education and empowerment program for youth in grades 3-12 offering courses in 3D Design, Graphic Design, Video Editing, and AI & Coding.
• Economic Mobility Workforce development and resource coordination program supporting local individuals and families with financial independence through job training, career coaching, emergency resources, and legal navigation assistance.
• CURE Violence East Violence prevention program leveraging community members to support non-violent mediation of conflict through interrupters, outreach, and community mobilization in Wilkinsburg, Homewood, Penn Hills, and East Hills.
• Forging Futures 12-week workforce development program offering hands-on training in AI, manufacturing, tech, and robotics with industry-recognized credentials, in partnership with Catalyst Connection.
• Open Mic Nights Monthly open stage event held every third Friday featuring local musicians, poets, comedians, and storytellers, curated by KinselLand, providing performance opportunities for local artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ entrepreneurs served annually through business incubation and support services
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Catalyst ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for Forging Futures: Robotics & Manufacturing workforce development program, providing industry-recognized credentials and employment pathways for local residents.
• Bricolage Production CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2024Founding leadership partnered with Community Forge to develop new cultural arts venue. Bricolage brings 20+ years of immersive theater experience and will relocate from Downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District to Community Forge. Programming support provided by Hillman Foundation. Jointly developing Soul Lounge and Community Storytelling events.
• KinselLand (Kinselland LLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2024Pittsburgh-based cross-disciplinary artist collective curating monthly Open Mic Nights and contributing to venue programming. Partners Anqwenique and DS Kinsel providing artistic direction for new venue.
• Pittsburgh Learning CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2017Founding partner in 2017, collaborated with Xpogo to purchase Johnston Elementary School building from school board. Launched BootUp PGH in 2021 as youth programming initiative.
• XpogocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2017Founding partner in 2017 partnership with Pittsburgh Learning Commons to purchase and revitalize Johnston Elementary School.
• Various Anchor MembersminorOthersAnchor tenants include: Xpogo (Xtreme Pogo), Treelady Studios (Media services), Steel City Indie (Film), Pittsburgh DSA (Political organization), Meter Feeder (Parking services), Gwen's Girls (Childcare), Divine Home Care (Home care), Bricolage Production (Immersive Theatre), 4Ever Charmy World (Childcare), Wilkinsburg Land Bank (Real Estate).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 1871: Chicago-based nonprofit tech hub providing co-working, programming, and entrepreneurship support. Comparable in offering workspace plus tech education and entrepreneur services in a mission-driven structure.
• The Mill: Community-centered co-working space and innovation hub in Boulder, CO combining workspace, events, and community programming. Closely matches CF's integration of co-working with community mission.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused co-working and innovation spaces. Most directly comparable on the multi-purpose community hub model combining co-working, programming, and social mission.
• BUILD: National youth entrepreneurship education nonprofit serving underserved high school students. Direct overlap with BootUp PGH on youth tech/entrepreneurship education for grades 3-12.
• The Cridge Center: Multi-service nonprofit in British Columbia operating community programs, family services, and residential care. Comparable multi-vertical nonprofit model bundling social services, community programming, and operational facilities.

Emerging players

• Camelback Ventures: Nonprofit supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs. Comparable to CF's entrepreneur support segment serving local startups and small businesses in an underserved market.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free tech workforce training. Directly comparable to BootUp PGH on the tech education/training mission, serving a similar under-resourced learner population.

Others

• Pittsburgh Learning Commons: Founding partner and collaborator with Community Forge since 2017 on building purchase and youth programming (BootUp PGH). Co-developer rather than competitor, but operates in the same community education and youth development space.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing skills training and corporate internships. Comparable to Forging Futures and Economic Mobility on the workforce development vertical, but at much larger scale.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large nonprofit with workforce development, social services, and community programs. Comparable to Economic Mobility on workforce and social services, but operates at far greater scale and geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommForgePGH
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommForgePGH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-forge
• Instagraminstagram.com/commforgepgh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Community Forge