Co-op making an impact in Allentown
Work Hard supports 37 young companies
When Josh Lucas’ first startup failed, he was left with an old hardware shop he had been sharing with a group of entrepreneurs in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood. The former Sto-Rox High School chemistry teacher reflected on how startup culture had grown to favor high-tech, fastgrowth companies that might not even turn a profit at the expense of more practical ventures.
“That seems like an odd way to structure an economy.” said Mr. Lucas, whose original startup involved crowd-sourcing funds for political advertising. “Before the West Coast Silicon Valley startup scene happened in the ’90s, entrepreneurship was at a community level. It was about getting customers. It was about generating revenue and making sure that you made more money than you spent.”
The Mount Washington resident, 41, decided to turn the hardware store into a business incubator for a diverse portfolio of startups. Called Work Hard Pittsburgh and located in one of Pittsburgh’s most affordable neighborhoods, the incubator supports 37 young companies, including a commercial cleaning company, coding academy, web development nonprofit, and grass-roots wireless network, and 50 freelance professionals. Work Hard’s members share workspace as well as computing and media equipment.
About 50 members also have become owners of Work Hard, which is structured as a cooperative. Members earn ownership units by paying a $540 membership fee and completing 50 hours of community service each year.
“As members earn their equity in the cooperative, from their service and participation,” Mr. Lucas said, “they’re essentially positioning themselves for financial gains down the road.”
As member-owners of Work Hard, startups that fail may continue to participate in the cooperative. They can keep trying new ideas or join a more viable team. Successful startups, in contrast, contribute earnings to the