WHO WE SERVE

Urgent Denture Repair Laboratory is a denture repair facility and registered LLC in the state of Pennsylvania located in South Park, PA. Owner Wakike Jones is a minority business owner who previously suffered a T4 spinal cord injury that has assigned him to a wheelchair, though this has not diffused his entrepreneurial spirit or his drive to be successful. The business assistance received from CEED includes: development of a comprehensive business plan including target market research, as well as accounting and tax law assistance. You can visit his website at www.urgentdenturerepair.net.

Roland ford is a dance and fitness instructor who conducts health and wellness programs at his studio, Rhythm of Life. Roland is known throughout Pittsburgh and beyond for offering fun and fitness through soul and gospel line dancing, ballroom dancing and DJ opportunities. Business Assistance he received from CEED includes: business planning, marketing, accounting and ongoing technical assistance.

Global Food Market is an African grocery store located at 132 S. Highland Ave. in East Liberty. The store caters mainly to African and Caribbean tastes, as well as locals with a taste for more exotic cuisines. Nigerian-born Moses Onwubiko recognized a void in the Pittsburgh area—before his store there was not a single African-owned food store selling African goods in the area. This is what drove him to open his store in 2004. The business assistance he has received from CEED includes: marketing assistance and development of a new e-commerce website that you can visit at: www.globalfoodpittsburgh.com.

Creamy Creations and More is a restaurant located at 10 Duff Road in Penn Hills, PA, and specializes in handmade chocolates, candies, and coffees. It is a registered sole proprietorship with the state of Pennsylvania. Owner, Rhonda Rankin, sought the assistance of CEED with ambitions to create a search engine optimized website that would provide her clients the ability to purchase items online. Creamy Creations and More has also received additional business planning assistance from CEED. You can visit her website at: www.creamycreationsandmore.com.

Kelly’s Kitchen, owned by Kelly Frazier, is located inside of Toro’s Bar at 5128 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood. Kelly runs the kitchen at Toro’s, serving the clients wholesome and hearty foods, and provides catering services on the side. Business assistance she received from CEED includes: business plan development, marketing and ongoing technical assistance in order to expand her business.

Wolfstone, Inc., owned by Rachel Stein, has been in operation since 2009, reclaiming waste vegetable oils in the Pittsburgh area and recycling them into a viable alternative fuel. Wolfstone, Inc. works with area businesses to implement waste vegetable oil removal plans. Their services include: supplying containers at business locations, ensuring waste pick up in a timely manner, seasonal cleaning of waste vegetable oils depository sites, and individualized planning management. Business assistance received by CEED includes business planning, ongoing grant research, marketing help, and ongoing technical assistance.

Okapi Braiding Salon is an authentic African braiding salon with two locations in the Pittsburgh area, one at 5510 Centre Ave. in Shady Side and the other at 5968 Baum Blvd. in East Liberty. Owner Adeline Kihonia, native from the Congo D.R. came to CEED with hopes to expand her business. The business assistance she received from CEED includes: ongoing technical assistance, marketing and website design, and business plan review in order to formulate business expansion strategies. You can visit Okapi’s website at:

The Royal Caribbean is a Caribbean restaurant owned by Jamaican native Benhail Crownie. Located at 128 S. Highland Ave. in the heart of East Liberty, the Royal Caribbean restaurant has the liveliest selection of Caribbean dishes, drinks and desserts you’ll find within the city of Pittsburgh. Business assistance received from CEED includes business planning and ongoing technical assistance. You can visit the Royal Caribbean’s website at: www.royalpgh.com.

Kazanda’s Café, located at 5943 Penn Avenue in East Liberty, is owned by Kazanda Tamo, a native of Haiti. She brews and sells coffee that is grown by her father in her home country. This new coffee shop features artwork on the walls, a food menu and many other comforts. Business assistance received from CEED includes: business plan development, review of legal requirements, training & certification, a microloan and ongoing technical assistance. You can visit her website at: www.kazandascafe.com.

Smiling Banana Leaf is a Thai restaurant located at 5901 Bryant St. in Highland Park and is owned by Jane Chounaem, a native of Thailand. Positive articles about the Smiling Banana Leaf have appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Tribune-Review and the City Paper. Business assistance she received from CEED includes financial planning, customer service & restaurant improvement, document translations and ongoing technical assistance. The Smiling Banana Leaf website can be found at: www.smilingbananaleaf.com.

Amani International Coffeehouse and Café is located at 507 Foreland Street in Pittsburgh’s North Side. The menu offers coffee shop cuisine style: lattes, teas, waffles, sandwiches, chicken salad, etc. Owning a coffee shop was a lifelong dream for Terra Jones, a University of Pittsburgh grad. With hard work and perseverance Ms. Jones started Amani International Coffeehouse and Café in 2006. Business assistance received from CEED includes technical assistance, including accounting services, micro-loan, and ongoing marketing assistance. CEED also continues to utilize her services for our events and social functions. You can visit her website at www.amanicoffeehouse.com.

Laptops ETC is located at 6012 Penn Avenue in the heart of East Liberty. Owner Alain Tamo, native of Cameroon, sells, upgrades and repairs laptops and desktop computers and also provides cell phone service along with bill payment services. Additionally, through his Tamo design department, he assists with graphic designs and building websites at an affordable cost. When the building of his original location was marked for demolition, CEED assisted in relocating the business to a more ideal and spacious space. Additional business assistance he received from CEED includes a micro-loan and ongoing technical assistance. CEED continues to use his services for website design and maintenance, and we also have referred many of our clients to Laptops ETC. You can visit his website at: www.thehandycomputerguy.com.

JUBA Hair Braiding & Boutique is a new business owned by Lily Kenyi, a native of South Sudan who came to the United States through a refugee resettlement program. Through CEED’s assistance Lily’s dream of owning her own hair braiding salon has been made possible. The business assistance received includes business plan development, business space improvement, marketing, micro-loan and ongoing technical assistance.

Nina Bella’s Design is a flower arrangement and hand-made crafts business owned by Narintra Gold, a native of Thailand. Located at 187 Melody Road, West Sunbury, PA, Nina Bella’s Design provides Butler and surrounding areas with handmade gift items including flower arrangements, door and wall plaques, key hangers, key and jewelry holders, T-shirts etc. All items are handmade by Narintra using purely natural and high quality wood, vases and superior products from Thailand, and sells at flea markets, bizarre, festivals. Her current customers also include local restaurants, community-based organizations, churches, visitors, local businesses and community members. Businesses assistance received from CEED: business plan development, review of legal requirements, microloan, marketing and ongoing technical assistance.

Corporate Diversity Associates is a minority talent acquisition firm created by Chase Patterson. The basis of the firm is that CDA will continually create a minority talent pool of applicants, while simultaneously working to form alliances with area corporations, so that when positions at these corporations become available, CDA will have top priority and precedent to fill these positions with minority talent to better diversify the current workforce. Through the assistance of CEED, Chase was able to create a comprehensive business plan that directly assisted him in procuring up to $150,000.00 through outside investors. Chase also received guidance on how to best market his services, bookkeeping services, and state registration assistance. CDA established as an LLC with the State of Pennsylvania in August of 2011 and is currently in operation. You can visit CDA’s website at: www.corpdiversity.com.