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Emily Siegel joined Catalyst Connection in October of 2021 after working as an intern with the Human Capital team.

Her background is in the startup space, having run her own Pittsburgh-based startup, Trek Gum, since 2019. She has won Pitt’s Randall Family Big Idea Competition, the ALG Regional Hardware Cup, and other various business pitch competitions over the past few years. After participating in the nationally-ranked Alpha Lab Gear accelerator program, Emily went on to raise a 6-figure seed round from VC firms to help her startup company grow.

Emily brings a new perspective to Catalyst’s team by being able to assist other startups and smaller businesses in the area with her first-hand knowledge of running a lean company and sharing the resources available to them. As a Workforce Specialist, Emily has been focused on finding innovative ways to reach and welcome GenZ into the manufacturing community by breaking the stigma around manufacturing and using new tools like TikTok to encourage younger individuals to consider being a “maker” or a “creator” as a career choice.

Emily holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh (2019), as well as a certificate in Non-Profit Management. Additionally, she frequently judges pitch competitions and the Design EXPO at Pitt and gives talks to current students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.