Meet Kit Mueller. If you don’t already know him, you should. He’s not only one of Pittsburgh’s biggest advocates on innovation, but as an investor, organizer and advisor, he lives it. He knows the ins and outs of the Burgh’s growing company scene and lends a helping hand to the great startups. He’s the chief evangelist at Rustbuilt and co-founder of Fygment, a purpose driven textile shop that supports makers with equipment, supplies and time. Business aside, he’s a huge Pittsburgh fan and you can easily find him out and about (Sometimes three places at once).
So what does that have to do with gifting? Well, as a gifting company, Lily&Strum’s primary service is to provide our users with tailored gift recommendations (and also a ’Burgh Rustbuilt certified startup), we sat down with Kit to learn more about all the great Pittsburgh companies and get his take on those who offer great products that well…would make great gifts.
Moving beyond manufacturing, healthcare & technology, Pittsburgh is clearly becoming a growing hub for consumer and services companies. Do you see that as a trend and why are they building here?
One of the reasons is that the cost of launching a business and building an audience is so much lower than it used to be and there really aren’t many geographic barriers. So some folks are using this opportunity to get back to Pittsburgh with its’ low costs and high quality of life or to leave their corporate job. Building a consumer brand or a services business still isn’t easy, but it is now in the realm of possibility.
What are some of the Pittsburgh consumer focused companies with “giftable” products that stand out to you?
Some of the most recent companies I’d note include Moop, Thread, Lifeshel and Fiks Reflective.
Messenger # 1 by Moop +Thread – $169
Moop designs and manufactures awesome bags. They recently teamed up with Thread, a responsible fabric company (and another burgh startup!) to create products using fabrics from recycled plastic bottles from the streets of Haiti.
Cool bags, cool concept. I own and love this one.
Whistl by LifeShel (Pre-Order) $60
Talk about innovation. LifeShel designs and manufactures solutions designed to help in distress situations. It’s a great concept and they are currently revving up and taking pre-orders for the Whistl, an alert system smartphone. Get on the list and get this for your loved ones and be a part of this innovation that will soon sweep the nation!
Wheel Stripe by Fiks Reflective – $15.00
Bikers are everywhere and bike riding is not just a means of pleasure anymore but truly a way for transport. And when you bike, you want to bike in style while being safe. Fiks Reflective makes reflective wheel stripes for your bikes that well…are cool! If you know any bikers, you’ve got to add this to their gift list.
Hoodie – by Fygment $75.00
And I’d be remiss not to mention that you can support the burgeoning maker scene by purchasing a host of goods on Fygment.com (coming soon!)
What is the best Pittsburgh gift you ever received and why?
Classes to the Pittsburgh Tech Shop gave me access to all their machines and tools. It’s such a fun community and a great gift idea for inventors, tinkerers, students and even entrepreneurs who want to make things happen.
Pittsburgh is known for its’ great food and food always makes a great gift. What are some of Pittsburgh’s best that you’ve gifted before?
Pittsburgh has a ton of notorious foods that are so popular they are now available online! You’ve got to check out Prantls Burnt Almond Torte and Mineos Pizza (yes, they actually fed ex) for 2 of the best!
Thanks again to Kit Mueller for pointing out some of Pittsburgh’s finest companies and gifts. We’re proud to already count many of these Pittsburgh products as our own gift recommendations.
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