For those attempting to navigate through the plethora of events and activities in Pittsburgh, Active Pittsburgh’s Jason Miller has a solution.
Miller’s startup company, Active Pittsburgh LLC, is a website that promotes local sports and recreational opportunities. Miller’s idea for activepittsburgh.com started in October 2012. The website launched on September 1, 2013, and formally became a business in November 2013.
Currently, Miller owns and operates Active Pittsburgh in his spare time while working as the Assistant Director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Intramurals and Recreation. Through his work at the university, Miller began to search for other resources and recreational opportunities to provide to students. The idea began as a simple list, and is now a functional website that receives several thousand page views a week.
Active Pittsburgh is a comprehensive directory that contains local events, activities and promotions. Users can search for listings by date via the Events Calendar, or find specific attractions on each activity page. Active Pittsburgh also features a blog and an apparel shop. “My driving force was if there was anything that relates to being active, then I think it should be on the site. That’s why if you go to our website you’ll see anything from CrossFit to running to biking, down to bowling and hockey,” said Miller.
When the website first started, Miller compiled all of the listings himself. As the website grew, organizations began contacting Active Pittsburgh to be included in its directory. Miller attributes most of Active Pittsburgh’s recent success to business partner Michelle Ingari and his “A.P. team” of interns.
All of Active Pittsburgh’s basic services, which include event, activity and promotion listings, are free. “The reason why we do that is to try to stick true to our mission of creating a site that’s a one-stop shop for all things active. As soon as you start charging for a service, you’re going to shut a certain population of people out,” said Miller.
Active Pittsburgh recently launched premium services, which offer organizations featured activity listings, page advertising, and individualized marketing packages.
Miller’s goal is for Active Pittsburgh to become everyone’s go-to site for any active opportunity. Eventually Active Pittsburgh may look to expand its model to other cities.
According to Miller, a great way for people to stay engaged with the active community in Pittsburgh would be to follow Active Pittsburgh through its Facebook and Twitter accounts.