FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – PITTSBURGH (Nov. 5, 2026): BRITE Energy Innovators (BRITE) and Riverside Center for Innovation have launched a workforce and business development pilot to help diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses in Greater Pittsburgh compete for commercial clean energy contracts.
RCI engaged BRITE to design and deliver specialized technical curriculum and commercialization programming. The pilot pairs BRITE’s experience bringing energy technologies to market with RCI’s network of small and local businesses. Programming prepares local contractors and small business owners to compete for and bid on projects involving solar installation, battery energy storage, electric vehicle charging, and building electrification.
Participants can choose between two four-week training tracks, or attend both. The in-person track for contractors covers how to perform electrification work, obtaining local permitting approvals, utility interconnection, and how to build a profitable business around these projects. The virtual track builds on this programming and adds content oriented towards early-stage energy startup founders, including technology maturity assessment, pathways to utility demonstration pilots, and federal funding options.
“The clean energy transition is a major industrial opportunity for the region, and our communities are building the hardware that keeps the lights on,” said Jade Davis, Chief Executive Officer of BRITE Energy Innovators. “BRITE’s partnership with Riverside Center for Innovation gives local contractors and suppliers the playbook they need to win big bids. Upgrading the grid and deploying clean technology should create good local jobs, keep money in our neighborhoods, deliver power that is cleaner, more reliable and more affordable for everyone.”
“For Pittsburgh’s local contractors and small business owners, the clean energy transition must translate into real bids, sustainable revenue, and high-quality jobs in our neighborhoods,” said Juan Garrett, Executive Director of Riverside Center for Innovation. “By putting our federal grant dollars to work alongside BRITE’s technical expertise, we are dismantling barriers that have historically kept diverse entrepreneurs out of major infrastructure supply chains. This collaboration ensures our local trades are prepared, certified and positioned to lead.”
BRITE and RCI will also host the virtual Advanced Energy Roundtable: Prepared, Positioned, and Producing on Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Teleangé Thomas, founder of PLATTFORMS and strategic advisor to BRITE, will facilitate the session. A veteran leader in regional economic development and civic innovation, Thomas designed the roundtable framework to guide focused dialogue between local contractors, regional energy stakeholders, and public sector leadership on clearing supply chain bottlenecks and connecting diverse businesses directly to commercial procurement.
The program concludes in December with a joint showcase of cohort milestones and next steps toward a regional advanced energy hub across Western Pennsylvania and extending into the Midwest.
Contractors and business owners who want to learn about upcoming sessions or the November roundtable can contact the Riverside Center for Innovation at info@riversidecenterforinnovation.com or visit brite.org.
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About BRITE Energy Innovators
BRITE Energy Innovators is Ohio’s only advanced energy technology incubator, commercializing technologies that make power cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable. Through prototyping labs, embedded fractional CXO leadership, and capital networks, BRITE supports high-growth energy ventures across the Midwest. In the past year alone, BRITE-supported companies generated $255 million in economic output and sustained nearly 1,500 jobs, adding to an all-time track record of over $1 billion in capital secured and 2,100 jobs created. Learn more at brite.org.
About Riverside Center for Innovation
Riverside Center for Innovation (RCI), is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment where the region’s diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses can thrive. RCI delivers direct services to small businesses, entrepreneurs, neighborhoods, and communities, acting as an innovative, resource-rich, and sustainable economic engine. Through incubation support, training, creative strategies, and Brownfield redevelopment, RCI helps strengthen the economic vitality of the region for all who live and work here. For more information, visit: riversidecenterforinnovation.com