Supporting local entrepreneurs is what we do all year long, so it’s no surprise that we love to focus on local startups and small businesses when it comes to our holiday gift-giving. The team at Ascender has handpicked unique gifts for everyone on your list from local companies affiliated with our entrepreneurial programming. All the companies featured on this list are fresh, local, and growing bigger than ever with Ascender’s support.
Closet Rehab | $54
Have a fitness and fashion enthusiast on your list? We’ve got the perfect gift for them. Help them dress up their Apple Watch with a stylish Emerald Green acrylic band from Closet Rehab. The band is adjustable and comes with a link removal tool to adjust the band length. It also accommodates the 38/40/41mm and 42/44/45mm Apple Watch for all series. They’ll think of you every time they receive a compliment for looking good at the gym or on the go!
Grounded | $20
For more than 15 years, Grounded Strategies has reclaimed, revitalized, and transformed vacant lands into beautiful areas for the greater Pittsburgh community to enjoy. Support their mission by purchasing a branded t-shirt. Our top pick is this locally designed and printed tee that proudly shows off a love of the city’s bike lanes.
Old Flame Mending | $10 – $50 eGift Cards
Many of us have a tendency to cling to our favorite clothes long after they’ve gone to tatters. And we bet that there’s someone on your list like this too. Old Flame Mending can breathe new life into those coats, flannels, and sweaters that might not have another winter in them, and save them from the landfill in the process. Give the gift of mending to your friend whose cherished jean jacket needs a little love.
Mamalux | $98
Is someone in your life a new mom? Consider gifting a Mamalux Leakproof Lounge Dress. Moms deserve lounge dresses that are comfortable, practical, flattering, and ready to wear. This super-soft dress is leakproof and comfortable, made of top-quality fabric that holds up through a lifetime of spins around the washer and dryer. Be the best gift giver to all the new moms in your life. They’ll appreciate you almost as much as a full night’s sleep.
Pin Up Posters Courier Collective | $40 Minimum Donation
You want to support our city’s only worker-owned bike-based poster distribution service but don’t have any signs that need plastered around town? Pick up a branded sweatshirt from Pin Up Posters Courier Collective. The black drawstring hoodie (printed locally by Commonwealth Press) will keep anyone on your list warm the next time they hop on their fixie or head out for a cup of tea around the corner. They’ll basically be a walking billboard for the local cooperative!
Dashcam for your Bike | Free App Download; $19.95 for Mount
Need help figuring out what to get the gearhead on your list? Send them the link to download the Dashcam for your Bike app. This mobile-friendly app turns anyone’s smartphone into a dashcam for recording bike rides and reporting hazards (like cars parked in bike lanes). Then purchase that bicycle enthusiast in your life one of the phone mounts recommended by Dashcam from Iron City Bikes in Lawrenceville.
Meshwork Press | $26
Nab this beautifully designed letterpress planner, and grab an accompanying card from the shop while you’re at it. Added bonus? Every purchase supports youth art & design programming for local high schoolers.
PULLPROOF Studio | $20
PULLPROOF Studio is a printshop and collective of local artists who constantly create beautiful, thoughtful new work that you can see during the monthly Unblurred Gallery Crawl in Garfield (every first Friday). You can buy prints, zines, and merch straight from their website if you can’t make it in person between now and the holidays. Matthew Van Asselt’s landscapes are stunning and would look great on anyone’s wall. Support local artists!
Resident | $65
Tristan Sopp is a local artist who creates DIY paper animals. There are dozens of kits to choose from on Resident’s online store, all ranked from ‘Can’t do Ikea‘ to ‘Crafting Master,’ so this is the perfect gift for that loved one who is always looking for a new hobby to throw themselves into and master.
The Young Dreamers’ Bookstore was founded as a mobile bookstore to provide enriching stories featuring characters from across the African diaspora. If you’ve got an elementary schooler on your list, grab a copy of Saturday by Caldecott Award-winner Oge Mora. This stunning picture book tells the story of a day gone wrong and how a mother and daughter overcome their stress to focus on togetherness.
Toyz Electronics | $30
An action figure & USB drive. WOW! Based on Da Great Deity Dah, the iconic character from the Dah-Varsity app, the action figure USB features 4GB of storage and contains original music (over 60 tracks). The app that inspired the character empowers diverse and disadvantaged students to become the Superhero versions of themselves and get on a path to sustainable careers in creative, hardware, software, manufacturing, or entrepreneurship. Your purchase supports the app developer, Toyz Electronics, a Black father-son-founded startup.
You can’t go wrong with any of the rotating taps at the Glenshaw craft brewery, but Squashed is our current favorite. The harvest ale combines roasted butternut squash with cinnamon, cardamom, and other seasonal spices and is the ultimate beer for late fall and early winter. According to the Acrospire Team, it’s best enjoyed by the fire with roasted marshmallows. A 4-pack makes a great stocking stuffer or thank-you present for any of your holiday party hosts.
Blanket & Board | $35+ Per Guest
You don’t have to wait for Pittsburgh winter to end to enjoy one of Blanket & Board’s magical feasts. Skip the trip to the grocery story and hire them to create a custom grazing table for your next gathering. Your guests will be amazed by the Instagram-worthy visual and the delectable treats.
Building New Hope | $58.90
Know an eco-conscious coffee drinker energized by supporting sustainable practices for farmers and the environment? We’ve found the perfect gift—the Love Gift Box from local nonprofit Building New Hope. In this box, you’ll find New Hope’s organic, bird-friendly coffee that’s ethically sourced from El Porvenir, Nicaragua, a worker-owned farming cooperative that has worked with the organization for the past 25 years. You’ll also find a balsa ornament, hardwood coffee scoop, and artisan bean-to-bar chocolate. Drink consciously and sustainably with Building New Hope.
Pigeon Bagels | $27 for T-Shirt; $25+ for Gift Cards
Pigeon Bagels are a staple in Ascender’s kitchen. The local business opened just a few years back, but it didn’t take long for them to earn a reputation for the best bagels and shmears in the city. They also have some of the most stylish merch around. A gift card and a printed tee will surely be loved by the die-hard Pigeon-heads in your life.
TLC Libations | $35
Looking for something to liven up the party? Throw that eggnog in the trash and grab a bottle of this pour-ready blended cocktail full of fruity flavors, crafted by Pittsburgh’s first Black-women-owned distillery. The cocktail made with tender loving care includes infused vodka, TLC’s special citrus simple syrup, and 100% natural juice.
Wings & A Prayer Soul Food | $30.95 – $51.95
This time of year is incredibly hectic and stressful. At some point between now and the new year, you’ll need to feed yourself but have no energy to do so. Wings & A Prayer Soul Food is one of Ascender’s most beloved neighbors and a favorite of our coworking community. Their fried chicken is heavenly, but you can’t really go wrong with anything on their menu. Think of it as a gift to yourself.
Named by City Paper in 2022 as the best spot for psychic/tarot readings, it only makes sense to grab a bar of this homemade tarot-themed soap from Arts & Crafts: Botanica & Occult Shop for the spiritually minded person on your gift list. You may also want to throw in a gift card, so your giftee can stock up on all their magic-making essentials.
Merry Puppins | Prices Vary
Your pup deserves some self-care, too! If you got your dog during COVID and are now transitioning back to working and socializing outside your home, sign your furry friend up for Adventure Hikes from Merry Puppins. The skilled Merry Puppins team will pick up your pandemic pooch (or any dog you call your best friend) and head out into nature for vigorous cardio activity and exploring. All hikes are 1:1 because your dog deserves all the attention.
Naptural Beauty Supply | $34.99
Healthy, stronger, and shiny hair starts today. Naptural Holy Grail Hair Oil is made from organic and natural ingredients that help to grow hair, seal moisture, protect from heat, and can be used in the hair, scalp, and body. This best-seller product is a must-have product for skin and hair care routines. Get ready for raving reviews and thank yous after you gift Holy Grail Hair Oil to your family and friends.
Nollapelli | $65
The wait is over! Just in time for the holiday season, Nollapelli has debuted its highly anticipated new product, the Restorative Eye Mask. This is how you can start sleeping, looking, and feeling better effortlessly. Designed to block light for deeper sleep and increase microcirculation for skin care around the eye area, the eye mask delivers the ultimate beauty sleep. The skin-facing fabric contains a naturally occurring mineral additive that restores skin using your body heat, and the outside-facing fabric is a luxurious stretch silk. So are you ready to sleep better?
Revitalize Energy | $40 for 3-Month Supply
Get an added boost of energy with these instantly soothing eye drops. Revitalize Energy’s patented formula provides the energizing effect of caffeine without leaving you jittery or awake at night. These drops are the perfect gift for anyone who spends an extended amount of time staring at a screen, like a university student, gamer, or startup founder who’s always burning the midnight oil. Gift them a 3-month supply so they don’t run out.
Open Field | Donate or Volunteer
Open Field provides access to organized soccer for hundreds of refugee youth in Allegheny County each year. In addition to a safe space to play and thrive, Open Field’s programming also plays an educational role in the lives of those they serve that lasts long after the referee blows their whistle. There are so many ways to get involved — volunteer time, donate, or gift new and gently used equipment. So go ahead, pitch in!
re:Bloom | Donate or Volunteer
re:Bloom is a nonprofit web agency that connects small business owners with developers, designers, and digital marketers. Together, they create meaningful tech solutions that enable small business owners to build the projects of their dreams (and maintain them long after the program ends)! Support their mission by donating or volunteering today.
Explore last season’s gift guide — Pittsburgh Small Business Gift Guide 2021
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