Pittsburgh transplant is poster child for the city’s new economy

Ryan Green describes himself as a “scrappy, hustle, business kind of guy,” who moved to Pittsburgh four years ago with little more than a new job in banking and a dream of starting his own business.

The 29-year-old Strip District resident worked at PNC Financial Services for a while before striking out to co-found Gridwise, an app intended to boost earnings for ride-sharing drivers by helping them make smarter decisions.

Gridwise became one of nonprofit small business accelerator Innovation Works’ success stories, and things are paying off for Mr. Green, his clients and his company’s 11 employees. Although the company is not yet profitable, the Gridwise’s app is now used by 70,000 drivers in 32 cities, and the company has raised $2.3 million.
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