Young Pittsburghers to watch in 2009
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Kim Jones, owner and operator of Karma on the South Side. -
The band Donora, which is getting plenty of airplay on WYEP-FM. -
Joshua Elijah Reese generated plenty of buzz playing Elegba in "The Brothers Size" at City Theatre. -
Sonja Finn, owner-chef of Dinette in East Liberty. -
Ally Reeves with drawings from the exhibit Falling In at the American Jewish Museum.
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People often complain that there are few jobs or other opportunities for young residents in Pittsburgh. That hasn't stopped several folks 30 and under from innovating on their own or making their own mark. Today and tomorrow, the Magazine staff profiles a handful of young people to watch for 2009 in the local theater, music, art, dining, dance, retail and event planning communities.
Customers who walk into Karma, an upscale women's clothing boutique on the South Side, see a variety of looks and designs from the luxurious to the trend-setting.
What they don't see on first blush is the entrepreneurial spirit and perseverance that got owner Kim Jones her own shop at age 21 in one of Pittsburgh's hottest development areas.
Ms. Jones, inspired by an internship at Creative Marketing Plus in New York City, was finishing her marketing degree at the University of Pittsburgh in the summer of 2006 when she tried to rent a space on Carson Street in the SouthSide Works. She was met with indifference, she is sure, due to her age.
"I called [the leasing agents] every day for a month until they agreed to listen to my idea," said Ms. Jones, now 23. And finally, after much persistence and planning, Karma opened at 2737 E. Carson St. in November 2006, one month before she graduated from Pitt.
The store has a selection of premium denim, cocktail dresses and separates. Young professionals and college and high school students make up the bulk of her clientele.
As well as owning and operating Karma, Ms. Jones is the store's buyer and the bookkeeper. She treks to New York City every other month to select new collections of clothing for Karma. She hopes one day to expand beyond the parameters of her storefront in the South Side.
"I do what I love," she said. "My friends might make more money than I do, but they sit at a desk from 9 to 5."
-- Kara Voorhees, Post-Gazette staff writer
It seems like you can't turn on WYEP (91.3 FM) without hearing a Donora song.
But how you can blame the station for putting the Pittsburgh band into rotation?
First Published January 6, 2009 12:00 am
