This Black-Owned Pittsburgh Maker's Community Ties Are Stronger Than Ever

When Nisha Blackwell lost her job at a local coffee shop while attending nursing school, buying a gift for her friend's daughter's birthday wasn't an option, so she got out her sewing machine for the first time and went to work. The hairbows she created evolved into Knotzland, a bowtie company founded in 2015. Since then, Blackwell has made it her mission to open new pathways to entrepreneurship for members of her Pittsburgh community through her "Sewcial Network," currently supporting 26 local sewists. Photo courtesy of Knotzland.