Kenny Chen

Together, we are working to transform the Johnston Elementary School into a community space for opportunities in Wilkinsburg. In 2012, Johnston Elementary closed its doors after serving Wilkinsburg for nearly a century. With that closing, the borough lost a valuable resource. Beyond acting as a center for education, Johnston Elementary housed community meetings and political events and was a source of energy for the neighborhood. We formed Community Forge in 2016 with the vision of bringing that energy back. Our goal is to attract mission-driven and socially-conscious businesses, events, and partners into Wilkinsburg. We aim to use proceeds from tenancy to beautify the property, open public recreational spaces, and offer educational programs. We are just beginning now, and if you’d like join us in the space or learn more, please reach out at Hello@Forge.Community

The Pittsburgh Entrepreneurs Forum started as the Pittsburgh chapter of the MIT Enterprise Forum as part of a global network of local organizations, inspired by the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT), and open to the world. The mission: To inform, connect and coach technology entrepreneurs—enabling them to rapidly transform ideas into world-changing companies. In 2016, it became obvious that Pittsburgh had evolved. The entrepreneurial ecosystem was no longer just tech based, and our local universities had made the association with MIT at the very least, unnecessary. So, as of March 1, 2017, we changed the name and became a separate organization, in recognition of these facts. We are proud to a have as board members, folks representing the major schools in the area, as well as various support organizations and other making a difference in the entrepreneurial community. We serve Pittsburgh's entrepreneurial community by hosting leading-edge events and fostering new connections.

Chenco is a real estate asset and fund management company that strives to create long-term value for our investors and shareholders through U.S. real estate private equity fund management and real estate operating company investments. Founded by Derek M.D. Chen in 1991, Chenco has successfully created or invested in over 20 real estate operating or investment management companies across the Pacific. In the U.S., our operating partners have achieved excellent project-level returns by implementing specialized strategies such as repositioning of multifamily, office and industrial properties, developments of residential as well as management of executive suites and coworking spaces. As a cross-Pacific platform, Chenco has raised PRP series funds primarily from the Greater China region to invest as sponsor equity for acquisition of properties in the United States. Our total transaction value in the U.S. has surpassed US$23 billion over the past 30 years. To provide services to our investors and partners, we operate from offices located at both ends of the Pacific, including Irvine, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Phoenix, Taipei, Tianjin, Beijing and Seoul. Our senior executives have decades of experience in the sectors in which we operate. Our professionals hold advanced degrees from top-tier universities in the United States, Canada and the U.K., have received training from institutions and possess intimate knowledge of both the Greater China and the U.S. markets.

Together, we are working to transform the Johnston Elementary School into a community space for opportunities in Wilkinsburg. In 2012, Johnston Elementary closed its doors after serving Wilkinsburg for nearly a century. With that closing, the borough lost a valuable resource. Beyond acting as a center for education, Johnston Elementary housed community meetings and political events and was a source of energy for the neighborhood. We formed Community Forge in 2016 with the vision of bringing that energy back. Our goal is to attract mission-driven and socially-conscious businesses, events, and partners into Wilkinsburg. We aim to use proceeds from tenancy to beautify the property, open public recreational spaces, and offer educational programs. We are just beginning now, and if you’d like join us in the space or learn more, please reach out at Hello@Forge.Community