NEXTpittsburgh, a locally-owned business, is the must-read Pittsburgh publication about the people driving change in our city and the innovative and cool things happening here.
We publish stories with impact, focused on the people, projects and places taking Pittsburgh to the next level, making it a better place for all. From news you need to know to challenges facing our region to what you can do to make a difference and get better connected.
OUR MISSION: Deliver news and ideas on what matters to the people who care about Pittsburgh in the way they want it.
OUR VISION: To be the indispensable digital media company in the Pittsburgh region by telling, in innovative ways, the authentic stories of what is happening and who is making it happen.
OUR VALUES:
- Affirming
- Inclusive
- Innovative
- Ethical
- Engaging
- Authentic
- Caring
- Curious
Got news or a news tip? Email the editor at: crissy@nextpittsburgh.com
Send us your event news: events@nextpittsburgh.com
For advertising, contact John Rhoades or Morry Feldman.
Owner & CEO
John is a Pittsburgher, born and raised. He is grateful to work with so many incredible people and partner with so many vital organizations to the region. He lives in the Polish Hill neighborhood. He volunteers for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and City of Bridges Community Land Trust, an affordable housing nonprofit. He really loves a great bagel, and has a habit of cycling around town. More by John Rhoades
Editor
Cristina Holtzer is the Editor of NEXTpittsburgh. When she’s not laughing too hard at TikTok, Crissy can be found walking around Sharpsburg with her Great Pyrenees/Lab mix, Margot. Contact her at crissy@nextpittsburgh.com. More by Cristina Holtzer
Features Editor
Jennifer is co-creator of the award-winning book, “Pittsburgh Signs Project: 250 Signs of Western Pennsylvania” and was author of a long-running column for Western Pennsylvania History Magazine. She makes music as The Garment District and is a founding member of The Ladybug Transistor. Jennifer previously served as co-coordinator and marketing director for Handmade Arcade and Education Director at the Mattress Factory, and has also worked at the Brooklyn Museum and SLB Radio Productions. More by Jennifer Baron
Engagement Manager
Emma Honcharski is a writer, artist and media coordinator in Pittsburgh since 2014. She is a co-director of the Pittsburgh Art Book Fair, editor for Dinner Bell Magazine, and 2023 Prospectus Curator at Brew House Arts. She is a Master of Art in Food Studies and MBA candidate at Chatham University. More by Emma Honcharski
Video Producer
Annie Perri Cole is NEXTpittsburgh’s Video Producer. When she’s not running around town with her camera, she’s directing newscasts for local TV. Pittsburgh born and raised and thoroughly nebby, Annie created and runs the Instagram account @housesofpittsburgh with her sister, Hope. She lives in the North Side with her husband and two kids. More by Anne Perri Cole
Yinzer Backstage Pass Host
Boaz is the host of NEXTpittsburgh’s Yinzer Backstage Pass video series. He is also an author, filmmaker, advertising copywriter, teacher, experiential storyteller, talk show host, gardener, kazoo museum curator and so much more. More by Boaz Frankel
Freelance Contributors
Contributing writer
Aakanksha Agarwal is a wine, travel and lifestyle writer from India. Formerly a Bollywood stylist, she now resides in Pittsburgh, embracing full-time writing while juggling family life and indulging in her passions for cuisine, literature and wanderlust. More by Aakanksha Agarwal
Annette Bassett is a freelance writer and grant writer living in Bloomfield. She likes visiting local breweries, going to concerts and walking the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh while listening to audiobooks. She prefers wired earbuds. More by Annette Bassett
David S. Rotenstein is a historian, folklorist, and award-winning freelance writer. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and he writes about urban history, race, and the history of organized crime in Pittsburgh. More by David S. Rotenstein
Environment and Health Reporter
A Pittsburgh native, Ethan is an award-winning freelance journalist interested in telling the stories of people doing great things to build community and sustainability. Ethan served as Editor-in-Chief of Allegheny College’s newspaper, The Campus. More by Ethan Woodfill
Grant Segall is a national prize-winning reporter and was named Ohio’s best freelancer of 2023. He wrote “John D. Rockefeller: Anointed with Oil” (Oxford University Press, 2001). He lives in Cleveland and spends a few days a month at his girlfriend’s in Pittsburgh. More by Grant Segall
Jamar Thrasher is a Pennsylvania-based writer of fiction and non-fiction. He has published works in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PennLive and the Pennsylvania Capital Star, among other outlets. More by Jamar Thrasher
L.E. McCullough is a Pittsburgh musician/writer/journalist with a lifelong curiosity about who, what, when, where, why and especially how. More by L.E. McCullough
Marcia Liggett is an award winning freelance writer, event planner and balloon artist based in Beaver, Pa. Her writing has been featured in the New Pittsburgh Courier and other outlets. More by Marcia Liggett
Nick Eustis is a writer and photographer who loves finding and telling the extraordinary everyday stories of Pittsburghers. When off the beat, he enjoys obsessing over drag queens and the latest music. More by Nick Eustis
Freelance photographer
Rob Liggett was NEXTpittsburgh’s Summer 2025 Photography Fellow and a recent graduate of La Roche University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a minor in Marketing. Rob contributes weekly freelance content to regional publications, providing marketing and advertising photography, attending special events, and more. He is also the founder and CEO of Quick Pic Rob Photography, a venture he started at the age of 8. More by Rob Liggett
Columnist
Award-winning writer Tony Norman is the longtime columnist and editorial writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A former Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan and an adjunct journalism professor at Chatham University, he now freelances for several local and national publications. More by Tony Norman
Tracy is the founder and Editor at Large of NEXTpittsburgh which she started in March 2014 and sold in December 2020. She is passionate about making Pittsburgh a better place for all and connecting people to do the same. More by Tracy Certo
Advertising
Account Executive
Morry is a Pittsburgh native who truly did attend the Steelers-Raiders “Franco Harris Immaculate Reception” playoff game with his dad some time ago. Now in his 48th consecutive year in media, Morry loves Pittsburgh and all its idiosyncrasies. He and his wonderful wife Sharon live in Wexford, and they feel very fortunate that their two beloved adult daughters live in the Pittsburgh area as well. More by Morry Feldman
