Season 2 Ep.6 Caroline Fisher, a storyteller, curator, creator, and teacher's pet from Highland Park

Caroline Fisher, a self-described storyteller, curator, creator, equal parts class clown, and teacher's pet, shares her journey from a childhood rooted in academics and a love for learning in Pittsburgh's Mount Lebanon, to a dynamic career path that eventually led her back home. After graduating from Davidson College and pursuing a master's in education at Wake Forest, she began her teaching career in Boston. Despite finding it fulfilling, the demanding lifestyle of a teacher in the US led her to seek a change.She moved to New York City without a clear plan, eventually landing a community manager role at Vayner Media, a social digital agency. This was a significant culture shock, transitioning from academia to the fast-paced advertising world. She then worked at Bonobos, a men's retail brand, and later at Victoria's Secret as a live content specialist, traveling globally to create content. Despite a seemingly glamorous life in New York, she found herself deeply unhappy, realizing the identity she was "cosplaying" didn't align with her true self.This realization prompted her return to Pittsburgh, where she now works for Pittsburgh Tomorrow as the Head of Storytelling. This organization aims to build a brighter future for Pittsburgh by addressing population decline, attracting new residents, and fostering community engagement. She emphasizes the importance of collective action, bold leadership, and overcoming the city's self-deprecating nature to promote its unique strengths and opportunities.- Pittsburgh Tomorrow's Mission (23:07): As Head of Storytelling at Pittsburgh Tomorrow, her job is to counter Pittsburgh's population decline (more deaths than births, negative job growth since the 80s) by attracting growth and telling positive stories about the city.- Focus Areas of Pittsburgh Tomorrow (59:18): The organization focuses on four key areas: engaging with youth, welcoming newcomers, catalyzing leadership, and telling Pittsburgh's story to the outside world, particularly highlighting "Pioneers" (first movers and problem-solvers).- Importance of Action and Collaboration (30:38):Caroline emphasizes the need for a "bias towards action" rather than just studies and discussions, fostering bold leadership, and encouraging collaboration among Pittsburgh's many nonprofits to achieve shared goals.- Attraction, Retention, and Engagement (45:31): She conceptualizes Pittsburgh Tomorrow's strategy as attracting new people (including foreign-born citizens), retaining current residents by making the city more discoverable and helping them find community, and engaging "Pittsburgh lifers" to contribute to the city's future.- Addressing Challenges and Community Involvement (55:33): Caroline stresses the importance of not leaving people behind as technology evolves, advocating for equitable opportunities, and encouraging individual Pittsburghers to take a stake in the city's future by getting involved and supporting local businesses.*** Adapted summary as generated by YouTube Glasp Extension and Google Gemini AI