STEMup™ and Allegheny Health Network Partner to Advance STEM Workforce Development at AHN Suburban

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- STEMup™, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that supports the region's innovation ecosystem though STEM workforce development initiatives, is launching a new educational programming series for health-tech companies and would-be employees in partnership with AHN Suburban.

AHN Suburban, a former acute-care hospital in Bellevue, Pa., now serves as Allegheny Health Network's innovation campus, housing health sciences incubators, early-stage entrepreneurs, and community education programs. It's also home to AHN Innovations, the network's emerging technologies division.  

STEMup will occupy offices on AHN Suburban's fifth floor, and will soon begin recruiting companies and individuals for its new programming series.

The series has two tracks — an education track and apprenticeship track. The education track is meant for early-stage health-tech companies that have exited the incubation and start-up phases, and whose executives are looking for curated, industry-specific educational opportunities that don't exist in typical MBA or doctoral programs. These "domain-specific education modules" will be individually tailored to the organization's needs and market segment.

"An MBA might teach you how to run a business, but it won't specifically teach you how to launch a bio-tech company, or a company in the healthcare AI space," said Dr. Neil Campbell, co-founder and executive chairman of STEMup. "That layer of specialized education can be hard to find for young business leaders, but these personalized curricula will help to fill those gaps."

The apprenticeship track — called the Pittsburgh Innovators Apprenticeship Program (PIAP) — will help the same young companies meet their specific employment needs while augmenting the regional STEM talent pipeline.

"Often, young companies in niche or emerging fields have extremely specific employee needs, and those needs can't always be met through the conventional hiring process," said Donald Very, co-founder and executive director of STEMup. "Our apprenticeship program is meant to provide hands-on technical and business training in these specific health-science fields, helping to address skill gaps and fill critical roles."

The two programs are being funded through generous grant support, and will prioritize relationships with companies that are developing gene and cell therapies, as well as healthcare artificial intelligence solutions.

"Partnering with STEMup is a natural extension of our mission at AHN Innovations," said Jeff Cohen, MD, AHN's Chief Physician Executive for Community Health and Innovation. "By integrating STEMup's education and apprenticeship programs into Suburban's ecosystem, we are enhancing opportunities for our community while connecting talent and ideas with the resources they need to thrive."

This collaboration builds on AHN's five-year-old partnership with Innovation Works, known as AlphaLab Health, a business accelerator at the Suburban campus. AlphaLab Health serves as a hub for the region's life sciences sector, cultivating medical technologies and making early-stage investments in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and health information technology. Companies in the program benefit from seed funding, access to wet labs, collaboration with researchers, and connections to investors.

To learn more about the STEMup educational or apprenticeship opportunities, please contact [email protected].

About STEMup™ Science and Technology Foundation
STEMup™ is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations through next-generation STEM education, workforce readiness, innovation systems support, and venture development and creation frameworks. Through its Domain-Specific Education (DSE) modules, apprenticeship programming (PIAP), and ecosystem partnerships, STEMup bridges talent, technology, and entrepreneurship to accelerate growth in the regional innovation economy. The organization is committed to unlocking the full 21st-century potential of Pittsburgh as a hub for science, technology, and inclusive economic growth.

About AHN Innovations
AHN Innovations fosters healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship by creating partnerships that accelerate solutions to improve patient care, community health outcomes, and growing small businesses for the local community. The investment and repurposing of the AHN Suburban Campus also breathes new life into a community asset that has served the community in a variety of capacities for more than 115 years.

Media Contact
Dr. Neil Campbell
Executive Chairman
STEMup Science and Technology Foundation
Phone: 301-792-4345
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.stemuppgh.org

SOURCE STEMup Science and Technology Foundation