Amy Benedetti decided to make her dream of creating healthy popsicles for people a reality in 2021 with the creation of PopWorld. She attended workshops and seminars to learn how to make a popular southern treat something she can bring to the Pittsburgh region. Made-to-order with a machine that Amy purchased, the pops come in a wide variety of flavors and use healthier ingredients than what are typically found in popsicles on store shelves.
During the initial start of the business, Amy focused on making pops that she could sell at local farmer’s markets, large festivals, children’s birthday parties, and hockey arenas. As the business continued to grow, Amy contacted the Pitt SBDC in December 2021 to learn about how to manage the growth of her business and strategized for the upcoming 2022 calendar of events. While meeting regularly with her consultant at the Pitt SBDC on aspects including marketing and social media, she was made aware of the potential opportunities for contracting with the University of Pittsburgh.
In July of 2022, Amy attended the Pitt SBDC’s “Order Up” event, where she was able to have discussions with multiple departments at the University about contracting opportunities. After that event, Amy was successful in securing work with Pitt Athletics, providing healthy pops to Pitt athletes. As that relationship grew, Amy was also able create another relationship with America To Go, Pitt’s catering contractor. Both of these relationships have provided an additional revenue stream for PopWorld.
As PopWorld continues to grow, so has Amy’s ability to connect with those in the Pittsburgh region. With a recently launched website and social media pages the business has seen an increased demand for services. The University of Pittsburgh SBDC and Amy will continue to work together in the areas of marketing, promotion, social media, and contracting opportunities. The Pitt SBDC is confident that Amy and PopWorld will continue to provide some of the best healthy popsicles in the city, and increase sales as 2023 progresses.