From March 2020 until December 2025, The Salon served as a hub for the women of Pittsburgh to connect, exchange ideas, and grow.
About
Inspired by the famous gatherings of the Enlightenment, The Salon was founded in 2020 to provide a space to meet women with shared interests — a space to try something unexpected in a supportive environment.
Though our members hailed from all backgrounds, we united in our shared commitment to personal and collective transformation.
I’m prioritizing adding more Salon events to my calendar because I always leave with a smile. I often work remotely and have found the Salon to be a lifeline when I am needing companionship and inspiration...Five stars – highly recommend! - HOLLEE.T
SUPPORTIVE
UNSTUFFY
DYNAMIC
ANIMATED
A FEW WORDS TO DESCRIBE OUR COMMUNITY…Playful
Cheeky
A Snapshot of Salon Programming
Meet Our Team
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Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Cathy Lewis Long founded The Salon in 2020 with a desire to create a new space for the city’s brilliant women to gather, collaborate, and grow.
Prior to starting The Salon, Cathy served as co-founder and Executive Director of The Sprout Fund for over two decades. Under her leadership, Sprout worked with philanthropic partners to invest $7 million in 1,100+ early-stage projects, organizations, innovators, and activities. Some of Western PA’s most notable nonprofits —Bike Pittsburgh, Bricolage, Tree Pittsburgh, and Assemble—got their start with support from the fund!
After sunsetting the organization, Cathy joined her alma matter Carnegie Mellon University as an adjunct faculty member to share her knowledge of grassroots culture building.
An active member of her community, she has served on the boards of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, The Ellis School, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and other organizations.
In her off hours, Cathy enjoys Pickleball, practicing (and teaching!) yoga, and spending time with her family and her cat and dogs -- Sunny, Luna, and Pintxo!
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Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Alexis is a strategy and communications professional working at the intersection of spiritual, organizational, and urban development.
She has co-led The Salon since 2021, supporting Cathy with strategic visioning, program development, and partner outreach.
In addition to a consultancy role in financial services, she also serves as Special Assistant to the President of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where she recently completed an MA in Pastoral Studies.
In her off-hours, you can find her reading non-fiction, doing arts and crafts, or enjoying meandering walks around Pittsburgh’s East End.