CLEF, a mobile app to connect musicians and local venues, beat more than one hundred applicants to win the $10,000 top prize at EXPlore: Pittsburgh Tech Week’s pitch competition.

“The impact of giving away $10,000 to someone to be able to carry on their business … it’s definitely going to build momentum.”

Kenya Porter, Pittsburgh tech week organizer

Founder Carl Perry started the company just one year ago. The win stands out because the Thursday event was his first-ever pitch competition — and a chance to be celebrated by notable attendees like outgoing Mayor Ed Gainey. The startup plans to use the prize money primarily for app development.

“From last year, I’ve been through so much, and to win this award today, it’s just faith to keep going,” Perry told Technical.ly after his win.

The platform, currently in beta testing, allows artists to book gigs and get paid directly through the app. Venues can also use CLEF to search for and book nearby musicians. 

Aimed at startups in the idea stage, EXPlore: Pittsburgh Tech Week’s pitch competition hosted four other startups that competed against CLEF. 

A man stands on stage holding a microphone, presenting in front of a screen displaying the word "CLEF" and the phrase "Book with confidence, play with passion."
CLEF founder Carl Perry pitching (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)
  • HeadStrait Labs: A medical device startup developing a high-tech head and neck immobilization device. HeadStrait was named on Technical.ly’s 2025 RealLIST Startups.
  • Health Mosaic: A platform that connects healthcare systems’ devices and streams real-time data.
  • ReadyHub by Keystone Flow: A “digital deal room” to connect municipalities with project developers.
  • Sarva: An AI-powered, multilingual supply chain and inventory platform that helps ethnic vendors digitize their operations and shoppers order from them.

“I think [Pittsburgh Tech Week] has been a week of impact,” organizer Kenya Porter said. “The impact of giving away $10,000 to someone to be able to carry on their business … it’s definitely going to build momentum for other people to get involved [next year].” 

Mayor honors Tech Week organizers

Right before the pitch competition, Mayor Ed Gainey made a surprise appearance at the showcase to honor Porter and her EXPlore co-organizer Fantasy Zellars with a city proclamation. 

Three people stand on a stage in front of an "Explore" sign and an astronaut graphic; one holds a certificate. Two green chairs are on the stage.
Mayor Ed Gainey with Pittsburgh Tech Week organizers (from left) Fantasy Zellars and Kenya Porter (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)

Gainey has been a longtime supporter of Pittsburgh Tech Week. About four years ago, Porter met Gainey and shared her vision of connecting Pittsburgh’s tech sector with the broader community. That conversation eventually grew into the seven-day celebration of Pittsburgh’s tech ecosystem.

“He’s planted a seed,” Porter said, “and so it meant the world that he came back because he didn’t just plant it – he’s been cultivating it.” 

This was the fourth annual Pittsburgh Tech Week, and included events like Discovery Day, the Global Impact Forum – where entrepreneur Mark Cuban delivered the closing keynote – and Youth Day, which focused on introducing local students to opportunities in tech.

Next year, Zellars and Porter said their goal will be to bring more major tech companies and local institutions – like Carnegie Mellon University – to the table, as well as market the week both regionally and nationally to attract more attendees from outside the city. 

“We have enough infrastructure. We have enough technologists here. We have a world-class education system, so everybody needs to get involved in building up Pittsburgh, and they can do it through EXPlore,” Porter said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to for next year.”