Lucy Mendoza

Growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania as the child of immigrant parents and holding onto big dreams came with its own challenges. For those unfamiliar, Erie is a small city about two hours from Buffalo, NY, Cleveland, OH, and Pittsburgh, PA. While it’s growing, it hasn’t quite kept pace with the needs of the workforce—especially for someone like me, who’s always dreamed of working in media, particularly in entertainment.

 

In 2017, I landed an internship at the local state park as a Community Relations Specialist, creating, managing, and distributing press releases, media packets, and park maps. But after that, finding a media job felt impossible. In 2019, on a whim and with encouragement from my sister, I applied for and got a part-time Human Resources role at Erie Events, the hub of downtown entertainment. I eventually went full-time, using my media skills to recruit and help rebrand Erie Events’ media presence. My time there was magical, but in 2024, after buying a home in Pittsburgh—a move I’d been dreaming about for years—I left Erie Events and moved with my dog, Arrow.

 

My move to Pittsburgh led to the birth of Bloom Web Studios. Over the past two years, I’ve met many local, minority business owners whose websites or social media presence were minimal or nonexistent. My mission now is to provide honest media services to help these businesses grow.