- Michelle Chenn, Founder & CEO
Michelle Chenn is a champion of inclusive economic growth and the founder of Axiom Advancement Corporation, a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved entrepreneurs through access to capital, financial education, and technical assistance.
Michelle’s passion for economic development was sparked during her tenure at the University of Pittsburgh, where she served as Government Compliance Administrator. There, she helped steward the Joint Economic Development Initiative between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University—an innovative public-private partnership that launched impactful programs like the City of Pittsburgh’s PowerUp Initiative, which delivered mentorship and support to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
She began her financial services career as an Asset Manager at the Northside Community Development Fund, where she led loan portfolio and risk management, managed annual capital campaigns, and oversaw strategic projects to deploy capital into disinvested communities.
Motivated by a vision to build community wealth from the ground up, Michelle launched Axiom to continue this mission—first in Allegheny County, with plans to scale across other underserved areas throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond. She believes that investing in small businesses is one of the most powerful ways to foster sustainable, locally-rooted prosperity.