Pittsburgh is looking for Experienced Dreamers™ – people with a bit of experience under their belts and a desire to do something different with their lives. In 2011, the Experienced Dreamers™ contest offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance for one individual to win $100,000 to move here and realize their dream.

Pittsburgh is a place with a long history of dreamers – pioneers in arts and culture, business, medicine, robotics, and more. It's also a place where people care about their community, with a legacy of philanthropy that rivals any region in the country. It's a place where ordinary citizens work hard to build businesses and a better community for future generations. One visit, and people understand why Pittsburgh has again and again been named "America's most Livable City" by publications such as Forbes, The Economist and Places Rated Almanac. Pittsburgh is a place where we honor our past and constantly look to the future – a place that encourages dreamers to imagine what they can do here … and then to do it.

The Experienced Dreamers™ contest was created to get people thinking about their dream – whatever it is they believed they were born to do – and challenged them to move to Pittsburgh and make it real. The contest was also designed to be a unique opportunity to create a lasting legacy of giving through a charitable trust to be created as part of the prize money.

From October 19 through December 16, 2011, we accepted applications for the contest. There was no fee to enter, but contestants had to have been 45 or older and must not have lived within 100 miles of the City of Pittsburgh in the last 10 years. (See the Terms and Conditions for complete contest rules.)

In the spring of 2012, 20 semifinalists and five finalists were chosen based on the originality, creativity, passion and clarity demonstrated in their applications. The winner, Tess Lojacono, was chosen from among the five finalists by a vote of the people of Pittsburgh.

For more information, read the Questions and Answers page.