10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger spoke to a standing room only crowd at the Huntington Bank Breakfast Briefing this morning (8/4) to detail how the Commonwealth is committed to driving business, innovation and technology across the state and right here in the Pittsburgh region.

Before his address, Secretary Siger stepped up to the One Mic Stand to tell us how DCED wants to help grow the Pittsburgh region's technology ecosystem and make it accessible to everyone.

Appgate's Brian Cederdahl steps up to the One Mic Stand to explain how virtual private network (VPN) technology is stuck in the distant past.

Learn how Appgate provides secure access solutions designed for how people actually work and connect. Brian details how Appgate future-proofs technology investments while giving its customers effective, efficient and secure access to the resources they need to succeed.

Appgate provides cybersecurity solutions for people, devices and systems based on the principles of Zero Trust and is a recognized leader in Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). 

As Brian says, "Friends don't let friends use VPN."

When it comes to preparing our workforce for today and future careers, the Community College of Allegheny County is a top resource for students and lifelong learners to acquire new skillsets in a flexible, cost-effective manner 

Dr. Quintin Bullock, CCAC President and Dr. Stephen Wells, CCAC Interim Chief Academic Officer joined the TEQ Magazine Education Focus Roundtable to focus on how CCAC is building for the future (this is not yesterday’s community college).

Learn how CCAC is building for the future with:

• Strong connections and partnerships with business and industry (Google, BNY Mellon, CNX, JCI, AHN, UPMC etc.)
• State of the art facilities housing  groundbreaking technology in the classrooms and opportunities for innovative instruction (CEIT), fueling educators with what they need in tomorrow’s teaching and learning  environment (CTL)
• Expanded and new programs and curriculum as well as experienced, dynamic faculty to educate and train the workforce and meet the needs of a diverse population of students

Assemble is an open physical space in Pittsburgh's East End that unites artists, technologists and makers with our neighbors of all demographics.

Learn how 12 years ago Nina Barbuto envisioned Assemble as a platform for experiential learning, opening creative processes and building confidence through marking. Assemble envisions a diverse community that creates, connects, and learns through the experience of art and technology.

There have been countless twists and turns along the way, including a pandemic, but Assemble is stronger than ever. :earn more at www.assemblepgh.org.

Centric Consulting's Joe Ours goes deep on the One Mic Stand to detail how artificial intelligence (AI) is being deployed in the workplace, cutting through the hype, fears and reality of it all.   Ours sees a workplace where AI can eliminate the monotony, spur creativity, drive efficiency and ultimately create new products and services that we can hardly even imagine,   So dive in and get charged up with the possibilities.    Founded as a virtual company in 1999, Centric Consulting is a full-service consulting firm with more than 1,400 experts in digital, technology and business consulting who are here to help solve your toughest problems by augmenting your existing team, delivering end-to-end solutions or providing ongoing support of solutions you already have in place.

Listen to TechVibe Radio this Sunday as Brandon Schwan of Fragasso Financial Advisors stops by to provide a primer on stock compensation.

If you are employed by a publicly traded company or company that one day may go public, it’s highly likely you may receive stock as a part of your compensation.

Brandon overviews how employers can look at stock options as a way to incentivize and attract talent. And he takes a deeper dive on how employees can best manage their stock options.

Tune in and get your financial geek on with us!

Innovation Works announces the appointment of Kevin Dowling as interim lead of the Robotics Factory. Dowling, a tech leader who was involved with three IW companies and a founding member and board chair of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, brings with him an impressive repertoire of experience and leadership to helm the Robotics Factory program.

Kevin's career highlights include a 17-year tenure as Scientist and Senior Engineer at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute and holding the position of CEO at Kaarta. He has also worked in technology leadership roles at PRI Automation, Color Kinetics (acquired by Philips), and MC10.

Listen and learn how Kevin's unique blend of technical knowledge and business acumen will be invaluable in driving the development of the Robotics Factory.

Launched in partnership with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network and other regional partners, the Robotics Factory is a part of a $63 million grant awarded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative as part of their Build Back Better Regional Challenge. 

The Robotics Factory, under the leadership of Innovation Works and with four-year support from the EDA, will operate a series of inter-related programs. 

As this podcast was posting, IW announced The Robotics Factory will locate in the Tech Forge building in Lawrenceville, part of the long “Robotics Row” that runs from the Strip District. 

The first cohort of six companies chosen to participate in the Accelerate program will re-locate to the Lawrenceville location as soon as feasible.  Also, the factory’s new space will serve as a designated home for the Scale program. The Scale program offers unmatched expertise in product prototyping and services, facilitating the creation of production-ready products. Providing in-house design for manufacturing, supply chain management, prototyping support, and access to the region's comprehensive manufacturing resources, this new hub signifies a critical milestone in the program. By integrating manufacturing considerations at the initial design stages, companies can accelerate growth, deploy technologies, and achieve scalability more swiftly.

Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) President and CEO Don Smith stops by TechVibe Radio this Sunday (7/16) to detail its commitment to transforming industrial spaces into thriving centers for innovation and sustainable development.

Smith overviews RIDC's approach to how revitalizing large, unused properties benefits not only the companies that occupy them, but also the communities in which they are located. By bringing these spaces back to life in unique ways, RIDC promotes economic vitality and supports sustainable growth.

RIDC boasts an impressive portfolio of properties designed specifically for tech companies and the innovation economy. Get updates on Mill 19 and the new Carrie Furnace project that broke ground earlier this year.

Join us on TechVibe Radio to hear the story of how RIDC plays a vital role in supporting economic vitality in the Pittsburgh region.

Spencer Krause founded SKA Custom Robots & Machines back in 2015 as a lean, fast-moving, and solution-oriented contract engineering firm.

With a core competency in robotics, SKA specializes in augmenting a company’s existing capabilities to help them overcome complex engineering challenges.

Spencer details how SKA takes a holistic approach to early-stage new product development and provides everything from ideation, design, and engineering, to the building of physical prototypes.

He also talks about his podcast Collaborative with Spencer Krause that provides an inside look into the minds of remarkable individuals who advance the state of science, technology and commerce.

Listen and learn why Spencer started SKA and how he believes that Pittsburgh is one of the best places to build a robotics startup.

It's been a highlight of Pittsburgh's summer for 41 years! Tune in to TechVibe Radio this Sunday for a complete overview of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.

PVGP Communications Director Bernard Martin overviews the 10 days of events across Pittsburgh that lead up to the vintage races in Schenley Park on July 23. 

Learn how Martin and his team of volunteers make this a truly international event and have plans to make it even bigger in the future.

Tune in, geek out and rev your engines with us.