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

Can an entrepreneur have his proverbial cake and eat it too?

Mike Vindler, co-owner of Tronix 3D, a Pittsburgh-based 3D printer, seems to be doing just that.

Hit PLAY to learn how Mike is growing Tronix3D while also having a ton of fun pursuing passion projects. In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks Mike reveals how TroniX3D's profitable bread and butter defense projects pave the way for projects that ignite his creative spark and opens ideas to potential new lines of business.

Let's get a taste of the Tronix3D cake and hear from Mike right now. To get his full TechVibe Radio interview click here.

Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

Ever see a glaring need in the marketplace not being met by a current service or technology and wanted to something about it?

Entrepreneur/ad agency owner Jeff Swartz sure did when he saw an increasing interest from clients wanting to use geofencing as a marketing tool, but were scared away by the complexity and high cost. He got an idea for a tool that could be more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly. Something tailored for local businesses like a neighborhood pizza shop.

With a successful financial year as a backdrop, Jeff decided to invest in this vision of simplifying geo-targeted advertising for users who might not possess specialized marketing know-how. How he worked with a local app developer to leverage existing geofencing technology to create the QuJam. Not long after QuJam was acquired by advertising agency Blink to provide another arrow in its quiver of marketing solutions.

Hit PLAY to learn how Jeff successfully launched QuJam and how it is now playing a driving role at Blink.

Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

So what happens when a whiskey making entrepreneur takes the reins of one of the world's top university startup programs? If you're curious about how Pittsburgh is transforming into one of the best places in the world to launch a tech company, this episode delivers a firsthand look at the bold leadership and innovative programming driving that growth at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).

Meredith Grelli was the founder of Wigle Whiskey and Thread Bear Cider. For her second act, she joined Carnegie Mellon to teach entrepreneurship. Meredith is now the director of Project Olympus, a startup incubator at CMU, focused specifically on tech startups. And if that's not enough, she was also just named the interim director of CMU's Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship.

Whether you're a founder, investor, or ecosystem builder, you'll hear how cutting edge ideas are turning into real world startups right here in our backyard.

Learn how Project Olympus and the Swartz Center are wrapping CMU founders and targeted support talent and capital. Discover how CMU's deep tech commercialization success is setting national benchmarks, and hear why Pittsburgh's future as a startup hub may depend on embracing unorthodox leadership and bold regional collaboration.

Hit PLAY to hear how Meredith Grelli is shaking up the startup scene at CMU and why that's great news for Pittsburgh's innovation economy.

Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

What do whiskey, robotics, and AI startups have in common? At Carnegie Mellon, they all thrive under the same roof—and Meredith Grelli is helping lead the charge.

If you're a founder, innovator, or ecosystem builder looking to launch or grow a company, this episode reveals how one of the world's top universities is turning bold ideas into real businesses—and why Pittsburgh might just be the best place to do it. Learn how Meredith's journey from building Wiggle Whiskey to directing Project Olympus is reshaping tech entrepreneurship at CMU.

• Find out how CMU is supporting student, faculty, and alumni founders with funding, structure, and mentorship.

• Learn what makes CMU one of the top institutions for research commercialization and AI innovation.

• Get inspired by Meredith's transition from successful entrepreneur to startup ecosystem leader—and what it means for the region.

Hit play to hear how Meredith Grelli is fusing grit, research, and community to build the next wave of Pittsburgh startups. Her full interview drops this Wednesday!

Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

If you're building a team, growing a business, or simply trying to lead with more purpose, this episode will shift how you think about culture, leadership, and doing business "the right way"—even when it's harder.

We welcome Alex Reneman, Founder of Mountain Leverage. If you don't know mountain leverage, it makes hands-free technology for warehouse workers, end customers, and leaders in the supply chain.

In this episode, you will:

Discover how a clear set of values can shape company culture across 70+ remote employees.

Learn how to lead a profitable tech company that still puts human flourishing at the center.

Get inspired by the wisdom and resilience of a founder who's proven the skeptics wrong for two decades.

Let's check out Alex Reneman's powerful story of building a values-driven, remote-first company that's thriving far from Silicon Valley. Listen to his entire interview on TechVibe Radio here.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces this podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

Trying to figure out how integrate the power of AI into your business, but don't know where to start? There's a lot of hype, confusion and fear out there often paralyzing entrepreneurs from taking their first steps.

But, in this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks we have insights from Anna Maria Berta and Joseph Giampapa of LindenAI to help you navigate the complexities of leveraging AI in your business.

Get top takeaways from LindenAI's TechVibe interview with Ana Maria and Joseph so you can learn the importance of balancing technological advancements and safety guidelines, particularly through the lens of AI. They emphasize the need for basic knowledge to navigate AI options effectively.

The conversation highlights the necessity of being adaptable to constantly changing technology and understanding AI as a form of digital knowledge. Plus this dynamic duo of AI also cautions against overenthusiasm and underscores the importance of discerning between genuine and fake information. They stress that adopting AI strategies requires minimizing maintenance burdens, understanding the knowledge lifecycle, and placing knowledge in appropriate contexts.

Hit PLAY for the good stuff and if you have a few more minutes, click here for the entire interview.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces this podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

Hiring can be any company's greatest challenge. We often look everywhere, but right under our own noses to find the right people.

One person who knows this well is serial entrepreneur Rob Brown. He's in the process of scaling his third startup DataStrike. If you don't know DataStrike, it is North America's leading provider of 100% onshore data infrastructure managed services.

Rob knows the power of hiring local people and looking beyond the traditional resume when considering candidate. He also highlights the importance of offering career paths to individuals from diverse educational backgrounds. he looks for work ethic, spirit and the desire to succeed.

It might sound crazy, but he's already scaled up to more than 100 people and is looking to double that even faster. Rob had a fantastic conversation about his journey building DataStrike on TechVibe show and we pulled out his nuggets of wisdom on hiring just for you.

Hit Keep listening for the good stuff and if you have a few more minutes, click here for his entire interview. Let's get started on Rob's Hiring insights.

Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

We all try to be prepared for setbacks, but are you prepared for success?

Lifelong tech entrepreneur Mike Vertolli, Founder of ComTec Systems shares critical advice for aspiring business owners.

He recently appeared on TechVibe Radio to tell us how he founded his first company in high school and how ComTec helps businesses find savings in their energy and telecommunications spends.

We pulled some key highlights from his TechVibe interview to share with our time-crunched listeners. Hit play and learn how Mike emphasizes the importance of setting clear goals, maintaining proper documentation to facilitate strategic pivots, and being financially prepared for both growth and setbacks.

He also offers valuable wisdom on envisioning success and ensuring the right people, processes, and systems are in place. Additionally, Mike recounts an impactful piece of investment advice which taught him to reassess decisions daily, providing a fresh perspective on managing life's uncertainties.

Hit PLAY for the good stuff and if you have a few more minutes, listen to his entire interview. Let's get started!

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces this podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

Undoubtedly, you've run up against a wall trying to harness your data. Maybe you're contemplating a project or a new business and it requires advanced data analytics, but you don't know where to start. Or maybe you're stuck somewhere in the middle.

As luck would have it, we might be able to help you today as 10 Minute Tech Talks brings you an excerpt of the Pittsburgh Technology Council's Healthcare Reinvented podcast featuring Ian Blunt and Richard Clarke of Highmark's data analytics team. And if you don't know Highmark, they are one of the nation's largest healthcare providers and we got to talk to them about their journey embracing data analytics.

Ian and Richard have some interesting and candid insights on their analytics journey confessing how it's easy to get overwhelmed and how you cannot expect perfection and you just gotta keep plugging away. Plus, they also talk about how Highmark has developed a very deep relationship with Google to help them dig even deeper into their analytics.

Here's a unique opportunity to learn from the pros on how they go about their data analytic challenges. If you want to dive into the entire conversation, it's right here.

This is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

Have you ever felt trapped in a business that no longer ignites your passion? In this candid episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks, Chris Brisson, founder of SalesMSG, reveals how entrepreneurs can courageously pivot from a stagnant business to a thriving, purpose-driven venture.

In this episode, Chris details how to:

• Recognize when your current business model isn't serving your vision
• Discover the power of radical transparency in communicating business transitions
• Understand how personal fulfillment can drive entrepreneurial success

Hit Play now to transform your entrepreneurial journey and unlock the courage to reinvent your business!

Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.