David Bromberg didn’t want to start a company, and he didn’t want to work at a big one. So after completing his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon, he left for California and a job at a solar energy startup. Two years later, though, David returned to Pittsburgh to co-found a company with his Ph.D. advisor – an international expert in integrated circuit design -- and another colleague. Pearl Street Technologies developed software that automated and accelerated the grid interconnection process for renewable energy projects. The company was acquired in early 2025 by Austin, Texas-based Enverus. 

Midwest Moxie's executive producer is Audrey Nowakowski. She produced this episode. Subscribe to Midwest Moxie wherever you get your podcasts. And if you love Midwest Moxie as much as we do, help us out by posting a review.