TechVibe Pittsburgh

Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council's TechVibe interviews Andrew Moore of Lovelace AI about why Pittsburgh is a place to "build something that works" versus the Bay Area's "big splash." Moore explains Lovelace AI's name (Ada Lovelace) and its focus on investigative AI that brings together massive amounts of evidence to answer complex, chain-of-reasoning questions.

He describes a "context engine" that sits between an agent and vast data sources to rapidly identify relevant information, run probabilistic reasoning, and maintain secure, traceable sourcing. Moore says Lovelace matched the quality of Google Gemini Deep Research while using tens of thousands of tokens instead of millions, and shares efficiency gains that cut an inference from about $7 to under one cent on a two-year-old server. The discussion covers applications in financial crime, national security, safety, and disaster response coordination, and highlights Pittsburgh's mix of infrastructure and mathematical engineering talent.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and innovation ecosystem.

Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council interviews Chris Bannon of MESCIUS on TechVibe Pace Setters about the Pittsburgh-rooted company's evolution from ComponentOne to GrapeCity to MESCIUS and its mission of building developer tools—charts, data grids, spreadsheets, reporting, and document services—that "sell time" by accelerating application development. Bannon explains why spreadsheets remain central to business-critical decisions despite attempts to move away from them, and how AI assistants layered on spreadsheets can build pivot tables, analyze trends, and answer questions quickly without deep Excel expertise. He shares MESCIUS's work adding AI features to SpreadJS and using AI to generate reports, plus an MCP server that gives coding agents deep knowledge of MESCIUS APIs and best practices to speed development and improve results.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and innovation ecosystem.

What happens when you stop building technology for the lab and start building it for the people working in some of the toughest environments imaginable?

On this episode of TechVibe Radio, Gecko Robotics founder and CEO Jake Loosararian joins Pittsburgh Technology Council President and CEO Audrey Russo for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, industrial innovation and why Pittsburgh gives Gecko a powerful advantage.

Loosararian traces Gecko's roots back to a Pennsylvania power plant, where he saw workers risking their lives to inspect aging infrastructure with outdated tools. That experience sparked an idea: build robots that can go where people shouldn't have to, gather critical real-world data and help companies understand the health of the physical assets around them.

From there, the conversation gets especially interesting. Loosararian explains why he turned down Silicon Valley investment that would have required Gecko to build its technology in a lab, arguing that companies solving physical-world problems need to stay close to their customers and collect real-world data. That philosophy ultimately helped keep Gecko rooted in Pittsburgh.

He also delivers a provocative take on SBIR grants, warning entrepreneurs not to confuse grant funding with genuine customer demand, and details how Gecko's commercial traction helped pave the way for major work with the U.S. Navy.

And perhaps most importantly, Loosararian lays out a bigger vision for Pittsburgh: a city that builds and scales category-defining companies instead of simply serving as an outpost for companies headquartered somewhere else.

It's a fast-moving conversation about robotics, AI, infrastructure, defense, entrepreneurship and what it really takes to build technology that works when the stakes are real.

What is your business really worth, and are you building it to thrive without you?

Fragasso Financial Advisors' Christine Robinette and Bryan Reft join TechVibe to unpack equity compensation, ESOPs and the fundamentals of smart exit planning. They explain how ownership strategies can help attract and retain great employees, why founders need to understand both the wealth gap and value gap, and how factors like leadership depth, customer concentration, documented processes and company culture can dramatically impact what a business is worth.

Hit play for practical insights on building value now, reducing risk and creating more options when it's finally time to step away.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

What happens when Pittsburgh technology companies get a direct path to defense leaders, investors and potential partners?

Pittsburgh Technology Council President and CEO Audrey Russo headlines TechVibe Radio for an inside look at Sen. Dave McCormick's Defense and Innovation Summit, where approximately 40 Council member companies connected with decision-makers from government, the military and industry. Audrey explains why the summit's emphasis on collaboration could help Pennsylvania companies move beyond pursuing opportunities alone and begin building stronger teams capable of winning major defense contracts.

The conversation also offers an early glimpse at findings from the Council's upcoming State of the Industry Report. One emerging trend demands attention: employment in the information technology cluster declined 5.5 percent over three years, while average wages increased more than 23 percent. Audrey and cohost Jonathan Kersting explore what those numbers could mean for talent, economic inclusion and Pittsburgh's opportunity to lead in robotics, physical AI and advanced technology.

Plus, get a preview of TechVibe's upcoming Tech Pacesetters interviews featuring companies and leaders shaping Pittsburgh's next technology chapter, including Andrew Moore and Lovelace AI. The episode closes with a line that perfectly captures the region's innovation DNA: other places may build something flashy, but in Pittsburgh, you build something that works.

Hit PLAY for defense opportunities, fresh industry intelligence and a front-row seat to the people building Pittsburgh's technology future.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and innovation ecosystem.

Jamie Ward has spent more than 20 years making dreams come true for people facing life-threatening illnesses, serious medical needs and extraordinary challenges. Through Jamie's Dream Team, she and her team have impacted more than 30,000 individuals, providing everything from dream experiences and bedroom makeovers to housing, food, basic necessities and support for families navigating some of the toughest moments imaginable.

But in this episode of TechVibe Radio, Jamie has a dream of her own, and Pittsburgh's technology community may be able to help make it happen.

Jamie's Dream Team is looking for technology expertise that can help the organization operate smarter, reach more families and scale its impact. That includes help with IT infrastructure, moving servers, email and database systems, social media, digital collaboration tools and practical ways to use AI to streamline everyday work. Jamie says she wants someone who can help her understand AI and identify tools and processes that could make things easier for her small team.

The need is especially timely after Jamie's Dream Team lost access to a Facebook presence that had built roughly 19,000 followers, forcing the organization to essentially restart its social audience from scratch.

So consider this episode an APB to Pittsburgh's tech community: If your company can donate expertise, volunteer hours, IT support, AI guidance, database help, social media assistance or other technology services, Jamie's Dream Team could put those capabilities to work helping more people.

Hit play to hear Jamie's remarkable story, meet her daughter Daisy, learn how Jamie's Dream Team is changing lives, and discover how a little bit of technology expertise could help this organization create a whole lot more smiles.

Contact Jamie at [email protected].

A great idea can launch a company. Smart operations keep it from flying apart when growth hits the accelerator.

Angela Domhoff, founder of Advantage Operations, joins TechVibe to explain how entrepreneurs and business leaders can turn their vision into a sustainable, scalable operation. Drawing on more than 25 years of healthcare and corporate leadership experience, Angela shares why nearly anything can be "operationalized" when you clearly understand where you are, where you want to go and the systems needed to connect those two points.

Angela also takes us inside her leap from a successful corporate career to launching Advantage Operations, where she provides fractional operational leadership to companies that need executive-level expertise without the expense of hiring a full-time COO. She explains why rapid growth can overwhelm an unprepared business and how better workflows, policies and planning can help companies scale without overhiring, crushing their budgets or creating chaos.

The conversation also cuts through the AI hype. Angela believes AI can eliminate repetitive operational "noise," but only when companies first understand their workflows, people and processes. Dropping AI into a broken operation without that groundwork, she warns, can create expensive new problems instead of solving old ones.

Prepare your company for growth. Learn why winning a big contract or experiencing a sudden surge in demand can become a serious threat when your operational foundation is not ready.

Get practical entrepreneurial advice. Angela offers candid guidance on managing expectations, protecting cash, structuring your days and resisting the urge to spend ahead of actual revenue.

Understand where AI really fits. Discover how AI can remove repetitive work, improve efficiency and free employees for higher-value tasks without automatically replacing them.

See why human skills still matter. Angela previews her work with the Pittsburgh Technology Council's LAUNCH program, where she teaches students how empathy, listening, collaboration and meaningful communication can become career superpowers.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh, technology and entrepreneurial communities.

Jen Frazier of Prequel Solutions joins Jonathan Kersting on TechVibe to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping resumes, interviews and candidate assessments. While AI can streamline parts of the process, it can also inflate qualifications, help candidates generate interview responses in real time and cause strong applicants to be overlooked by automated screening tools. The result is a hiring landscape where human judgment, verification and a well-designed process matter more than ever.

Listeners will learn three key takeaways:

1. Why AI can add risk instead of speed. AI-generated resumes and automated screening can weaken the traditional signals employers use to evaluate candidates.
2. How to verify that skills and experience are authentic. Frazier explains why assessments, interviews and candidate validation must work together rather than operate as isolated checkpoints.
3. How a focused hiring process saves time and money. Companies do not need six interviews and endless hurdles. A thoughtful three-step process can improve confidence, accelerate decisions and reduce the costly consequences of a bad hire.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and innovation ecosystem.

Is your next digital project ready to launch, or is it trapped in a meeting about scheduling another meeting?

Josh Lowery and Greg Cunneyworth of Makeway join TechVibe Radio to introduce Workshop as a Service, a fast-moving, highly structured approach designed to help organizations turn complicated ideas into clear, actionable plans. By bringing the right stakeholders into the room, asking deeper questions and challenging hidden assumptions, Makeway helps teams find alignment before they invest serious time, money and energy into a new website, touchscreen experience or digital transformation initiative.

And these are definitely not ordinary meetings. Makeway's workshops can accomplish a surprising amount in just a few hours, giving teams a practical playbook, defined action items and renewed confidence in where the project is headed.

The conversation also travels inside Makeway's world of immersive digital experiences. Josh and Greg detail an interactive lens-education kiosk created for America's Best, share emerging technology they discovered at InfoComm in Las Vegas and explain why the smartest screen is not necessarily the biggest or flashiest one. It is the screen that solves a real problem.

Plus, get a sneak peek at a secretive new immersive experience being developed for a distillery along Kentucky's Bourbon Trail. We'll drink to that!

Turn uncertainty into action. Learn how a focused workshop can uncover overlooked issues, align decision-makers and create a clearer path forward.

Avoid expensive digital detours. Hear why strategic discovery can reduce assumptions, prevent project breakdowns and improve the odds of a successful transformation.

Explore technology with purpose. Discover how touchscreens, interactive displays and immersive environments can educate customers, support sales teams and create measurable business value.

Peek around the next digital corner. Josh and Greg share what is catching their attention in emerging display technology and how Makeway decides what is truly ready for clients.

Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, TechVibe explores Pittsburgh's technology and innovation ecosystem.

What if the fork you use for five minutes did not stick around for the next 500 years?

Terravive Founder and CEO Julianna Keeling and President Joe Swider join Jonathan Kersting and Audrey Russo on TechVibe Radio to explore how the company is building a healthier, more sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. TerraVive manufactures compostable takeout containers, cups, cutlery, plates, films and other food-service products using materials sourced and manufactured in the United States.

Keeling traces the company's roots from her early work developing a biodegradable blood-pressure cuff to TerraVive's expansion into the massive food-service market. Swider, a mechanical engineer, Navy veteran and serial entrepreneur, recounts how seeing plastic waste floating in the middle of the Atlantic helped spark his interest in the mission.

The conversation digs into TerraVive's rapid growth, expanding healthcare applications, commitment to American manufacturing and relentless focus on customer service. The company has doubled its revenue in each of the past two years, tripled it the year before that and now supports more than 1,000 American jobs.

Hit Play to get a:

A fresh look at the plastic problem: Learn why TerraVive believes items used for only a few minutes should not remain in the environment for centuries.

A Pittsburgh-powered growth story: Hear how Keeling's materials-science background and Swider's engineering and business experience combined to accelerate the company.

Made-in-America innovation: Discover why TerraVive rejected advice to outsource overseas and instead built a domestic supply chain designed to create jobs and shorten lead times.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and business ecosystem.