Vote for Adam to be Thought Leader of the Year: https://technical.ly/vote

Globally, we waste a billion tons of food every single year. That's equivalent to 30-40% of the US food supply, and $1 trillion of economic value thrown in the trash.

But what if the solution isn't just about "eating your vegetables," but about treating trash like data?

On this episode of Thought Liters, Adam sits down with Nolan Sulpizio, founder of Clean Plate Innovations, to discuss how he is using machine learning to solve this gluttonous problem.

Over a flight of Pittsburgh’s finest, they pour over:

• The "Butterfly Effect" of throwing away a single burger.
• How a brutal critique at a pitch competition forced a pivot from "gamification" to "data is dollars".
• Why "AI" might just be a buzzword, and how actual Machine Learning differs.
• The future of food waste regulations and corporate responsibility.

00:00 - The 1 Billion Ton Problem

02:46 - The Butterfly Effect of Wasting Food

07:23 - From the "Bee Crisis" to Entrepreneurship

12:26 - Creating a Business in 4 Days (Startup Weekend)

16:58 - The Pitch Competition: "Where's the Money?"

23:28 - The Pivot: Why Data is the New Oil

31:32 - How Clean Plate Technology Actually Works

33:23 - Why He Says "AI" Isn't Real (The Emissions Problem)

39:15 - The Future: $10,000 Fines and Regulations

45:49 - Building a Startup in Pittsburgh

49:49 - Can Tech Solve a Human Problem?

#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtliters

WHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?

Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.

The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.

The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.

If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

Vote for Adam to be Thought Leader of the Year: https://technical.ly/vote

Today: Prisoners get 2 hours of outdoor time a day. Kids get less than 7 minutes. How did we get here? And how do we fix it?

In this episode of Thought Liters, Adam Conner shares a flight with Ketaki Desai, CEO of Dashstrom, to break down the crisis of "safetyism" and the loss of play. From the psychological impacts of over-parenting to the science of neuroplasticity, we explore how to rewire the next generation for resilience.

We discuss why kids are more anxious than ever, the "growth mindset" methodology, and why confidence only comes from doing hard things—whether that's on the playground or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

About Dashstrom: Dashstrom builds resilience and confidence in kids through a unique curriculum of physical challenges and empowerment principles.

This episode is part of our Six Pack mini-series with Innovation Works, spotlighting the founders and leaders building Pittsburgh's future.

00:00 Trailer: Prisoners vs. Kids

01:04 The Death of "Go Out and Play"

02:11 Why Parents Became Overprotective (Safetyism)

06:42 The Prisoner Statistic (20x More Playtime)

09:46 Ketaki’s Story: Growing Up Below the Poverty Line

15:40 Neuroplasticity & The Growth Mindset

18:34 The Dashstrom Origin: From "Smoking Pot" to Iron Man

24:18 The "Negative Thoughts" Game

27:58 The Crisis: Suicide Stats & Screen Addiction

32:20 Expanding the Vision to Pittsburgh Schools

37:23 The Summit: Climbing Kilimanjaro at -60°C

41:22 Advice for Founders: Focus on the Shoes

45:45 Outro & Cheers

#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtliters

WHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?

Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.

The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.

The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.

If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

Pittsburgh's tech scene is booming, but a fatal flaw is holding it back. Only $0.02 of every dollar invested in the city comes from within it.

So, what's the fix?

To find out, Adam shares a flight of Pittsburgh's finest craft beers with Ven Raju, CEO of Innovation Works , one of the nation's most active early-stage investors. Ven lays out the exact blueprint for the "flywheel" : a strategy to close the 2% capital gap , create more unicorns , and turn this underdog city into a self-sustaining economic powerhouse.

This episode kicks off our special Six Pack mini-series with Innovation Works, spotlighting the founders and leaders building Pittsburgh's future.

00:00 The $1.89 Billion Problem Holding Pittsburgh Back

01:32 Meet Ven Raju

02:20 Pittsburgh's "Perfect Confluence" of Strengths

05:08 Why Ven Raju Came to Pittsburgh

09:03 The Flywheel Problem: Pittsburgh's 2% Crisis

12:16 Why Resident Capital is The Key to The Flywheel

14:52 Why Does Local Investment Lag Behind Nashville & Raleigh?

17:10 Pouncing on University Talent

21:35 The Grander Vision: How to Manufacture Unicorns

24:55 The Next Wave: Cross-Pollinating AI, Robotics & Life Science

29:17 The 3-Year Outlook: A $10 Billion Future?

32:03 Ven's #1 Advice for Founders (Problem vs. Tools)

34:35 Kicking Off the Innovation Works Mini-Series

#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtliters

WHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?

Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.

The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.

The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.

If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

What is the price of a purpose-driven life? For over a decade, Jordan Corcoran has been a leading voice in youth mental health, building the nationwide movement "Listen, Lucy" from her own personal trauma. But what happens when the story that defines you also begins to trap you?In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Jordan shares the brutal truth about her entrepreneurial journey. She reveals the "unhealthy work ethic" and "touch of delusion" it took to survive a seven-year grind before seeing success. Jordan details the devastating moment she lost everything overnight during the pandemic and the resilience it took to pivot and build her second successful company, The Corcoran Collective, from the ashes.This is a receipt of the unspoken cost of being a founder, the courage it takes to step back from the very mission that defines you, and how to evolve beyond your origin story without losing the purpose that drives you.00:00 Is Having a Purpose Worth the Pain?01:02 Pittsburgh Pale01:27 Welcome to Pittsburgh02:22 Firehouse Red02:28 What Fires You Up? (The Good Way)04:50 What Fires You Up? (The Bad Way)05:43 Who is Lucy?08:57 The Birth of the Corcoran Collective11:26 Helltown DVE Rocks12:22 The Impact of Listen, Lucy15:36 Evolving Beyond the Origin Story18:25 Cobra Toes19:10 How to Survive the Entrepreneurial Grind26:22 Erie's Railbender26:42 The Future of Mental Health in America31:20 Weizen Up32:28 Wising Up the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs35:48 How to Connect with Jordan#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that, inspired by Hot Ones and Chicken Shop Date and Sundae Conversation and Hart to Heart and a laundry list of others.Because if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

Jim Gibbs, CEO of Meter Feeder, pops the top to talk legacy, problem-solving, and advice for future entrepreneurs.

Today we fizz over the following:-- Jim's beginnings, including coding his own video games-- The $100M parking problem you didn't know existed-- What puts Jim in a pickle-- Taking inspiration from Carnegie to solve conflict-- What Jim would pursue if he weren't CEO of Meter Feeder-- Advice for the next thought leader00:00 Intro: Parking Sucks & A CEO Who Wants to Be Forgotten 00:30 First Chapter: Jim Gibbs' Origin Story 01:15 Root Beer & Roots: Coding Games Since '77 03:07 The Meter Feeder Pitch: Solving the $100M Parking Problem 05:09 Ten Years in Tech: The CEO Who Wants to Be Forgotten 06:32 Pickle Pop Challenge: The High-Ranking Ticket Scandal 09:53 Sarsaparilla & Strategy: Buses with Cameras & $33K Hidden Tickets 13:42 Co-Founder Conflict: "I Can Make You More Money!" 14:34 Ketchup Soda & Killing Your Creations: A "Back of the Bar Napkin" Idea 17:00 Cherry Supreme Wisdom: Jim's Unfiltered Advice for Entrepreneurs 20:32 Final Cheers & Where to Find Jim Gibbs

WHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that, inspired by Hot Ones and Chicken Shop Date and Sundae Conversation and Hart to Heart and a laundry list of others.Think, Hot Ones for entrepreneurs, or business. That's what he's going for.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

Kloopify founder Daniela Osio takes flight to share how she's saving the planet via sustainable procurement (and, explains what all those buzzwords mean).Daniela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielaosio/Kloopify: https://www.kloopify.com/Today we pour over:-- Daniela's family inspiration for becoming an entrepreneur-- The one-woman DuPont wrecking ball-- The story of Kloopify-- Getting punched in the face by NO-- The roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship-- How Daniela builds teams, and her favorite people-- Last Call: advice to tomorrow's entrepreneur#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that, inspired by Hot Ones and Chicken Shop Date and Sundae Conversation and Hart to Heart and a laundry list of others.Think, Hot Ones for entrepreneurs, or business. That's what he's going for.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

AJ Lewis (CEO, Sphere Brake Defense) invented the spherical braking system for vehicles. Today, he stops by to tell the full story.Thank you to the Allegheny HYP Club for hosting us!Today we pour over:-- The idea for a sphere braking system-- AJ's journey from the Army to civilian life, and from soldier to vendor-- Why sphere brakes are so revolutionary for any automobile-- The future of the auto industry-- as always, advice for today's entrepreneur#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that, inspired by Hot Ones and Chicken Shop Date and Sundae Conversation and Hart to Heart and a laundry list of others.Think, Hot Ones for entrepreneurs, or business. That's what he's going for.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

In which we expose the brutal truths of entrepreneurship and our guest's (Jordan Herbert, founder of DealMate) ultimate mistake.Today we pour over::-- Jordan's early days of sales + lessons learned-- How to run a business and have a family at the same time-- How to Learn, the EMAR Way-- The Biggest Early Mistake Entrepreneurs Make-- How to Stay Resilient through Sour Times

#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that, inspired by Hot Ones and Chicken Shop Date and Sundae Conversation and Hart to Heart and a laundry list of others.Think, Hot Ones for entrepreneurs, or business. That's what he's going for.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

You've heard of companies having boards of advisors. Today, our guest Pete Schramm (Lattitude) shows us how to build one for ourselves.Today, we pour over:-- Pete's "Farm to Founder" background-- What is a Personal Board of Advisors?-- How Do I Build My Own Board of Advisors?-- How Do I Ask Someone to Be My Mentor?Link to the Pathfinders book: https://www.amazon.com/Pathfinders-Navigating-Career-Personal-Advisors-ebook/dp/B0CNGB23C6Pete's in-depth material on the Personal Board of Advisors: https://golattitude.com/personal-advisors/#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that, inspired by Hot Ones and Chicken Shop Date and Sundae Conversation and Hart to Heart and a laundry list of others.Think, Hot Ones for entrepreneurs, or business. That's what he's going for.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.

Jeff Lizik, ecommerce expert and CEO of RedShift Digital Marketing, joins Thought Liters to discuss AI in ecommerce.We pour over the following topics:-- Jeff's early days of internet marketing, including becoming the second largest paintball retailer in the world and a curious affiliate site success-- AI as today's online wild wild west-- How to use AI the right way-- Can AI really replace humans?-- Content as the most commoditized, yet most important, piece of marketing today-- Jeff's self reflections on the phrase "The riches are in the niches"-- Advice to the brand builders of tomorrow-- Cute puppy cameo if you watch until the end#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that, inspired by Hot Ones and Chicken Shop Date and Sundae Conversation and Hart to Heart and a laundry list of others.Think, Hot Ones for entrepreneurs, or business. That's what he's going for.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.