Ingrid Cook is one of the Pittsburgh region's most energetic and creative tech company founders. From as far back as she remember, she always wanted to start and run her own company.     SHzoom is the original inventors of “Snap A Pic, Get A Quote,” for your minor fender bender!  We now use our patented system to sell up-time to organizations with large fleets of vehicles. Whether it’s a crash, OEM recall, or regular maintenance, its electronic repair management system with automated crash reporting destroys downtime problems by cutting the repair process in half!    

TechVibe Radio

Pittsburgh Founders: Ingrid Cook

 Eaton’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. We welcome Eaton's Brian Brickhouse, President of the Americas Region, Electrical Sector, to overview Eaton’s electrical business across North, South and Central America. He oversees overall sales, manufacturing operations, marketing, innovation and product development in those regions.  Eaton provides sustainable solutions that manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power – more safely, more efficiently and more reliably. Eaton’s 2020 revenues were $17.9 billion, and it sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. 

Business as Usual Talks to Eaton Electrical Sector President Brian Brickhouse

As air travel begins to rebound and work gets underway on the $1.4 billion Terminal Modernization Program (TMP), Pittsburgh International Airport is buzzing with news and activity. We welcome Christina Cassotis, CEO of Allegheny County Airport Authority, to Business as Usual to provide us updates on new flights, cargo service, passenger numbers and the TMP. In March, the airlines agreed to fund $182 million in construction site prep work for the TMP, an effort to build a new 700,000-square-foot terminal that consolidates ticketing, security checkpoints and baggage claim, and multi-modal complex that includes a new parking garage, rental car facilities and entrance roadways designed to improve the passenger experience. Pittsburgh International Airport is one of our region's most important resources to drive growth and innovation. Join us for what will be an informative and engaging conversation.

Airport Authority CEO Provides Terminal Modernization Project Update and More

Penn United is a high precision manufacturing solutions provider, headquartered in Cabot, PA since 1971. Hear from Charlie Phillips and Tom Pomorski about Penn United's vast array of solutions and new technologies like additive manufacturing that are leading the way toward another 50 years. Penn United's main market segments served include Medical, Fluid Handling. Defense & Aerospace, Energy, Oil & Gas, Electronics & Telecom, Automotive, as well as others requiring high precision manufacturing expertise. Certified to ISO-9001 and ISO-14001, Penn United provides: Design for Manufacturing, Die Simulation Services, Prototyping, Additive Manufacturing, Tooling, High Precision Stamping Dies, Precision Grinding, Precision Machining, Metal Stamping, Assembly, Automated Equipment, Reel-to-Reel Plating, Metal Finishing Services, Carbide Manufacturing, Tungsten & Silicon Carbide, Carbide & Metal Assemblies, Parker Majestic Grinders, and Manufacturing Training.

One Mic Stand: Penn United Technologies Celebrates 50 Years!

If there is a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would have to be the accelerated adoption of telehealth technologies to bring quality health care to more people. TechVibe talks to Highmark Health's Laura Messineo to discuss key uses and trends in telelhealth. Logos-E Founder Carole Sumner Krechman is apt to go down in history as the oldest woman to receive a technology. At 80 years young, learn how her patent creates a foundational change in how we communicate, delivering video to any cell phone on demand.  

TVR 5/1/2021: Logos-E and Highmark Health

We continue our exploration of venture capital activity in the Pittsburgh region today at noon as we welcome Diane Sterthous, Venture Capital Advisor - PA Department of Community and Economic Development. Diane will detail how the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Venture Investment Program (VIP) is addressing the financing needs of technology-oriented businesses by increasing the amount of available risk capital. VIP has invested more than $100 million in venture capital funds having recently put $5 million into three state venture capital funds, including 412 Venture Fund. Join us to learn about this and more efforts to increase available capital to our tech startups.

PA DCED Venture Capital Advisor Joins Business as Usual

Leadership Pittsburgh is the foremost multi-disciplinary leadership identification, enrichment and networking organization in southwestern Pennsylvania dedicated to developing a robust pipeline of diverse civic leaders to serve the region. We are thrilled to welcome Aradhna Malhorta Oliphant, President and CEO of Leadership Pittsburgh, to overview the organization and how it prepares our present and future leaders. Deeply committed to community building, Aradhna is actively engaged with the academic, public policy, corporate and nonprofit sectors. Leadership Pittsburgh applications for the 2021-2022 cohort are due the first Friday in June for the class that starts in September. Get more details on application requirements and join us for what promises to be a lively and engaging conversation.

Leadership Pittsburgh's Aradhna Oliphant Goes Live on Business as Usual

Fresh from raising two funds capitalized with more than $650 million, Drive Capital Partner Masha Khusid goes live today to talk about their interests in start-ups from Midwest America.   Based out of Columbus Ohio, Drive Capital is one of the world's most dynamic venture capital firms with investments in Pittsburgh tech companies, including  Gecko Robotics and Duolingo. Masha will give us more insight into what types of companies that Drive likes to make investments. She will also detail criteria and insights every startup needs to know as it begins searching for outside investment. And, find out why Drive Capital thinks the midwest is a hotbed for innovation.

Drive Capital Partner Masha Khusid Goes Live on Business as Usual

With Spring in full bloom, everyone's starting to think about their gardens, flowers and warmer weather to come. We welcome PittMoss CEO Brian Scott back to Business as Usual to talk about the many ways his environmentally friendly potting soil creates a lot of green. PittMoss calculates that in 2020, its products prevented 81,111 cubic feet of peat moss from being extracted, which equates to the reduction of 811.11 metric tons of C02 emissions. Annually, PittMoss gives each customer an Environmental Savings Certificate, which displays their calculation and certifies a specific number of metric tons of C02 emissions they’ve avoided that year.   Plus, with its new funding campaign on Republic, small investors can put a little bit of their "green" into the PittMoss to help make it grow.

Planting Season is Here! PittMoss Makes it Greener on Many Levels

Forest Devices is the creator of ALPHASTROKE, the first stroke and Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) detection device that can  be used by first responders to triage patients directly to the right hospital. By re-purposing established technology, Forest Device's team is developing a novel and objective stroke detection method. It would enable early and fast triage so stroke patients go to the appropriate level of care. The gold-standard of treatments are time-limited and early interventions increase effectiveness. With missed interventions annually due to inadequate stroke detection and triage, we are determined to become the new standard of care. On the eve of the company's sixth anniversary, Founder Matt Kesinger tells us about a clinical trial being started in Canada and how the device is gaining traction across Europe.

One Mic Stand: Matt Kesinger of Forest Devices

We've all used the words klutz, schmooze, mensch, nosh and tcotchke in our everyday conversations. But, do you know where they come from? They're all Yiddish! Today, we are excited to welcome Myra Awodey, Senior Community Manager at Duolingo, to talk about the launch of Yiddish to the world's top language learning app. Yiddish is a language used by Jewish people in central and eastern Europe before the Holocaust. It was originally a German dialect with words from Hebrew and several modern languages and is today spoken mainly in the U.S., Israel and Russia. Find out why it was important to add Yiddish to Duolingo and how you can learn the language, too!

Gevaldig! Duolingo Adds Yiddish to Its Language Catalog

Pennsylvania House Bill 952, establishes a sales and use tax exemption for certain equipment purchased by data centers and their tenants. The proposal is similar to sales tax exemptions for other industries in the state such as dairying, farming, manufacturing and mining. Today, we welcome the bill's sponsor Majority Whip Donna Oberlander (D-63) along with Jonathan H. Rosenson, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer at Expedient, and Scott Gracie, Vice President at Etzel Engineer and Build, to detail the importance and impact of this legislation on Pittsburgh's tech ecosystem. This tax exemption will provide an additional incentive for companies to locate their data centers in Pennsylvania, rather than surrounding states. Join us for more information and details on this legislation.

Majority Whip Donna Oberlander Details PA Data Center Legislation

  Technology will be the main driver taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike well into the future as one of the Commonwealth's most vital transportation routes. Today, we will welcome Bob Taylor, CTO of the PA Turnpike Commission (PTC), to detail key technologies being deployed to make the Turnpike safer and more efficient. Bob oversees Information Technology at the PTC and is responsible for the use of technology and innovation to improve safety and mobility, as well as to enable and modernize business operations. With a $426 million budget and more than 1,800 employees, the PTC also operates the James E. Ross Highway, Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass, Mon/Fayette Expressway and Pittsburgh's Southern Beltway, the latter two of which are currently under construction.

PA Turnpike Commission CTO Bob Taylor Goes Live on Business as Usual

Most people in Pittsburgh's tech ecosystem know Denise DeSimone as a serial tech entrepreneur and Founder/CEO of C-Leveled. She also runs Pittsburgh's iconic Steel City Con -- the exclusive Comic Con of the Monroeville Convention Center. Join us today for Business as Usual as Denise gives us all of the details of this year's event on June 11-13. At the Steel City Con, you can meet TV and film celebrities along with celebrity Q & A’s, panels, celebrity photo ops and the Artist Charity Quick Sketch. Denise will overview how Steel City Con is ensuring participants' safety while maintaining in-person fun and engagement as they prepare to meet with the likes of Star Trek's William Shatner, Saturday Night Live's John Lovitz and dozens of other pop culture stars.

Business as Usual Explores Steel City Con with Denise DeSimone

Our conversation with ANSYS's Sameer Kher about its Digital Twin capabilities will blow your mind! Learn how ANSYS Twin Builder is an open solution that allows engineers to create simulation-based digital twins of practically anything. Possibly even humans! ​If that's not enough, find out how BCM One provides comprehensive, managed technology solutions to help businesses streamline their network to make communications, collaboration and connectivity simple and cost-effective.  

TVR 4/24/2021: ANSYS and BCM One

So what does Miami, Fla., have in common with Pittsburgh you might be asking? Quite a bit when it comes to building a competitive technology and innovation ecosystem! We are excited to welcome City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez to Business as Usual today to tell us more about his strategies to attract and grow tech businesses. He will also detail what is driving growth in Miami's tech ecosystem and how COVID-19 made an impact. Join us to discover some of the innovative policies and incentives being deployed to make Miami a top choice for tech. It's more than just great weather and beaches as an attraction!

The Mayor of Miami, Florida, Goes Live on Business as Usual

Podcasts from TechVibe Radio, now on KDKA 1020 AM every Wednesday at 7 PM. The Pittsburgh Technology Council's Audrey Russo and Jonathan Kersting interview Pittsburgh's most dynamic technology companies and entrepreneurs.