Caffeinated Innovation

Pam and Jenn return to talk look back on the second season of Caffeinated Innovation and a big announcement.

On this episode, we interview two Pennsylvania State Legislators - Dan Frankel (District 23) and Valerie S. Gaydos (District 44). The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to both State Representatives about the Commonwealth's commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and leveraging the region's assets to support economic growth. Innovation Works is the Southwestern Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Technology Partner.

On this episode, we interview Catherine Mott, Founder/Manager of Blue Tree Capital Group and Chairperson of the Innovation Works Board. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Catherine about her experience as an Venture Capitalist and a leader in the local entrepreneurial scene through the establishment of Blue Tree Allied Capital Group, and her commitment to supporting the early stage startups through her volunteer leadership with Innovation Works.

On this episode, we interview Brian Scott, CEO of PittMoss, a company that manufactures revolutionary products from organic, recycled paper. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Brian about his path to entrepreneurship, his work on the BlueTree Allied Angels board, and the future of organic potting soil.

On this episode, we interview Kevin Dowling, CEO of Kaarta, a company that creates 3D models and maps of the real world in real-time. We also interview Dr. Melba Crawford, Associate Dean of Engineering for Research at Purdue University who is an expert in geoscience and remote sensing. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Kevin and Melba about their paths to both entrepreneurship and academia, the startup community, and the future of mobile 3D scan technology.

On this episode, we interview Jim Gibbs, Founder of MeterFeeder, a company providing a low-cost payment and enforcement solution for small to mid-sized governments. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Jim about his path to entrepreneurship, his work supporting future entrepreneurs, and the future of transportation.

On this episode, we interview Kenya Boswell from BNY Mellon, Cara Jones from Marinus Analytics, and Erica Friedman from Innovation Works to talk about the UpPrize Social Innovation Competition. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to these guests about their paths to social innovation, the UpPrize application and the future of impactful technology. Head to https://www.f6s.com/upprizeinnovationchallenge/apply to apply to the UpPrize Competition.

On this episode, we interview Ryan Bove, Co-founder of Aurochs Brewing, a company brewing naturally gluten free beers from great tasting, naturally gluten free ingredients at their dedicated gluten free brewery. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Ryan about his path to entrepreneurship, the AlphaLab program, and the future of gluten free beer.

On this episode, we interview Brian Gaudio, CEO & Co-founder of Module a company designing module homes to adapt with their customer's changing needs. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Brian about his path to entrepreneurship, the AlphaLab Gear program, and the future of housing.

On this episode, we interview Terri Butler, IW’s Corporate Innovation Executive and Chris Martin, Director of R+D Intelligence and Secure IoT at Bosch. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Terri and Chris about their career paths, why Pittsburgh is a perfect place for tech, and the future of collaboration between startups and corporations.

On this episode, we interview Courtney Williamson, CEO & founder of AbiliLife, a company engineering products to improve the quality of life for neurodegenerative and elderly patients. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talk to Courtney about her path to entrepreneurship, the AlphaLab Gear program, and the future of the medical device market.

This was a live interview of Caffeinated Innovation at the Inclusive Innovation Summit 2019 where we interviewed four startup founders from different sectors and stages about their experiences starting and growing a startup here in southwestern Pennsylvania and how they work to make their companies inclusive. Our panel includes Emily Wazlak, Founder of Shine Registry, Anne Lopez, Co-Founder & COO of Loopla, George Cook, CEO & Founder of Honeycomb Credit, and Clarence Carlos, CEO of RC21X.

We interviewed Clara Sieg, partner at Revolution Ventures, a VC firm investing in people & ideas that can change the world. The Caffeinated Innovation co-hosts, Pam Eichenbaum and Jenn Van Dam talked to Clara about investing in startups, managing a $200 M fund and advice for entrepreneurs.

On this bonus episode of season one, Co-hosts, Jenn Van Dam and Pam Eichenbaum recap the season, their holiday plans, and share more about who they are and their roles at Innovation Works. Happy listening!

On episode eight of season one, we talk to Patrick Paul and Steven Welles of Ikos & Dave Lishego, IW's Senior Investment Associate. Founded in Pittsburgh in 2015, Ikos is passionate about simplifying the rental process for both landlords and tenants. Currently operating in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Columbus, Baltimore, Chicago, Milwaukee, Nashville, and Washington DC, they’re quickly expanding to new rental markets. Happy listening!

On episode seven of season one, we talk to Priya Amin of Flexable and Aaron Tainter, AlphaLab Program Manager. Flexable provides pop up childcare at professional & personal events, offices, retail stores and more! Their Flexable Certified Caregivers go through a 6-point vetting process, guaranteeing safety and security. Simply fill out a form, and they take care of the rest. Happy listening!

On episode six of season one, we talk to Brad Kriel of Velocity Robotics and Leah Simoncelli, AlphaLab Gear Coordinator. Veolicty is creating the internet of power tools. Based in Pittsburgh, PA they bridge practical fabrication needs with high-tech solutions. Happy listening!

On episode five of season one, we talk to Kevin Kelly of Rhabit and Desmond O'Connor, a former Executive in Residence at IW (Des is now COOat AKM Productions). Rhabit translates your company's values and strategic priorities into actionable behaviors for each employee role. Rhabit uses this cultural framework to align talent to your most critical initiatives in a positive, sustainable way. Happy listening!

On episode four of season one, we talk to Tamiah Bridgett of Diversamé and Ashley Lopez, IW's Associate Executive in Residence. Diversamé creates tools with natural/afro textured, coiled and curly hair textures at the center of design. Happy listening!

On episode three of season one, we talk to Dick Zhang of Identified Technologies and Ilana Diamond, IW's Managing Director of Hardware and AlphaLab Gear. Industrial leaders use Identified Technologies' managed commercial drone solution to improve project tracking and team productivity. Happy listening!

On episode two of season one we talk to Jill Grunst and Jan Lehigh of Alpine Packaging and Afshan Khan, an EIR at IW. Alpine Packaging is a family run label printing company innovating to keep up with today's technology advancements. Happy listening!

On episode one of season one we talk to Ellen Saksen a co-founder of Go Jane Go and Jeff McDaniel, an EIR at IW. Go Jane Go's tight-knit community is made up of women who are dynamic, ready to spend, and eager to know the business travel industry cares about their needs. Go Jane Go galvanizes a new sector of discerning, pragmatic professionals to get the specific products and level of service they deserve on the road. Happy listening!