Podcasts about one mic stand

Have you ever considered the hidden challenges behind designing safe, cutting-edge lab spaces that drive groundbreaking research? In a world where scientific discoveries are accelerating, ensuring the safety and functionality of lab environments is more crucial than ever. If you're involved in lab design, public health or scientific research, understanding the intricacies of creating secure and efficient lab spaces is essential to your success. Julianne L. Baron, Ph.D., CPH, RBP, founded Science and Safety Consulting, LLC (S&SC) as a consulting firm that specializes in biosafety, biorisk management, public health, emergency preparedness and scientific communication. She also specializes in lab design. She steps up to the One Mic Stand so you can learn: How specialized expertise can prevent costly design errors and enhance the safety of lab spaces. Discover the importance of aligning lab design with future research needs and how to create adaptable workspaces. Gain insights into the evolving trends in lab aesthetics, making spaces more inviting and conducive to collaboration. Don't miss out on expert advice that could revolutionize your lab design—listen to this episode now to ensure your lab spaces are safe, functional, and future-ready!

Hong Kong is one of the most vibrant cities in the world and a renowned center for business and technology. Invest HK wants to help you and your business connect to opportunities in Hong Kong and can help you every step of the way. Ranjit Unnithan steps up to the One Mic Stand to discuss the role of Invest Hong Kong in facilitating international expansion for U.S. tech companies, highlighting Hong Kong's advantages as a springboard for growth.  Ranjit explains his organization's support for tech companies in navigating Hong Kong's business ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of personalized insights and resources. He provides valuable insights on attending events like Start Me Up and Hong Kong FinTech Week to connect with relevant stakeholders, highlighting the city's vibrant culture and activities outside of business. Learn more and connect with Ranjit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranjit-unnithan23/

Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd. started in 1980 in the basement of a monastery where Founder Brian Joseph rebuilt a scanning electron microscope and never looked back.  Hear Brian tell the story of how he built Touchstone Research Laboratory into a world-class research facility in Triadelphia, WVa., that has earned a reputation as a leading research center known for taking new technologies from ideation to commercialization. Discover how CFOAM is one of Touchstone Research Laboratory's most success spin-out companies that was sold to Consol. Made from coal, CFOAM carbon foam is designed to meet growing demand for ultra-high performance engineering materials in the military, industrial, aerospace and commercial product markets.  Brian and his growing team keep the innovation pedal slammed to the metal with ventures that include Touchstone Testing Laboratory, a joint venture that performs various testing, such as failure analysis and materials testing; and Touchstone Advanced Composites, a manufacturer of tools (molds) for next-generation aircraft and rocket parts. 

eLoop CEO Ned Eldridge is all about pushing the boundaries of technology to make electronics recycling more sustainable. Ned steps up tot he One Mic Stand to share eLoop's approach to handling toxic materials like mercury in flat panel TVs and its collaborations with Carnegie Mellon University and Covestro to develop pilot programs for recycling ABS plastic from electronic waste. ELoop is using custom-built robots to disassemble flat panel displays and is finding ways to create closed loop systems for indium and plastics so they can be reused and not discarded in landfills. As a DEP permitted e-waste recycling facility, eLoop, believes in landfill diversion and auditable environmental compliance. eLoop has a completely transparent chain-of-custody and provides our customers with the most efficient, secure and sustainable solution available for IT assets and universal waste streams.  Learn more at eloopllc.com.

No doubt about it, we have a very real need for speed...especially when it comes to powering our business networks. After introducing residential speed increases for Xfinity customers in the Pittsburgh region earlier this year, Comcast Business is also offering speed boosts to small business customers in the area at no additional cost. This is huge for local companies, many of whom rely on Comcast Business for innovative solutions that help to power their operations. But that's not all that's new with Comcast Business!  Joining us for the One Mic Stand podcast is Melissa Hychalk, Senior Manager, Small & Medium Businesses, for Comcast Business in the Keystone Region. Today we're talking about the importance of network innovation, how mobile is playing a key part for small businesses, and why speed makes all the difference.

Moreland Connect's Paul Franke steps up to the One Mic Stand to detail the company's unique approach to helping its clients tap into the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Paul recognizes how organizations often find themselves paralyzed by the sheer number of options when it comes to leveraging AI, unsure of where to focus or which tools are best. Instead of spending their time trying to identify the perfect use case or the ideal tools, Moreland Connect's roadmap is designed to guide your organization through a successful pilot and lay down the essential groundwork to implement Generative AI tools throughout their enterprise efficiently. Plus, Paul details Moreland Connect's out-of-this-world tech team, having fun at work and building closer ties to the Pittsburgh region. In the meantime, get your AI Playbook right here https://morelandconnect.com/ai-solutions/.

“How do we include more kids than ever in coding and robotics?” This was the question Kelsey Derringer and Matt Chilbert asked when they formed CodeJoy in 2019. They imagined a program where learners feel welcome, experience success and interact with real robots from anywhere in the world. Pittsburgh-based CodeJoy is an educational media company that produces a live, interactive TV show for students in the classroom, during which students learn to code, and then watch as the code they write controls the cardboard robot characters of the show live. CodeJoy also supports this with virtual teacher professional development. CodeJoy has served more than 10,000 teachers and 50,000 students nationally and internationally. Kelsey and Matt step up to the One Mic Stand to talk about their passion of educating children everywhere and how starting it in Pittsburgh has made all of the difference.  

As the founder of PS Solutions, Joe Morelli thrives on building relationships and establishing its reputation as a top IT/Software Dev Shop in the country. Joe steps up to the One Mic Stand to tell us about his intriguing journey in tech that goes back to being an aspiring programmer in highschool to founding PS Solutions 15 years ago. Headquartered in Altoona, Pa., PS Solutions has offices in Pittsburgh and Wilmington, NC. Listen and learn about PS Solutions' creative approach to solving companies' software and technology problems and how Joe envisions a secure future through U.S.-based technology development and support. Plus, Joe talks about some of the company's community-oriented projects addressing first responders and suicide prevention and the PS Solutions Foundation to get more women and young people interested in tech careers. Learn more at www.pssolutions.net

It might be one of the Pittsburgh region's best-kept secrets, but not for long. You can gain new, in-demand technical skills and focus on real-world applications with a Master of Science in Computer Science degree from Duquesne University. Duquesne's Dr. Jeff Jackson, Graduate Director and Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, and David Berdik, Instructor Computer Science, step up to the One Mic Stand Podcast to detail how you can unlock a world of possibilities with a program built to help working professionals and recent graduates with bachelor's degrees excel in their careers and make meaningful contributions to the industry.  The Master of Science in Computer Science program at Duquesne University offers a comprehensive education in computing, focusing on current research areas, with opportunities for involvement in faculty research projects and publications, and without comprehensive examinations. The program offers: Part-time and full-time enrollment available Non-thesis program No GRE required, unless seeking an assistantship Competitive tuition rate Applications due July 1 for Fall 2024 start. Learn more here.  

Razi Iman, Anupam Singh and Jenna Kerr of 113 Industries step up to the One Mic Stand for a candid discussion on moving to a 32-hour, four-day work week. They discuss the need for flexibility and work-life balance and the potential benefits of increased productivity and employee satisfaction with a shorter work week.  To unlock a shorter work week there were numerous obstacles to overcome, including communication with customers, ensuring cultural alignment and bucking the current system of higher wages for more hours worked. More than six months into the new work schedule, 113 Industries is happy with the switch. Listen and learn how your company could do the same thing. 113 Industries is an AI Based Product and Market Innovation company for CPG, Healthcare and Consumer Electronics. It's a group of self-professed data nerds, and proud geeks. It has come together to solve the product innovation and product commercialization challenges faced by companies. To learn more or get in touch with 113 Industries, visit 113industries.com.

Manoj Mishra of CGI's Pittsburgh office steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about some of the big picture trends around the business impact of artificial intelligence. Manoj is a nationally recognized expert and thought leader on the business adoption of AI and discusses: AI adoption and its impact on jobs. (2:49) AI's impact on content creation, including legal challenges. (7:52) AI-generated content, its potential impact on society, and the future of customer service. (10:47) AI ethics and responsible use in Pittsburgh. (16:23) Listen, learn and have a little fun riding the wave of AI transformation in business!

    Advancing standards and technology products since 2004, Johnstown-based Problem Solutions' deep experience shows us that the place where the physical and digital intersect has the largest ability to impact the world in positive ways. With Mike Hruska at the helm, Problem Solutions has stayed committed to accelerating technology and strategies that drive real results. Mike steps up to the One Mic Stand with Brooks Canavesi to talk about its first product SaleSage. SaleSage was orginally developed as an inhouse tool bring the power of AI to make Problem Solutions' sales proceses streamlined and more robust. As SalesSage was demoed to a few current customers/partners they witnessed firsthand the power of the technology and became customers of the product. It didn't take long for Mike and the team turn it into its first product available to every business. Listen and learn how SaleSage is empowering sales efforts and effectiveness. Learn more at https://salesage.ai/.

Small business owners know better than anyone the importance of being flexible to meet the needs of their customers. Whether meeting with clients in the office or out in the field, working remotely, or-on-the go, constant connectivity and collaboration is more important than ever before. So, what does this mean for small businesses?     Connections matter, but it's not just about networking with the right people. Success depends on having the right technology that lets businesses seamlessly connect with customers, suppliers, and employees.     To offer guidance to our local small businesses here in Pittsburgh this National Small Business Week (April 28 - May 4, 2024), Vedran Ruzic, Director, Comcast Business, Keystone, steps up to the One Mic Stand to detail  steps every small business owner should follow to ensure they are creating the right connections – and giving their business the best chance to succeed.   Want to learn more? Keep reading below!      Step 1: Get Online  The first step for most small businesses is to simply to set up an Internet connection. The specific connectivity needs—such as the amount of bandwidth or mobile solutions—will vary from business to business. For instance, a small office with a handful of employees likely has very different bandwidth and connection needs than a 100-seat restaurant with a state-of-the-art point-of-sale (POS) system and a robust Wi-Fi network for its patrons to peruse while dining.    Step 2: Add More Layers of Technology  A speedy and reliable Internet connection can help support a broad range of powerful, business-grade technology tools that can give companies insights into how to run their business more efficiently.    For example, a retailer might use Wi-Fi-enabled data analytics tools to understand customer foot traffic patterns in brick-and-mortar store locations. This can provide insights into peak traffic periods and areas of interest to consumers within the store while also enabling the retailer to make smarter decisions around everything from staffing to inventory management.    Step 3: Lock up Critical Data  Data security should always be a top focus. After all, it's not just big companies fraudsters are targeting. According to the 2023 Comcast Business Small Business Cybersecurity Report, the company blocked more than 390 million phishing attacks targeting small businesses in the second quarter of 2023.      As a first line of defense, small businesses should make sure their Internet provider offers security solutions that help protect devices on the network from threats like malware, phishing scams, ransomware, and botnet attacks. And don't forget about mobile devices and smartphones both of which can present a security risk that should be factored into the overall cybersecurity plan.    Step 4: Leave Room for Growth  As small businesses grow, expand, and enter new markets, they need a technology infrastructure that can keep pace. That's why businesses need to ensure the technology they choose is flexible and compatible across multiple locations and can be monitored centrally. The right connectivity partner can help manage that growth, whether for a restaurant with multiple locations or a company with a broadly distributed workforce.    Step 5: Select a Strong Mobile Phone Provider   Choosing the best business mobile partner is different than selecting a personal mobile provider. The top factors small businesses should consider include:  ·       Flexibility: A good mobile provider offers flexibility in their plans, allowing small businesses to customize based on their business requirements. That flexibility should extend beyond the original purchase and scale and flex to toggle, mix, and match between unlimited or by-the-gig data options. Importantly, find providers that give more savings as the company grows, with discounts that increase as more lines are added. ·       Device compatibility and availability: A mobile partner should offer a wide range of devices to meet specific technology needs since no two small businesses are the same. Whether the company needs tablets, phones, smart watches, hot spots, or a combination of them all, a good partner can work to select the specific devices that meet individual businesses requirements.     While National Small Business Week is a time to recognize the impactful work of small businesses in the Pittsburgh region, it is also a great time to share resources and knowledge to better support these organizations. By following these steps, small businesses can build the foundation for success now and into the future.   Interested in learning more about how Comcast Business can help businesses across the Pittsburgh area stay connected? Visit Comcast Business - Official Site to learn more.

Donald Racey founded ENGAGE Energy & Industrial Consulting in 2015 and brings the unique ability to guide organizations through large-scale transformation and operational excellence initiatives. Don is the primary architect behind ENGAGE's innovative project implementation approach, and he is a passionate advocate for socially conscious and sustainable business processes. ENGAGE Energy & Industrial Consulting delivers and implements proven practical solutions to improve the financial and operational efficiency of energy and industrial organizations. We are seasoned professionals dedicated to helping energy and industrial companies re-imagine ways to drive value and profitability. By providing deep industry perspective, insightful advice, and continuous support, Don and his team create value out of risk, and show you how to reduce costs, improve productivity and increase profits through our process. In this episode Doin steps up to the One Mic Stand for a primer and resources on ESG. Key takeaways include: Sustainability and environmental practices in the tech industry. (0:01) ESG reporting requirements for companies, with focus on small and mid-sized businesses. (7:31) ESG compliance and federal funding for Appalachian manufacturers. (11:45) ESG practices in business, including the importance of documenting and reporting progress. (16:46) Learn more at https://engageeic.com/.

S&B USA boasts a 75-year history of successfully delivered heavy civil development and construction projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In the past decade, Its growth has allowed it to tackle bigger projects than ever before, and it is currently spearheading two Mega P3 projects: the largest bundled bridge project delivered under a P3 agreement (PennDOT Major Bridges) and the first green-financed, split delivery, large-scale flood protection resiliency P3 (Fargo-Moorhead Flood Diversion Channel). S&B currently operates as the United States entity of its multi-domestic parent company, Shikun & Binui Ltd. With its Pittsburgh presence growing, Haggai Dror and Grant Irvine stepped up to the One Mic Stand to tell us more about S&B's growth and detail some of the amazing construction projects here in Pittsburgh and beyond. Hear Haggai and Grant discuss: Shikun & Binui's history, from infrastructure development in Israel to international expansion. (3:40) Infrastructure growth and projects in Pittsburgh. (11:43) Infrastructure upgrade, sustainability and technology adoption. (14:55) Infrastructure investment and safety upgrades for bridges and ports. (18:19) A significant flood diversion channel project in Fargo, North Dakota. (21:45)

PeopleOne Health aims to set a new standard in healthcare delivery that removes administrative waste and safeguards highly personalized doctor-patient relationships. It combines enhanced primary care, lifestyle coaching, pharmacy consultation and additional support to meet the majority of Americans' typical healthcare needs all for a single monthly fee and no out-of-pocket cost. PeopleOne CEO and CoFounder Jordan Taradash steps up to the One Mic Stand to detail: Disrupting healthcare with a direct pay model. (0:05) Revolutionizing healthcare with personalized, tech-enabled primary care. (5:08) Healthcare economics and self-insurance for employers. (8:36) Primary care health centers offering comprehensive care teams and proactive engagement. (11:53) Healthcare system, data analysis, and preventive care. (16:19) Jordan holds a BS in finance from The Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. His primary role is to drive a positively disruptive vision that meets the needs and goals of all of PeopleOne's stakeholders. "There is a deep and rapidly transforming relationship between organizations and the people who power those organizations. We are here to maximize the value both parties realize in that relationship."

John Santore steps up to the One Mic Stand to tell us Kratos' approach to guide customers through the compliance process every step of the way. Kratos is a seasoned provider of cybersecurity services encompassing compliance and certification, risk management, operations, and engineering. An authorized Third Party Assessment Organization for CMMC (C3PAO) and FedRAMP (3PAO), Kratos provides comprehensive services to facilitate a broad spectrum of compliance requirements. Kratos cybersecurity services support the development and operation of proactive cybersecurity programs, the development of enterprise cloud security strategies, and the establishment of sound and practical information security architectures. With deep roots in Pittsburgh's tech ecosystem going back to the 1990s, John is an industry expert and knows a thing or two about scoring a boxing match. You gotta listen to learn!

SKA Robotics and Hellbender, Inc. are excited to announce that SKA Robotics has opened a new office inside Hellbender's Harmarville, Penn., headquarters as part of a larger strategic partnership. The close collaboration means that customers can now go from idea to working prototype to production-volume manufacturing, all under one roof, with teams that routinely and deeply partner to solve the most complex robotics challenges. The companies aren't new to each other; Hellbender holds a seat on SKA Robotics' advisory board, which is filled by their CEO, Brian Beyer. “Brian is a great human being and an asset to the robotics community. The opportunity to embed and partner more deeply with Hellbender is wonderful,” said SKA Robotics CEO Spencer Krause. “We strive to work with the best. Hellbender is unmatched in computer vision and has a great culture. Their commitment to high-quality robotic manufacturing in the U.S. is closely aligned with our company values.” “Finding strong expertise in mechatronics and field robotics, and the know-how to architect, design, and build robots for harsh and unpredictable environments is a challenge,” said Brian Beyer, Hellbender's CEO. “Having SKA virtually in our back pocket will enable us to more readily serve our customers' need for robotic contract engineering that falls outside of Hellbender's strategic focus.” Customers of both firms will now have access to a wider range of expertise, accelerating innovation and decreasing time to market, all without having to search out yet another team, work to build trust, and learn to collaborate effectively. SKA brings expertise in field robotics from the idea-to-light-manufacturing phases, while Hellbender offers world-class computer vision expertise, an impressive electronics IP portfolio, and high-volume manufacturing capabilities. Colocation fosters even greater cross-pollination between two elite engineering teams.  In other news, SKA also announced today it has changed its name from SKA Custom Robots & Machines to SKA Robotics. This new name firmly codifies the company's focus on robotics rooted in deep expertise and a long history of providing engineering services to the robotics market. “We're drawing a line in the sand,” says Krause. “We're a robotics company first and an engineering services firm second.” About SKA Robotics SKA Robotics is a company based in Pittsburgh with a history of solving difficult robotics engineering problems. The SKA team has worked on robotic construction and mining vehicles, industrial maintenance robots, utility inspection robots, and more. Learn more at www.skarobotics.com. About Hellbender Hellbender is a robotics benefit corporation based in Pittsburgh that creates computer vision solutions for industrial and commercial applications. Hellbender offers products and computer vision as a service (CVaaS) systems for applications in inventory management, street mapping, electric utilities, food service, pharmacies, mobile robotics, and athletics, among others. Learn more at www.hellbender.com.

Zscaler's Chris Louie steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about a veritable buffet of cybersecurity trends. From what's driving the boom in cyber fraud, the latest on ransomware, AI to create new hacks and crazy instances of cars being hacked, press the play button. Zscaler accelerates digital transformation so that customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Zscaler Customer Success Resources: https://customer.zscaler.com/ Fun links to topics Chris discusses on the One Mic Stand: FCC reports $10 billion in US Consumer losses for 2023: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/nationwide-fraud-losses-top-10-billion-2023-ftc-steps-efforts-protect-public US FBI reports $12.5 Billion in losses: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fbi-us-lost-record-125-billion-to-online-crime-in-2023/ What is a pig butchering scam? https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-pig-butchering-scam/ How to spot and avoid online scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam Ransomware gangs agree not to attack healthcare during the global pandemic: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-gangs-to-stop-attacking-health-orgs-during-pandemic/ Ransowmare cripples Chicago children's hospital: https://apnews.com/article/lurie-childrens-chicago-hospital-cyberattack-47faaf1c3bc93f88776c5017864dcb6e Jeff Bezos phone hack: https://www.wired.com/story/bezos-phone-hack-mbs-saudi-arabia/ https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-hacking-ap-top-news-politics-united-nations-2a3bf37ac45d9c8693a84ead9cb95ac3 Apple Lockdown Mode: https://support.apple.com/en-us/105120 Wired reporter drives a Jeep and gets hacked: https://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/ RF Repeater attacks against cars: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/04/crooks-are-stealing-cars-using-previously-unknown-keyless-can-injection-attacks/ Tesla phishing attack: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/mitm-phishing-attack-can-let-attackers-unlock-and-steal-a-tesla/

In celebration of Women's History Month, we're talking with two members of the Keystone Region's Comcast Business team about their careers. Ann Masland, Senior Manager and Angi Mullenax, Manager have a combined 20 years with Comcast and hold critically important roles supporting small, medium, and enterprise businesses. With a culture centered on entrepreneurialism, acting with integrity, respect, and giving back, we'll uncover what makes Comcast a great place to work, walk through Ann and Angi's career journeys, and hear what keeps them engaged every day.

Established in 1995, GDC IT Solutions (GDC) is a Premier IT Service Provider. With offices in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest Regions of the United States, GDC empowers businesses to increase employee productivity, maximize investments and improve operational efficiencies. GDC's Keith Faulkner steps up to the One Mic Stand to detail the essentials of an effective service desk to ensure clients' IT is always up and running. With experienced and certified professionals, GDC delivers services in the areas of application development, data center, 24/7 multilingual service desk, managed IT services, desktop lifecycle management, project management, and business process consulting.

Vet Jobs partners with employers interested in hiring, retaining and upskilling qualified military affiliated talent in order to strengthen and diversify their workforce and our community. Crystal McFadden steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about ways tech employers can access this important and often-forgotten talent pool. Over the past 19 years, Vet Jobs has placed over 97,000 veterans, transitioning military members, National Guard and Reserves, and military spouses, into industry leading & high-earning careers.  Its hiring numbers are verified by a third-party review by Deloitte, via the Call of Duty Endowment.  63,000+ of Vet Jobs candidates have taken and completed our training courses. 

In 2024, it's crucial for businesses to utilize technology as a key to success in the face of uncertainty. From tech advancements to shifts in consumer and employee demand, businesses will continue to be tested in 2024. Aaron Mimran, Vice President of Comcast Business in the Keystone Region, steps up to the One Mic Stand to tell us more about essential technology trends in the year ahead including: · The benefits businesses can experience – such as efficient operations, seamless communication, and scalable expansion – with the right technology infrastructure · The pivotal role technology plays in delivering digital customer experiences · The vital tech solutions to support business growth · And more! To learn more about how Comcast Business can provide businesses with the robust network needed to reinforce their critical technological investments, visit comcastbusiness.com.

Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) and leveraging it for their business. But where do you start? How can make it operational? How can you ensure success? Rob Boros and James Mitchell of Itero Group step up to the One Mic Stand to provide their insights on effective steps to implement AI into your operations. Itero Group empowers its clients to become more optimized, digitally enabled and data-driven. Itero's collective experience across industries helps its private sector clients adopt a mission-focused approach, and helps its Federal partners operate with the efficiency of a private company.

The name may be new, but the company has long been a Pittsburgh staple – as of 2023, GrapeCity is now MESCIUS! The Tech Council's Jonathan Kersting recently spoke with Joe Lininger, Head of Global Marketing at MESCIUS, about the story behind the new name, keeping up with product trends, and potential changes in the Pittsburgh tech industry. Joe says MESIUS is basically the same company; the name change is because of a capital investment that happened in early 2023. Because of that, it's looking forward to some big growth. He expalins that MESCIUS decided to reboot and through that, also rename itself. MESCIUS comes from two Latin words – one meaning harvest and the other meaning social – basically, getting the most out of a social connection. MESCIUS builds components for developers, and we're hoping to build that network and grow our community.

Solutionist SWAG  helps businesses GET NOTICED and STAY REMEMBERED with ad specialties that work. A responsive and consistent resource businesses and marketers trust for products and apparel to get their brand NOTICED and keep their brand REMEMBERED. Dan "The SWAG Man" Galbraith steps up to the One Mic Stand to give you top tips on building an effective and memorable tradeshow booth. Chewck out www.DanTheSwagMan.com / Ideas@Solutionist.biz For more insights.

Method Automation provides full, turnkey solutions for all of your manual business processes. With a staff of qualified professionals and years of experience automating process for commercial and federal customers, Method Automation is ready and able to help your business avoid the pitfalls that will cost you both time and money. Methos Automation Founder Paul Konieczny steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about what's driving growth for the New Kensington-based company and how it is  driven to understand your business so that it can pinpoint problems and customize solutions that will positively impact your bottom-line. Method Automation delivers tech solutions that will adapt to your ever changing business and you won't have to understand how it works to make it work for you.

Storm season doesn't always have a finite end date in Western PA. Whether it's snowfall, heavy rains, or high winds, business owners must be prepared to minimize impact to operations, the customer experience, and ultimately the bottom line. Angela Churchill, Senior Director, Comcast Business in the Keystone Region, steps up to the One Mic Stand to tell us about how businesses can prepare and protect themselves from inclement weather to maintain speed, reliability, and connectivity – while also avoiding disruptions in productivity. To learn more about how Comcast Business can provide businesses with the necessary tools to stay connected during inclement weather, visit comcastbusiness.com.

With over 45 years of combined experience, Totum Realty Advisors provides businesses of all sizes and industries creative and innovative solutions to commercial real estate challenges throughout the country.   Totum Founder Kevin Riley steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about Totum's  passionate about a truly transparent and conflict-free experience. Its sole focus is helping clients achieve their goals. With its expertise, a service-forward platform and superior negotiation intelligence, Totum wants to exceed client expectations. Learn more at https://www.totumrealtyadvisors.com/.

Colliers International is one of the world's premier commercial real estate brokerage firms with 485 offices in 63 countries. In Pittsburgh, Colliers is committed to providing best in class services around the corner or around the world.  Its acclaimed brokerage team stands ready to assist clients in every sector of commercial real estate, including:  corporate services; sales and leasing brokerage services for office, industrial, investment, and retail properties; property management; valuation services; consulting; real estate auction services. Colliers' Ed Lawrence, Patrick Sentner, and Mark Anderson all stepped up to the One Mic Stand for an update on the latest trends in Pittsburgh's commercial and retail real estate scene.

John O'Connell is Vice President at SoftLedger, one of Pittsburgh's fastest-growing fintech companies that provides an enterprise accounting platform to customers in nearly 50 countries. John Leads SoftLedger's Direct, Alliance and Embedded business groups. With a wealth of experience in the digital assets and tech industry, John is dedicated to helping companies, accountants, and developers efficiently manage multiple entities and streamline their financial processes. John's commitment to forging strategic partnerships and delivering outstanding client experiences makes him a vital asset to the SoftLedger team.

Aspirant CEO Mike McClaine steps up to the One Mic Stand to tell us all about Wavestone's acquisition of Aspirant! This acquisition reinforces the presence of Wavestone in the US, which is a priority market in the firm's international development strategy. It will help Wavestone to develop a competitive edge and continue to offer its clients best-in-class services.  For Aspirant, the merger with Wavestone offers the opportunity to pursue their solid development journey in the long term while focusing more on higher value consulting services. “From 2018-2023, Aspirant Consulting has more than doubled in size, driven by our terrific consultants and outstanding commitment to our clients," according to Mike. “Joining forces with Wavestone gives us the opportunity to take advantage of synergies and deliver even more value for our clients on a much larger scale.” 

Lt. Gray Chynoweth, Deputy Director for Strategy & Engagement at NavalX stopped by the Pittsburgh Technology Council's offices to address a standing room-only crowd as part of its effort to identify relevant solutions from small business, start-ups and academia to address some of the Navy's most pressing challenges and operational needs. Gray stepped up to the One Mic Stand to give us more detail on NavalX and what has him stoked about Pittsburgh. NavalX is similar to other DOD organizations such as AFWERX, SPACEWERX and the Army Applications Lab.  Established in 2019, Naval X engages the small business community through several key programs and initiatives. As one example, the team at Naval X manages the Navy's Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, which plays a key role in advancing dual-use and other critical technologies. Consisting of nearly $300 million in annual awards, the SBIR program helps to address major challenges facing major Navy commands such as: NAVSEA, NAVAIR and the Marine Corps Systems Command. 

Founded in 2010 with the mission of providing technical contracting services to the United States government and private sector, Sourceree continues to support programs across multiple offices in the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, intelligence community, and commercial enterprises around the world. Founder Adam Murphy steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about his Johnstown-based business' values of embracing innovation and challenging the status quo. Sourceree builds custom software that impacts the world in meaningful ways. Software includes: Enterprise Applications, Web Applications, Mobile (Responsive Web, Native iOS & Android), Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. Learn more at https://www.sourceree.com/

Lannette McWilliams of Cohatch steps up to the One Mic Stand to tell you how coworking is growing in Pittsburgh and beyond. Cohatch has three locations in Pittsburgh, including Shadyside, Southside and the Waterfront offering creative workspaces, unique amenities and community spaces for people and companies across the business spectrum. Learn how coworking spaces are gaining popularity post pandemic and can create the ideal environment to get back to the office without the commitment and more flexibility.

In 2017, Congress, in an effort to fund the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, implemented a provision that hinders companies from fully counting R&D costs, including payroll, as legitimate expenses. Instead, they mandated the amortization of these expenses over five years. This change, effective from tax year 2022, resulted in a substantial increase in federal tax liabilities for many businesses. Because the implementation of this bill wasn't set to go into effect until five years later, many business leaders failed to notice the change and were caught flat-footed with enormous increases in their 2022 tax liabilities.  More alarmingly, the impact of this change on America's economy has been profound.  According to a National Association of Manufacturers' review of data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, American R&D spending fell from a five-year average growth rate of 6.6 percent to just 1 percent after the new provisions were implemented in 2022.  Jonathan Forman of Global Tax Management addressed a standing-room-only crowd about the business-crushing implications of not fixing this part of the tax code. Jonathan stepped up to the One Mic Stand to give us a synopsis of the situation and insight to a proposed remedy.  Get more insight and contact your elected officials here.

Canadian Consul General Tom Clark was visiting Pittsburgh last week and stepped up to the One Mic Stand to detail the business and technology relationships between Canada and Pittsburgh. Canada and Pittsburgh have always been very closing trading partners and Clark wants to keep building the relationship even stronger. Prior to being appointed Consul General in New York by Prime Minister Trudeau, Tom Clark served as Chair of Global Public Affairs, one of the largest public affairs and strategic communications firms in Canada. His private sector clients included senior executives in Canada and internationally who sought public policy and strategic communications advice on key business and investment decisions. He was a frequent speaker to business groups and associations across the country as well as a sought-after advisor to governments, both in Canada and abroad. Prior to his work in the business community, Consul General Clark was one of Canada's most respected broadcast journalists. During his 45-year career, he was posted as Bureau Chief to Washington D.C. and China, in addition to working in more than 30 countries, including tours in eight active war zones. His work earned him numerous awards in both Canada and the United States.

Fourth River Solutions (4RS), is a volunteer non-profit consulting group aimed to provide hands-on business experience to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) advanced degree (Masters and PhD) and post-doctoral trainees. Mahmoud Khalil steps up to the One Mic Stand to tell you how the organization consults for local non-profit, early stage start-up companies, and university technology transfer groups to provide much needed rigorous research and analytics. Among a variety of consulting services that Fourth River offers, it vets emerging technologies for feasibility to achieve successful market entry and profitability by evaluating key aspects of the technology, including value proposition, competitive advantages, and barriers to entry. For its clients, Fourth River has consistently demonstrated that it can provide high quality service for a minimal price compared to a large for-profit consulting firm.

The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. U.S. Commercial Service trade professionals in over 100 U.S. cities, including Pittsburgh, and in more than 75 countries help U.S. companies get started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets. Ryan Russell of the U.S. Commercial Service and Jerry Pompa of Compunetix step up to the One Mic Stand to tell you how businesses of any size can use the U.S. Commercial Service to tap into global markets. Learn how Compunetix has worked with the U.S. Commercial Service to get market analysis and one-on-one introductions to potential trade partners.

BirdBrain Technologies' mission is to inspire deep and joyful hands-on learning in all students. BirdBrain Technologies cultivates creativity and makes abstract concepts hands-on by providing flexible and inspiring classroom tools: the Finch Robot, the Hummingbird Robotics Kit, and the new Owlet Math Tools collection. BirdBrain Founder Tom Lauwers and Learning/Community Manager Sarah FitzHenry step up to the One Mic Stand to detail BirdBrain's growth, products and impact. Plus BirdBrain offers grant assistance to get its products into any classroom. Founded at the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University in 2010, BirdBrain is a research-based company that promotes gender equality and diversity in STEM, with a focus on computer science, engineering, math, and robotics.

Jordan Joltes, Founder and CEO of TruSummit Solutions, is building one of Pittsburgh's top Salesforce consultancies. For four years, Jordan has been helping enterprise-scale companies get the most out of their Salesforce implementations. Jordan steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about TruSummit's specialization in manufacturing and healthcare. Plus, she details how TruSummit is starting to develop its own custom technology solutions for Salesforce. She's expecting dramatic growth in 2024. We couldn't be more stoked for Jordan and her team. Listen and learn how Jordan is building her company and solving tough problems.

Neighborhood Allies' North Star Goal is to expand its resources to Accelerate, Scale and Sustain the work of our community partners to create healthy neighborhoods of opportunity and move 100,000 low-income Pittsburghers up the socio-economic ladder, over the next 10 years.  Itha Cao, Director of Digital Inclusion and Innovation, steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about Neighborhood Allies' priority initiatives that improve resident access to the three critical pieces of achieving a high quality of life in the 21st century: computer literacy skills, computer ownership and high speed internet.  She details how the formal launch of Community Learning Centers in Homewood through Level Up 412  and the continuation of the Beyond the Laptops program will provide community members of all ages with the tools they deserve to learn, work and live. Prior to her role at Neighborhood Allies, Itha served the City of Pittsburgh as a Senior Civic Innovation Specialist for the Department of Innovation and Performance, managing PGH Lab, the city's urban incubator for startups to test their products and services with local government, and pivoted the program to focus and prioritize local startups owned and benefiting women, minorities, and disabled individuals. She also served as a Policy Analyst for Mayor Peduto's Office of Equity, managing digital inclusion initiatives like Rec2Tech, the city's STEAM/STEM after school learning program, and ConnectHome, a national digital inclusion initiative from former President Obama to connect public housing residents with digital skills training, devices, and high speed internet access.

Sketch Development Services began in 2015 when founder John Krewson had a realization: That everything he knew about leading software development projects came not from corporate trainings or his MBA, but from his time in entertainment—particularly, from sketch comedy. John steps up to the One Mic Stand to not only tell us about Sketch and some of the latest developments in the world of Agile, but detail how Saturday Night Live is one of the longest running Agile institutions in the world. For decades SNL has developed and delivered small batches of comedy in weekly intervals. As Krewson explains, the practices and principles SNL employs are quite agile. From welcoming changing requirements to maintaining technical excellence, there's a lot we can learn from how they deliver.  Listen, laugh and learn! 

Management Science Associates, Inc. (MSA), a Pittsburgh headquartered research, analytics, informatics, and consulting firm, has created a new corporate ownership structure to secure continuity of its sixty-year history of answering questions, identifying opportunities, and solving real-world problems for businesses, institutions and government, helping them put their data to work. MSA was founded in 1963 by Dr. Alfred A. Kuehn after ten years on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University's GSIA, now known as the Tepper Business School, based initially on his ground-breaking work studying dynamics of consumer purchasing behavior. While available data analytic tools and techniques and the IT computing fabric have exploded by orders of magnitude since then, the principles behind looking for solutions to unstructured problems and extracting them from data using informatics has not. On November 9, 2023, Dr. Kuehn transferred all MSA ownership to the MSA Purpose Trust and the Dr. Alfred A. Kuehn Innovation Institute. With this innovative ownership structure, MSA and Dr. Kuehn have built a framework for others to pursue his efforts, and preserved MSA's ability to continue in perpetuity his life-long passion for innovation and quantitative approaches to problem solving. Listen to the story of MSA's growth and how it is looking to be a leader in the emerging cannabis industry.

National Cyber Director Jake Braun addressed the Pittsburgh Technology Council's membership to discuss the White House's recently released National Cybersecurity Strategy.  This visit is occurring as part of White House's recent designation of Pittsburgh as a National Workforce Hub. As such Braun detailed the need and plan to build our nation's cyber workforce.  Braun stepped up to the One Mic Stand for a synopsis of his address and thoughts on Pittsburgh leading the way in cyber.

DRUM UPSKILL develops in-house domestic talent, reduces costs, and establishes DE&I leadership pipelines. Ryan Schugt and Matt Porter step up to the One Mic Stand to detail how DRUM UPSKILL addresses the changing demands of technology by pairing experienced resources with pre-start and on-going customized enhancement training for your workforce. Discover how DRUM UPSKILL drives a scalable partnership focused on delivery, tailored instruction, and alignment with your organization's mission, vision, and values. With over 50 years of industry experience, DRUM has been a trusted end-to-end service provider from inception to delivery. DRUM's clients benefit from the domestic and global connections that have been built since 1967.

Tiffany Prince of Top of the Mountain Leadership has a passion for leading and developing others. Tiffany's career has taken her around the world and everywhere she's been she's learned more about the fundamentals that lead individuals and teams toward a greater purpose. Tiffany steps up to the One Mic Stand to talk about five leadership challenges facing business as we head into 2024. From navigating a new post-Covid workplace to embracing digital transformation, challenges abound and Tiffany has sound sound insight to deal with them head on.

Navidar Managing Director Mark Weisman steps up to the One Mic Stand for an in-depth discussion on how tech companies can take the right steps when preparing for an exit. As a software and technology focused investment banking firm specializing in M&A and capital raising advisory services for middle-market companies in the middle corridor of the U.S., Navidar has key insights whether your tech company is just getting off the ground or is well established. Mark details how investment bankers work, and how cultivating an early and ongoing relationship with an investment banker can build the foundation for a successful exit. Novidar's principals have executed more than 400 transactions, representing over $110 billion in deal volume. Learn more at www.navidar.com.

Lattitude Founder Pete Schramm just took the wraps off his new book "Pathfinders" to help you build your own personal board of advisors. Companies have advisory boards for guidance and accountability. So, who is on your personal board of advisors for growth and development? Pete Schramm steps up to the One Mic Stand to detail how we have all heard about the importance of having a mentor at work and how you have likely benefited from one or more mentors throughout your professional journey. Have you thought about adding a second mentor to the mix or maybe even a handful of advisors? In a world where professional paths are often muddled with daunting challenges and pivotal decisions, Schramm wrote "Pathfinders" to serve as a beacon of wisdom and guidance. "Pathfinders" is available Nov. 16, 2023 on Amazon. In 2020, Schramm founded what is now Lattitude, an employee connection, survey and retention platform that promotes engagement through meaningful conversations. Lattitude has helped organizations like the Army, Air Force, UPMC and Financial Institutions. 

She's been a journalist, an editor, a columnist, a novelist -- someone who sees the world and writes it down. Seema Goswami joins Amit Varma in episode 346 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about her life and times, and what they taught her. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Seema Goswami on Twitter, Instagram, Amazon and her own site. 2. Seema Goswami's column in HT Brunch. 3. Woman on Top -- Seema Goswami. 4. Race Course Road -- Seema Goswami. 5. Madam Prime Minister -- Seema Goswami. 6. The Life and Times of Shanta Gokhale — Episode 311 of The Seen and the Unseen. 7. One Foot on the Ground — Shanta Gokhale's brilliant memoir. 8. I Feel Bad About My Neck -- Nora Ephron. 9. Swim against the stereotypes -- Seema Goswami. 10. Zeenat Aman on Instagram. 11. The Culture Code --  Clotaire Rapaille. 12. Jane Austen on Amazon and Wikipedia. 13. Photographic memory -- Seema Goswami. 14. Cameo: Personalized videos from your favorite stars. 15. The West Wing -- Aaron Sorkin. 16. The Prem Panicker Files — Episode 217 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Prem Panicker). 17. Kohrra and Dahaad. 18. Natasha Badhwar Lives the Examined Life — Episode 301 of The Seen and the Unseen. 19. Self-Portrait — AK Ramanujan. 20. The Complete Works of George Bernard Shaw. 21. Georgette Heyer, Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew, James Hadley Chase and Alistair MacLean on Amazon. 22. SJ Bennett's murder mysteries. 23. Manu Pillai on Amazon and The Seen and the Unseen (1, 2, 3, 4). 24. Madhulika Liddle's Muzaffar Jang mysteries. 25. The Malory Towers collections by Enid Blyton: 1, 2, 3, 4. 26. The Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect. 27. Aakash Singh Rathore, the Ironman Philosopher -- Episode 340 of The Seen and the Unseen. 28. Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don't Have To — David Sinclair. 29. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity — Peter Attia. 30. Peter Attia on the Huberman Lab Podcast. 31. Pandemic Praise -- Seema Goswami. 32. Blooming Glory -- Seema Goswami. 33. The Life and Times of Vir Sanghvi — Episode 236 of The Seen and the Unseen.  34. Why I Loved and Left Poker — Amit Varma. 35. The archives of Amit Varma's poker column for the Economic Times, Range Rover. 36. Amarcord -- Federico Fellini. 37. Pushpesh Pant Feasts on the Buffet of Life — Episode 326 of The Seen and the Unseen. 38. The Indianness of Indian Food — Episode 95 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vikram Doctor). 39. Chourangi, Dhamaka and Semma. 40. The Slow Fire Chef on Twitter. 41. Mahabelly, Savya Rasa and Jamun. 42. The Romantic Idiot -- Samarth Bansal. 43. Cut the Clutter with Shekhar Gupta. 44. Mojo Story on YouTube. 45. Faye D'Souza on YouTube and Instagram. 46. Faye D'Souza doing stand-up comedy on One Mic Stand. 47. Larking About -- Seema Goswami. 48. Amitava Kumar Finds the Breath of Life — Episode 265 of The Seen and the Unseen. 49. Films, Feminism, Paromita — Episode 155 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Paromita Vohra). 50. The Poetic Feminism of Paromita Vohra — Episode 339 of The Seen and the Unseen. 51. Seema Goswami's Instagram post on her mother and grandmother. 52. The Simple Knot -- Seema Goswami. 53. Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh — Shrayana Bhattacharya. 54. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman — Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya). 55. The Imitation Game -- Seema Goswami. 56. Wanting — Luke Burgis. 57. Luke Burgis Sees the Deer at His Window — Episode 337 of The Seen and the Unseen. 58. René Girard on Amazon and Wikipedia. 59. The Life and Times of Nilanjana Roy — Episode 284 of The Seen and the Unseen. 60. Shashi Tharoor on Amazon. 61. The Paradox of Narendra Modi — Episode 102 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shashi Tharoor). 62. Kashi Ka Assi — Kashinath Singh. 63. Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery -- Yashowardhan Mishra. 64. Daniel Silva, Clare Mackintosh and Elizabeth Jane Howard on Amazon. This episode is sponsored by CTQ Compounds. Check out The Daily Reader and FutureStack. Use the code UNSEEN for Rs 2500 off. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube. Check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It's free! Episode art: ‘Write it Down' by Simahina.