Pittsburgh Innovates

Now that Dick's Sporting Goods has settled into its spacious corporate headquarters in Corapolis, hiring is underway. The sports retailer is advertising more than 100 positions in Pittsburgh.

The positions include a wide range of jobs: marketers and merchandisers, store buyers, industry analysts, IT, engineers, copy writers, a university relations recruiter, administration and the list goes on. With 320 stores and counting in 34 states, the sports and outdoor retailer is showing no signs of slowing its pace despite the economy.

"Over the past year or so, many retailers and competitors have had to curtail their plans for growth, while we've been able to continue our expansion, opening new stores across the country and further enhancing the shopping experience for customers in all our stores," says Jeff Hennion, executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Recently, we completed the move of our corporate employees into a new state-of-the-art Store Support Center. These steps forward naturally afford plenty of opportunities for prospective employees to join our team. As we continue to grow as a company, at both the corporate and store levels, we continue our search for the most-qualified employees who also share our passion for sports and the sporting goods industry. We're looking for the best, because our new hires will play significant roles in the ongoing success and future growth of Dick's Sporting Goods."

The $150 million, 675,000 square foot office offers an active place to work and play for the 1,200 employees that currently work there. Employee amenities include walking and running trails, a basketball court, racquetball courts, an outdoor soccer field and fitness machines. The center is the first phase of what eventually could be a 2 million-square-foot complex.

"As the economy appears to be gaining strength, we are poised to make even greater strides as one of the leading sporting goods retailers in America," says Hennion.

Interested applicants can learn more about current job openings on the Dick's website.

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Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Jeff Hennion, Dick's Sporting Goods


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Cranberry-based computer chip company Netronome is marketing its high speed advanced network processors starting this month, paving the way for major company growth, hiring and a new era in computing.

The NFP-3240, one of the highest performance processors on the market today, has been four years in the making and packs a lot of power into a small device. The technology will catapult the industry in improved speed, capacity, intelligence and security, says Jarrod Siket, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Netronome's processor has 40 cores (a typical home computer has one or two cores of computing power and other high end processors run at 16) and is capable of processing 56 billion instructions per second. The products are used in the switching and routing products that make up the business and service provider networks. Their target customers are among the largest designers of telecommunications equipment in the world such as Cisco, Huawei, Juniper, Nokia and Siemens.

"Our excitement is anchored in the fact that there's going to be so many new applications and services that we've never seen before because we've created an environment for them to exist," he says. "To have this processing power in a very little footprint, the size of a postage stamp, allows you to do some very significant things."

The launch of the first processors is just the beginning of dramatic growth projected at Netronome, which employs 100, 40 in Cranberry. The firm has R&D centers in Cranberry  Boxborough, MA and Santa Clara, CA. The startup's sales have grown 511% in 2009 with existing products, and revenues in 2010 are expected to more than double, says Siket. As a result, Netronome is actively recruiting and hiring across the board: software and hardware engineering, sales and marketing.

"We are pleased that the companies designing-in the NFP-3240 are among the world's largest network equipment manufacturers," said Niel Viljoen, founder and CEO of Netronome. "Netronome is in its third year of record revenues and as the market for network flow processors continues to expand, we expect our growth to accelerate."

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Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Jarrod Siket, Netronome

Image courtesy of Netronome




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The region took a peek at the state of the global biotech and medtech industries, a sobering picture by all accounts, and offered insights for aspiring startups.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council's Life Sciences Network presented key findings from the Ernst & Young study, "Surviving the Squeeze: Trends in the biomedical and medical technology industries" as well as a glimpse of the coming "Beyond Borders global biotechnology report 2010."

Among the takeaways: Financing in the U.S. and Europe was up by 89% in 2009, venture capital investment was down by 24%, public and debt markets are thawing and, in general, "flat is the new up."

Joining the discussion was a panel of experts from the region and beyond. Here's a sampling of their insights on trends and strategies moving forward:

"The strong will survive," says John Manzetti, president and CEO of PLSG. "We're luckier than a lot of people because we have good organizations and institutions here." Startups that are making money have an edge in this economy. Out of 54 PLSG companies, 26 are generating revenue and three are undergoing their first clinical human trials overseas. "We're investing deeper in our best and brightest so they can get to the endgame."

The halcyon days of bigger money are gone for now, says Patrick Daly, president and CEO of Cohera Medical, tissue adhesive maker, which recently recruited four people to Pittsburgh. "Button up the presentation of what the company is all about," Daley advises. Cohera aspired from the start to be the next Respironics. "We took a different tact and a best practices approach. Sell them on your vision."

Avoid business models that are too capital intensive, notes Wesley Kaupinen, senior associate, Quaker Bioventures. With fewer funds available and less capital in the system, innovations must be of higher quality. "Surround yourself with venture investors who have deep pockets so your company can eventually fund itself."

"Make sure you come not just with the innovation, but a pile of information to make sure it works," adds Peter Schommer, vice president of business development for global healthcare company Covidien.

Writer: Debra Diamond Smit

Source: John Manzetti, PLSG, Patrick Daly, Cohera Medical, Wesley Kaupinen, Quaker Bioventures, Peter Schommer, Covidien

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What happens when you give a bunch of Pittsburgh bloggers a Suzuki Kizashi for three days?

Jim Shorkey Pittsburgh Suzuki and Kia dealer and GatesmanMarmionDrake+Drake have jumped onboard the car blogging bandwagon with the Jim Shorkey's Kizashi Road Test, an invitation to local bloggers to put the Kee sa' shee through its paces and generate a buzz. 

"We wanted to use a word-of-mouth strategy to announce the new Kizashi," says Shorkey, who insists that even a carpooling mom like myself (who knows nothing about cars) could contribute. "We're hoping that by giving customers the opportunity to hear what real people are saying, they're able to make the best possible decision when shopping. The early response has been great!"

As a driver of a Dodge Durango, I was thrilled to get behind the wheel of a keyless entry car with real zip, even if I had no place to go except back and forth and up and down around town.

On the first day, with sunshine streaming through the sunroof,  I purchased six bottles of champagne and a French wardrobe for my daughter's birthday, visited a cute new boutique called Sweet Zoo and nearly drained my bank account. On day two, my college-aged daughter was ready to disown me after I asked her to accompany me up to Mt. Washington for a photo-op.

I'm not sure I can afford this kind of luxury.

With bold advertising splashed on all sides, we felt like the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. We generated a buzz for sure ammong mostly men who called out: "How's the gas mileage (23 city)." "Is 'at all wheel drive?" "Those alloy wheels, wow!" and "I like 'at Kizashi!" The Rockford-Fosgate sound system impressed everyone within hearing distance (1/2 mile). The seats were comfy, handling was way better than a Durango but it lacked headroom.

My daughter had no problem there as she spent the entire ride ducking below the dash muttering "kill me now."

Shorkey says about 65 people have signed up for the test drive and more than a dozen bloggers have already logged onto the website. The site has received almost 2,300 visitors since it launched the last week of January.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Jim Shorkey, Pittsburgh Shorkey Suzuki

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Three major partners have joined UPMC in the pursuit of a vaccine development and production facility in the region that would assist the nation in its response to bioterrorists attacks and threats.

Battelle, IBM and Merck & Co. have announced they will join the 21st Century Biodefense (21CB) initiative with UPMC and GE healthcare. UPMC hopes to operate the first-of-its-kind factory in a unique partnership with the federal government.

"With this powerful coalition of partners, we will finally address a critical gap in the nation's defenses against bioterrorism and infectious diseases," said Robert Cindrich, chief legal counsel and chairman of the initiative. "Through this collaboration, we are poised to deliver the urgently needed advances in vaccine development and manufacturing as recently called for by President Obama in his State of the Union address."

Battelle will provide comprehensive pre-clinical research and development services, including infectious disease model development and product safety and efficacy evaluations. IBM will offer innovative information technology systems.

Merck will contribute drug-development and bioprocess counsel as part of a planned consortium of other biopharmaceutical companies. Among the sites being considered is the old Pittsburgh International Airport.

UPMC and its partners plan to compete for the funding to build the vaccine factory. The initiative could create 1,000 jobs directly and 6,000 indirectly, drawing on a national pool of scientists and engineers.

Source: Robert Cindrich and Wendy Zellner, UPMC

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Teaching high school science should inspire passion and allow students to get in there, experiment, ask questions and find the answers, says Nadine Suhan.

Suhan was one of 10 science teachers in the country--the only teacher in the state--selected as a Bayer-NSTA Fellow, a yearlong professional development program that brings together highly motivated secondary science teachers with the goal of reducing the attrition rate among early-career science teachers. She will attend NSTA's 2010 National Conference in Philadelphia from March 18-21.

Suhan is in her second year at the City Charter High School in Pittsburgh. After spending 25 years as a researcher at Stony Brook University and University of Pittsburgh, she switched to teaching science, motivated by President Obama's call for passionate science teaching in our nation's schools.

"I heard reports that students were falling behind in math and science and to me, that was very alarming," she says. Research shows that nearly 50 percent of early science teachers leave their job in the first five years. "Look at Oakland. Many are employed in medical, research and technology positions. If these kids have a better background in science they will be better equipped to go out and get the jobs in the field that are out there."

As a longtime supporter of U.S. science education through our companywide Making Science Make Sense initiative, Bayer understands that attracting and retaining the best and brightest science teachers are essential if we expect today's students to achieve and succeed in scientific and technical fields, says Greg Babe, president of the Bayer USA Foundation.

Bayer and NSTA will open entries to the 2010-2011 NSTA this spring. Science teachers entering their second or third year of teaching, who teach primarily science, are eligible to apply.

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Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Nadine Suhan, City Charter High School, Pittsburgh

Image courtesy of the Bayer USA Foundation


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Sustainable living is a life choice that is becoming an integral thread in the (organic!) fabric of our region.

Now there's a roadmap to the lifestyle. Megan Cook and Corinne Bechtel, two enterprising women who love Pittsburgh, have published a colorful paperback on earth-friendly living. EcoCents: Pittsburgh's Green Guide 2010 offers a comprehensive look at everything from car-free survival in the city to farmer's markets, public transportation maps, bus routes to yoga classes, big fat green wedding planning and more than $1000 in coupons to environmentally conscious businesses and restaurants.

"Our main goal is to jumpstart people on a path to greener living," explains Cook, who also works fulltime as the supervisor for the Pittsburgh Public Market. "It's about celebrating Pittsburgh and supporting our community by putting our dollars to work locally."

The duo went to work last year compiling the information with the help of private funding. The enthusiasm of the community was infectious, Cook says. Bike shops, alternative health and wellness centers, solar panel installers were eager to participate.

More than a coupon book, EcoCents is a demonstration of the blossoming local green economy here. It's designed to strengthen these businesses by increasing their visibility, Cook says. It also includes information on organizations and non-profits that are focused on green community building activities. EcoCents plans to update the information and publish the guide annually.

EcoCents, printed on post consumer waste paper with soy inks, can be purchased online for $20.

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Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Megan Cook, EcoCents


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Have you ever wanted to be Sherlock Holmes in the labyrinths of "The Phantom of the Opera"?

The Secret City 2.0 offers that opportunity. Creator Allen Hahn developed Secret City in order to have a "mash-up of story, expanded theater, and technology facilitated work" in an involving way to see amazing buildings. Players get text messages and voicemails with clues, puzzles and riddles telling them where to go within the huge library. When the puzzle is completed, gamers get a new clue and a new piece of the story.

There are discoveries strewn all along the way: dark hallways, windy corridors and the endless tomes in the expansive building. Wandering around the library conjures images as you pass by books on your search for the next clue.

"The story is really the reward…but there are incredible spaces used for events that most people don't see…this story helps you get to see places you've never seen," says Hahn.

The Carnegie Library in Braddock has been supporting the strange, but fun adventure and will in the future.

"It's an ongoing partnership between the library and us," states Hahn. "There are lots of historical libraries around Pittsburgh and it's always fun to explore. There's been a positive response from many people from the college age to couples in their 50s."

The next Secret City is set to be up by the end of April.

"This is only Episode 1 really," he says.

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Writer: Sam Bassett
Source: Allen Hahn, Secret City

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Two highly informative, popular and free environmental programs are on tap this spring.

"Beyond Paper and Plastic: A Closer Look at Recycling and Environmental Toxins" will be held at the Carnegie Science Center on March 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Join a stellar panel of experts who will discuss the latest on recycling and toxic exposure, safe product alternatives, reuse and disposal.

"When it comes to recycling, so many people simply think about newspapers, cans and bottles," says Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, recently appointed executive director of Women for a Healthy Environment. "In reality, there are so many more steps we could and should take to protect ourselves and the environment, and they are easy to adopt."

Panelists for the evening include Sarah Alessio, an environmental program specialist at the Pennsylvania Resources Council; Ned Eldridge, president of recycling company eLoop and Michael Gable, executive director of Construction Junction.

Bring along your old cell phones, alkaline batteries and inkjet/laser jet cartridges for proper disposal and recycling.

Mark your calendars for the 2010 Women's Health & Environment Conference. Sponsored by Teresa Heinz, The Heinz Endowments and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, this is possibly be the most popular and well attended free event in Pittsburgh each year. The conference will be held on April 21 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

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Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis
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A new green energy management consulting firm, eCap Network, is moving into the Hill District's One Hope Square and plans to employ 15-20 people in the next 2 years, energy managers, engineers and technical consultants. And that's just the beginning.

Launched this January, eCap is moving from the Terminal Building as it transitions into the future Green Innovators Center where it will be an anchor tenant. Formerly the Connelley Career and Technical Training Center, the site hopes to reopen as a center for cutting-edge sustainable technology training and research pending the sale of the property, owned by Pittsburgh Public Schools, to Pittsburgh Gateways Corp.

eCap takes a unique approach to long-term energy management planning, providing services to smaller-and mid-sized companies and organizations that typically might not consider an overall energy strategy because of the barriers, namely the challenge of obtaining funding and the overall audit procedure.

By serving as an impartial third party consultant, eCap creates a comprehensive roadmap to determine a facility's operating efficiencies and chart how to finance the projects that provide the greatest possible savings. Included are upfront financing suggestions, short and long term energy projects, brokered power and energy credits.

"As a total package it's absolutely unique," says John Werling, president." We have the ability to understand alternative funding sources, whether grants or loans, or rebate programs through the state. We look at the total technology solutions and funding opportunities."

One reason people have not historically adopted these types of projects is not because the technology doesn't exist but because they don't know whom to trust. Our model builds trust and accountability into the decision cycle, Werling says. A lighting company might offer to do a free audit, for example, when really what they're selling is lighting solutions.

eCap's initiative, 3rd SOURCE, offers solutions to non-profit organizations and their constituents, allowing them to reap the benefits of the savings, a sort of pay it forward approach. The initiative was designed with funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and The Heinz Endowments.

eCap is a joint venture with Pittsburgh Gateways Corp. and World-Class Industrial Network and is supported by Pittsburgh Central Keystone Innovation Zone.

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Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: John Werling, eCap Network

Image of John Werling courtesy of eCap Network

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Carnegie Mellon's Quality of Life Technology Center (QoLTC) is expanding and hiring with a three-year, $1.5 million Innovation Award from the National Science Foundation.

QoLTC develops innovative, intelligent systems to improve the lives of the disabled and the elderly, especially those whom need special assistance or live alone. The grant will benefit the QoLTC Foundry, giving companies that spinout from the center a jumpstart by assisting them as they move into the marketplace. So far, the foundry has spun off three firms: NavPrescience Inc., VibeAttire Inc. and Invynt LLC.

The center is run jointly by Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh.

"We've evaluated more than 70 technologies associated with QoLTC and many of them have commercial promise," says Curt Stone, director. "With the greater resources made possible by the NSF, we think we can spin out even more of these as companies and create more than 100 jobs in the Pittsburgh area over the next five years."

The foundry plans to expand its programs by hiring people with entrepreneurial experience and develop undergraduate and graduate internship programs.

Also this week, QoLTC received a $480,000 grant to continue research on a wireless sensor system that detects subtle struggles in the everyday activities of older adults, changes that may suggest the onset of dementia or physical infirmities. The sensors, embedded in everyday items like pillboxes, sinks and beds, are designed to determine if an individual is waning mentally or physically.

"The loss of the ability to make a sandwich, dial a phone, or take medications correctly often occurs gradually and, particularly for people who live alone, insidiously," said Anind Dey, associate professor in Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. By detecting the decline at an early stage, the situation may be stopped or reversed, alerting caregivers and families to a need for more closely supervised care.

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Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Anind Dey, Bryon Spice, Carnegie Mellon University
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A pioneering collaboration in healthcare technology will put personal health information at the fingertips of UPMC patients.

UPMC has formed a partnership with Google Health, Carnegie Mellon University and tech partner dbMotion to provide patients with access to their electronic personal health records (PHR) maintained by hospitals and physicians.

Center for Connected Medicine, which opened September of 2009, has jumped on the Google Health bandwagon and is taking it further, providing the latest technology to improve the way that patients and providers communicate, explains William Fera, vice president of medical technologies.

Similar to the online banking revolution, this will give patients unprecedented access to information while allowing them to make sound decisions, reduce costs and keep accurate personal healthcare information.

"We think this is the beginning of a true partnership model between providers and patients," says Fera. "Patients can do things like check their cholesterol while becoming a more active participants in their care."

While PHRs are not new, the technical process of assembling data from a wide range of unconnected "host" technologies had previously eluded healthcare providers. UPMC is now able to provide a flexible, service-oriented platform, developed by Pittsburgh-based dbMotion. The system allows data sharing with Google Health, an online service that gives users the tools build personal health profiles and import records from providers. The system will be launched this spring.

The concept was designed, implemented and tested by six candidates in the Master in Information Systems Management program at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon.

"The same kind of evolution that happened with online banking will happen in healthcare," adds Fera. "As patients become more comfortable with being partners in their healthcare, you'll see them become more active in the process and staying well."

Writer: Deb Smit

Source: Dr. William Fera, UPMC

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A double whammy for technology startups this week--a $30 million commercialization fund for research institution spinouts and a nonprofit incubator for local small businesses.

FCI Commercialization Fund in Erie is raising $30 million for a select group of research institutions--including University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon--primarily for nanotechnology and cyber security startups. Investments will range between $1 and $2 million, says Kurt Buseck, a managing partner in the fund.

"There are huge opportunities in these areas," Buseck says. "Lots of corporations are looking for research to drive their innovation and we're bridging that gap."

The fund is backed by several internationally recognized experts including Bob Mehalso, a pioneer in the commercialization of micro/nano/biosystems; Dennis Pollutro, founder of San Francisco-based Applied Indentity and Scott Hartz, CEO of Price Waterhouse Coopers Consulting.

FCI hopes to match the funded startups with more than two dozen large corporations. Buseck declined to give names. The investments will be offered to research institutions in Ohio, Pennsylvania, western New York and Baltimore, Buseck says. "We're hoping to be in a position to begin investing in June."

And more investment news. A new nonprofit incubator, StartUptown, is coming to Fifth Avenue downtown. Dale McNutt, owner of graphic design studio Soho & Company, hopes to raise funds through several sources, with the help of the Pittsburgh Central Keystone Innovation Zone, for an incubator for technology and social innovation companies.

"In time, we will provide seed funding to jump-start new ventures that come from the natural collaborative energies between incubator residents themselves, and from collaboration with the Uptown community," says McNutt.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Kurt Buseck, FCI Commercialization; Dale McNutt, StartUptown


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Imagine a world where computers help people to dress stylishly.

That's the idea behind Smart.Mirrors, an invention that brings a high tech personal shopper into the fitting room with you. Started by a group of Carnegie Mellon Heinz College grad students, the concept provides shoppers with a virtual catalogue of wardrobe options while serving as a sales tool for retailers.

Smart.Mirror is actually a touchscreen that's positioned in a store or dressing room. Clothes, tagged with RFID tags, are picked up by the "smart mirror" and the item is then paired with a number of other clothing options off the racks to complete the look. The process is similar to online shopping when a customer clicks on a selection and is given other items that they might also like.

"(The concept) exists online but not in brick and mortar stores yet," says Kevin Chia, who came up with the idea while studying at Singapore Management University. Chia is working with Vincent Sethiwan, Jonathan Ma and a team of 12 on a business plan with the help of several grants. Smart.Mirror was presented during Carnegie Mellon's Project Olympus Open House this month.

"Retailers say that customers have a habit of cornering themselves in a few areas of a store and ignoring other areas that could potentially have an item they want to buy," adds Ma. "This allows a user to navigate the entire inventory of the story with a few swipes of the finger."

A beta version was tested at Charles Spiegel in Squirrel Hill. The team is looking for a few more test shops.

"The million dollar question is whether we can (help retailers) increase revenue," says Ma. "We plan to do that by increasing the number of units purchased per customer." They are considering several revenue models: leasing the system, selling it outright or employing it as a consulting service.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Kevin Chia, Vincent Sethiwan and Jonathan Maa, Smart.Mirrors

Image courtesy of Smart.Mirrors
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Curling, a game of strategy, stealth and gliding stones, has drawn an international audience with the Olympics, especially in Pittsburgh where a slightly different version is being played.

Last weekend Obscure Games Pittsburgh held its first Human Curling Tournament. Five teams formed at the rec center in Polish Hill to take turns pushing players on swivel chairs across a gymnasium floor. The chairs and players then become targets as teams try to knock them out of scoring position.

"This is a great time to be doing something like Human Curling because of the interest generated by the Olympics," says Adam Nelson, director of Obscure Games Pittsburgh. "I'm certain this was the world premiere of the game."

Nelson founded Obscure Games Pittsburgh in 2009 after he realized that it had been far too long since he had gone out to play for the fun of it. Calling it a "confederation of miscreants and rubes," the gamers resurrect games from long ago or make them up, along with the rules, and rarely keep score.

Nelson is particularly proud of Monkey Ball, which is played with a volleyball and trampoline.

This summer Obscure Games Pittsburgh is sponsoring The Steel City Games Fest, a weekend of obscure gaming August 27-29, similar to the Come Out and Play Festival in New York City and the Igfest in Bristol, UK. The Game Fest is funded in part by a Seed Award from The Sprout Fund. Game proposals can be submitted by individuals and groups.

In the meantime, Human Curling and other to-be-invented games will continue each Sunday at the West Penn Rec Center, Polish Hill from 10:30 to 1:30 p.m. More information and rules for Human Curling can be found on the Obscure Games Rulebook.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Adam Nelson, Obscure Games Pittsburgh

Image courtesy of Obscure Games

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