Pittsburgh Innovates

Facebook alert: The social media site may adversely influence your behavior, reducing your self-control when it comes to diet and credit card debt.
 
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia Business School have taken it upon themselves to study the underlying psychology of the celebrated social media platform.
 
Titled “Are Close Friends the Enemy? Online Social Networks, Self-Esteem and Self-Control,” it’s the first academic look at the effects of Facebook on users general well-being, says coauthor Andrew Stephen, assistant professor of business administration and marketing at Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business.
 
Research to date has suggested positive links between Facebook and self-esteem, says Stephen. People on Facebook generally feel better about themselves, more connected to one another and the world.
 
To test this claim, researchers split users in several groups and monitored their behavior. What they found is that people who have strong ties to Facebook—those who communicate primarily with close friends on the site—are susceptible to a decline in self-control.
 
This group shows a greater risk of having higher body-mass indexes and higher levels of credit card debt. This finding held true no matter what the age of the study participant.
 
Whether this is because they are online,--shopping or eating while they are on Facebook--was not determined, but it could indeed be part of the reason, Stephen admits.
 
Conversely, those who interact on Facebook primarily with acquaintances—those whom they don’t know as well—are not at the same risk.
 
Most of the Facebook studies to date focus on the marketing and business side of social media use. Of the few psychological studies done, most say that users are happier despite a risk of feeling left out or not included.
 
“There’s a flipside to this important communication and marketing tool. While users are not sentenced to it for life, they can become aware and compensate for it in various ways, making better eating choices and spending decisions,” he says.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Andrew Stephen, Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business

Image of Andrew Stephen copyright Brian Cohen, Pop City

Twenty businesses and entrepreneurs in the Hill District are among the first recipients of funding to be officially announced by Urban Innovation21 on Thursday night.  
 
The grants are the first of three Urban Innovation21 competitions underway that will assist entrepreneurs in the Hill District, Homewood and the Pittsburgh Central Innovation Zone (PCKIZ).  The overall goal is to provide support for community-based, resident-owned businesses while connecting them to the region’s innovation communities.
 
“We were really overwhelmed by the response and are excited about the work to connect our region’s success to some of its poorest communities in a way that will ultimately provide wealth opportunities for minorities, women and resident-owned businesses,” says Bill Generett, CEO of Urban Innovation21.
 
The Hill District Grant Competition attracted 62 initial applicants, 60 of whom were African Americans. Applicants participated in workshops and received assistance from Urban Innovation21. The finalists submitted a business plan and gave an elevator pitch as well.
 
Twenty applicants will receive grants. Artistry Greenscapes won the $10,000 top prize; the winners of the $5,000 grants include: Cameron Professional Services, EnjoYourself, Grace Security, Silq Concrete, Something Borrowed Boutique and The Pittsburgh Spot.
 
Three companies will receive technical assistant awards to launch crowdfunding efforts and another 10 will receive $1000 each toward a Kiva Zip zero-interest loan of up to $5,000.

In other startup funding news, CMU’s Open Field Entrepreneurs Fund (OFEF) has awarded $300,000 to six startup companies to assist them in growing their business ventures.

The fund, established by CMU alumnus and Flip Video Camera creator Jonathan Kaplan and his wife, Marci Glazer, provides early-stage business financing and support to alumni who have graduated from CMU in the last five years.
 
Since June 2012, the OFEF has provided support to 16 startup companies from across the country and a variety of industries. The fund is part of CMU’s Greenlighting Startups initiative, which facilitates bringing faculty and student innovations from the research lab to the marketplace.
 
The recipients include:
 
NoWait, a seating management system used by large restaurant chains including Red Robin, Texas Roadhouse and T.G.I. Friday’s. NoWait recently raised $2 million in funding led by Birchmere Ventures.
 
ActivAided Orthotics, developers of a line of postural training designed for the long-term relief of back pain. Their first product, "RecoveryAid" was released in July 2012. 
 
Aurochs Brewing Company is commercializing a unique formula to brew great tasting craft beers that are naturally gluten-free.
 
PECA Labs’ Masa Valve is the first valved conduit to be specifically designed for pediatric heart conduit reconstruction. The valve is clinically validated and is currently going through the FDA approval process. 
 
Pixite’s Unbound service provides a seamless photo management and viewing experience across computers, tablets and smartphones, allowing users to do more organized with their photos while saving time.
 
StatEasy is a free and easy-to-use platform to high school and collegiate teams to manage statistics and video of their sporting events. The company currently services more than 120 teams.
 
Tunessence is a virtual guitar teacher in your Web browser through advanced audio software with instructional video that replicates the experience of an in-person lesson in an online setting.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Bill Generett, Urban Innovation21; CMU

Image of the Hill District courtesy Tom Little Photo

Looking for a job? Each week Pop City reports on company hiring news in the region.
 
Design Center Pittsburgh is hiring a Community Programs Manager who will be responsible for management and oversight of projects for the grant-making program of the Design Fund. The ideal candidate will provide technical assistance and support around issues of design, planning and policy to community-based organizations.
 
The position demands a highly organized person with experience in architecture, planning and/or community development and strong program management and communications skills.
 
The hiring spree continues at ticketing company ShowClix, which is posting seven jobs and four internships for account executives and managers, software engineers. The news at ShowClix is the recent departure of company co-founder and Josh Dziabiak who is moving to Austin, TX, to work for former AlphaLab company Insurance Zebra.
 
ShowClix has no immediate plans to fill the CEO position and remains committed to Pittsburgh, reports Lynsie Campbell, president. A new funding round is in the works.
 
Tickets for Kids Charities, a nonprofit that seeks to give underprivileged children in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio access to the arts, is looking for an executive director and administrative assistant.  
 
The ideal candidate will have have 10 years minimum experience as a senior manager in a nonprofit or business environment and an established record of success in several areas.
 
The administrative assistant position is part-time, about 20-hours a week, and requires one to two years of experience working in a busy office environment.
 
Carnegie Robotics, a startup company that builds robots, smart sensors and automation components with a strong relationship with the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), is hiring mid-level software engineers for its Lawrenceville office.
 
The full-time positions requires product-oriented software engineers with superior problem-solving skills, high energy, creativity and strong experience in developing C and C++ software for robotics sensing applications. 
 
General Dynamics C4 Systems is hiring an Information Designer. GD works on the latest in visualization and collaboration software for the military and commercial partners. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Design and/or Human Sciences or related field plus a minimum of five years of relevant experience.

Sequoia Waste Solutions is hiring a lead developer and two paid-for-hire interns for its O’Hara Township office. The company, which takes a unique approach to waste disposal and recycling as a service, helps companies save money and recycle products. (See related story.)
 
SnapRetail has a position for a Marketing and Product Management person. The ideal candidate will be an advanced user of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop and be able to execute and create compelling graphics and work with a team.

Treatspace is hiring a Lead Interface Designer.
 
Writer: Deb Smit

Tossing and recycling the trash is often an afterthought for many small-to medium-sized companies. 

While many want to be good stewards of the environment, they don’t always have the time to shop for recycling, says Charles Dolan, a co-founder of Sequoia Waste Solutions, a company taking an innovative approach to waste and recycling services.

Sequoia has developed a unique model for managing the trash stream that is helping commercial customers save both money and the environment. The company was started in 2011 by several friends, all graduates of Central Catholic High School. Dolan, currently a junior at Villanova University, handles the technology side of the business.

Since January of 2012, the company has signed on several hundred clients in a diverse range of industries: restaurants, office buildings, hospitals and manufacturing.

The service model revolves around “hyper-local recycling,” a three-part process that determines the best disposal approach for each business while keeping recycling and waste disposal local.

For example, Sequoia was able to save one manufacturing about 40% off its total waste bill by selling cardboard to a local recycler. No fee is charged for the service; instead, Sequoia takes a share of the money it is able to save clients through recycling.

“We don’t have a magic bullet on how to reuse hazardous materials,” Dolan notes. “The truth of the matter is the majority of waste today is going into the landfill. We want companies to save money by finding existing uses for the products they don’t need and lessening the amount they throw in the landfill.”

Sequoia, with an office at the RIDC Park in O’Hara Township, has 10 full-time employees and is hiring a lead developer and two paid-for-hire interns (see Who’s Hiring).

“Who doesn’t want to save money in a terrible economy?” Dolan adds. “We bring transparency to the process through financial incentives.”

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Charles Dolan, Sequoia Waste Solutions

“Promised Land” brings the fracking debate to the big screen this month and along with it a film role for CAPA freshman Cain Alexander.
 
Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by actors Matt Damon and John Krasinski (with an assist from Dave Eggers), the film tells the story of two gas company landmen (Damon and Frances McDormand) who are on the frontlines of securing gas leases from farmers and landowners in a small fictional town that happens to be Avonmore, Westmoreland County.
 
“Promised Land” drew 80 percent of its filming crew from Pittsburgh and employed 100 to 400 locals as extras.
 
Westmoreland County--Avonmore along with Apollo, Worthington and Slate Like in Armstrong County--serves as a backdrop for the story of the landmen who find themselves up against the environmental concerns of a community and a fiesty environmentalist (Krasinksi).
 
Alexander plays McDormand’s son in a scene, brief but poignant, that reveals her primary motivation in working for the gas company, the support of her son.  
 
“Working with Frances was very inspirational,” says Alexander. “She is so down to earth, which made me very comfortable. My scene is a pivotal one, giving you a better look into her character.”
 
Alexander, 15, lives in Brookline. He credits his grandmother, who keeps him abreast of acting opportunities, with helping him land the role. After an initial audition in Pittsburgh, he was one of three actors who received a callback.
 
Earlier this year, the budding actor played a lead role in the Thoroughline Theatre Company premiere “Book of Tricks” by Mt. Lebanon playwright Alex Galatic. It was a challenging role playing a child who has Asperger’s Syndrome.
 
While Alexander feels the movie attempts to present both sides of the story, the gas industry has raised concerns about the film’s overall anti-fracking message.
 
(Note: The film actually offers more in the way of insight into how different people view and respond to gas drilling than debate the pros and cons of the industry.)
 
The Marcellus Shale Coalition announced this week that it has bought on-screen time in 75% of all movie theatres in Pennsylvania and will run a short piece before the movie asking viewers to read a recently created website, Learnaboutshale.org, which presents the industry’s side of the story.
 
A public forum that shares “many sides of the issue from the environmental to the economic,” including the basic science behind the process, will also be presented at Mt. Lebanon Library by RiverQuest on January 16, 2013.
 
Writer: Debra Smit
Source: Cain Alexander; Marcellus Shale Coalition, Mt. Lebanon Library
 
 
 
 
 

When it comes to venues, SXSW in Austin may be the hottest ticket in the country, five days of techno-bliss and partying alongside cutting-edge technologies and the smartest entrepreneurs in the world.
 
This March the city is throwing its own Pittsburgh Innovation Party. Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Technology Council have joined forces to stage an officially sponsored event in downtown Austin on Saturday, March 9, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
 
The event, open to all SXSW registrants, will highlight the best of Pittsburgh innovation and include an interactive arcade of projects featuring companies and students. Pittsburgh’s own Tracksplotation will provide live entertainment.  
 
While Pittsburgh companies and students have always gone to SXSW--and some have thrown their own events--this marks the first time the city has come together to pull off a sponsored event, says Brad Stephenson, director of online strategy for CMU’s Heinz College, a lead sponsor along with CMU’s Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII).
 
“The whole gamut of innovation will be represented at this event, from early childhood education to startups to university technology,” says Kim Chestney Harvey, manager director of the PTC’s Creative Technology Network. “Everyone will be down there showcasing innovation from the region and showing off Pittsburgh as a great place to live, work and learn. It’s a great place to get exposure.”
 
As an official event, the Pittsburgh Party will be promoted through SXSW marketing channels to the more than 40,000 attendees. PTC is currently seeking all innovative projects, partners, companies and sponsors to join the program.
 
Supporting sponsors include: Alpha Lab, The Entertainment Technology Center, Steeltown Entertainment, CMU University Advancement. The event is also supported by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the SPARK Kids & Creativity Network.
 
“It will be electrifying and fun,” adds Stephenson. “We would love to see 1,000 people come through.”
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Kim Chestney Harvey, PTC, and Brad Stephenson, CMU Heinz College

Looking for a job for the New Year? Each week Pop City reports on the latest hiring news in the region.
 
Monroeville-based companies Compunetix, Compunetics and Sonexis Technology are hiring more than 20 people in a range of positions.
 
The trio of firms are all in manufacturing. Compunetics makes precision printed circuit boards; Compunetix is a purveyor of digital electronics for the communication industry and Sonexis Technology handles their flagship auto conferencing bridge product ConferenceManager. (All but one job is on the Compunetix site.)
 
Positions include account manager, application developer, software engineers, technical writer and software developers. Company internships are also available.
 
Pittsburgh-based Bayer is hiring 16 including senior business analysts, manufacturing system specialists, product safety reps and research development specialists.
 
Humanity TV, a Web series that takes armchair travelers to destinations through the eyes of a native, is looking for experienced Web developers and filmmakers in Pittsburgh. One of the film’s creators is a CMU graduate. Two full-time videographers will be hired in the near future as well.
 
Fast-growing Pittsburgh IT consulting company Newton Consulting is hiring seven people and has job postings for several of its clients. Newton, which offers a unique pay-for-performance pay model, recently expanded from its carriage house office to a larger space in downtown Claysville.
 
Jobs posted include Human Resources and IT Consulting, although more may be posted soon.

Southside-based LunaMetrics is hiring a Director of Internet Consulting, a Search Analyst and an Internet Sales Director.
 
The Children’s Institute in Shadyside is hiring a Marketing and Communications Director.
 
Still looking? Check out last week’s listings.
 
Have hiring news? Share it with Pop City.
 
Writer: Deb Smit

A cup of tea on a bleak winter’s eve might be the most healing tonic of all time. If so, how about a Handmade Tea? 
 
Caleb Brown, tea lover and full-time web developer for startup NoWait, thinks so. Bored by the taste of so many bland loose-leaves, Brown began mixing his own blends in 2011 out of his Lawrenceville home. With a little help from quality fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, he's turning up the taste with Handmade Tea. 
 
Just as beer has gone from a blue collar drink to a beverage with distinction and complexity, so tea may be thoughtfully paired with a meal, says Brown. Imagine a light oolong with a flaky baked or broiled fish.
 
Handmade Tea is comprised of three ingredients; the tea leaves and two accompanying tastes. One popular blend, Bodhi Tea, mixes Chinese green tea, black mission figs and coconut chips, giving it a molasses-like sweetness. The Chile Pepper Black Tea was another eye opener. The teas are imported and the ingredients are from reputable wholesellers, some of whom are local.
 
Customers purchase a monthly subscription for $19.99 and receive a tea blend each month, enough for a cup or two every day. Each tea is unique because you brew the tea yourself, and choose how to mix the ingredients, he says.
 
It's kind of a reverse engineering spin on tea making, he explains.

The packaging is equally inspiring; the artwork on the tins was executed by local artists.
 
“I feel that quality tea is an art and it should be encased in equally beautiful artwork,” says Brown. “Handmade Tea is about building people’s palates in an easy, approachable way.”
 
The company has about 100 subscribers so far, a humble beginning. Word has spread with the help of social media, especially his blog on Tumblr and Facebook Gifts, which helped to double his sales last month.
 
For now, the tea will be sold through monthly subscriptions. In the future, Brown may package some brands to sell in stores and local cafes.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Caleb Brown, Handmade Tea
 

Among the latest Pittsburgh-based websites, blogs and apps to surface in recent weeks:
 
Treading Art is the region’s latest resource for cultural happenings in the city.
 
Christine Smith and Melissa LuVisi moved to Pittsburgh after graduating from UCLA, where they met. They were drawn to our region’s thriving arts community and the city’s drive to redevelop and expand.
 
Their background in business development, museum administration and curatorial management is perfect for reaching out to the creative communities in the city. TreadingArt will highlight the scene, promote cultural happenings and post reviews, photographs, interviews, commentary and critiques.
 
In the coming year, the duo plan to launch a membership program with access to arts events—underground openings, panels, tours and workshops.
 
“Eventually we would like to see this transpire into a physical space,” says LuVisi.  “We are truly thankful to have landed in such a receptive and innovative city.”
 
Look for the Weekend Treadings newsletter and agenda events in January of 2013.
 
Built In Pgh is connecting the dots for local entrepreneurs and innovators. The website, brought to you by the same people behind the RustBuilt Initiative, is a clearinghouse for the startup community, listing events, forums, job postings and company news.
 
And here’s several apps and games to keep small minds busy during the holidays.
 
IOnFuture is a cool way for middle schoolers to explore potential careers in the STEM fields. Considering a career as an ecologist or urban planner? How about an industrial designer or Veterinarian? This gives students an opportunity to learn different activities and hobbies they might try as they explore various career paths in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
 
The Lemonade Stand is a free educational iPad game that teaches children ages 3-6 about money and work by letting them actually run a virtual lemonade stand. The app was created through Idea Foundry’s Riveted program.
 
Online reviews comments that it teaches youngsters literacy and math skills while offering kudos for the rocking music.  
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Melissa LuVisi, Kit Mueller

Want to learn the language of the Internet? Think code is only for computer science geeks and undercover agents? If you’re female and want to get into on the action, Rail Girls is for you (sorry men.)
 
Rail Girls is an international organization that got its start in Helsinki, Finland, 2010, as a one-time event for women. It proved so popular that the teaching workshops spread to other cities around the globe: Shanghai, Singapore, Krakow, and now Pittsburgh.
 
The weekend workshop brings small groups of women together and empowers them to acquire the tools necessary to conquer the online frontier, or at least build a website, says Amanda Brown, an organizer of the local chapter.
 
The classes teach Ruby on Rails, or Rails, an open source, full-stack web application framework for the Ruby programming language. If this makes absolutely no sense to you, it soon will.
 
The weekend event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19^th, and is free and open to all girls and women. An installation event will be planned for the day before.
 
“If you don’t have any programming experience, you should be able to follow along and orient yourself. It’s geared toward the beginner level. We really want it to be a growing and learning experience while building community.”
 
ModCloth is a major sponsor of the event along with Confluence and NuRelm. Innovation Works has donated the AlphaLab space on Carson Street the South Side for the workshop.  
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Amanda Brown, Rail Girls

Each week Pop City reports on the latest hiring news in the Pittsburgh region.
 
Dynamix Technologies, a Wexford-based intelligent database technology for the finance industry, is hiring 10 people. The positions require software engineering, marketing and technical sales  experience.
 
The company is specifically looking for a Java Developer, Vice President of Software Engineering, Web Master, Manager of Marketing Communications, Senior Solutions Manager, Solutions Consultant, Technical Support Agent, Director of Financial Solutions Product Manager, and Financial Solution Sales .
 
Towercare, also in Wexford, is looking for a Website Developer. The ideal candidate will have the experience required to provide web services to non-profit organizations. Towercare serves the nonprofit sector and philanthropic missions around the world. In this role, you will assist in the ability to raise funds, plan and execute events, manage daily operations and make a difference.
 
The successful candidate will have a terminal degree, MFA or Ph.D. (preferred); a record of successful teaching and publishing, preferably in Creative Nonfiction or Fiction; a record of success in leadership or administrative positions; 
SmithMicro Software is seeking a Senior Technical Recruiter. For this role, you will recruit mid- to executive-level candidates for several disciplines including: Software Engineers, Quality Engineers, Technical Leadership, Sales and more.
 
Pittsburgh startup Dropkicker, a young, fun company that is building mobile accountability in the marketplace, is looking for a Djano developer who will do more than write code. All members of the Dropkicker team are involved in product-design and testing and will not only collaborate with mobile and web developers but will work on business leaders and with graphic designers.
 
The Darpa Robotics Challenge team 'Tartan Rescue' of the National Robotics Engineering Centerat CMU is hiring for a Senior Research Programmer position. NREC is developing a complex humanoid platform capable of performing various disaster response activities. The ideal candidate is a strong, self-motivated person who wants to work in a fast-paced environment and push forward state-of-the-art technology.

Celerity is expanding its Pittsburgh office and web team with the hiring of six, mostly software developers and web and mobile analysts. Most of the positions require a software engineering at least three to five years of experience.

The National Aviary is seeking a full-time grant writer who will assist in uncovering private funding sources for new and existing activities and operational needs. The idea candidate should have three years of demonstrable grant writing experience and will report to the Director of Development.

Pittsburgh startup FutureDerm is looking for a science and beauty blog writer and intern. Writers who are interested in learning more about the science behind  skin care, hair care and makeup are encouraged to apply. Writers may be compensated up to $15 per article depending on previous experience. 
Have hiring news? Share it with Pop City.
 
Writer: Debra Smit

Social media is proving an effective tool in building a robust fitness business, especially when it comes to CrossFit training.
 
Jim Crowell and Josh Bobrowsky, who graduated together from Upper St. Clair High School in the South Hills, opened Integrated Fitness in 2010, first in Bethel Park and then on the South Side.

Jim was working with a hedge fund company in Austin, Texas at the time. Josh, who studied social media at CMU, was going to law school at Case Western.
 
Both athletes, they loved the passion and drive of CrossFit, an intense conditioning regimen that started in California and has swept the country, bringing serious fitness seekers together for short training sessions that demand all-out physical exertion. Pittsburgh is home to a handful of CrossFit certified gyms. 
 
The fast-paced sessions are held in the gym and change daily, combining movements such as weightlifting, kettlebells, jumping rope, sprinting and jumping and climbing rope. There’s CrossFit Games as well, competitions that bring athletes together from around the region for intense day-long gameplay.
 
“CrossFit was a perfect fit for us,” says Crowell. “We’re both passionate about helping people. It's about getting someone in the best shape of their lives, from former athletes to those who’ve never been athletic.”
 
What makes CrossFit unique is the way it builds community, adds Bobrowsky. To that extent, Integrated Fitness has successfully grown the business with the help of social media, especially YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
 
The Pittsburgh gym has achieved the distinction of having the most views per month of workout videos of any CrossFit gym in the country. YouTube videos are averaging 700,00 hits a month, boosted by world record lift videos and celebrity interviews at the gym. Bobrowsky, who handles the gyms' social media, has 43,000+ followers on Twitter. 

Social media is a way for people to share with others online and interact with people from the gym, he says. People enjoy sharing their CrossFit scores, posting them on Facebook.
 
“Not everyone initially wants to share,” he adds. “But as time goes by, almost every person in the gym has at least one workout of exercise that they’re very proud of and they want their picture up there.”
 
“It’s not about being great CrossFit champions, but creating an atmosphere that creates an engaged community that helps individuals to reach their goals,” Crowell adds.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Jim Crowell and Josh Bobrowsky, Integrated Fitness
 

“Effective marketing campaigns personify the value of a product or company in some way,” says Pittsburgh marketing guru Dan Droz. “It’s a gift that keeps on giving.”
 
The founder of the downtown boutique firm Droz and Associates is obviously on to something. Last Friday the firm rocked the local American Marketing Association’s (AMA) 6th Annual Marketer of the Year Celebration, capturing no less than seven of the 10 awards presented.
 
The AMA awards recognize the top campaigns in the region for creativity and successfully strategy in 10 categories--including education, consumer services and technology. For the 32-year-old firm, it was a slam dunk.
 
“It was ‘oh no, not Meryl Streep again!'” Droz admits.
 
How do they do it? Take the Pittsburgh-based ProGrass campaign. When the makers of artificial turf for stadiums and sports facilities wanted to take on the mega-brand AstroTurf, Droz and Associates created a company mascot, a bauble-headed rhino named Rocky with a great physique.
 
Not only did the campaign put ProGrass on the artificially turfed map, but business shot up more quickly than real grass. The company could barely keep up with demand.
 
“It’s not about being different, it’s about being meaningfully distinctive,” says Droz. “Coming up with something that actually touches people. That’s the hard part.”
 
Droz has handled strategy and branding campaigns for more than 500 companies during his years in the business. He lectures and consults around the world, too, and has won numerous awards. But marketing wasn’t his first career. Droz was an adjunct professor at CMU, a position he held for 17 years until he retired.
 
He made a mark in this field as well. During the 1980s, he co-founded the Interdisciplinary Product Development Program at CMU, the first school in the country to offer a program that brought three distinct disciplines together: engineering, marketing and design.
 
Today, interdisciplinary programs are standard practice.
 
The recent spate of awards not only gave the firm seven awards, but a Grand Marketer of the Year nod for a campaign that expanded hospital linen company CleanCare. The campaign included the clever placement of humorous slogans on the company’s fleet of trucks.
 
Another winner was the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures campaign, which publicized the non-profit speakers series through large banners that were displayed across an Oakland construction site.
 
“Within three weeks, the series was sold out,” says Droz. “Now there’s a waiting list for tickets that were readily available a year ago.
 
“Part of what we’re doing is making an emotional connection,” he adds. “When we’re personifying a brand, we’re helping people to make an emotional connection. Creating light, designing with a sense of humor. “
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Dan Droz, Droz and Associates
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A new regional initiative to redefine the Great Lakes region and the emerging modern innovation marketplace is underway.

It’s called RustBuilt, although it’s far from a new idea. A handful of organizations in recent years have mounted similar campaigns. There was the Great Lakes Urban Exchange (GLUE), which led a mission to catalyze transformation and reinvestment in the region from western Pennsylvania to Michigan. Renovating the Rustbelt is another, a Cleveland-based initiative that is chronicling the transformation of the Rust Belt to the GreenBelt. And there are others.

RustBuilt is still gaining momentum as an initiative, but it's picking up traction from leaders in the Great Lakes region, most recently the Tech Belt initiative, which is facilitating a dialogue for companies in the Cleveland-Pittsburgh corridor, the city of Buffalo and PLSG. The idea is to bring together leaders in the seven-state region, those who are already hard at work on similar initiatives, and get them on the same page.

RustBuilt takes its cue from the Brookings Institution’s John Austin, a non-resident senior fellow, who has written about the economic strengths and opportunities of the Great Lakes region as detailed in the BI report: The Vital Center, A Federal-State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes Region.

“We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, but want to be able to reveal all the cool stuff that’s going on,” explains Kit Mueller, a seasoned tech entrepreneur and co-organizer of Pittsburgh Startup Weekend. “The more we celebrate ourselves, the better.”

Mueller is joined by Paul Burke, a managing partner of the local startup accelerator Thinktiv, Adam Kelson, an attorney, and Ellen Saxon, a CMU program administrator. Together they want to accomplish two things at first: amplify the region’s voice and convey its dynamic new economy and create a central clearinghouse where entrepreneurs can identify and share opportunities. Seed incubators is another idea that may be launched next year.

RustBuilt is currently in the process of discussing the initiative with regional economic entities, founders and funders in the startup space and others with like-minded propositions underway in the seven target states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, New York and Michigan. 

“The next step is to build content around it. People are already identifying that this is a worthy movement to join,” says Mueller.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Kit Mueller, RustBuilt

Each week Pop City reports on the latest hiring news in Pittsburgh.

Hopital Alfred Schweitzer in Haiti/ Pittsburgh is looking for a Major Gifts Manager. This position is ideal for a fearless and passionate fundraiser who is committed to strategic fund development for nonprofits through traditional and new vehicles of fundraising. The accomplished candidate will work with donors at a national and international level for this respected healthcare hospital in Haiti.
 
The successful candidate should have five years as a successful gifts officer, a bachelor’s degree and advanced degree preferred, strong interpersonal skills, the ability to travel and more.

The Darpa Robotics Challenge team 'Tartan Rescue' of the National Robotics Engineering Center at CMU is hiring for a Senior Research Programmer position. NREC is developing a complex humanoid platform capable of performing various disaster response activities. The ideal candidate is a strong, self-motivated person who wants to work in a fast-paced environment and push forward state-of-the-art technology.

Celerity, as reported this week in Pop City, is expanding its Pittsburgh office and web team with the hiring of six, mostly software developers and web and mobile analysts. Most of the positions require a software engineering at least three to five years of experience.

The National Aviary is seeking a full-time grant writer who will assist in uncovering private funding sources for new and existing activities and operational needs. The idea candidate should have three years of demonstrable grant writing experience and will report to the Director of Development.

Pittsburgh startup FutureDerm is looking for a science and beauty blog writer and intern. Writers who are interested in learning more about the science behind  skin care, hair care and makeup are encouraged to apply. Writers may be compensated up to $15 per article depending on previous experience.

Have hiring news? Contact Pop City.

Writer: Deb Smit