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TechVibe Pittsburgh

Jonathan Kersting

Curious about Pittsburgh's growing technology and innovation industry and the opportunities it has for you? This podcast gives you a front-row seat to the companies, people, and institutions that are making Pittsburgh's tech industry thrive.

Discover the newest tech startups emerging from Pittsburgh; Meet dynamic entrepreneurs driving innovation and creating a rich landscape for tech company growth; and Stay on top of the latest trends from recognized industry experts and thought leaders.

Audrey Russo and Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council have interviewed thousands of tech entrepreneurs and business experts across the tPittsburgh region's tech and innovation ecosystem. Get an inside look at the companies, people, and trends that are making Pittsburgh a worldwide center of technology innovation.

Start by diving into Pittsburgh's tech ecosystem with a fan-favorite episode: "Meet the New Head of CMU's Machine Learning Department." Don't miss out—click to listen now!

TechVibe Pittsburgh is produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council to explore the Pittsburgh region's technology, entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. Tune in Sundays at 6 AM 10 100.1 FM AM 1020 KDKA.

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  • 46 episodes
  • Avg 23 min
  • English

Episodes 46

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  • June 21 · 22 min

    AHN President Mark Sevco on AI, Startups and the Future of Health Care

    Allegheny Health Network President Mark Sevco is helping shape one of the most important conversations in Western Pennsylvania: how health care evolves in a time of rapid technology change, financial pressure and growing community need. In this episode of TechVibe Radio, Jonathan Kersting and Audrey Russo recap Sevco's recent Pittsburgh Technology Council Breakfast Briefing, where he shared his journey back to Pittsburgh, his vision for AHN and Highmark Health, and why technology will be a critical differentiator in the future of care. Sevco discusses how AHN is embracing AI, ambient listening, Epic, chatbots and predictive analytics to improve the patient experience and create care pathways that are simpler, faster and more reliable. He also explores how AHN works with startups and Innovation Works' AlphaLab Health to test and scale new ideas that solve real-world problems for patients, clinicians and the health care system. The conversation also dives into bigger pressures facing health care, including affordability, Medicaid changes, preventive care and how policy decisions can ripple through hospitals, employers and communities. Sevco points toward a future with more outpatient care, more home health, deeper AI investment, predictive analytics and precision medicine. Hit PLAY to hear why AHN's role as a payer-provider innovator, community anchor and technology adopter matters not only to patients, but to entrepreneurs, employers and everyone working to build a healthier Pittsburgh.

  • June 17 · 24 min· Video

    AMP'd Pittsburgh: Clark Testing, Nuclear Power, Space and Serious Innovation

    Plug in and turn it up. The debut episode of TechVibe's AMP'd Pittsburgh kicks off with Paul Heffernan of Clark Testing, a company proving that some of the world's most critical products are tested, validated and battle-hardened right here in the Pittsburgh region. Host Jonathan Kersting goes inside Clark Testing's Jefferson Hills campus, where giant shake tables, seismic simulations, structural testing, lubricant labs and cybersecurity certifications all come together to support manufacturers across nuclear power, rail, defense, energy, space exploration and more. From testing equipment bound for nuclear power plants and submarines to helping validate components for NASA's Artemis launch system, Clark Testing is one of those Pittsburgh companies quietly keeping the world moving, powered and safe. Heffernan shares how Clark Testing acts as an extension of its customers' engineering teams, helping companies bring products to market with confidence. The conversation explores the company's massive new shake table, its role in supporting the energy grid and data center boom, its work with ASTM laboratories around the world, and why Pittsburgh's manufacturing legacy is still shaping the future. AMP'd Pittsburgh is all about turning up the volume on advanced manufacturing, and this first episode hits hard: global impact, local talent, serious technology and a whole lot of Pittsburgh grit. The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore the region's technology and innovation ecosystem.

  • June 15 · 22 min· Video

    Pittsburgh's Echelon Risk + Cyber Cracks the Inc. 5000 at 433! Learn How They Did it

    Want some amazing business-building insights to crack the Inc. 5000? Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and TechVibe sits down with Dan Desko, founder of Echelon Risk + Cyber, to talk about the company's rapid growth and Inc. 5000 ranking at #433. Desko explains Echelon as a full-service cybersecurity firm offering professional and managed services, including governance, risk and compliance, pen testing, defensive engineering, and security team-as-a-service led by virtual CISOs, with partners like CrowdStrike. He credits their success to intentionally defined core values: being client-centric, prioritizing teamwork, hiring people with personality (not clones), facing issues head-on through trust and leader modeling, keeping culture fun with "more cowbell," and a sixth value, "turning pro," meaning continual improvement with no mountaintop. They also discuss "Echelon," the company's annual remote-first team gathering, including hikes in places like Asheville, to sustain culture and celebrate wins. The Pittsburgh Technology Council, produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and Innovation ecosystem.

  • June 14 · 22 min

    Pittsburgh's SoftWriters Brings AI to Long-Term Care Pharmacy

    What happens when AI moves beyond buzzwords and starts helping pharmacists get critical medications to patients faster, safer and more accurately? On this episode of TechVibe Radio, we welcome LiAna Tschen, VP of Platform Operations at SoftWriters, and Danielle Greer, VP of Product, to explore how the Pittsburgh-based company is bringing intelligent automation into long-term care pharmacy. SoftWriters powers pharmacy operations for facilities where accuracy, speed and scale are mission-critical, with some customers processing thousands of prescriptions every day. LiAna and Danielle detail how SoftWriters built its AI implementation around one of the most labor-intensive and error-prone parts of pharmacy workflow: order entry. They explain why the company created an internal AI innovation center, how customer feedback shaped the project, and why keeping humans in the loop remains essential when patient safety is on the line. They also share how SoftWriters balanced its core platform work with AI experimentation, spending more than a year testing, validating and building trust before going live. Listen to learn how SoftWriters is using AI to tackle staffing shortages, margin pressure and growing demand in long-term care pharmacy, while keeping the patient at the center of every decision. The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and innovation ecosystem.

  • June 8 · 12 min

    AHN President Mark Sevco on Tech, AI and the Future of Health Care in Pittsburgh

    It is not every day you get to sit down with someone helping shape the future of health care across Western Pennsylvania. In this special TechVibe conversation, Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council talks with Mark Sevco, President of Allegheny Health Network, ahead of his upcoming Breakfast Briefing on June 11. Sevco brings deep Pittsburgh roots, decades of health care leadership experience and a clear focus on how AHN can use technology, innovation and community partnerships to create better outcomes for patients across the region. Listeners will hear how AHN is thinking about some of the biggest opportunities in health care technology, including AI, ambient listening, chatbots, Epic, predictive analytics and more personalized care pathways. Sevco explains why health systems must become obsessed with patient satisfaction and use technology to make health care simpler, faster, more reliable and easier to navigate. The conversation also explores how AHN works with startups and entrepreneurs through its innovation efforts, including ways emerging companies can bring ideas forward to solve real-world problems in care delivery, operations, research and patient experience. Sevco also previews how AHN and Highmark are thinking about affordability, access and quality as part of a payer-provider model built for the future. Beyond technology, Sevco digs into AHN's role as a community anchor, from addressing health disparities to supporting prevention, wellness, screenings, education and partnerships with schools, churches and local organizations. Attend the Breakfast Briefing to hear Sevco go deeper on AHN's vision for the next decade of health care, including the rise of outpatient care, home health, AI-powered access, predictive analytics, precision medicine and what it will take to keep Western Pennsylvania healthier for generations to come. Register here. The Pittsburgh Technology Council Produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh' technology and innovation ecosystem.

  • June 7 · 22 min

    Pittsburgh's Ecotone Renewables Turns Food Waste Into Fertilizer

    Can food waste become one of Pittsburgh's next big innovation stories? On this episode of TechVibe, we're talking with Dylan Lew, Co-Founder of Ecotone Renewables, a Pittsburgh company turning discarded food into data, fertilizer and serious climate impact. Ecotone's Zeus biodigesters are built inside reused shipping containers, powered by smart automation and designed to transform food scraps into a locally produced fertilizer called Soil Sauce. We'll dig into how Ecotone got its start, why food waste is a bigger greenhouse gas problem than most people realize, how AI helps customers understand what they're throwing away, and why these colorful containers are popping up with companies, hospitals and campuses. Give it a listen! This is Pittsburgh innovation with dirt under its fingernails and data in its engine room. The Pittsburgh Technology Council produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and innovation ecosystem.

Showing 41–46 of 46 episodes