East Liberty : Pittsburgh Innovates

The Kingdom of Bhutan, nestled in the heart of the Himalayas between Tibet and India, is a bucolic, peaceful nation that has abided under the modern radar for centuries.

A predominantly Buddhist country whose national creed is “Gross National Happiness,” Bhutan is preparing for a major political transition this year as its leader, King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, abdicates the throne in favor of his democratically elected son, a 27-year-old Oxford graduate.

What makes this all the more compelling is that a Pittsburgh-based company, Creative Products International, is helping to support this tiny country’s economy through the innovative development of a mini CD-ROM stamp to be released this spring, sure to be another sought after collector’s item for philatelists worldwide.

Bhutan has had a long, colorful history of exotic, prized stamps, explains Frances Todd Stewart, president of CPI. It was her late father, who formed a close friendship with the Bhutan queen-to-be while he attended Oxford University, who suggested stamps as an economic development project for the country.

The late Todd helped the country create several beautiful stamps, including a vinyl talking and 3-D stamp. Todd Stewart is following in his footsteps with a CD-ROM stamp that attaches to an envelope and includes pictures, music and the history of the country, developed and designed by CPI, new product developers and an international custom manufacturer.

The stamp has already attracted national attention, having been featured on "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?" on the NBC Today Show earlier this year.

“I feel very honored to be part of an experience to carry on my father’s legacy,” says Todd Stewart. “It’s wonderful to think that through this documentary there is a connection between the past and what is happening now as Bhutan moves into a democracy.”

To view the CD-ROM stamp, click here.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Frances Todd Stewart, Creative Products International

Image courtesy Creative Products International

Allegheny County has received $7.54 M from the state for 11 economic development projects that promise to create some 540 jobs in the region in the next three years.

The funds will enable three companies to relocate here from out-of-state, says Janel Miller, a spokesperson for Gov. Ed Rendell. The assistance for the 11 projects comes in the form of loans, grants, job training and technical assistance coordinated through the Governor’s Action Team.

The three companies that will move to the region include:

GiftCards.com will create at least 53 new jobs by relocating operations from North Carolina to suburban Pittsburgh. The leading provider of prepaid Visa debit cards has moved its customer service center to a 20,000 sf building in Greentree.

Hussey Copper Ltd., a leading global producer of electrical copper bar for rolling mills, is relocating a production line from Kentucky to Leetsdale, a $1.2 M expansion that will create 25 new jobs. 

Knepper Press Corp. is expanding its local operations and creating 40 new jobs. The commercial printing company is moving its 38,000 sf facility in Oakdale to a new 100,000 sf facility on 11.9 acres in Clinton.

Voyager Jet Center, a leader in private aviation services, will receive the biggest slice of the pie for a $17.7 M, 30,000 sf expansion of its Allegheny County Airport operations that will create 50 new jobs.

The new jobs arrive on the heels of a marginal rise in local jobs in the region for November. The U.S. Dept. of Labor reports that the region added 3,000 new jobs compared to the same period last year, posting a .26 percent growth rate.

For the complete list of local economic development projects, click here.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Janel Miller for Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Dept. of Labor

Pediatricians in the East End hope to inspire a green movement in healthcare, having opened the first sustainable medical office in the region for their young patients.

Children’s Community Pediatrics has moved to a new, 5,180 sf office on Penn Avenue above Trader Joe’s, a bright, inviting space that features low-emitting laminate adhesives, a carbon dioxide monitoring system that maintains indoor air quality, a ventilation system that controls office airflow and minimizes exposure to indoor particulates and chemical toxins, high performance insulated windows that let in sunlight and conserves energy and plant and aquarium ecosystems in the waiting room.

The idea was initiated by Keith Somers, a pediatrician who saw the alarming rise in the childhood incidents of asthma, cancer and other environmentally related illnesses and felt it was imperative to promote a sustainable practice.

“As a family we saw the ‘Inconvenient Truth’ and it got us all to be a little more pro-active,” admits Somers. “It allowed me the latitude to pursue this option. My hope is to show the rest of the world and the business community that there’s a lot we can do and ways to spend the money that are affordable and available. Prevention goes hand in hand with what we are doing.”

The office was designed by LEED-certified architects at Pittsburgh-based Designstream Architectural Studios and built by KJ Johnston Ltd. In addition, CCP is collaborating with green experts at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, soon to be one of the first LEED-certified children’s hospitals in the country.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Keith Somers, Children’s Community Pediatrics

Image courtesy Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Nine Pittsburgh start-ups received venture capital funding in the last quarter of 2007 and Pittsburgh’s Innovation Works celebrated a funding milestone of its own.

Eight of the companies are Innovation Works portfolio companies. “The breadth of technologies is indicative of what we see in general,” says Terri Glueck of Innovation Works. “This paints such a great picture of what’s happening and innovative here.”

Accipter Systems, Inc. received $300,000 to developing Wi-Hy, a next generation wireless system that will eliminate network dropouts and provide a more reliable network for the military, emergency crews, surveillance and public safety personnel.

Alertek was awarded $300,000. The new technology is a University of Pittsburgh spinout and will improve safety in the mines and on construction sites by providing an audible alert at the first sign of infrastructure under stress.

Cognition Therapeutics received $200,000 to help develop small molecule therapeutics targeting the toxic proteins that cause the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative diseases of the human brain.

Coventina Healthcare Enterprises received $320,000 as it continues to produce a therapeutic warming system used in the research, treatment, rehabilitation and management of pain related to injury, aging and disease.

Impact Games, makers of the internationally popular game Peacemaker, has received $250,000.

Pertuity received $300,000 to develop its product, Dare to Compare, an online financial comparison tool that helps users compare their financial status, plans and strategies with others.

ShowClix received $150,000 for development of a live music search engine and online ticketing company connecting musicians, venues and show promoters with millions of live music fans. The website combines an open, live music database with an online ticketing platform, giving show promoters, musicians and venues an easy, affordable way to promote their shows and sell tickets to music fans who search for, track and share live music on the site.

The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse has invested $100,000 in ParentPlus. ParentPlus is positioning its first product, FertPlus(R), as a way to increase the efficacy of fertility treatments and at the same time provide a lower cost alternative to expensive and highly publicized conventional treatments.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Terri Glueck, Innovations Works, Tim O’Brien, PLSG

Community Connections announced $1M in grants to 100 regional and grassroots organizations and artists as the city gears up to celebrate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary.

Some 540 submissions were received from across the region and the competition was stiff as a panel of regional leaders, including representatives from all 14 counties, selected 12 compelling initiatives that received $50,000 each as Regional Community Connections Projects and 88 grassroots projects that received about $5000 each.

Four examples of projects that received $50,000 for activities in 2008 are:

• Civil Rites: Oral Histories of Two Generations of Pittsburgh Artists: the August Wilson Center for African American Culture will collect the work and personal stories of local artists in a multimedia presentation that will coincide with the Center’s dedication.
• Good Neighbor Days: Family Communications, Inc. will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the birth of Mister Rogers with an educational campaign and five-days of family-friendly activities at regional cultural and educational venues.
• Roadside Giants: The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor will engage students at technical and career schools in Bedford, Somerset and Westmoreland counties to create enormous public art sculptures along the historic Lincoln Highway, a route that mirrors the one travelled by Gen. John Forbes and Col. George Washington in 1758.
• With The Pittsburgh Signs Project, Pop City's own Jennifer Baron will
  create "Pittsburgh Signs: 250," a full-color book documenting and reflecting on signs from the fourteen counties in the region that will celebrate the
  unique visual culture of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“Regional Projects are indicative of the character of our unique region,” said Cathy Lewis Long, a co-chair of Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections. “From the expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities to mobile educational laboratories, these important initiatives planned for 2008 represent the hopes and desires of citizens in Southwestern Pennsylvania at this moment in time.”

Community Connections is a cooperative effort of The Sprout Fund, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization, the Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections committee, and Pittsburgh 250 Inc., the lead agency coordinating events and activities for the 250th celebration.

To see a complete list of funded projects, click here.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Cathy Lewis Long, Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections and Dustin Stiver, The Sprout Fund

The Green Building Alliance is keeping Pittsburgh green this season.

This month the GBA announced $448,000 in product innovation grants for the commercialization of new products to support the fast growing green building market in Pittsburgh.

“The green market represents a significant economic opportunity for western Pennsylvania and the entire state, which ranks second in the country in the number of LEED certified buildings,” says Rebecca Flora, executive director of the GBA.

The grants include collaboration between private sector companies and university teams located in Pa. Recipients include:

• $100,000 for Ductmate GreenSeam II product development, which will help to reduce duct leakage, a project of Ductmate Industries and the University of Pittsburgh.
• $100,000 to environmentally and economically assess the production and field performance of insulated concrete forms, a project of Tegrant Corp. and the University of Pittsburgh.
• $81,564 for improved production of pigment as a byproduct of the treatment of coal mine drainage in the region, a project of Iron Oxide Recovery, Hedin Environmental and the University of Pittsburgh.
• $81,062 for the development of a process simulator for green product decision-making, a project of Burt Hill and Penn State University.
• $45,736 for sustainable, affordable, low-temperature water system to heat and cool a neighborhood of buildings, a project of Geothermal Energy Systems and CMU.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Rebecca Flora, Green Building Alliance

State-of-the-art technology developed in Pittsburgh has retirees and seniors across the country tapping their toes and sashaying for fitness.

The fitness software was developed by local entrepreneur Jeff Pepper, president and CEO of Dancetown, who designed the program with the help of health caregivers. Pepper says he wanted to help people in retirement homes connect with each another. “There’s always of the danger of isolation. You end up losing touch with family, friends, work that makes your life meaning.”

Dancetown displays footwork on a computer screen and invites participants to follow along with the steps, a fitness system that stimulates the brain and enhances physical, mental and emotional health, explains spokesperson Dawn Jackman Biery.

It’s a slow motion version of “Dance Dance Revolution,” a game that pits players against computer directed dance steps, but plays Oldies and begins at a beginner level and moves into steady paced dancing. The fitness program may be offered as a class by a trained wellness coordinator, self-directed or as a competitive game against others.

Dancetown was launched at Country Meadows in Bridgeville, Longwood in Oakmont and 100 sites across the country. “We did a trade show in Orlando and it was huge,” laughs Biery. “We had an 87-year-old legally blind woman dancing at level 2 to “Walking After Midnight by Patsy Cline.”

Dancetown is a division of Touchtown Inc., purveyors of software that manages inhouse television for retirement communities. “It’s a giant step forward in our long-term commitment to serving the senior community,” Pepper says.

To view Dancetown in action, click here.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Dawn Jackman Biery, Jeff Pepper, Dancetown

Image courtesy of Touchtown Inc.

Vernard Alexander was ruminating over the closing of the Crawford Grille in the Hill District when an idea came to him.

For years, local jazz lovers regularly met at the Grill, a place of community, attracting top musicians from as far away as New York City. When the Grille moved to Station Square, it became too pricey and inaccessible for many of its regular patrons.

Alexander saw its departure as an opportunity to give something back to the neighborhood where he grew up. “When that historic place closed, it laid the groundwork for me to start some type of organization,” says Alexander. “I wanted to build a community of entrepreneurs who would get to know one another on a personal and professional level, my own version of the Chamber of Commerce.”

Last year Alexander formed the Minority Network Exchange, an organization that strives to connect minority business owners and entrepreneurs to one another in fun, creative ways, be it a golf outing, horseback riding or a murder mystery network mixer. The goal is exposure for businesses that would normally slide under the radar, he says.

“One of the barriers I’ve found is that there hasn’t been a lot of interest from people who are well-established,” says Alexander. “If you’ve been successful and have had your doors open for 10 years or more, that’s the kind of people I want to be mentors to others.”

And make no mistake, all minorities are welcome, he adds. “If 100 Russian guys show up, great. Everyone can help each other.”

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Vernard Alexander, Minority Network Exchange

Image courtesy of Vernard Alexander

The Heinz Endowments has named Davidson College President Robert Vagt as its next president.

Vagt, a gregarious, ordained minister who prefers to be called "Bobby," will take charge of the $1.6 billion foundation that has distributed more than $80 million in grants this year, primarily in Western Pennsylvania. He succeeds Maxwell King on Jan. 15th .

“Pittsburgh was part of the attraction, but the principal attraction were the Endowments themselves and their regional focus on quality of life matters,” Vagt says. “I hope to work on some of the tougher issues that affect Pittsburgh.”

Vagt received his undergraduate degree in psychology at Davidson and earned his master’s in divinity from Duke. His extensive experience includes work as a psychologist, prison warden, public finance director and director of health center clinic programs before becoming the 16th president of one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

During his 10-year tenure, Vagt helped encourage diversity on campus and eliminated the financial aid debt of needy students, an accomplishment of which he is most proud. He also coined the phrase “Davidson bubble,” a personal and ethical value system, and once had bottles of bubble soap distributed to graduating students where they sat, encouraging them to spread the “Davidson bubble” out into the world.

Writer: Deb Smit

Source: Bobby Vagt, The Heinz Endowments

Image courtesy of The Heinz Endowments

Our monthly venture capital roundup reports that six area companies hauled in investment dollars in the past month.

• Pittsburgh-based Plextronics recently scored another $4 M round of venture capital financing, this time from Austin, Texas-based Applied Ventures, the VC arm of Applied Materials, a global leader in nanomanufacturing technology. The investment comes on the heels of a $20.6 M round earlier this year. (See the Pop City story here.) The infusion will fuel the expansion of Plextronic's product and manufacturing abilities and increase sales and marketing for the future printed electronics industry, says CEO Andy Hannah.

• In other VC news, Oakland-based speech-training developer Carnegie Speech received $6M from several Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C. based investors. The proceeds will help to expand sales and marketing efforts. CS will also open an office in India.  
• The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG) invested $115,000 in Innovention Technologies. Innovention is developing advanced robotic devices for use in the medical, industrial military and law enforcement fields. Its first product, HARP, is a highly maneuverable robotic probe able to enter into small cavities within the body and steer around organs.

• PLSG also funded $150,000 to Applied Isotope Technologies (AIT), an early-stage manufacturer of standards and kits that will measure--in nanograms--the toxicity levels of metals and other poisons in urine and other biological fluids.

• Innovation Works invested $250,000 in Impact Games, developers of the global hit “Peacemaker,” which gives players a stake in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• IW also funded Coventina Healthcare Enterprises $300,000 towards its development of therapeutic warming devices for aching limbs.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Andy Hannah, Plextronics: Tim O’Brien and John W. Manzetti, PLSG; Innovation Works; Angela Kennedy, Carnegie Speech

So many condiments, not enough fun and games.

That was the idea behind Pittsburgh-based Smith Brothers Advertising's campaign to reignite interest in the flagging sales of Heinz Ketchup. It began with the subtle label that spoke from store shelves, “a million french fries can’t be wrong,” and blossomed into the full-blown campaign, “Hungry for Fame?” giving consumers a chance to design their own YouTube Heinz commercial.

The innovative strategy not only worked, it was a nationwide sensation. A tsunami of 8,000 entries poured in. Contestants’ commercials were viewed 7.7 million times on the Top This web site and by August of 2007, Heinz was reporting a 13 percent increase in sales. More recently, a national consumer survey placed Heinz in the number one spot according to the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Smith Brothers Advertising won, too, a Creative Media Award from Media Magazine for its clever strategy.

“The Heinz brand’s history with consumers is what triggered the idea,” explains Miles Smith, a partner at Smith Brothers. “It gave everyone a way to tell their ketchup stories and ignited the public’s passion for the bottle that’s hidden in plain sight.”

For those whom didn’t make the final cut, there’s a second chance to proclaim your passion on national television: “Top This Take Two.” Because consuming Heinz’s flagship Pittsburgh-brand should be a compelling experience.

To view the YouTube Heinz finalists, click here.

By: Deb Smit
Source: Miles Smith, Smith Brothers Advertising

Image courtesy of Smith Brothers Advertising

 

The first web site in the nation to provide an array of information on nonprofits in the region, and across the country, has launched in Pittsburgh.

Dubbed the online “Zagats” about nonprofits, Pittsburgh GreatNonprofits is a project of the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership, a coalition that  connects the 300 nonprofits in Southwestern, PA. The site was constructed in partnership with GreaterNonProfits, the San Francisco-based organization that began designing it two years in response to the needs of nonprofits across the country.

“This allows the public to come in and get to know the nonprofit sector in a completely new way,” explains Vivien Luk, program director of the Forbes Fund. “The site has many different functions. It will help individuals to learn more about giving smartly and donating their time wisely.”

Individuals and businesses searching for a worthy project or interested in supporting a fund will find detailed information and honest feedback. The site also works as a vehicle to connect an organization to both the community as well as other nonprofits, says Luk.

On Thursday, Nov. 8th, WQED will air a special program on the Pittsburgh GreatNonprofits. View the video after Nov. 8th by clicking here.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Vivien Luk, Pittsburgh Greater Nonprofits


Image courtesy of Great Nonprofits

Carnegie Mellon University received $22M from The Heinz Endowments this month to create a new School of Information Systems, expand teaching and research in green chemistry, and encourage innovations in robotics and computer science.

The gift was part of a $45M grant package given to the region by The Heinz Endowments. The package includes new support for Pittsburgh public schools and cultural institutions throughout the city and a fund to help diversify downtown residency.

$21.5 M will go toward CMU’s capital campaign and will include a new college that will also house a restructured H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management. The goal is to enable the university to provide the highest-quality, graduate-degree programs that study the strategic implications of technology in business and in important social issues.

Another $8.5 M is part of an endowment increase for the expansion of the green chemistry field. “This significant level of support for Carnegie Mellon points out the degree to which we believe Pittsburgh’s universities hold the key for moving the region forward in several important areas,” says Teresa Heinz, chairman of The Endowments.

Other support for regional non-profits include:

• $650,000 to CMU’s Field Robotics Center to refine innovations for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge Robotics Competition.
• $400,000 to CMU’s Department of Computer Science to support the emerging field of human-centered computing.
• $3.7 M to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and eight other organizations-- the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, City Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet, the Pittsburgh Opera, Children’s Museum, Mattress Factory, River City Brass Band and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.
• A $1.75 million Program Related Investment will go toward a $3 million loan fund run by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership to promote diversity in downtown residency and preserve older buildings.
  

For more information on the grants, click here.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Teresa Heinz, The Heinz Endowments

Online job recruitment activity rose in 22 of 28 top U.S. metro markets in September, and Pittsburgh showed the biggest increase in online job demand, according to the Monster Local Employment Index.

The Index is based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities drawn from more than 1,500 different web sites, including Monster. It is compiled by Monster Worldwide, the largest global online job employment service.

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Detroit showed the strongest increases in online jobs and fin Pittsburgh, September was its highest number of online jobs for the year. The figure reflects “historically tight labor market conditions and high demand for technically skilled workers” in both IT and engineering as well as blue-collar installation, maintenance and repair occupations, the Index says.

“Our access to such diverse and experienced local talent is critical,” notes Eric Spaulding, spokesperson for Guru.com, the Pittsburgh-based online marketplace for freelance talent. “As organizations such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Carnegie Mellon University aggressively accelerate the health care and tech/engineering industries, the demand for white-collar and blue-collar jobs will continue.  Marketing local innovations and industry growth to a national audience is crucial as Pittsburgh moves to address the issue of how to attract and satisfy a younger population.”

Other highlights:
·    Number of online job opportunities dipped in just three markets: Houston, San Diego and San Francisco
·    Houston remains the Index’s top growth market on a year-over-year basis, followed by Pittsburgh and St. Louis

To view the Monster Index, click here.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Monster Local Employment Index; Eric Spaulding, Guru.com

Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh have announced a major new program that will significantly reduce utility bills through a “reverse energy online auction” for businesses and industries across the region.

The Western Pennsylvania Municipal Aggregation Program will create the largest purchasing initiative in the region’s history, says Chief Executive Dan Onorato, who teamed up with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to announce the plan this week. The program will be available to school districts, hospitals, colleges, universities, municipalities, non-profits and private businesses both large and small.

“It’s unique to anything we’ve done,” says Tim Johnson, director of administrative services for the county. “The city and county are coming together to combine collective purchasing power to piggy back on the contract we’ve negotiated. “

Wexford-based firm Co-exprise was selected to run the program, which is based on a similar successful program it operates in the Maryland-D.C. area. This is the first program of its kind in the state.

The process for participation is three fold: Western Pennsylvania businesses will be invited to join the consortium and an informational meeting will be held on Nov. 5^th. Once a business signs on, Co-exprise sorts and packages the businesses into bundles based on their utility needs. A ceiling price is set and utilities rebid on the price through a unique online auction event. Participating businesses may monitor the auction process online, explains Johnson.

It's too early to speculate the savings to businesses, but Johnson said it would be "significant."

“This has the potential to be largest cost-saving public/private partnership in the history of Western Pennsylvania,” says Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

The deadline for signing onto the program is Nov. 12^th.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Tim Johnson and Kevin Evanto, Allegheny County