Molly Wood from NPR’s Marketplace Tech made a stop in Pittsburgh on January 30 to discuss the city’s transformation into a “tech dynasty”. Joining Molly were local tech leaders - Suzy Teele (ARM - Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing), Jim Gibbs (MeterFeeder) and Chris Martin (Bosch).

The discussion centered on the ways Pittsburgh is uniquely positioned to become a “tech dynasty” and what still needs to happen to complete that transformation. While the Pittsburgh venture capital scene has grown in recent years, more growth is needed to better support the start-up ecosystem. This was marked as one of the most urgent areas of improvement.

“Pittsburgh has a legacy of developing practical solutions for huge problems” - Suzy Teele, ARM

Suzy Teele noted that Pittsburgh has a legacy of developing practical solutions for huge problems, setting the foundation for further innovation. The city also has a comparatively low cost of living compared to other tech clusters around the country, which should certainly offer a compelling reason for the talent developed at Pittsburgh’s leading universities, like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, to grow their careers here.