Coffee With

The Coffee With Show featuring Rosedale Technical College and President Dennis Wilke. Host Christopher Evans. Dennis Wilke – President and Director of Rosedale Technical College, Dennis Wilke values a student-centered approach in everything he does. Dennis began his leadership at Rosedale Tech in 2005 and has since increased revenue by 400 percent, doubled the number of employees, and educational offerings have nearly tripled. Dennis serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the PA Association of Private School Administrators and recently won the 2015 Pittsburgh Smart 50 Impact award. Under the leadership of Dennis, Rosedale Tech was named the #1 Best Places to Work in Pittsburgh for both 2014 and 2015 according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. Currently, Dennis is writing a book focusing on the value and need for additional support for career centered education in America. As a Pittsburgh native, Dennis lives in South Fayette with his wife and three children. Dennis also likes long walks on the beach and moonlight dinners accompanied by the soft sounds of Barry Manilow. Mission The mission of Rosedale Technical College is to enable students to obtain employment in positions related to the trade industries using hands-on training programs aligned with industry needs and effective student services designed to promote student success. Vision We are the engine of our regional economy by providing genuinely valuable hands-on training which adapts to meet the needs of employers. We unlock the energy of our students and provide the spark of knowledge which gives our students the confidence to change their lives. Values RTC values a student-centered approach in everything we do. We also value continuous improvement and self-development along with honesty, humility and...

We have been filming our Coffee With Film Series on CBS/KDKA for several years.  Our first guest on Coffee With was NOW MAYOR William Peduto. Maverick Visuals is the Production Firm for Coffee With. (www.maverickvisuals.com), Christian Lockerman, has traveled the world creating compelling moving images for a variety of television shows and feature films, both narrative and documentary. He has lensed promo spots for such corporate giants as ATI Specialty Steel, Maybelline New York, Garnier, Dodge RAM, Forbes, FoxSports, Versus, Liberty Power and OLN. In addition, he has also directed the photography on three feature length documentaries and three feature films (and he just finished principal photography on his debut directorial effort, The Last Samaritan, due to be released late in 2014). From the treacherous Amazon jungles of Brazil to the overwhelming rain forest cliffs of Pohnpei to the beautiful deserts of Israel, he has had the good fortune to see the wonders of the planet as he has honed the arts of cinematography and filmmaking. These experiences have shaped an intrepid artistic vision and provided a solid creative foundation that he draws upon for every project, no matter what the size and scope. He is particularly proud of the visually exciting work he has been able to accomplish with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre over the last few years. Recently, he was appointed to a visiting artist position in cinematography at Point Park University and directs a cinematography workshop for the graduate students of Carnegie Mellon University during their final “television” project each year. This year he will also DP two of the three Steeltown Entertainment winning films. Maverick Visuals was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 2006 as a small HD production studio called Lockerman Studios (www.lockermanstudios.com). Its lone goal was developing and delivering beautiful and compelling moving images across the ever-expanding variety of distribution outlets. And as our client list grew, so did we. We became a global filmmaking “consortium” of sorts, tackling video projects from Micronesia to India to Brazil to Israel (and all parts in between). We soon evolved into Maverick Visuals, an intrepid group of like-minded moving image specialists capable of producing the highest quality films and videos under the strictest of deadlines and, more often than not, budgets. From cinema to television to the internet to cell phones, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what motion pictures can accomplish. With new technology surfacing almost every day, we strive to provide a fresh perspective in this digital age. We consider ourselves digitally social, visually refreshing and fully committed to the art of the moving image. It is the most powerful and significant persuasion over audiences today. It can capture a precious moment, evoke a breathtaking emotion, and certainly influence opinion. A finely crafted film can tell a story unlike any other...

  While pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, Innovesca’s Founder Mary Beth Wilson came across an alarming fact that launched the idea behind Innovesca. Science has shown that when you eat a carrot up to half of the vitamin A goes waste. This is because the human body has a difficult time breaking down the rigid cell walls of plant-based foods. As a result, much of the nutrition remains physically trapped inside of the plant’s cellular structure, inaccessible for the body to absorb during digestion Inspired by this knowledge, Mary Beth founded Innovesca to apply scientific innovation towards developing whole food ingredients that deliver more nutrition per bite. As part of their unique approach, Innovesca focuses on underutilized, nutrient-dense plants that already exist throughout the world but go to waste as robust and sustainable sources of natural nutrition. Initial research and development behind Innovesca’s first ingredient based on amaranth leaves has been funded by the Gates Foundation and National Science Foundation. In addition to scientific innovation, Innovesca aims to maximize impact through their operations. By sourcing raw underutilized plants directly from smallholder farmers in developing regions, they are able to pay farmers for crops that have traditionally been considered as waste or of low value — creating new market opportunities for these farmers. Ultimately, Innovesca aim to impact global nutrition through the consumption of their ingredients. Mary Beth talks with Christopher Evans on Coffee With… about her business journey. Mentorship and support from local Pittsburgh organizations has played a key role in developing Innovesca’s commercialization strategy and overcoming challenges in starting a small business. Coffee With… is an informal interview with prominent business, community and government leaders covering a wide array of issues from business planning to entrepreneurship, and business challenges that affect the economic landscape of the region. Watch the latest installment to see more about Mary Beth Wilson and...