Coffee With TM on CBS

  Pittsburgh has an abundance of talented entrepreneurs and innovative startups. Joining us today on Coffee With is Kelly Collier, founder and CEO of ActivAided Orthotics, a medical device startup that produces flexible, supportive posture-correcting clothing. ActivAided has revolutionized the traditional medical brace into a product that allows for non-restrictive therapy, providing impressive support and rehabilitation without sacrificing flexibility or comfort. Collier launched the company from the ground up, their product initially developed for her senior project at Carnegie Mellon. ActivAided first saw development in the form of a class project for Collier, a then Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering student at CMU. An avid swimmer, Collier’s back pain problems became the catalyst for the project which was developed by a physician Dr. Gary Chimes, Collier and her peers as a senior project at Carnegie Mellon University. Unlike her classmates, Collier gave herself additional homework when she incorporated the assignment into a post-graduate business. Since founding ActivAvided Orthotics, Collier has become a specialist in commercializable product development and has expertise in all stages of the process. Whether it be design, manufacturing, scalability, or distribution, Collier possesses the business prowess to efficiently tackle any aspect of business growth and operations. Collier’s efforts enabled her to collect honors as the U. S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Western Pennsylvania Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Kevin White, Pittsburgh SBA district director, commented that Collier is an entrepreneur who identified the solution to a problem. He said, “Her back problems led her to turn this project into a business that helps correct posture in a non-restrictive form.” Collier’s transformation from student to entrepreneur is characteristic of the incredibly innovative business environment in Pittsburgh. Want to learn more about the origins, development, and lessons learned from ActivAided? Tune into this episode of Coffee With. Since this blog post and video the company was acquired by...

http://https://buildingbridgesforbusiness.org/coffee-with/ The Coffee With Show is proud to have Dan Rice, CEO of Rice Energy, join us to tell us about his experiences with the energy industry. Dan Rice has served as the CEO of Rice energy since 2013, previously working with Transocean Inc. and Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co, LLC. Mr. Rice’s many years in the energy business gives him a unique perspective and understanding of why energy is one of the most exciting fields to be involved in. Mr. Rice has served in a number of positions at Rice Energy, starting out as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in October 2008. In 2013, he served as the Chief Operating Officer, and has been the Chief Executive Officer since October of 2013. Along with his responsibilities as CEO, Mr. Rice currently serves as a member of the health, environmental, and safety committees. Rice Energy is proud to be historically a family-owned and operated business. Rice Energy aims to lead the nation to energy independence while protecting the environment, provide the safest workplace for their employees and partners, and generate the best-in-class returns to their stakeholders. In doing so, Rice energy will illuminate the power of positive energy. In regions in Pennsylvania and Ohio, Rice Energy has been actively involved in the Marcellus and Utica Shale since 2010, and is a top 20 producer in Pennsylvania. Rice Energy operates with environmental awareness and sustainability as a cornerstone of their business philosophy, and never passes up a chance to give back to the communities in which they are involved. They are committed to partnering with organizations in their operating footprint that align with their giving initiatives of public safety, youth education and leadership, and community enrichment. From their annual festival and fundraiser “Marcellus Mania” to their volunteering organization The Blue Crew, Rice Energy is proactive in supporting communities. Before his involvement with Rice Energy, Mr. Rice served as an investment banker for Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., LLC, an integrated energy investment bank in Houston. Prior to his involvement at Tudor Pickering Holt, Mr. Rice was a senior analyst of corporate planning for Transocean Inc. where he was responsible for mergers, acquisitions, and business development. Mr. Rice has a BS in Finance from Bryant University. For Mr. Rice, the most exciting part of being involved with Rice Energy has been the development of natural gas, specifically the progress that the US energy industry has made from being a net importer of natural gas to the point of...

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...

We welcomed Audrey Russo of the Pittsburgh Technology Council on the Coffee With set.  Audrey shares her special knowledge and insight. Join us in watching this exceptional and informative Coffee With video. This video is sponsored by PC NETWORK SERVICES in Pittsburgh. PC Network Services Address: 109 Nicholson Road, Sewickley, PA 15143 Phone:(412) 928-8670   Since 2007, Audrey Russo has served the technology business sector for southwestern Pennsylvania as President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, the oldest and largest technology trade association in North America. In this role, Russo facilitates strong interaction across all sectors of the regional economy. With a background in information technology, operations and finance, Russo previously worked for large multi-national Fortune 500 companies (Alcoa, Reynolds Metals), as well as at MAYA Design, and an adjunct faculty and project role at Virginia Commonwealth University. Russo is the Board Chair for the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, as well a board member of the Regional Industrial Development Corporation, Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and CityLab, among others. She earned her bachelor’s from Ohio State University and master’s in public administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Public...