Strange Bedfellows: How Wigle Whiskey Founder Meredith Grelli is Transforming CMU's Entrepreneurial Landscape
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
Release Date: 07/28/2025
A Simpler, More Transparent and Cost-Effective Healthcare Option Is Set to Help Entrepreneurs
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
Are skyrocketing medical costs and confusing benefit plans draining your budget and frustrating your employees? You’re not alone—commercial healthcare costs are rising 9–10% annually and traditional high-deductible plans rarely deliver the promised savings. This episode of 10 Minute Tech Talk explores Highmark’s bold new CopayGo plan, which is designed to simplify benefits and bring real transparency to what care costs before you get it. Host Jonathan Kersting talked to Highmark leaders Jonathan Majernik and Taylor Mackay for the Health Care Reinvented podcast series so you can: ...
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Hey Tech Entrepreneurs: You're Probably Not Using AI Enough
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
Are you truly making the most of AI’s potential? In this thought-provoking conversation ripped from the Pittsburgh Technology Council's , Zico Kolter and Matt Fredrickson, faculty members at Carnegie Mellon University and founders of Gray Swan AI, explore why the time to embrace AI is right now and how technology once deemed futuristic is fundamentally reshaping industries today. TechVibe hosts Audrey Russo and Jonathan Kersting discuss the immense power of AI tools already at your fingertips. Key takeaways? You’ll gain insights into how AI can radically enhance your...
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Is AI Making Your Workplace Smarter or Just More Stressful? Get Key Insights for Success
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
As companies race to integrate AI tools, many overlook the human side of the equation: how employees actually feel about using them, and how workplace culture shifts when new technology enters the mix. If you’re leading a team or adapting to AI yourself, this episode gives you the perspective you need to navigate both the opportunities and anxieties. This episode has highlights with Nathan Wadding of the Kindling Culture Agency who authored a fascinating read about the impact of AI on work culture. Keep on listening to: Discover why embedding AI into daily workflows can free up time for...
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3 Key Steps to Transform Your Website Into a Conversion Powerhouse!
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
Are you maximizing the potential of your website's search visibility to drive conversions? In today's digital age, we'll know that getting your business noticed online is crucial. 10 Minute Tech Talks welcomes Meesha Gerhart of RedTree Web Design to help make it easier for you. We're going to explore how search engine optimization (SEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and user experience can work together to not only attract visitors but also lead them down the path to conversion. Hit PLAY to: Discover actionable strategies to enhance your website's visibility before the click. Learn...
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Ready For a Rebrand? How a Tech Entrepreneur Should Know When It's Time
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
Has your market and technology evolved so much that it might make sense to rebrand your company? Maybe you acquired a company and the new services are just itching to grab a customer's attention! For security company Intertech CI this was the case on all three points. When Ron Petnuch, President and CEO of Intertech CI, stopped byTechVibe Radio, part of his conversation landed on the company's rebrand as direct reaction to the fast pace of technology evolution in the security industry. From AI-enabled cameras to advanced card readers, technology was not only advancing, but also had to be...
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The Best of Both Worlds: How a Tech Entrepreneur Pursues His Passion and a Profit
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
Can an entrepreneur have his proverbial cake and eat it too? Mike Vindler, co-owner of , a Pittsburgh-based 3D printer, seems to be doing just that. Hit PLAY to learn how Mike is growing Tronix3D while also having a ton of fun pursuing passion projects. In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks Mike reveals how TroniX3D's profitable bread and butter defense projects pave the way for projects that ignite his creative spark and opens ideas to potential new lines of business. Let's get a taste of the Tronix3D cake and hear from Mike right now. To get his full TechVibe Radio interview ...
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Making Tech Accessible: Ad Agency Entrepreneur Creates Simplified Geofencing Solution to Fill a Marketplace Need
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
Ever see a glaring need in the marketplace not being met by a current service or technology and wanted to something about it? Entrepreneur/ad agency owner Jeff Swartz sure did when he saw an increasing interest from clients wanting to use geofencing as a marketing tool, but were scared away by the complexity and high cost. He got an idea for a tool that could be more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly. Something tailored for local businesses like a neighborhood pizza shop. With a successful financial year as a backdrop, Jeff decided to invest in this vision of simplifying...
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Deep Dive: Meredith Grelli's Leap from Whiskey to Tech Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
So what happens when a whiskey making entrepreneur takes the reins of one of the world's top university startup programs? If you're curious about how Pittsburgh is transforming into one of the best places in the world to launch a tech company, this episode delivers a firsthand look at the bold leadership and innovative programming driving that growth at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Meredith Grelli was the founder of Wigle Whiskey and Thread Bear Cider. For her second act, she joined Carnegie Mellon to teach entrepreneurship. Meredith is now the director of Project Olympus, a startup...
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Strange Bedfellows: How Wigle Whiskey Founder Meredith Grelli is Transforming CMU's Entrepreneurial Landscape
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
What do whiskey, robotics, and AI startups have in common? At Carnegie Mellon, they all thrive under the same roof—and Meredith Grelli is helping lead the charge. If you’re a founder, innovator, or ecosystem builder looking to launch or grow a company, this episode reveals how one of the world’s top universities is turning bold ideas into real businesses—and why Pittsburgh might just be the best place to do it. Learn how Meredith’s journey from building Wiggle Whiskey to directing Project Olympus is reshaping tech entrepreneurship at CMU. Find out how CMU is supporting student,...
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Can You Be a Good Human and a Great Entrepreneur? This Tech Founder Says Yes By Embracing Possibility, Accountability, Championship, Trust
10-Minute Tech Talks: Business Insights and Growth Hacks for Time-Crunched Entrepreneurs
If you're building a team, growing a business, or simply trying to lead with more purpose, this episode will shift how you think about culture, leadership, and doing business "the right way"—even when it’s harder. We welcome Alex Reneman, Founder of Mountain Leverage. If you don't know mountain leverage, it makes hands-free technology for warehouse workers, end customers, and leaders in the supply chain. In this episode, you will: Discover how a clear set of values can shape company culture across 70+ remote employees. Learn how to lead a profitable tech company that still puts human...
info_outlineWhat do whiskey, robotics, and AI startups have in common? At Carnegie Mellon, they all thrive under the same roof—and Meredith Grelli is helping lead the charge.
If you’re a founder, innovator, or ecosystem builder looking to launch or grow a company, this episode reveals how one of the world’s top universities is turning bold ideas into real businesses—and why Pittsburgh might just be the best place to do it. Learn how Meredith’s journey from building Wiggle Whiskey to directing Project Olympus is reshaping tech entrepreneurship at CMU.
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Find out how CMU is supporting student, faculty, and alumni founders with funding, structure, and mentorship.
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Learn what makes CMU one of the top institutions for research commercialization and AI innovation.
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Get inspired by Meredith’s transition from successful entrepreneur to startup ecosystem leader—and what it means for the region.
Hit play to hear how Meredith Grelli is fusing grit, research, and community to build the next wave of Pittsburgh startups. Her full interview drops this Wednesday!
Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.