Awesome Chat: Tech Interviews

We talk with Bobby Zappala of Ascender, a hub for starters and builders rebranding from the old Thrill Mill. We discuss the “start up” community in Pittsburgh an why they are distancing themselves from that moniker, growing into the new name, Thrival Festival, what they bring to the table with their move, the IBM Watson AI Xprize in Pittsburgh, and what is coming up! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

We chat with Aaron Hartman of Bits to Pieces about the rise of 3D Printing and his service that offers leasing services for the devices. We discuss the state of 3D printing with the local kids, working out of Work Hard Pittsburgh, how you can get into 3D printing, what sorts of practical uses are there of today's printers, and the patent issues with 3D printing. Find out more about Bits to Pieces at www.b2p3d.com. This episode was recorded at Work Hard Pittsburgh. Find out more at www.workhardpgh.com! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

We talk with Joe Lloyd of CME Engineering about their use of the eBee: senseFly drone to expand their services to take topographical surveys and more. Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Ryan Green tells us about Gridwise, a service that looks to help Uber and Lyft ride sharing drivers become more efficient with more data and crowd sourced tips. We discuss how open drivers are to share information, how alpha lab helped the company grow, and more! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Marcus Jeter of Resus Technologies is looking to change the hair stylist industry by bringing it into your home with the MyStylist application. We talk about the inception, what problem this solves with stylist licensing, and how the Alphalab process helped them launch. Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

We talk with Executive Director of Alphalab, Jim Jen, about the Pittsburgh Startup Incubator, how it has developed over the years, the process, some businesses that have made an impact from the space, how they hope to grow Pittsburgh’s tech scene without the growing pains of Silicon Valley and more! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Chikara Pro's Mike Quackenbush joins the show to discuss the indiegogo campaign for Chikara Action Arcade Game! We talk about their attempts at a video game for the independent wrestling promotion in the past, what he learned from other crowdfunding attempts on Kickstarter, and their recent uses of Facebook Live in their wrestling promotion! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

SQWAD is a company looking to change the way we play fantasy sports and providing more engaging play, currently with the WNBA, with up the minute changes that can be made. Find out why they came to Pittsburgh from Portland, Oregon to take part in the Alphalab program that got them off the ground!

Keith Parish and Joe Leachko started Studio Me for "Media Made Easy". This newly opened studio space on Penn Avenue is giving producers access to video, photography, and podcasting facilities without the fuss to enable you to focus on your message. We talk about the facility and what's coming up. Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

We visit the Replay FXâ?? home compound in Carnegie, PA to talk with Doug Polka and Fred Cochran surrounded by amazing video and pinball machines! We talk about the concept of a video game preservation, the birth of Replay FX, the large arcade atmosphere, the practical joke on the owners of the Super NES CD-ROM that never happened, playing games with other people, how they are reaching out and more! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Academy Pittsburgh first session graduate Kelauni Cook joins us to talk about coming from Chicago/North Dakota to participate in the coding bootcamp, moving to Pittsburgh, how much energy it takes to get through the program, the oppurtunities she's already seeing after graduating, giving back to the program with an upcoming Academy Pittsburgh Podcast, and more! This episode was recorded at Work Hard Pittsburgh. Find out more at www.workhardpgh.com! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Anthony Stewart of Deco Resources joins us to discuss how Deco Resources is looking at sustainable solutions for reusable water, using solar panels to provide wifi along with PittMesh in Millvale, PA, working with New Sun Rising, and being influenced by his mother, the first woman to open a lab in Pennsylvania. This episode was recorded at Work Hard Pittsburgh. Find out more at www.workhardpgh.com! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Adam Longwill of MetaMesh is working to create mesh networks in neighborhoods across Pittsburgh. We talk about why this is a cheaper alternative to other public internet efforts, why this is different than the municipal internet efforts being shut down in some states, what can be provided on these networks aside from internet access, educating the public on the concept, how this changes a neighborhood, security for the business participating and more. Find out more at www.metamesh.org and www.pittmesh.net ! This episode was recorded at Work Hard Pittsburgh. Find out more at www.workhardpgh.com! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Buzzy Torek and Nick Miller are the two minds behind Epicast, a content creation company in the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh. But Nick also is a partner in Black Forge Coffee, a black metal coffee house in the same neighborhood giving a venue for artists and podcasters to perform and show their art. We discuss what it's like to build two local businesses in Pittsburgh. This episode was recorded at Work Hard Pittsburgh. Find out more at www.workhardpgh.com! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

XPogo is coming to Pittsburgh July 8 & 9, 2016! We talk with Nick Ryan, CEO of XPogo, about the origins of the sport, the technology around these special pogo sticks, and the amazing Carrie Furnace facility the event is taking place! Find out more at XPogo.com! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook,Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

James Deighan is with us again to talk about his other business in e360. We discuss the benefits of recommerce and reuse of old electronics and more! Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook, Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Project Impactâ?? is a new company looking to activate volunteers and help them find events and projects where they can help. We talk with Anna Lawrence about developing the app, it's progress, and the experience as a finalist in Startup Weekend Pittsburgh Womenâ?? Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook, Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Go Jane Go is a new company looking to help safely connect women business travelers in new towns. We talk with Ellen Saksen about the app, how its progress is going, and the experience as a finalist in Startup Weekend Pittsburgh Women's Edition. Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook, Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Ryan Haggerty of Haggerty Media, joins us for an Awesome Chat about his project Blood on the Leaves. Joining the conversation are actors, Dallas White (@itsdallaswhite) and Brendon Taylor (@bhtaylor24). The group discusses filming and promotion of the film - shot and edited here in Pittsburgh, and how the group is growing support for the film through the IndieGogo campaign. Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook, Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!

Dr. Matt Keener joins us for an Awesome Chat about Blackbird Health and how the group focuses on connecting the experience of mental health where the typical healthcare industry has failed. Help out the show with a donation! Become our boss! Go to patreon.com/awesomecast Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment. Follow Michael Sorg (@sorgatron) and @AwesomeCast for updates and live streams of our interviews! Subscribe on Facebook, Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes, and Youtube!