Pittsburgh used to be known as the city of steel, but in recent years, it has been more commonly associated with something else-technology. Technology startups and the entrepreneurs that fuel them are being mentioned more frequently in media and the business world. In a recent Forbes article, the Young Entrepreneur Council pointed to Pittsburgh's renaissance as a source of learning for entrepreneurs. From Steve Case's Rise of the Rest Tour to Peduto's tech roundtables, Pittsburgh is getting some major attention from both the tech industry and the entrepreneur community. Just this week, tech leaders gathered in Pittsburgh at the Thrival Festival and discussed, "what's next for tech?" Here's what they had to say:
Hardware and software coming together. Women. CEO-level talent. More venture capital.These are some of the things that will make Pittsburgh's tech future, according to a group of local entrepreneurs who gathered on Thursday night at AlphaLab Gear to talk about technology in Pittsburgh and how it will transform the city.
Dennis Yablonsky, chief executive officer of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, moderated the event.
Yablonsky said there are two things he thinks will solidify Pittsburgh as a tech hub. One is local venture capital. There's not enough, he said, and when Pittsburgh companies are funded from the outside, he believes they tend to leave.
“If the lead investor is in Pittsburgh, the company will stay in Pittsburgh,” he said.
Read moreYablonsky said the area also needs more executive talent and a great source is “boomerangers” like him, people who left the city in their youth, and now, because of a low cost of living and opportunities to succeed, see the right reason to return.
What are your thoughts? Can Pittsburgh really be the future hot spot for technology?
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