It's that time of year again — we're taking a little Labor Day break, but we'll be back on September 11 with plenty more exciting stories.
If you're desperate for your Keystone Edge fix, check out some of our favorite feature stories from the summer:
Cultivating the next generation of Pennsylvania farmers:
“In the old days, farmers had a lot of kids who stayed on the farm,” says Mark O'Neill, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “Now farm families are smaller, kids are getting college degrees and finding opportunities away from the farm, leaving no one left to take over.”
Fortunately, some farm-raised kids such as Masters are returning to their roots and bringing with them fresh ideas for growth and expansion, as well as a strong desire to continue supporting family traditions, global food security and environmental stewardship.
Southwest PA's craft beer boom:
Regardless of what they serve, every brewery visited on this trip had plenty of customers stopping in for a drink or filling up a growler. Some brewers said this was in part due to the commonwealth's unique liquor laws: small quantities of beer can only be purchased in certain stores, making the idea of buying a jug of beer from a local brewery more appealing. And while restaurants and bars must purchase expensive licenses to serve alcohol, breweries and distilleries just need to file the correct paperwork in order to serve their products.
We headed #OutOnTheEdge in the Lehigh Valley, meeting with companies such as Viddler:
Viddler started at Lehigh and earned support from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA. When the company grew to more than 20 employees in 2011, they moved the majority of their staff to the Partnership for Innovation (“Pi”) space in Southside Bethlehem. The leadership made a deliberate choice to stay in the community, working hard to foster a vibrant office culture. Four employees bike to work; one walks. On Fridays they have cook-outs.
“People are surprised that we have a tech company in Bethlehem,” explains DeMarco. “We have a great staff. We also get a lot of interns. The majority have turned into Viddler employees.”
Looking back at a century of “startups” in Pittsburgh:
“A world-class education community, supportive foundation and government entities, and a spirit of collaboration all contribute to Pittsburgh’s thriving startup environment,” says Robert Stein, interim director of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence at University of Pittsburgh. “Combine this with a city built on strong work ethic and a high quality of life, and you have the perfect formula for success.”
PA companies that look beyond the bottom line, practicing social entrepreneurship:
But for some intrepid founders, launching a profitable company is simply not enough — these entrepreneurs are creating business plans that focus not only on making a financial impact, but a social or environmental one, as well.
The following five innovators are as diverse as their companies, but they all share one thing in common: a desire to be agents of change.
See you in September!