Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast

Mike Sharp didn’t let the pandemic stop him from starting his own independent insurance agency. In August 2020, he realized his dream and opened the doors to his office in the Brentwood borough. Both…

Linda MacMurdo’s journey began in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was there that she was born to an African mother and a native Pittsburgh father who was also a Peace Corps volunteer. Linda spen…

When Ben Smith and his father opened Reclamation Brewing Company in Butler, PA in 2015, it became the first brewery to operate in Butler County since the days of Prohibition. After years of disappoin…

John Vella discovered his interest in hairstyling at the tender age of 13 when he helped his mother fix a haircut that she wasn’t happy with. After high school, he went on to cosmetology school in Pi…

After participating in a coding boot camp in California, Alan Mabry was hooked on the idea of teaching and mentoring students to upgrade their skills and bring new products and ideas to life. Shortly…

Jen Urich didn’t just start a new café. She started a new café out of an upcycled shipping container in a public park, while growing many of her own herbs and vegetables. Needless to say, starting th…

When Gregg Zegarelli founded Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group in 1990, not only was his firm’s name unique, but so was his approach to building his practice. He was one of the first la…

Christina Dickerson, owner of Dickerson Creative Communications, is a media relations, digital marketing, and event planning expert. Her impressive list of clients includes local celebrities, profess…

While living in New York City, Janna Hockenjos rediscovered yoga. Although she first encountered it as a teenager, this time around she developed a deep connection and mature love for the practice. C…

As co-founder and president of RoadBotics, Benjamin Schmidt, PhD leads a dynamic team in the rapidly growing “GovTech” space. RoadBotics offers artificial intelligence-based road infrastructure asses…

When Emma Ferrick started ELF Operations last fall, she didn’t expect to go full-time in her own business so quickly and in the early stages of a global pandemic. It just so happened that the economi…

In sailor tattoo culture, a bird represents a significant event or milestone in one’s travels. For Luke Cypher, the food truck business that he started five years ago, aptly named Blue Sparrow, is hi…

Emily Bonk was introduced to soap making at the age of 14. Her kitchen was the center of activity for the hobby shared by her mother, aunt, and friends of the family. These warm memories would later …

Dr. Tammy Washington’s ongoing quest for healthy superfoods led to her discovery of Irish sea moss. After teaching herself how to prepare it and turn it into a gel, she realized that her initial batc…

Shortly after getting married, Lauren Marts decided to give a gluten-free diet a try. Her husband suffered from gluten intolerance, so Lauren often found herself getting creative in the kitchen with …

After relocating to Pittsburgh with her husband, it didn’t take long for Hannah Lane Critzer to realize her dream of owning a local business within walking distance from her home. HLane Dry Goods & C…

Axel Claussen longed for the kind of authentic, soft-baked pretzels that he once enjoyed in his native Germany. After his search in Pittsburgh came up dry, he decided to make some himself. Even thoug…

After working in several different industries, Brittany Hartle found her passion in health and wellness. She is currently the owner of two businesses – a unique yoga practice with one-on-one coaching…

If you have a business, then you have to sell your product or service. For some people, this comes naturally, but for the majority, it can feel a bit awkward to sell what you make. In entrepreneurshi…

The pandemic has brought many challenges with it, and all of us have had to adapt in one way or another. This podcast is no different. All of the interviews in Season 5 will be virtual. This will be …