Alexi Morrissey

Alexi Morrissey is an artist who lives and works in Pittsburgh. He has exhibited nationally and internationally.  Primarily a collaborator, he has worked with individuals, collectives, institutions, and governments leading him to investigate technology, public space and the function of language. Next spring, Six Gallery Press will publish transcriptions of his and artist Tony Allard’s 2002, and 2006 performances, Möbius Text.  Morrissey’s original work for the stage “Take A Letter” is currently being co-produced by the New Hazlett Theater for 2010.

Allen Kukovich

Allen Kukovich is the executive director of the Regional Visioning Project, a 30-county, 4-state civic engagement initiative to create a shared vision for this region’s best future. His inclusive nature and consensus-building approach are considered invaluable tools in achieving the project’s goal of including more people than any previous visioning project.

Throughout Mr. Kukovich’s more than three-decade public service career, he has served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and as the director of Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell’s southwest regional office. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and a member of the Pennsylvania Senate.

Amanda Parks

Amanda Parks is an eco-entrepreneur, consultant and activist. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, she returned to the city to start a socially and environmentally responsible enterprise with her family. The decision to locate in Pittsburgh was based on the desire to feed from the city's rich environmental and labor history while building support of the grassroots movement for environmental justice and fair trade.

In 2005 she co-founded Equita, a principle-driven, independent, family-owned company committed to pragmatic solutions that support environmental stewardship and sustainable development. The company has a brick-and-mortar store and webshop specializing in design-conscious, green, fair trade and socially-conscious products. In addition, Equita also offers green consulting and design services.

An environmental scientist by training, Amanda graduated from the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment with a degree in Environmental Policy and specialized emphasis on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development. She has more than 17 years experience working with environmental and human rights organizations around the world.

Anne J. Swager

Anne J. Swager, Executive Director of AIA Pittsburgh, A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, has always aspired to be part of the design process, instead of just a consumer of the finished product.   At the AIA she uses her financial management and non-profit skills to represent architects, who are the place makers in our lives.  Before joining the AIA, she managed Mt. Lebanon's economic development corporation, Uptown Mt. Lebanon, and was the Executive Vice President of the South Side Development Corporation

Her civic life is also rich, including appointment to the Riverlife Task Force and  co-chair of the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, where she helped ensure that Pittsburgh’s concerns were represented in the process the State of Pennsylvania undertook to award slots licenses.  Finally she is a founding member of the Civic Design Coalition where she collaborates on how to ensure that good design and planning are the cornerstones of economic development in the city.

Aradhna Dhanda

Aradhna Dhanda is the president and CEO of Leadership Pittsburgh, a creative and innovative leadership training program for senior leaders. Pioneered here in Pittsburgh, their program has since been used as a model for similar programs around the country.

Audrey Russo

Audrey Russo started as president and chief executive officer at the Pittsburgh Technology Council in early October of 2007. She brought with her a unique mix of experience that included responsibilities for profit and loss, business processes, contract negotiations, client relationships, project management, business development and resource management. As a senior-level human resources and information technology strategist, she led successful efforts to deploy and optimize global IT systems and improve global access to information. She has taught at the university level, and her previous employers and clients run the gamut from entrepreneurial tech to public service non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. The intersection of her varied experience is perfectly suited to lead the Pittsburgh Technology Council at its 25-year mark into a future that will emphasize service and a return on Council member's investment.

Four areas of broad focus within the Pittsburgh region serve as beacons. Objectives include a more competitive business climate, the greater availability of risk capital, workforce development + workforce education and developing an entrepreneurial culture. Audrey's challenge is to translate these objectives into actionable delivery of value directly to the Council's members, partners and constituents.

B.J. Leber

B.J. Leber is President of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital Foundation, which supports the work of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital. She recently completed an $8 million capital campaign to update the School of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, and her current projects include the development of a Simulation Center and the construction of a sibling play area in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Previously, Ms. Leber served as the Interim President and CEO of the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh and as Chief of Staff to Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor. She spent 11 years in senior management at WQED Multimedia, Pittsburgh's public broadcast company. While there, Ms. Leber oversaw a financial, operational and programmatic turnaround that resulted in a transition from bankruptcy to financial solvency and a return to community relevance. She sits on numerous boards and is a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Ben Self

Ben Self is a founding partner of Blue State Digital, a consulting firm that specializes in creating web strategy and technology for political organizations, candidates, and non-profits. Blue State Digital's software and strategy powers the online presence of the largest and most prominent Democratic candidates and progressive organizations (Barack Obama, the DNC, the DCCC, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Howard Dean) as well as numerous non-profits and corporations (AT&T, Alliance for Climate Protection, Jolie-Pitt Global Action for Children, Live Earth).

Blue State Digital was founded in 2004 by four of the individuals responsible for Howard Dean's use of the Internet during his presidential campaign, and now has offices in New York, Boston, Washington, DC, and Lexington, KY.

Bev Smith

Bev Smith began her television and radio career in 1971 when she was named Pittsburgh’s first African-American Consumer Affairs Investigative Reporter for WPXI Television. In 1975, she was named News and Public Affairs Director for the Sheridan Broadcasting and hosted a lively talk show on Sheridan's flagship station, WAMO. Since then, Bev Smith has taken her “fire brand” style of talk shows to KDKA and WTAE Radio in Pittsburgh, WNWS in Miami, WKIS in Orlando and WRC in Washington DC.

Never afraid to tackle issues, she has lived with the homeless, walked the streets investigating prostitutes, raised money for babies with AIDS, talked with inmates on death row, and learned to shoot a gun with the FBI. She has interviewed personalities such as Bill Cosby, Vice President Al Gore, Senator John Kerry, Dick Gregory, Patti Labelle and a host of other guests.

Bev Smith was selected by Talkers Magazine in 2005 and 2006 as one of the “Talkers 250, Featuring the Heavy Hundred” – and is recognized nationally as one of the most important radio talk show hosts in America.

Bill Isler

Bill Isler, president and CEO of Family Communcation, Inc. (FCI), is a longtime professional educator and advocate for children. His career spans teacher, administrator, Commissioner of Basic Education and Senior Program Advisor for Early Childhood Education for the PA Dept of Education. In 1984 he joined Family Communications and in 2005, became the inaugural Executive Director of The Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at Saint Vincent College. Under his leadership, FCI continued to produce the award-winning Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, longest running program on PBS, while expanding into the development of training materials for individuals who work with children.

Bill’s civic service is long and varied and includes membership with organizations such as the Pittsburgh School Board, the Council of Great City Schools and the National League of Cities Council on Children, Youth, and Education, He received The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Isabel P. Kennedy Award for child advocacy and was named “Person of the Year” in 2007 by the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Bill Peduto

As a city Councilman, Bill Peduto has taken special interest in green issues, innovation in e-government and campaign finance reform, to name a few. He also authored the first public document on city-county consolidation. He presently chairs the Council's Finance and Law Committee and will be working to create a new five-year plan in 2009.

Bomani Howze

Bomani Howze is a program officer for The Heinz Endowments’ Innovation Economy Program, which is dedicated to capitalizing on the research strengths of the region’s universities, medical centers, corporate and government laboratories. He also serves on the Foundation's Civic Design Team, which promotes quality planning and design in the region.

Brian Bronaugh

Brian Bronaugh is the president/executive creative director at Mullen, Pittsburgh.
This is Brian’s bio:

i believe
everyone contributes to the creative process.
hire great people and let them be great.
leading by example.
in exercising the mind and body.
agencies need to evolve into connectors.
you have to get out there to do the work in here.
ideas sell. ideas win business.
not everyone will be happy.
in good storytelling.
laughter is key.
the cup is half full.
in hard, intelligent work.
a time clock does not measure productivity.
in relevant, honest dialogue.
in the community.

Candi Castleberry-Singleton

Candi Castleberry-Singleton is the Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). She has developed UPMC’s inclusion strategy, including its Health Care Dignity and Respect Campaign and oversees progress toward system-wide goals involving all 50,000 employees. In 2008, she launched the Center for Inclusion in Health Care.

Ms. Castleberry-Singleton’s successful inclusion initiatives have also been implemented at Motorola, where she was Vice President of Global Inclusion and Diversity, and at Sun Microsystems, where she led the Global Inclusion Center of Expertise. She created the Integrated Inclusion Model TM, a model that shifts the responsibility for achieving an inclusive culture to every employee. The model will be featured in Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference (Harvard Business School Press, August 2009).

Ms. Castleberry-Singleton received an MBA from Pepperdine University, a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from UC Berkeley, and also has a degree from Stanford University.

Carol Coletta

Carol Coletta is president and CEO of CEOs for Cities and host and producer of the nationally syndicated public radio show Smart City. Previously, she served as president of Coletta & Company in Memphis, and has served as executive director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Architectural Foundation.

Carol was a Knight Fellow in Community Building for 2003 at the University of Miami School of Architecture and is currently a candidate for a Master of Design Methods at the Institute of Design at IIT. She is frequently interviewed as an expert on urban issues by national media and is an active speaker on the success formula for cities and creative communities. This year she was named one of the world’s 50 most important urban experts by a leading European think tank.

Catherine Mott

Catherine Mott is a founding partner of BlueTree Capital Group and BlueTree Allied Angels in Wexford, PA. Starting as an individual ‘angel’ investor herself, and with 18 months of research on similar investment strategies under her belt, Catherine joined forces with Tom Jones in 2003 to start Western PA's first "business model" angel network – BlueTree Allied Angels. She is now sole owner and CEO of both companies.

Previously, Catherine had founded Synergetics Sales Performance Group and Indigo Capital Development, LLC. She has been featured as entrepreneur of the month by the National Education Center for Women in Business, and in 2002 was recognized as one of Pennsylvania's 50 Best Women in Business. Prior to forming her own businesses, Catherine worked 17 years in corporate banking management where she served in senior management roles for investment sales/wealth management, commercial lending, business development, and retail expansion.

Charles P. Ries

Ambassador Ries joined the RAND Corporation as a Senior Fellow in February 2009.  He is lead author of Improving the Energy Performance of Buildings, Learning from the European Union and Australia (RAND, 2009), and is specializing in international economics and security studies.   Immediately prior to joining RAND, Ambassador Ries served as Coordinator for Economic Transition at U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, where he was responsible for oversight and coordination of U.S. assistance and economic policy initiatives in Iraq.

Mr. Ries served as U.S. Ambassador to Greece (2004-07) and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (2000-04), in the latter capacity overseeing the U.S.-European Union relationship, economics, energy, and public diplomacy.  Mr. Ries had earlier assignments in London, Brussels (U.S. Mission to the European Union), Ankara and the Santo Domingo.  He was detailed to USTR as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for North American Affairs and was a member of the NAFTA negotiating team.  At State Department headquarters, Mr. Ries worked on international energy and G-7/G-8 Summits, among other issues.

Ambassador Ries is the recipient of the State Department’s “Cordell Hull” Award for Senior Economic Officers, “Rockwell Schnabel” Award for Contributions to U.S.-EU Relations, the Distinguished Honor Award, Presidential Meritorious Service Award, and several Superior Honor Awards.  For his service in Iraq, he was awarded the Department of the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.  Mr. Ries holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the Johns Hopkins University.

Charlie Humphrey

Charlie Humphrey is executive director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Pittsburgh Filmmakers, which he has headed since 1992, is one of the oldest and largest media arts centers in the United States.

Before joining Filmmakers, Humphrey was editor and publisher of In Pittsburgh, an alternative weekly paper. He has been a radio producer and announcer, and still does occasional voiceover work for film and other media.

Humphrey sits on the board of directors at the Andy Warhol Museum, Quantum Theater, the New Hazlett Theater, Squonk Opera and GPAC. He is past co-president of the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture and past chair of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance. He has served on the boards of Silver Eye Center for Photography, The Mattress Factory, funding panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Heinz Family Foundation and the Heinz Endowments’ Small Arts Initiative.

Charlie graduated from Whitman College in 1981 with a degree in philosophy.

Chelsa Wagner

Rep. Chelsa Wagner was elected to her first term in the Pennsylvania State House in 2006, becoming one of the two women to be elected for the first time for a full term in the State House from the City of Pittsburgh. Approximately two-thirds of Rep. Wagner’s district is in the City of Pittsburgh, with the other one-third spanning suburban communities to the city’s south.

In the House, Rep. Wagner’s committee assignments include Transportation, Judiciary, Education and Commerce. She also concentrates much of her policy work and advocacy in the areas of urban renewal and community development. Rep. Wagner holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Law School.

Chip Walter

Chip Walter is an author, future trends consultant, filmmaker and former CNN bureau chief. He has published three mainstream science books: Thumbs, Toes and Tears – And Other Traits That Make Us Human; I’m Working on That (written with William Shatner); and Space Age for Random House. He is now working on his fourth book about the ways primal drives shape nearly everything each of us feels, thinks and does.

You can read about Chip’s thoughts on transportation in Pop City’s feature “Transportation Key to World Class Pittsburgh”.

Chris Potter

Our moderator, Chris Potter is the editor of Pittsburgh City Paper. Born and raised in the People's Republic of Upper St. Clair, he renounced Reaganism at an early age, and has gone on to become one of the school district's most disappointing alumni. A graduate of Allegheny College, Potter has been published in various local and national publications, a few of which went out of business shortly thereafter. Among the awards and recognition he has received over a 13-year journalistic career, he treasures most of all a letter from Cyril Wecht accusing him of being in league with the terrorists. Potter enjoys canoeing, long walks on the beach, and writing brief biographies about himself. This is his first appearance on a Pittsburgh stage, and he wishes to thank all those wonderful people, out there in the dark, who made it possible.

Christine Madrid French

Christine Madrid French, an advocate for the study and preservation of American modern buildings, was born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Utah in Architectural Studies in 1992 and later moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the National Park Service as an historian. After four years documenting historic resources in the parks of the mid-Atlantic and western states, she left government service to earn her master's degree in Architectural History from the University of Virginia. She is also a writer and photographer, with her work appearing in U.S. News & World Report, Virginia Living, Modernism Magazine, and Landscape Architecture. In 2000, Ms. French co-founded the Recent Past Preservation Network and served as the president for nine years. She is currently the Director of the Modernism + Recent Past Initiative with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and also serves on the 20th-Century Heritage Committee for the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

David Foster

David Foster is currently the executive director of the Blue-Green Alliance, a strategic partnership between the United Steelworkers (USW) and the Sierra Club. He also co-chairs the Twin Cities Mayors’ Green Manufacturing Initiative. From 1990-2006, he was the director of USW, District #11, a 13-state region based in Minneapolis, with a diverse membership of 43,000.

In 2004, he was awarded the Jane Lehman Bagley Award for his work building labor/environmental coalitions. He teaches classes on unions and globalization at the Carlson at the University of Minnesota and on advocacy and political leadership in Duluth.

Devra Lee Davis

Award-winning author of When Smoke Ran Like Water, Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., heads up the world’s first Center on Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. The multi-disciplinary center includes experts in medicine, research, engineering and public policy all contributing to developing cutting-edge studies to identify the causes of cancer and propose policies to reduce the risks of the disease. Honored for her research and public policy work by national and international groups, Ms. Davis is an Honorary Professor at London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Expert Advisor to the World Health Organization.

Diana Block

Diana Block is young and intensely passionate about her role at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and its place in Pittsburgh’s future.

Donele Wilkins

Donele Wilkins has over two decades of experience in occupational and environmental health as an educator, consultant, trainer, administrator and advocate. In 1994, she co-founded and currently serves as the executive director of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, an organization addressing environmental issues in the city of Detroit. Ms. Wilkins works with local and national audiences on topics of community driven sustainable development, environmental justice, and occupational and environmental health advocacy.

Ms. Wilkins is the recipient of numerous awards for her work and sits on many boards. She is also the founder and co-chair of the National Black Environmental Justice Network.

Elisabeth Schroeder

Elisabeth Schroeder is Executive Director of Riverlife, established in 1999 to create a vision and masterplan for Pittsburgh’s riverfronts. Under her leadership, Riverlife is working to create a grand, urban-scale riverfront park, and through numerous public/private partnerships is moving projects forward such as construction of new riverfront trails, parks and water landings, new lighting and water transportation.

Emmai Alaquiva

Emmai Alaquiva, an Emmy Award-winning producer, entrepreneur, mentor is known for his strong presence in the music and radio industries. Considered a media ambassador to national and international markets for his hometown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alaquiva holds multiple prominent positions in the field of sound. In addition to having served as the Director of Production for 7 years for WAMO 106.7FM, Alaquiva is also the owner of Ya Momz House, LLC, a full-service recording & production facility. More importantly, he is the founder and Executive Director of The Hip Hop On L.O.C.K. Project, an arts education program for youth ages 13-18 with partnerships throughout Allegheny County such as Communities and Schools, Propel Schools, Pittsburgh Public School and The University of Pittsburgh. His great work in the community place him in the position as one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40. His passion for his work, and love of the people that create art with him, will continue to inspire us all to live Alaquiva’s personal mantra, “the sky is NOT the limit.”

Additional Awards:
2009 Blazing Leadership Award Winner
2009 Excellence Award Winner
2 Time Telly Award Winner
3 Time A.I.R. Award Winner
2 Time Pittsburgh Hip Hop Award Winner

Eric Beckman

Dr. Eric Beckman, on leave from his academic post at the University of Pittsburgh, is founder of Cohera Medical Inc. Cohera is working to commercialize a biocompatible, resorbable adhesive that can be used internally during surgery. In 2003, Dr. Beckman created the Mascaro Sustainability Initiative at Pitt which serves as a focal point for research into sustainable design occurring throughout the school of engineering.

Erik Lingren

Erik Lingren is Executive Director of Venture Outdoors, an organization of over 5,200 members and over 30,000 annual participants. Venture Outdoors offers every outdoor activity imaginable, from Kayak Pittsburgh, to Mountain Dreams portable climbing walls, to a multi-day bike trip on the Allegheny Passage Trail as well as urban food hikes, fly fishing and skiing day trips.

Evan Stoddard

Dr. Evan Stoddard is Associate Dean of the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts at Duquesne University, where he is also Associate Director for Community Outreach in the Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Sociology.  He was co-director of Duquesne University’s Community Outreach Partnership Center.  He developed and oversees the College’s first-year learning communities.  His Policy Implementation course and Community and University Honors Seminar (www.duq.edu/candu) helped to pioneer service-learning at Duquesne.

From 1989 to 1993 Dr. Stoddard was director of the city of Pittsburgh’s Economic Development Department at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.  He has been a member of the board of directors of several local public-service corporations.  His Ph.D. is from the University of Pittsburgh in Public and International Affairs.

Eve Picker

Our moderator, Eve Picker is president of no wall productions, inc. Trained as an architect and urban designer, Eve has built an entrepreneurial real estate development business, which has rocked Pittsburgh. Since 1997, she has focused on Downtown and urban neighborhoods that others have ignored, transforming vacant warehouses into highly desirable loft-style residences and offices. These projects have set the stage for future residential development in Downtown Pittsburgh, have forced new policy to be adopted in areas such as building codes and parking, and have created a new marketplace.

Her work have been recognized in numerous ways, including publication in Dwell Magazine, AIA honor awards, Coolspace Locator Award, Pittsburgh Magazine Superior Interior Award, SBN Magazine Pacesetter, Top 50 Pittsburgh PG business leader and one of PA’s 50 Best Women in Business.

In 2006, tired of waiting for others to trumpet the many good things happening in Pittsburgh, Eve launched the e-magazine, Pop City, aimed at breaking the bad news cycle so typical of rust belt cities. Readership grew from 20,000 to 175,000 in just 18 months under her tenure. In 2007 she launched cityLIVE!, a free, monthly series of engagingly educational events, showcasing the creative and intellectual talent of the city, speaking to its transformation and providing a networking forum. This adds to Eve’s “all things urban” mission.

Francisco Escalante

Francisco Escalante is Vice President of Development for Rugby Realty, which owns and manages over 2.5 million square feet of commercial real estate in downtown Pittsburgh.  Fran, along with a team of great mechanics and property managers, helps keep these properties running smoothly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.  He has discovered through his work that green principles have considerable practical applications, and actually save money.  And despite all that, he’s wondering how he fits in with such an august panel.

Fran is also on the board of the Highland Park Community Development Corporation, and the Vice Chair of the  Board of the Kelly Strayhorn Theatre in East Liberty.

Geoffrey Canada

In his 20-plus years with Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), Geoffrey Canada has become nationally recognized for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem and as a passionate advocate for education reform. Since 1990, Mr. Canada has been the President and CEO of HCZ, which The New York Times magazine called “one of the most ambitious social experiments of our time.” In 2005, Mr. Canada was named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News and World Report. He was the first recipient of the Heinz Award in the Human Condition bestowed in 1995 by Teresa Heinz and the Heinz Family Foundation. The work of Mr. Canada and HCZ has become a national model and has been the subject of many profiles in the media.

Although Mr. Canada grew up in a poor, sometimes-violent neighborhood, he was able to succeed academically. Drawing upon his own childhood experiences Mr. Canada has written two books: “Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America,” published in 1995, and “Reaching Up for Manhood: Transforming the Lives of Boys in America,” published in 1998. In its review of “Fist Stick Knife Gun,” Publishers Weekly wrote, “a more powerful depiction of the tragic life of urban children and a more compelling plea to end ‘America's war against itself’ cannot be imagined.”

Georgia Berner

Georgia Berner is owner and CEO of Berner International Corporation and Berner Energy Recovery, Inc., both privately held, indoor-air energy efficiency and conservation companies. In 1984, Georgia took over Berner International Corporation upon her husband’s death. During her tenure as owner, the company has seen a triple digit increase in growth and profits.

Georgia is a recognized advocate for energy conservation, social programs and philanthropy both locally and nationally and for small business leadership. She created WhatIfPost.com to simplify and make sense of the health care debate in this country.

Georgia has held board positions for many organizations including the Federal Reserve Bank, the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation, and for the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington DC and currently serves on a number of boards including Catalyst Connection, Children’s Advocacy Center, Economy League of Western Pennsylvania, Adagio Health, Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation and the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters. In 2006, Georgia ran as a candidate for Congress.

Gloria Blint

Gloria Blint is the president and CEO of Red House Communications, based on Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Her early career at regional ad agencies focused on making big brands better, including Welch Foods, Apple Computer, McDonald’s Restaurants and Humana. In 1993, she struck out out on her own and founded Red House Communications. As principal, she oversees branding strategies for clients who have included Cellular One, Steak Escape Restaurants and Panera Bread, as well as not-for-profits such as Pitt School of Law, Carnegie Museum of Art, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape/The Hero Project, and The Andy Warhol Museum. Recently, launched its integrated branding and repositioning effort: Pittsburgh. Imagine What You Can Do Here.

Red House ranks among the top 10 advertising agencies in Pittsburgh and has won more than 200 creative awards.

Grant Oliphant

Grant Oliphant is vice president of programs and planning at The Heinz Endowments. He manages the Endowments' 12-member program staff and a $60 million annual grant-making portfolio encompassing five areas: Arts & Culture; Children, Youth & Families; Education; Environment; and Innovation Economy. He also works with and guides special task forces promoting civic design, school reform, and stronger links between environmental stewardship and economic development.

Harold Miller

Harold Miller is president of Future Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm in Pittsburgh, PA, which specializes in analysis, strategy and communications. He also serves as Adjunct Professor of Public Policy and Management at the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University where he was Associate Dean from 1987 to 1992. He created and maintains www.pittsburghfuture.com, an internet resource on economic development issues for the region, and he writes the a “Regional Insights” column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Mr. Miller has served as the President of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Economy League of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and as the Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Alliance.

Hilary Robinson

Hilary Robinson is the dean of the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University. Trained as a painter in the 1970s, she spent many years working as an artist and as an arts administrator, critic and lecturer. She taught history and theory of art at the University of Ulster and in 1998 became research co-ordinator, helping, by 2001, to place the School in the top tier of Art and Design institutions in the UK. In 2002 she was appointed Head of the School of Art and Design. Her own research is in the field of contemporary art theory and has published numerous journal, magazine and catalogue essays, including the anthology Visibly Female in 1987, Feminism-Art-Theory 1968-2000 in 2001 and in 2006 Reading Art, Reading Irigaray: the Politics of Art by Women.

She is a board member of The Andy Warhol Museum, The Mattress Factory, Quantum Theatre, Silver Eye, and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, as well as a member of the Programming Advisory Committee of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Hilary Robinson

Hilary Robinson is the dean of the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University. Trained as a painter in the 1970s, she spent many years working as an artist and as an arts administrator, critic and lecturer. She taught history and theory of art at the University of Ulster and in 1998 became research co-ordinator, helping, by 2001, to place the School in the top tier of Art and Design institutions in the UK. In 2002 she was appointed Head of the School of Art and Design. Her own research is in the field of contemporary art theory and has published numerous journal, magazine and catalogue essays, including the anthology Visibly Female in 1987, Feminism-Art-Theory 1968-2000 in 2001 and in 2006 Reading Art, Reading Irigaray: the Politics of Art by Women.

She is a board member of The Andy Warhol Museum, The Mattress Factory, Quantum Theatre, Silver Eye, and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, as well as a member of the Programming Advisory Committee of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Ivonne Gutiérrez Bucher

Ivonne Gutiérrez Bucher is Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Welfare. Additionally she has served within the Pennsylvania Department of Aging as Deputy Secretary of Aging, Director of the Office of Community Services & Advocacy, and Chief of Staff. Previously Ms. Bucher served at the Pennsylvania Department of Health as Director of the Bureau of Family Health, and as Pennsylvania’s Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Director.

Ms. Bucher was the first Hispanic in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to reach the level of Deputy Secretary and is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing her work. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ms. Bucher holds an MBA and is a Licensed Registered Nurse with clinical experience in Medical Surgical, Emergency and Geriatric Medicine.

Jack Lew

Jack Lew has been with Electronic Arts for four years and is currently the manager of Global Art Talent Resources where he develops strategies for identifying and recruiting top art talent globally. He has visited close to 50 colleges throughout the US and Canada identifying programs where EA has had collaboration and curriculum development.

Before joining EA, Jack was Senior Manager of Artist and Professional Development at Disney Feature Animation Florida and responsible for training initiatives, continuing education as well as evaluating all college art applicants. Jack has also served as a Professor of Art and Department Head at the Kansas City Art Institute and continues to be active in promoting the education of young artists. Jack received his MFA degree from Syracuse University and BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Jacques d’Amboise

Jacques d’Amboise, who was raised on the streets of New York and went on to become the first male ballet star in the United States, now leads the field of arts education with a model program that exposes thousands of school children each year to the magic and discipline of dance. In 1976, while still a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, Mr. d’Amboise founded the National Dance Institute (NDI) in the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate individuals towards excellence. Over the last 30 years NDI programs, in New York City and their affiliates, have reached and influenced well over two million children.

James Smith

James P. Smith holds the chair in labor markets and demographic studies at Rand Corp. He led panel for the National Academy of Sciences on the economic and tax effects of immigration. Dr. Smith has served as principal investigator on a number of projects, including an analysis of the effects of economic development on labor markets; a study of black-white wages and employment; trends in women's wages and labor force growth; migration in developing countries; and the economic impact of immigration. In addition, Dr. Smith has participated in projects studying the evaluation of economic loss in wrongful death cases.

James V. Denova, Ph.D.

Jim Denova is Vice President with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.  His primary responsibilities include program development and grantmaking in the areas of education and economic development.

Jim holds a Ph. D. from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work with a concentration in social research.  He has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit administration and philanthropy.  Prior positions include: Research Director for the Community College of Beaver County, Vice President of Research & Planning for the United Way of Allegheny County, Senior Program Officer for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, and Executive Director of The Forbes Fund.

He has consulted with other nonprofit organizations in the areas of program evaluation and strategic planning, and has publications that include school-based health services, adult education, and nonprofit management.  He serves on the Advisory Council of the West Virginia Department of Education’s 21st Century Learning Initiative, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild Advisory Committee, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics Board of Fellows.

Jane Houlihan

Jane Houlihan directs research programs at the Environmental Working Group. In spearheading work that exposes health risks from toxins in food, air, water and consumer products, Ms. Houlihan has propelled EWG to the forefront of debates on such critical issues as mercury in seafood, contaminants in drinking water, chemicals in personal care products, and the human "body burden," or what EWG calls "the pollution in people."

She serves as a national spokesperson on issues of environmental health, having appearing on such shows as 20/20, the network nightly news and morning shows, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. She brings a perspective that draws from her experience both as a researcher and a mother of two young children. Prior to joining EWG, she practiced as an environmental engineer for 10 years.

She holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, with postgraduate studies at Stanford University.

Janera Solomon

Janera Solomon is the executive director of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a multi-arts center in Pittsburgh, PA. An experienced curator, Ms. Solomon has worked with the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and developed the “First Voice International Black Performing Arts Festival” produced by the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in 2007. She has worked on a range of cultural projects including content development and programming for Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, project management for the August Wilson Center, branding at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and most recently, program planning for the National Museum for African American History and Culture currently under development in Washington D.C.

Jay Katarincic

Jay Katarincic is a Managing Director of Draper Triangle Ventures and is an expert in early stage venture investing. He serves on the board of directors of several privately held corporations including: Carnegie Learning, Inc., iKnowthat.com, Inc., Plextronics, Inc., BitArmor Systems, Inc., CardioInsight, and BodyMedia, Inc. as well as the board of trustees of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Shady Side Academy, the Institute for Learning Abilities and the Holy Family Foundation.

Prior to founding Draper Triangle, Jay served as Vice President-Corporate Development and General Counsel of J. Edward Connelly Associates, Inc., a diversified holding company where he was responsible for all corporate acquisitions, minority investments, divestitures and financings.

Jerry Paytas

Dr. Jerry Paytas is the director of research for the Economic Architecture Practice of GSP Consulting. Formerly, he was the director of the Center for Economic Development (CED) at Carnegie Mellon. Dr. Paytas serves on the board of Sustainable Pittsburgh and is a Past-President of the Economic Club of Pittsburgh. He received a B.A. in Sciences and International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University, a M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Paytas led the EDA’s study on Universities and the Development of Industry Clusters. In 1999, he developed the Innovation Assets index for the Development Report Card for the States, which continues to be used as a neutral arbiter of state performance. He also developed the new standard definition of technology industries for use with the new NAICS coding system for the State Science and Technology Institute.

Jessi Klein

Jessi Klein is a writer performer who has appeared on Best Week Ever, The Today Show, Comedy Central, and CNN.  She's written for the movies and some shows, including Saturday Night Live, which she's mentioning because that's probably the one you've heard of.