Mayor Bill Peduto at TechCrunch City Spotlight: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh City Spotlight: Mayor Bill Peduto Joins the Lineup

Following the announcement of Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian as a speaker, we are pleased to reveal that Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto will also be participating in our upcoming City Spotlight: Pittsburgh event.

The event is scheduled for June 29th. Registration is now open and free of charge, providing access to discussions featuring Mayor Peduto, President Jahanian, and other prominent figures.

Mayor Peduto’s Background and Vision

Mayor Peduto is an alumnus of both Carnegie Mellon University and Pennsylvania State University. Prior to his election as mayor in 2014, he dedicated twelve years to serving on Pittsburgh’s City Council.

Throughout numerous conversations, the mayor has consistently demonstrated strong support for Pittsburgh and its burgeoning startup scene, which benefits significantly from the presence of local universities like CMU.

“The availability of talent from two globally recognized research universities is a key factor in attracting companies to our city,” Peduto explained recently. “Simultaneously, this talent is actively fostering the growth of the startup community.”

He further noted, “For the first time, we are seeing appropriate investment in the various components that support the startup ecosystem. Over the past five years, Pittsburgh has experienced a shift; West Coast venture capitalists are now prioritizing investment *in* Pittsburgh, rather than relocating startups to California.”

Pittsburgh’s Evolving Startup Landscape

The presence of leading universities has been crucial in the development of Pittsburgh’s startup community. However, the city, historically impacted by the decline of the rustbelt industry, has faced challenges in retaining its skilled workforce.

Previously, talent often gravitated towards more established startup hubs like New York and San Francisco. This dynamic is now undergoing a transformation, alongside the city itself.

Currently, Pittsburgh boasts a thriving ecosystem for robotic startups and is a central hub for research in autonomous vehicle technology. The city has also been the birthplace of successful companies such as Duolingo.

Event Details and Participation

Matt Burns, the event organizer, will lead a discussion with Mayor Peduto, focusing on the obstacles overcome and the achievements realized in building this dynamic ecosystem.

We are actively seeking startups to participate in the event. Registration to attend, network, and view the event is complimentary (register here). Startups can also apply to present a two-minute pitch to a panel of local venture capitalists in exchange for valuable feedback (application here).

We are particularly interested in early-stage companies located in the greater Pittsburgh area.