The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence

04/22/2026

🏈 Get a taste of the draft on the North Shore and join Priory Hotel to watch it in the warm, comfortable setting of their Grand Hall tomorrow, April 23rd at 5pm! This intimate, upscale event celebrates five icons of our legendary 1970s Black & Gold football teams, featuring Jon Kolb, Randy Grossman, Ted Petersen, and Marianne Noll (wife of head coach Chuck Noll), and emcee Jim Krenn, and benefits Jon & Caleb Kolb's Adventures in Training with a Purpose.

🎤 Special guest host Jim Krenn will lead a lively panel discussion! Hear electrifying stories of draft strategies, personal draft experiences, big game memories, the secrets behind their super success, and what our current team needs to win!

Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/steel-city-draft-night-watch-party-tickets-1984996315414?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

04/15/2026

40% of companies that face a crisis will fail.

Thanks to Paul Furiga from Vendilli, our members learned what they can do to avoid that fate. Our IEE member lunch and learn today focused on communication preparedness for any situation — whether it's cybersecurity, customer complaints, media scrutiny, or regulatory intervention — and for anything, preparation is everything.

Events like this one are exactly why being part of a community like IEE is so valuable: https://www.entrepreneur.pitt.edu/become-a-member/

04/13/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Annual Family Business Day, co-hosted by PNC featuring Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.

Thank you Howard W. "Hoddy" Hanna, III for a powerful keynote and Dennis Cestra Jr., Helen Hanna Casey and Annie Engel for a panel discussion moderated by Alexandra Mayr-Gracik. We also want to extend a huge thanks to Family Enterprise USA for shining a light on the economic policies that shape the future for family businesses across the country and Adam Goode, CPA giving us some insight on succession planning!

03/27/2026

Is your cash flow working for you — or against you? Whether you're just starting out or scaling up, financial clarity is the foundation of business success.

Join us for Navigate Your Cash Flow to Success, a free online workshop hosted in partnership with Chase!

📅 Thursday, April 16, 2026
⏰ 6:00 – 7:30 PM
💻 Online

🔗 Register today: https://ifee.wildapricot.org/event-6600212

03/05/2026

5 days away! The IEE is teaming up with Chase to bring you a free, practical session on unlocking capital and building smarter banking relationships. Register here: https://ifee.wildapricot.org/event-6551601

02/24/2026

🎉 Today is the Pitt Day of Giving — and we need YOUR support! Give TODAY and be part of something big: https://pittdayofgiving.com/campaigns/institute-for-entrepreneurial-excellence-2

The IEE is dedicated to the development and growth of family businesses, startups, and small businesses of every kind. Every dollar helps us keep this business momentum going and empowers the next generation of entrepreneurs.

02/19/2026

Pitt Day of Giving is 5 days away! For nine incredible years IEE members and stakeholders like YOU have helped create a difference in our entrepreneurial ecosystem and regional business community. Join us again for our 10th Pitt Day of Giving and help us beat last year's IEE record: https://pittdayofgiving.com/campaigns/institute-for-entrepreneurial-excellence-2

01/14/2026

You don’t have to navigate growth alone. From managing employees to rising costs, the challenges you face are shared—and Pitt IEE’s resources are here to help you build long-term value for your business and your community.

The Urban & Community Entrepreneurship Program is a resource for local businesses in underserved and moderate-income communities.

01/12/2026

This week marks the start of our 2026 member event season, and we couldn’t do it without our amazing sponsors. A big thank you to PNC, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP, UPMC Health Plan, Wilke CPAs & Advisors, LLP, FedEx, AT&T, NET Xperts LLC, Lloyd Wolf, Certified EOS Implementer, Henderson Brothers, Direct Online Marketing, MTA Advisory Partners & Family Enterprise USA for your support and partnership throughout the year!

01/08/2026

Patrick Cozzens, President & CEO of Modern Transportation, shared that the Entrepreneurial Fellows Class (EFC) delivered immediate impact—benefits he saw amongst his team as soon as the very next day. Want to make that kind of rapid change in your organization? There are still seats available for EFC 2026: https://www.entrepreneur.pitt.edu/centers/entrepreneurial-fellows-class/