The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence

08/31/2026

Huge thanks to Sarris Candies for hosting us and treating everyone to some seriously delicious treats. It was the perfect way to connect, celebrate, and of course — hunt for golden tickets! 🎫

Congrats to our lucky golden ticket winners who walked away with an EFC discount! 🏆

Speaking of EFC — enrollment for EFC 2027 is still open, and our early bird discount ends September 30th. Don't miss your chance to save: https://www.entrepreneur.pitt.edu/application-efc-2027/

08/19/2026

Applications for EFC 2027 are officially open! Think expert guidance, an expanded network, and results-driven entrepreneurial education built around YOUR goals.⏳ Early Bird pricing ends September 30th — apply now and save: https://www.entrepreneur.pitt.edu/application-efc-2027/

08/17/2026

Another happy hour in the books! Shoutout to Robb McKinney and Deanna Kuder of Bridgeview Wealth for bringing us together and Bella Sera Event Venue & Catering for the incredible spread!

08/03/2026

Big congrats to our own Nicole Hudson for being named to City & State PA's 2026 "40 in Their 40s" list!

Nicole's work leading our Center of Excellence in Supply Chain and connecting entrepreneurs, corporations, and public-sector leaders across Pennsylvania continues to open doors for small businesses throughout the region — from the UPMC Essentials for Success program to her recent role on Pittsburgh's 2026 NFL Draft Source Council.

We're proud to have her on our team. Congratulations, Nicole! 👏

🔗 Read here:

Meet the PA millennials making an impact

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!