Graduate students in Lehigh University’s Technical Entrepreneurship (TE) program recently immersed themselves in Pittsburgh’s thriving innovation and startup ecosystem during a three-day, hands-on learning trip.
“TE provided an exclusive insider’s look to cutting edge products and ventures across a variety of industries,” said Michael Lehman, professor of practice and faculty director of Technical Entrepreneurship in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. “From hearing over 30 AI and robotics companies pitch for funding, to tours of tech-based start-ups and accelerators, to roundtables with Lehigh alumni, the grad students connected to what is happening in industry in real time.”
The September 23–25, 2025 trip kicked off with a networking dinner with TE alumni Austin Dambach ’22 ’23G, Eli Grape ’22 ’23G, Mitch Lawhead ’23 ’24G, and Princess (Scott) Pauley ’21 ’22G, and Pittsburgh entrepreneurs and founders, including Nickolay Lamm, and Tom Lauwers.
“Connecting with alumni who are entrepreneurs taught me resilience and the value of community,” said Nadia Adu ’26G. “I learned lessons that align perfectly with technology and entrepreneurship and will continue to guide how I grow my venture in the future.”
For Tommy Anderson ’25 ’26G, the evening offered a fresh perspective. “Speaking with the founders was eye-opening because of all the life insights they gave,” he says. “It helped me understand the mindset an entrepreneur has to have in order to succeed.”
Day two began with a roundtable at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, led by Lehigh alum Matt Kampner ’05 ’07G, an engineer and consultant with nearly two decades of experience in aerospace, robotics, and advanced product development.
“I really enjoyed spending the morning with the TE students,” says Kampner. “We discussed humility in leadership, grit in pursuing goals, and the importance of risk management. Their diverse backgrounds made for great conversation—and a few laughs too.”
Marcus Smith ’25 ’26G agreed. “It never ceases to amaze me the depth and richness of the entrepreneurial community, and the conversation we had with Matt was nothing short of that,” he says.
The day continued with sessions on investing in immigrant founders and navigating visas for academic entrepreneurs, followed by the AI & Robotics Venture Day led by Meredith Meyer Grelli from Carnegie Mellon and Jordan Marinkovich from Innovation Works. “
“Lehigh is also thankful for the ongoing collaboration with Robert Wooldridge and Cindy Chepanoske from Carnegie Mellon, which serves as an institutional mentor for the NSF initiative on Accelerating Research Translation.” shares Michael Lehman.
On the final day, students toured Diamond Kinetics with CJ Handron and Mike Ressler, met with local TE alum Devin Greene ’12 ’13G for a working lunch, and visited AlphaLab, connecting with industry leaders like Jordan Marinkovich and Matthew Verlinich, and entrepreneur Mitchell Fogelson (whose grandfather graduated from Lehigh!).
Students returned to Lehigh with a clear sense of the opportunities and connections that await them. “The TE excursion to Pittsburgh was a fantastic opportunity to connect with alumni, learn about all of the innovation happening in the area, and build relationships that will last beyond the year-long TE program,” said Jack Wilt ’25 ’26G
For TE alum Pauley, reconnecting with current students was inspiring. “It was encouraging to see the ongoing spark for problem-solving and innovation exchanged over a shared meal. Having the opportunity to welcome this year’s cohort uplifted my spirit in ways I didn’t even expect.”
