Keystone Edge - Features

The Two-Wheeled Hybrid: E-Bikes Hit the Road in PA

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Visionary entrepreneurs are hoping to ride e-bikes to profits, and it's getting easier to buy bicycles with batteries and electric motors statewide. A proposed state law would also make them street legal.

$15M Grant from GE Foundation Helps Erie Schools Make the Grade in STEM

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The charitable arm of Erie's largest employer is arming the entire school district here with new tools to create a seamless K-12 math and science curricula and strengthen the future of the region's economy.

Faces of Energy: Deborah Kosmack, Consol Energy R&D

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

She has been an engineer in most every capacity in a half-dozen industries for 30 years, and she's helping multiple companies improve coal's future as a viable clean energy source. She also plays a mean hammered dulcimer.

Living Off the Land, 21st Century Style in Bloomsburg

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Farming and metalworking go hand in hand for married entrepreneurs Ben and Kate Gatski on their Columbia County farm, and business is booming for their innovative metal arts operation.

Q&A: Karl Borton, River Common in Wilkes-Barre

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

He was always close to the old river, but never like this. This Wyoming Valley native is re-shaping people's notions about the Susquehanna and contributing to downtown Wilkes-Barre's ongoing revival.

A New Vision for 3-D Takes Shape in PA

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The makers of TV shows and movies are producing more and more of them in 3-D. Two Eastern Pennsylvania companies are cashing in by providing them with the latest in three-dimensional glasses.

Q&A: Sherry Kramer, Lehigh Valley Food Co-Op

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In re-discovering the power of local food and community, this registered nurse is connecting farmers and food producers with nearby customers in and around Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton in new ways.

On the Make By the Lake: Erie Technology Incubator Nurtures Newcomers

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The center for high-growth tech startups, located on the campus of Gannon University, pushes entrepreneurs near and far closer to their lofty dreams and the community forward.

Faces of Energy: Ben Tabatabai, Penn State-Harrisburg

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Hershey native is among those in Central PA modifying the genetic structure of plants that alternative energy proponents hope will be cultivated here and be converted to fuel.

Q&A: Niraj Pathak, Innovatrix Labs

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Luzerne County resident is part of a team that has developed a potentially game-changing computer security platform and is intent on adding Hazleton to the technology boom in Northeastern PA.

Crime Pays for PA Tech Firms That Are Making Communities Safer

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This isn't a citizen's arrest. Rather, multiple technology firms are working at bringing emergency responders, school and other institutions up to speed with the latest and most effective security and monitoring gadgetry.

Bulding Supplies Al Fresco in Lancaster

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Two Ricks, Frescatore and Scott, got their start in recycling 20 years ago and have taken their next sustainable step with Fresco Green Building Supplies, connecting sustainable products with customers and installers in Lancaster and beyond.

Snap! They Actually Built a Better Mousetrap

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Woodstream Corp. of Lititz teamed with Philadelphia product designers Bresslergroup to retool a product often tinkered with but rarely profited from. The next-generation Victor Quickset Mousetrap is now a model for sustainable product design.

Faces of Energy: Tom Joseph, Epiphany Solar Water Systems

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

History, his own family's and that which lives in books, drives his work ethic, and it may not be long before the rest of the world drinks in the New Castle native's system that purifies water with concentrated solar power.

PA Artisan Trails Blazing New Path for Artists and Their Communities

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:14:53 GMT

You can get your kicks on Route 66, but can you get collectible glass pieces or award-winning sculpture made of man-made disposables? The PA Artisan Trails have turned well-traveled routes into prime creative space, enriching artists, tourists and local economies.

Q&A: Adrien Treuille, Carnegie Mellon University

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Sometimes even the brightest minds need a push in the right direction, and this rising computer graphics star is making real-time simulations, science and technology commercialization more accessible for everyone.

Into the Wild: Allegheny County Foragers Gather PA's Finest Homegrown Foods for Hungry Market

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The brothers who founded Wild Purveyors are about more than local food. They seek, find and educate landowners and foodies alike about the foods they venture out to find in PA's forests, farms and streams.

Has the Time Come for Time Banks?

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Exchanging services like gardening for pet-sitting may seem like simplistic bartering, but time banks from across PA are taking the concept to a new level for better health, tighter-knit communities and skills development.

Central PA Startups Delve into Nanotech for Solar Solutions

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The next big thing in solar technology just may be germinating inside labs in Lancaster and State College, where researchers are tweaking nanotechnology to cut the costs and boost the efficiency of solar panels.

Faces of Energy: Atta Gueye, Plextronics

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

She's an adrenaline junkie who is part of a team that's "changing the world." If she and her company continue to establish efficiency excellence, more accessible solar technology will soon be a reality.

Second Life: Old Building Materials Are Big Business for Big Dreamers

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Reclaimed materials from 19th century barns and other structures are providing a living for crafty entrepreneurs and a more sustainable way for DIYers to complete projects across PA.

Q&A: Chris Molineaux, Pennsylvania Bio

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

He's got big shoes to fill and big priorities as the new president of PA's only statewide membership organization for the biosciences, and he'll draw on a career's worth of relevant experience in the most dynamic political and healthcare environments.

Southeast PA Firms Lead Transparency, Accuracy in Third-Party Green Certification Movement

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

If you ever see a GreenCircle label or a B Corporation designation, you can feel confident about the claims made behind it. The companies are legitimizing a rapidly growing sector and keeping PA among the nation's sustainability leaders.

Coal Gets a New Legacy Thanks to Wind Developers

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

With thousands of acres of former coalfield land available for development, environmental groups and wind energy companies are fighting to see they go to good use.

Faces of Energy: Dave Patton, Illuminex

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

When this 24 year-old Mechanicsburg native isn't moving boundaries for Lancaster-based Illuminex, using nanotechnology to build smarter solar power systems, he's repairing motorcycles and running marathons.

Rethinking Erie: Regional Efforts Revive Flagship City Hopes for Prosperity

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Like winter wind whipping off Lake Erie, there is an undeniable force blowing through Pennsylvania's fourth-largest city. A community college and collaborative manufacturing and transportation efforts could be just what Erie needs.

The Serial 'Nanny': Johanna Allston Raises Technology, Capital, Expectations

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Her latest company, Bucks County-based bioCapture, has a breakthrough platform that separates biological materials and has significant potential for stem cell research, purification of therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Spectacle: York Made It

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

They don't call York County the Factory Tour Capital of the World for nothing. Manufacturing has served as the area's backbone since it was settled, and we captured the sector's most enduring images on a recent tour of several hot spots.

Q&A: Erik Wesner, Success Made Simple

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Amish can do much more than make pretzels and raise barns. In fact, they operate businesses better than most, boasting a 95 percent success rate according to this author's new book, which tells the lesson-filled entrepreneurial story of the Amish in Lancaster County and beyond.

No Funny Money: Local Currency Sustains Local Economies

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:25:08 GMT

Community organizer Paul Glover has brought the idea of local currency to Eastern PA, where multiple communities are cashing in and improving the health of local business districts as well as underserved residents.