The Raja Show

Ever since he first started his own business at the age of 20, Scott Wagner had dedicated his entire career to starting and growing businesses, providing jobs and opportunities for Pennsylvania residents and growing the Pennsylvania State economy, through his businesses, including Penn Waste and KBS Trucking. In 2010, Scott spent a considerable amount of his own money to purchase ads in Pennsylvania newspapers, as well as television and direct mail, urging voters to join him in supporting not a named candidate per se, but instead a pro-business ticket

Raja talks with a pair of Western Pennsylvania business leaders who are finding new and innovative ways to excel in their respective fields. First, Raja talks with Alan Robertson, Publisher of the Pittsburgh Business Times.  Raja also talked with Varol Ablak, the founder and CEO of Vocelli Pizza, about the highly successful, constantly evolving, growth of his chain, and what he's doing next.

When Dr. Alan Russell assesses the "big picture" of health care in the U.S., his issues with the current system mirror those that most any of us would have. Too much emphasis on treating symptoms and not enough on finding a cure. "General" hospitals that try to be all things to all people rather than focus on the needs of the individual. Figuring out how to put the patient first, treating his or her issue as it happens....when it happens. Plus, Raja talks with Dr. Srinivisan Suresh, who serves as the Chief Medical Information Officer, Medical Officer, Quality and Patient Safety at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Raja welcomes a pair of Western Pennsylvania leaders who have devoted their professional careers to furthering the bond between medicine and innovation for the greater good of advancing the region's profile with regard to both sectors. Raja Talked with Dr. Mahoney about the importance of implementing an iterative approach to medical education, in order to keep up with the rapid advancements in medical technology. Raja also talked with Pete DeComo, CEO of aLung. and one of the region's foremost entrepreneurs in the medical sector.

Raja talked with Bob Hurley who is the Director of Economic Development in Allegheny County. Bob works tirelessly to ensure that the county's businesses have the resources and the opportunities they need to reach their fullest potential to succeed and thrive within county borders, and the incentive to STAY in Allegheny County as they continue to do so.

Raja talks with Jorgen Pederson, Founder, President and CEO of RE2 Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based robotics company that advances the methodology in which robotic technology can interact in a "real world" setting, and an overall mission to make robotic technology more "human" in its functionality. He also talked with Josh Knauer of Rhiza, a Pittsburgh-based company that specializes in data analysis and assessment in a way that helps companies make empowered sales and marketing decisions. .

On this  edition of "The Raja Show", Raja reflects on that honor, talking about what that experience meant to him, and his family, especially with regard to his upbringing in his native India. In addition, you'll get to hear Raja's commencement address in its entirety, as well as an in-depth discussion between Raja and Waynesburg University President Douglas Lee about the values and mission that not only define Waynesburg University, but also separate it from other schools in the Western Pennsylvania region..

In the past nine years, women-owned businesses have seen their ranks rise by 45% throughout the country. Raja talked with Rebecca Harris, director of the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University. Rebecca breaks down what the numbers mean for the region, and assesses what the region's business, economic, and political leaders can do to foster even further growth for women-owned businesses. Pittsburgh native Regis McKenna has evolved into a Silicon Valley icon whose innovation and eye for "outside the box" tech marketing strategy have been critical to the growth and development of such tech titans as Apple, Macintosh, HP, Electronic Arts, and many more. His pedigree is second to none.

One of the highlights of the Propel academic year, and one to which we pay particular attention here at "The Raja Show", is the annual Student Business Plan Competition. With the guidance of faculty advisers and mentors, dozens of Propel students form self-directed work teams to devise business plans in hopes of winning capital to actually START their enterprise

Doug and Jess Talked to Barry Green who is the president of Jonathen Green. They talked about getting your soil tested and how to bring your soil back to the correct PH so you can have a beautiful garden and lawn.

Richard D'Aveni joins Raja to discuss the nature of competition in an ever-changing marketplace, and the role that innovation trends such as 3-D printing play in the ability of countries like the United States to remain, not only competitive, but economically superior to its international counterparts throughout the globe.

Raja, himself the CEO and founder of a tech firm, will discuss the controversy from his perspective, and provide insights into the pressure that Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, is facing in his position. Plus, we'll talk with Ed Black, the President and CEO of the Computer and Communications Industry Association in Washington D.C., and one of the country's leading experts when it comes to the role that technology plays in our society.

Raja talked to Dave Wilke from Wilkes and Associates to help you get ready for April 18th. Dave will tell you what you need to know to make sure you get the most out of your tax processes.

Over the past few decades, medical charities supporting everything from cancer research to AIDS to heart disease, among many others, have become BIG business in the United States. As in "billions of dollars" big. These charities have done a very effective job in weaving their message into the public consciousness.  Raja takes a look at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's unique business model, as well as the strides the organization has made in engaging youth, especially in Western Pennslyvania.

They were all started by entrepreneurs. Risk takers. Folks who entered into these ventures with a fearless, "damn the torpedoes", never-say-die attitude that saw them through truly lean times in the early days of each of these companies. Raja interviewed Rita McGrath,who says the problem facing many medium- and large-size businesses. is the majority of these companies get too big for comfort, and the entrepreneurial spirit that once propelled these companies has become lost on most of the employee base, who are "just there for the paycheck."

Raja talked with One of the most sought-after consultants, speakers and thought leaders on innovation, marketing, new media and social media, Joseph Jaffe is Founder and CEO of Evol8tion. Evol8tion’s clients include Mondelez International, Kraft Foods, Time Warner Cable, Zenith Optimedia and Jarden Consumer Solutions.

Raja interviewed Jim Barry from the Consumer Technology Association, the organization behind the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Barry talked about what innovative products were at CES 2016 and what's on the horizon in the tech sector.

The company's founder, Corinne Clinch, will join Raja on Sunday to discuss how she used the technical education she received at Carnegie Mellon University, and her experience with water purification in Ghana, South Africa, and Haiti, to create a system that hopes to improve water purification techniques throughout the globe.

Paul Mitchell Hair Products. Patron Spirits. With Two Billion Dollar Startups Under His Belt, What Is John Paul DeJoria Doing To Go For the Hat Trick?

Raja talks with author Peter Marsh about his book "The New Industrial Revolution."